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Is my Paradigm PDR-12 dead and if it is, what sub should I get?

post #1 of 13
10/10/10 at 7:15am
Thread Starter 
So I came home last night to watch Harry Brown and about half way through the movie I noticed that the sub(PDR-12 v.3) was not working. I have it connected to an Onkyo 608 and I went into setup to make sure a family member did not disabled the sub in the settings. The settings were fine, so I pulled the power on the sub from protected power strip and connected it directly to an outlet on the wall and got nothing. I believe when I first plug in the sub that the power light should come on, and if there is no need for sub frequencies, the sbu becomes passive. Anyway, I do not see the power light coming on. Is this thing gone, and what should I replace it with?
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post #2 of 13
10/10/10 at 7:21am
First of all, check to see if there is a fuse. Then check to the fuse to see if it is pooched. If it is, simply replace the fuse. If it isn't, see what it would cost for repair if it is our of warranty (ask for an estimate) and start your decision that way.

If you want to stick with Paradigm, look at the DSP or Seismic line of subwoofers.
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post #3 of 13
10/10/10 at 8:20am
Thread Starter 
I will have to find the manual to see if I can access the fuse. It would be nice if it were just a fuse.

edit: I looked at the back of the sub and I don't see any place to remove the fuse, I might have to unscrew the back and see if I can get to it that way.
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post #4 of 13
10/10/10 at 9:23am
Thread Starter 
It looks like it is a blown fuse, the fuse has black burn marks inside the glass on one end. I guess I will try to replace the fuse and see if that fixes the sub.
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post #5 of 13
10/10/10 at 9:43am
If it's not a fuse then try resetting the receiver. That's what I have had to do on my Integra receiver when I wasn't getting any bass from the subwoofer.

Jeff
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post #6 of 13
10/10/10 at 9:44am
The luck of having just a bad fuse is not likely. I would guess the chance of having a weak fuse is about 1 in 100. When a fuse blows there is usually a reason behind it. Beating the to sub hard is one of the obvious ones. Most people don't abuse their subs enough to blow fuses. That's smart sub ownership. My guess is that there is something in the sub amp that has gone bad. Possibly something in a circuit board. Fuses usually provide protection when parts go bad in the electrical paths. I recently had one of my subs go out on me while in stand by mode. Upon inspection it had a blown fuse. I replaced the fuse and as soon as I flicked the power on the fuse would blow again. I took the sub amp to the certified repair center. Still covered by warranty. Turns out the amp had a bad diode. I got the plate amp back and now the sub is as good as new.
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post #7 of 13
10/10/10 at 9:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel View Post

The luck of having just a bad fuse is not likely. I would guess the chance of having a weak fuse is about 1 in 100. When a fuse blows there is usually a reason behind it. Beating the to sub hard is one of the obvious ones. Most people don't abuse their subs enough to blow fuses. That's smart sub ownership. My guess is that there is something in the sub amp that has gone bad. Possibly something in a circuit board. Fuses usually provide protection when parts go bad in the electrical paths. I recently had one of my subs go out on me while in stand by mode. Upon inspection it had a blown fuse. I replaced the fuse and as soon as I flicked the power on the fuse would blow again. I took the sub amp to the certified repair center. Still covered by warranty. Turns out the amp had a bad diode. I got the plate amp back and now the sub is as good as new.

I baby this sub, never drive it hard. The sub is way out of warranty, I believe I got it in 2003. If the fuse does not fix the problem, I imagine it would be easier to replace it. There are no Paradigm repair centers in TN.
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post #8 of 13
10/10/10 at 9:59am
You could just replace the sub, but if you really like it repairing it might be cost effective. Since the repair center is not close to you shipping just the amplifier to the repair center might be an option. Saving a lot of shipping weight. My repair center was 90 miles away. My sub is a large 15 and is heavy. I took the amplifier out and drove it to the repair center. I had time on my hands and know the town well where the repair center is located due to having worked nearby . It's a Bash amplifier and when removed from the sub only weighs a couple of pounds. I told the repair center I would pick the sub amp up when it was finished. The repair took longer than expected due to a parts shipping delay. They shipped the amp back to me for free due to this. Sometimes things do work out.
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post #9 of 13
10/10/10 at 12:38pm
Thread Starter 
I went to radioshack after removing the blown 2A 250v fuse and bought a pack of 4 2A 250V fuses. There was some discussion on whether to get Slow-Blow 2A 250V fuses and they decided that the SLow-Blow version is what I needed. Anyway, I installed the fuse screwed everyting in, plugged the sub and I heard Burrr sound and the fuse was blown. I guess I am going to call Paradigm(I emailed them last night) tomorrow to see how much it will cost to be repaired.
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post #10 of 13
10/10/10 at 1:10pm
Slow blow fuses are usually what subs and speakers require. I think you made the right choice there. I think there is an S on the fuse that stands for slow. I maybe wrong on that one. It's been a while since I looked at the fuse on my sub, but I know there was a way to tell that it was a slow fuse. You may get lucky. The part that needs to be replaced in your sub may only cost a $1.00. A bench test is usually about $30. At least that was what it cost at the shop I dealt with. Let us know what happens.
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post #11 of 13
10/10/10 at 6:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by red71rum View Post

So I came home last night to watch Harry Brown and about half way through the movie I noticed that the sub(PDR-12 v.3) was not working. I have it connected to an Onkyo 608 and I went into setup to make sure a family member did not disabled the sub in the settings. The settings were fine, so I pulled the power on the sub from protected power strip and connected it directly to an outlet on the wall and got nothing. I believe when I first plug in the sub that the power light should come on, and if there is no need for sub frequencies, the sbu becomes passive. Anyway, I do not see the power light coming on. Is this thing gone, and what should I replace it with?

My Paradigm PW2100, bought in 2005, did the same thing. My fuse was not blown. Checked with Paradigm......$430 for a new amp with 90 day warranty. No thanks! No more Paradigm! Going with emotiva or Epik!
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post #12 of 13
10/16/10 at 7:43am
Thread Starter 
I tried another fuse and a connecting directly to the wall, I also blew out any dust. The I heard hear a sight hum from the sub, no light. I decided to trying to connect it back the powerstrip and I heard the fuse blow. Paradigm finally contacted me yesterday via email, and said I need to conatact a certified dealer for repair. The only problem is that there is not one located in TN. I beginning to think that this is a lost cause. What other subs would be comparable for a large room? I was looking at Polk Audio PSW Series PSW505, is that a decent sub?
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post #13 of 13
10/19/10 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 
A tech from Paradigm contacted me yesterday and I did some more testing. I took out the amp, connecting the subwoofer speaker to my receiver and it was able to play sound, which told me that the driver was fine. Paradigm sent me an RMA and I will be sending out my amp tomorrow.
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