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Having Distortion Issues when Speakers Placed in Cabinet

Stealth57

Stealth57

Supporting Member
Aug 28, 2020
11,488
67,427
NorCal
www.bigteardrop.com
#1
I have a Sunn 215 cabinet and two sets of speakers (EV EVM 15L and Sunn Transducers). I have tried both with new wiring in parallel and once they are in the cab, they sound like massive overdrive or a fuzz pedal. Outside the cab, they don't sound like that. They are all roughly 8ohm speakers. The amp I used to test can handle 16, 8, and 4 ohms.

I checked for loose baffles and everything is solid. The only part I didn't replace was the jack, but it looked fine. The cab tests at 3.8 ohms, so a bit closer to 5 ohm impedance.

Any thoughts on why a pair of speakers would have massive distortion but only when in the cab?
 
#4
Mike Caldwell said:
Have you tried it outside to be sure something else is not buzzing.
Pound around on the cabinet with a rubber mallet and see if that causes any buzzing sounds.
Click to expand...
Yes, test each speaker individually and mo distortion. Beat the cab inside and out. It’s rock solid.

IMG_6937.jpeg
 
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#6
Mike Caldwell said:
How are you wiring the speakers in the cabinet, are they in phase as in moving in the same direction. Try the battery test, you can click them with a 9 volt battery on the end of the speaker cable.
They should back and forth together.
Click to expand...
I tested before installing. The + is really +. Tap it with a 9v battery and the cones make a pop sound and move out. The speakers are wired in parallel. bottom speaker is wired to the top speaker + to + and - to -. Top speaker is wired to the jack with + to hot tip and - to the ground ring. That was one of the first things I checked since distortion could also be a pair out of phase.
 
#11
Ok. So any and all tested speakers buzz violently in that cab? Sounds like you have narrowed it to the cab.

Is the distortion sound on all notes or just one or two?

I brought out a cab that sounded like horrid distortion only on G and octaves.

I chased it to a caster with loose bearings , even when it was set on a carpeted floor in my studio space it made nasty noise. I thought I was nuts like “has this cab always done this? How did I rock that for 15 years doing that?”
 
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#15
Stylee Mousse said:
Ok. So any and all tested speakers buzz violently in that cab? Sounds like you have narrowed it to the cab.

Is the distortion sound on all notes or just one or two?

I brought out a cab that sounded like horrid distortion only on G and octaves.

I chased it to a caster with loose bearings , even when it was set on a carpeted floor in my studio space it made nasty noise. I thought I was nuts like “has this cab always done this? How did I rock that for 15 years doing that?”
Click to expand...
I have tested 4 speakers (2 EVM 15L and 2 Transducers) and all are fuzzy. The distortion is on all notes all the time. I'll try putting the cab on its side and test with a couple different amps.
 
#17
Stealth57 said:
I have tested 4 speakers (2 EVM 15L and 2 Transducers) and all are fuzzy. The distortion is on all notes all the time. I'll try putting the cab on its side and test with a couple different amps.
Click to expand...
Have you tried a different amp yet?
 
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#19
When you tested the speakers outside the cab did you hook it up with the cabs wiring?
Would it be out of the question that there is a bad connection in the harness or a crappy crimp or something?
 
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