Anyone upgrade from the Sunfire Signature Sub?

I had the Sunfire MKII True sub. The sound you are hearing is caused by the passive radiator being blown, I know because I blew mine twice both times I sent it back to Sunfire to be fixed. I sold it on Ebay after the second repair. IMHO the Sunfire just has too much power for the design.

I replaced it with a SVS Ultra/2 which blows the Sunfire away without breaking a sweat, however it is a lot bigger, heavier and a little more money. I have a couple of MFW's on order I think they will be quite a performer for the money.
I have read on other post that when you buy a subwoofer you have three factors to choose from low price, small Size, or big performance, you can choose any two.

I hope this helps the Sunfire is a great sub with tremendous output I just got tired of overdriving it.

I tried a 15" Velodyne before I got my SVS and it did not have as much output as the Sunfire, not even close!

I had the same thing happen to my old Signature. After my dealer sent mine back to get fixed I read somewhere where someone fixed the problem themselves. Evidently their is a weight that comes loose on the passive driver. Might want to open it up and see if you can do this if it is not under warrenty.

I've got the ailing Sunfire subwoofer blues, too. (had it new since 2002)

...except the problem with mine is that the auto-on circuit is getting REAL lazy. It used to come on quite fine when feeding it any kind of signal. Now it seems to think it should stay powered down until it gets hit with a big transient (explosion in a movie, for example). Then it stays on for a moment, and then goes back into a standby stupor.

It seems to operate and sound quite nominal while it is in "on" mode. It's that darn auto-on circuit that seems bent on keeping it from remaining activated.

So I am stuck in a dilemma on what to do with it. I'm not particularly pleased about the notion of actually shipping this heavy thing somewhere to be serviced. I wonder if I open it up, there is something I can tweak. ...or maybe I could just swap out the plate amp with an exact replacement, but where could I get something like that? I just really wish I could do something to get it working once again.

If your sub has left and right line level inputs, try getting a 1 female/2 male Y splitter. Plug the cable into the female and the 2 males into the L/R inputs. This has been known to make auto-ons work better because it increases the input signal. Turn down the gain first. Also check the channel gain on the AVR. It could be increased and the gain on the sub decreased.

Yes, I've already experimented with running the input signal "hot", just to make it trigger on more readily. It works somewhat, but it just points back to the obvious- something is definitely "wrong" if you have to drive the signal that hard to get it to run, and all other signal conditions are seemingly ignored. The signal runs so hot (how hot is it?), I have to turn the subwoofer gain down 4-5 dB just to mesh up with the main speakers, again.

So while I have found a way to "force" it to come on, it is hard to ignore that it is not a real fix, and it is clearly not operating in a similar manner than when it was new and in a known "good" operational state. It is nearly unusable when it comes to music because I would need to literally turn the music up to such a level that the bass is like a constant movie explosion just to keep it activated. While it is certainly up to the task, I do find more occasions where I would rather listen to the music less loudly. So if I want to get over this predicament, I got to find a real way to fix it, have it repaired, or replace it (and I'm not really looking to replace it).

It was only today that the idea came to me that if I could acquire the plate amplifier section of the subwoofer from somewhere, that would seem to be the most slamdunk way to make it run like new, once again. Where to acquire such a component, I haven't the slightest idea...

I've looked around on the internet on the off-chance a wire schematic for this subwoofer exists, so I could rig a manual on/off operation, but no luck there... I know- it's a fat chance I could twiddle with their fancy electronics to achieve such a thing, but other options seem just as ridiculous (shipping this lead weight to be repaired, buying a whole new unit just to get a working auto-on circuit).

I've heard many times about auto-on not working. But not a case that it used to work fine and not now. Have you tried a different cable just to be sure? The fact it turns off too quickly is an indication that the cable isn't the problem. I have always use both inputs and never had an auto-on failure, but that could be just good luck. I don't know why the manufacturers don't add an auto-on sensitivity adjustment.

I take it the sub is no longer under warranty. Have you checked if you could send in just the amp for repair?

If the sub has an always-on switch, you can get smart power strips that can switch power on when it receives a signal. Sort of an external auto-on. I believe they come in signal on or 12v trigger on versions.

kbman:
make your own traps is so easy
703 o.c. ridgid fiberglass and some fabric
i have made 2 different kinds. the ones with the stained wood frames are so nice

I have twin Sunfire Signatures running with an all Klipsch system. They can keep up with anything above 30hz up to about 118 db's. Below 30hz they fall short, and can bottom out if driven too hard. Can only get about 102 db's at 20hz. My next purchase will be two Epik Castles. This is mainly due to the space limitations along the front wall, otherwise I would have gone with two Epik Conquests. Hope this info helped.

