did I blow the cone or the crossover?

Killspringer · #1 04-26-2011, 04:01 PM

Just blew a cone (or at least I think) in my Eden D210xlt. They no longer offer reconing, and a replacement speaker is $150 and 3-4 weeks away.

I knew somebody who had a similar thing happen to their 2x10, they ordered a new speaker, replaced it, and it was still making the noise. They took it in and the repair guy fixed something else, the crossover he thinks, and it works fine now, and he has a spare speaker.

How do I tell if it's the crossover if I don't see an obvious tear in the cone? There's just a buzz/rattle in the bottom left corner of the right cone. I guess I could switch the cones from the left to right and see if the left speaker buzzes when it's hooked up in the right port, no? This is something I need to fix in a hurry and don't have any $ to take to a repair shop. I'm pretty good with basic electronics and gear repair but I'm lost on this one.

I should mention that the head was a WT550 and I was set at a totally reasonable level, 12 oclock on the gain and master, with the limiter on, so I was really surprised that something broke. Total NEWB question I know, but I'm in a pinch. Anybody ever try the Speaker Repair Center that advertises on TB? Anybody know about re-coning in the SF bay area?

90k · #2 04-26-2011, 04:07 PM

remove the speaker and lay it on its back. With gentle even pressure using your fingertips aply even gentle pressure on the edges of the cone.Listen carefully to see if you here any rubbing.

Killspringer · #3 04-26-2011, 04:11 PM

thanks, but what do you mean rubbing? i removed the grill and put my fingers on the cone while I played and the noise seemed to stop.

in all honesty, in the full band mix in our practice space, it still gets the job done and the other guys don't really even notice it, but it definitely is a major bummer. this is my only rig and i'm touring this week. hoping we get paid enough at the shows to fill the van with gas and maybe pick me up a GK 2x10 or something

Killspringer · #4 04-26-2011, 04:29 PM

realized this should have gone in the Amps forum. mods move if you must

bassbenj · #5 04-26-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Killspringer

thanks, but what do you mean rubbing? i removed the grill and put my fingers on the cone while I played and the noise seemed to stop.

in all honesty, in the full band mix in our practice space, it still gets the job done and the other guys don't really even notice it, but it definitely is a major bummer. this is my only rig and i'm touring this week. hoping we get paid enough at the shows to fill the van with gas and maybe pick me up a GK 2x10 or something

He means a rubbing grating noise when you press the cone so it moves. This means the voice coil is rubbing on the magnet and usually it means that it got scorched. OR it could mean the speaker got dropped and the basket (frame) bent. That throws off the alignment and makes the voice coil closer to the magnet on one side than the other which again can cause buzzes and rattles. The happy news is that a misalignment can sometimes be fixed without a re-coning.

But given that your buzz is so mild (a truly trashed driver usually won't be buzzing so quiet the band won't notice) it might be worth while to check around for CABINET buzzes. These can sometimes be a nightmare to find and often can sound like they are coming from a different place than where they are actually located. If you can borrow or otherwise lay your hands on a audio sweep generator it can make finding the buzz (resonance) easier, but if not just use the bass to find which notes buzz and try to track down where the buzz is coming from.

Another thing to look for are lose wires. Especially those at the speaker terminals (or even in a crossover). A "cold" solder joint comes loose and then the vibration shakes the wires which is then heard in the speaker. Also since touching the cone seems to cure the buzz, you might carefully check around the speaker suspension (flexible outer part of the cone that is glued to the speaker frame. If any part of that has come unglued it can buzz.

As you can see, tracking a buzz can take some patience and careful examination of all parts. Also some careful listening. Other tests can help as the switching speakers trick already suggested.

Good Luck.

Killspringer · #6 04-26-2011, 07:41 PM

it's not the cab. I took out the speaker and the buzz is from the speaker. think i could glue it back myself? it's right on the edge, no visible tears. the only other thing I can think of is swapping the speakers and seeing if the left one buzzes when plugged into the right port.

guess i'm in denial about the whole thing... the WT550 is supposed to have a limiter, and even then, I didn't even hit it