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Blown Speaker - HELP!

M

matt514

Apr 16, 2009
1
0
#1
Ok, so I'm not too tech savy so I'm turning to you guys. I blew the speaker in my Hartke TP115 (150w @ 8ohms). I desperately need to replace it within a matter of days. Looking at eminence speakers and they seem to fit the bill. My questions are:

Can I replace use a speaker with the same impedance but higher wattage (so I don't blow it again)?

Is the replacement going to be easy, straight forward, plug and play or am I going to need to solder, etc?

I suppose that's it. Need help ASAP. Thanks!
 
#2
EDIT: OP, I'm not a speaker cab designer, but if I were in your situation I'd look at an Eminence 15" which is more sensitive (>96 db), handles 300 watts RMS (at least), and has comparable lows & better highs (>2,500 Hz) than your blown speaker.

Since I don't know which Eminence 15" would best suit a Hartke Transporter cab, I'd go for:

- louder sensitivity

- higher power handling

- better frequency range

- and a large Xmax (4 mm or greater) (the amount a speaker cone can travel back & forth and remain in control/sound good when reproducing bass frequencies)

at the lowest price and live with any minor mid-bass hump which may be the result of a less than optimal speaker & cabinet match. I could always compensate somewhat with the amp's EQ (if need be).

In short, I'd invest in reliability and loudness over a tonal unknown.

Eminence 15" drivers from US Speaker

--------

115TP - 1x15 Transporter Cabinet

Hartke for working bass players. Built tough like our world-class XL Series, each features rugged, roadworthy cabinets with metal grills and our versatile TP aluminum-cone drivers for great sound and coverage.

More bass for less. A duct-vented cabinet design combines with low range 15" aluminum-cone bass driver. Power handling of 150 watts at 8 ohms. Wide frequency response of 40 Hz to 2.5 kHz.
Features:

* Special Dual Ported Cabinet Design
* Hartke 15" TP Aluminum-Cone Bass Driver
* Power Handling: 150 Watts at 8 Ohms
* Frequency Response: 40 Hz To 2.5 kHz
* Sensitivity: 96 dB at 1 W/1 M
* Voice Coil: 2"
* Magnet Weight: 60 Oz.
* Single 1/4" Input
* Dimensions: 24"(H) X 24"(W) X 15"(D)
* Weight: 51 lb.
 
#3
matt514 said:
Ok, so I'm not too tech savy so I'm turning to you guys. I blew the speaker in my Hartke TP115 (150w @ 8ohms). I desperately need to replace it within a matter of days. Looking at eminence speakers and they seem to fit the bill. My questions are:

Can I replace use a speaker with the same impedance but higher wattage (so I don't blow it again)?

Is the replacement going to be easy, straight forward, plug and play or am I going to need to solder, etc?
Click to expand...

1. yes - whether it'll sound good is more complicated but if it's the same impedance and higher wattage you'll be fine from a safety point of view

2. probably - many speakers are connected by those little slidey clips that just slide onto the speaker terminals... most of the time it's more hassle to open up the speaker cabinet than it is to install the speaker.. at most you'll have to do a little soldering - TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH of the wiring before you remove the old speaker, then refer to the picture if you need to


[DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN AMP DOCTOR - GET A SECOND OPINION BEFORE DOING ANYTHING AND DON'T BLAME ME IF IT GOES WRONG!]
 
#5
i also need an opinion on a replacement speaker in a crate bx 160 sounds good for 5 min. then the voice coil starts to short out (i think) and the vol drops for a few seconds and returns when i let it rest for 10 seconds or so . the amp was sitting on a porch for a few years and every thing inside was very dusty. the sound is loud and tight for 160 watts and is fine when i unplug the speaker and use an other cab.(ie 15" bag end)
I'll be using the amp with the bag end(a little strong in the mids) so do i use the 15" kappalight LF or the non LF or is the basslight enough cause its more watts than the amp puts out. i play hard classic rock and blues
and this will be a small venue amp no pa support . thanks your opinion
will be greatly appreciated
 
#6
OP and Subhouse, as always the correct driver for your cabinets is exactly what came out. For the n'th time, a driver must be mounted in an enclosure that is suitable for that driver. If you put in any other speaker the results will be a crapshoot at best. At worst you could damage your new driver. Measure the cabinets and porting, if any, and feed the results into WinISD then select a driver that will be suitable.

Paul
 
#7
Physically changing the speaker is the easy part, but with a ported cabinet, you'll either have to get the TS parameters of your Hartke speaker (from them if poss) to find a match,

or,

go to the eminence website, then 'RESOURSES", find a speaker that has a cab with the same box volume, and close port diameters and lengths as yours.
 
#9
subhouse said:
i also need an opinion on a replacement speaker in a crate bx 160 sounds good for 5 min. then the voice coil starts to short out (i think) and the vol drops for a few seconds and returns when i let it rest for 10 seconds or so . the amp was sitting on a porch for a few years and every thing inside was very dusty. the sound is loud and tight for 160 watts and is fine when i unplug the speaker and use an other cab.(ie 15" bag end)
I'll be using the amp with the bag end(a little strong in the mids) so do i use the 15" kappalight LF or the non LF or is the basslight enough cause its more watts than the amp puts out. i play hard classic rock and blues
and this will be a small venue amp no pa support . thanks your opinion
will be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

Hi subhouse.

I have zero experience with Eminence neodymium speakers. However by comparing specs. one can get an idea of which model would be one's best bet.

As I understand it, the Kappalite LF drivers are designed for low frequency applications where a dedicated mid-range speaker is present.

As well, they'll want a cabinet which is much larger than one found in most combo bass amps.

Personally I wouldn't spend too much on a replacement speaker for a 160 watt combo whose small cab size would likely diminish the sonic advantages offered by more expensive drivers.

Instead I'd go for loudness, clarity, and good power handling at the lowest price with the understanding that the speaker & cab will likely be a mis-match.

--------

Hopefully someone with experience in measuring cabinet dimensions & figuring out internal cab volumes & port tunings and matching speakers etc. will chime in.
 
#10
Call Hartke and buy a replacement. If you need it fast,
get expedited shipping.

As BAssManPaul notes, that box is designed to optimize
that driver, not some random driver. That is very important
in cab design.

Pay attention to how hot you run your line inputs, are you
using inline pre-amps, pedals, active preamps or other signal
boosts?

This combo may be undersized for your needs, as voice coil
failure (if that is what it is) is generally caused by heat. The
majority of the energy you put into a driver is dissipated as
heat. A small portion is converted to mechanical work pushing
air.

If you are continually overloading the driver, you need a
more substantial rig. The Hartke may very well be great
for small to medium rooms with a well modulated band, as
a stage level monitor, or practice/rehearsal amp.

Don't expect it to stand toe to toe with a Marshall stack.
 
#13
Im not looking for any magic a 160 watt amp is what it is. intuitively i know the answer to my question as to what speaker (what sounds good to me ) so if i like the sound before the speaker craps out, maybe i should just buy a crate replacement speaker and move on . it's a good amp for a 75/100 person room and the eq is workable . i think my thoughts on the kappalight were to loose some weight . although it's not that heavy and it has casters.
 

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