I doubt it is still under warranty. It's going on 6 yrs old, now.

That's an interesting idea about sending in just the amp, though. I'm not sure they would do that, but it would certainly be an option I would entertain (in lieu of shipping the whole shebang). I'm going to do some footwork on that...

Forget it. I have the exact same problem. I'm sure it's a $10 worth of parts fix but Sunfire wants $450 for a " complete overhaul " plus $50 to ship it. I emailed Sunfire "Customer Serve Us" and asked to talk to a tech so I could find out how to override that damn auto on circuit. No deal. Schematic for just the auto on? No way. When I explained how ill used I felt by them I was accused of being cheap! Take your car in for an oil change and get charged for a transmission rebuild? If your sunfire needs a new amp and driver then it's a smokin deal. If it needs a resistor, diode and capacitor then you're not very well served. I think Sunfire outsources for the service on these things! They probably couldn't keep up as these subs are not very dependable. Mine failed the first month I had it. Shipping it is a pain. No local service available. Bottom line is I will never buy another Sunfire product. A shame cause when it works it's pretty impressive. Thinking about a Velodyne 10" MiniVee.
It's unfortunate Sunfire has so little regard for their customers.

Here is their response.:



Sir,

While we can certainly understand your desire to save money we are under no obligation to provide schematics for our products to anyone. Nor is any manufacturer. We consider the repair price to be appropriate for the knowledge required and the work performed in diagnosing, replacing defective components, testing as well as the shipping costs back.


Matthew S. xxxxxxx
Customer Service Supervisor

________________________________________
From:
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 5:28 PM
To: Brian xxxxxx
Subject: Re: True Subwoofer MK IV auto on and Standby malfunction
I cannot see how I would be well served by spending $50 to ship and $450 to repair a subwoofer that has such a trivial problem. I have read on various forums that Sunfire products are unreliable but I had no idea that their customer service department practiced what amounts to extortion! So my choice is spend $500 to fix a $10 problem or throw the junker into the garbage. How convenient that there are no local authorized service centers for your products! Does the phrase Customer Service mean anything to you people?

I'm sure it would take no more than 5 minutes for a Tech to email me a procedure for overriding the auto on circuit. I am a Instrumentation Technician and fully understand that I would assume all risk of rendering the unit inoperable. It is of little use to me as is so I have nothing to lose anyway. I am willing to sign a waiver relieving Sunfire of any liability.

________________________________________
From: Brian xxxxx
To:
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 2:11:36 PM
Subject: RE: True Subwoofer MK IV auto on and Standby malfunction
Gary, I am sorry to inform you I can not send out schematics or Part information. The only thing I would be able to offer would be an RMA to ship the unit in for repair.

Brian D. xxxxxxx

Tech Support

www.ElanHomeSystems.com
www.Sunfire.com
www.HomeLogic.com


________________________________________
From:
Posted At: Thursday, November 13, 2008 3:14 PM
Posted To: Sunfire Support Email
Conversation: True Subwoofer MK IV auto on and Standby malfunction
Subject: True Subwoofer MK IV auto on and Standby malfunction
My MK IV now requires an uncomfortably high volume setting in order to trigger on. Then when I adjust the volume to a normal level the sub returns to standby in only a few minutes unless the source content is bass heavy in the extreme. Is there a trim pot setting on the circuit board that adjusts the bias for the auto on function? Can the timeout period be manipulated ( RC ) and increased to 1hr? If you could email me a schematic for just the auto on and timer circuit I would greatly appreciate it. I'm sure for the cost of less than $10 in parts that I could fix this problem with a little assistance from 1 of your Service Techs.
I would prefer to disable the Auto-On and Standby feature entirely and just power on the sub manually with a powerstrip. Is there a jumper I could install to keep it powered on indefinitely?

Your assistance is appreciated

One reason Sunfire won't release any service information is "Safety". Many of Bob Carver's designs have very unusual circuits. In the sub-woofers the audio input circuits and the AC power circuit are not isolated from each other in a typical fashion. He used some special tricks to meet the safety requirements. Any DIY repairs or modifications could be very dangerous.

What's the bump for?

This is exactly how my issues started. Now before I get into a bashing session, I must state first off that my Sunfire MKII survived 9 years before the problems started, if we don't include the auto-on circuit issue.

First was the passive radiator, then the amp. I wonder after reading some of the posts here if there's an issue caused by the passive radiator failing, even though it's passive, that allows a power overload at the active sub which causes the amp to fail. Anyway, I moved the active driver's leads to one of the high level inputs and I'm driving the sub with a Rotel amp temporarily. It still bottoms (I didn't see anything loose on the passive sub, but I haven't removed it alone yet, may try this tonight), but if driven at low levels it works as good as ever.

I just solved the problem today. Ordered the Outlaw Audio LFM-1. Since the shipping was also $40 lower than the Hsu, I ended up around $100 cheaper. Not that I was trying to be cheap, but since I was down in that $600-700 range already, and since the reviews I read in regards to the Outlaw were so good, I went with it. Funny thing is, I'm paying $800 less for the Outlaw than I did for the Sunfire in 1997!!

Edit: forgot to mention, there's a blown transistor and a blown cap on my amp plate. If I knew what they were, it might be worth a shot to fix.

Only issue I had was the passive radiator coming apart. Sunfire fixed it out of warranty no problem. I went through my retailer though. That might have helped. It's a sunfire signature if that makes a difference.

My Sunfire just took a shat. It blows fuses immediately on plug in. I don't know what happened I just moved it and replugged it in and pow 4 fuses later its out of the line up now !

that's what mine did when it blew a component on the board. I don't recall if it was a capacitor or a transistor.

I have a customer with a Sunfire Signature Sub. I was doing an installation on his home adding some additional distributed ceiling speakers and amplification, etc, and after I was finished he called said the subwoofer wasnt working. The light wont come on. I never even touched the sub, or the wires associated except for the RCA lead coming out of the sub out on the receiver was stressed so I loosened it up a bit. Is the power light supposed to be on even in standby mode? The previous installer had the inputs wired with both the speaker level inputs and also the RCA mono input being used. It was working the day before but today it will not power up. Checked fuses etc.
9 year old amp and now I am liable for half the repair costs in order to keep the customer happy. Ideas for repairs/issues or other thoughts?

D.

I have a Sunfire True Sub MK II (got it new in 2000) and it started to "blat" on initial bass tones about 2 months ago.

It's not the passive radiator, I pulled the active driver out and it does it out of the cabinet. I at first thought it was the driver and ordered up a replacement (the HiVi SP10). The replacement woofer did the same thing so it's the amp that's the problem. It's funny because it only seems to do it at certain frequencies and on the initial woofer movement; once the tone/note is going there isn't a problem until the woofer stops moving, then it'll happen again. Active servo circuit maybe?

Guess I should be happy it lasted 8 years. Sunfire (or Elan or whomever owns them these days) now wants the flat $600 to fix it. Ouch. I bought a tSc T-250 instead for less than $250 and am happy enough with that.

these situations can be a real bummer. If their seven year old son was in the room nearby when it quit, would it have automatically have been HIS fault? There goes his allowances for the next five years. Ahh, yes....the old "who touched it last" theory.

Just fired up the Mk II after an period of NOT using it...loud AC hum upon plugging in...anybody know is this is a traditional AC P/S or a switching P/S...my gray hair (and old ham radio experience) tells me a bad capacitor if it's a trad P/S...any thoughts before I shell out big bucks? Anyone taken these apart? Any comments? Please let me know!! much appreciated...

Posted in the Martin Logan Club Forum: Bob Carver has opened a Carver/Sunfire repair shop with Rita Helm. Repair and recondition for a flat fee of $170 and shipping. Telephone # is 425-530-9557. The address is Rita Helm,Old Sunfire Building, 1920 Bickford Ave, Snohomish,Wa.,98290.

My orginal Sunfire bit it after many years of good service. I first checked in with Sunfire corp and they actually gave me Rita's number. I did not have my original shipping box so they sent me one out. I paid the flat rate (believe it was $175) and they fixed the unit. they also charged me to ship it back of course. The whole thing only took a couple days after they received it and the sub works fine.

Joe

This is excellent news, I was going to buy a new sub for $1000-1500 but if I can repair my old one for $200 it seems like a no-brainer. When the economy picks up I can then be extravagant.

Wow this great news is so germane as my Sunfire True Sub MKI just bit the dust last week. Standby power light comes on, but no output. Probably just the amp needs work, but haven't tested the woofer itself in isolation yet.

Since both Sunfire and Rita charge flat fees, was wondering if anyone out there wanted to swap parts before it goes in. The passive driver looks good, and hope to confirm active woofer operational soon. So if you have a blown driver / surround and want to pick up a replacement part (which Sunfire does not sell individually), let me know.

UPDATE: It turns out the woofer is the culprit. Passive woofer obviously still OK. To the best of my limited test equipment (sine wave tone generator + AC voltage & freq multimeter) amp actually seems OK. Auto turn on functioning properly! So bottom line is if anyone is looking to replace a bum amp, let me know! Or if you have a functioning woofer!