[Kraddy]

I recently began having problems running my Focal Chorus 826v fronts and Focal 800cc centre channel with my Denon 3808CI.


Please remember that this set up worked exceptionally for over a year. Good clean sound, good volume.


Now, I think something must have happened to my speakers themselves. They still sound great, but now my avr shuts off when I turn up the volume. My external amp also shuts off when trying to turn up the volume.


I am almost 100% positive that my avr and amp are fine, its the speakers that now seem to draw different than they have for the last year.


Is this possible? If so, my only solution I can think of is replacing the speakers, which would sure upset me, and Focal speakers would no longer be considered a good speaker in my book.

 

[karlsaudio]

Run a impedance test on the speakers. you should see between 4-8 ohms. This does change with frequency however.

Otherwise, someone else might have a better idea.

 

[Kraddy]

I got resistance readings of 4.5. (a little low for 8 ohm speakers by what I have learned, but not the problem I think.)

 

[Paul Scarpelli]

Are you playing them louder now? Are you increasing bass and/or treble? Are they in a different room? It's possible for crossover components to go out of spec, but it's just as possible the receiver is the culprit. It could be passing DC, for instance, which would shut it or the amp down. Those are great speakers; don't give up on them yet.

 

[Paul Scarpelli]

Also check your speaker leads very carefully for a short somewhere.

 

[Kraddy]

There have been no changes at all in my home audio set up. My bass and treble are not set too high. I dont listen louder now than before. (cant in fact, avr shuts down)


I think its either something blown in speaker, or this 'crossover component', whatever that is..... (this problem arose after running speakers quite loud for first time for over an hour about 6 weeks ago. I never noticed any sound changes, but my avr did shut down then - but I though it was from overheating. Now I think something happened with speakers, and it wasnt the avr overheating.)


Avr and external amp are not the problem.(avr was tested by qualified tech at Denon after this started happening.)


I have triple checked all wiring - not the problem.


Are there any other tests I can do on speakers to see if there are any problems with them?

 

[Kraddy]

Upon more investigation, I found that the tweeters on my towers no longer work.


Is there any way to confirm if they are blown, or is there any way to confirm that it may be the crossover hardware that is fried?

 

[Tim916]

Sounds like someone likes to rock out! Do you play your system loud? The tweeters could definitely have fried at high volume.

 

[afrogt]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kraddy /forum/post/18156576


Upon more investigation, I found that the tweeters on my towers no longer work.


Is there any way to confirm if they are blown, or is there any way to confirm that it may be the crossover hardware that is fried?

Its the tweeter in BOTH towers? Wow!


But if you've only had the system just over a year they should still be under warranty.

 

[Kraddy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim916 /forum/post/18156619


Sounds like someone likes to rock out! Do you play your system loud? The tweeters could definitely have fried at high volume.

I dont think I push it too loud, and I certainly dont get a chance to push it very often either.


I dont think the tweeters are fried, they show resistance readings of around 8 on multimeter.

 

[rdgrimes]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kraddy /forum/post/18172461


I dont think I push it too loud, and I certainly dont get a chance to push it very often either.


I dont think the tweeters are fried, they show resistance readings of around 8 on multimeter.

DCR readings on the tweeters don't mean they are not damaged. Damage can be heat related, where the voice coil is intact but has been damaged by heat and is now jammed/rubbing in the magnet assembly. Take the tweets out and connect them to an audio source one at a time, do they work and sound normal? Careful with full-range sources. HF sweep tones are best.


Also be aware that a defective amp can quickly fry tweeters, and even a normal amp driven into clipping will do the same. Given your issue with the amp shutting down, I think that until proven otherwise, the finger is pointing at the amp.

 

[Kraddy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rdgrimes /forum/post/18172635


DCR readings on the tweeters don't mean they are not damaged. Damage can be heat related, where the voice coil is intact but has been damaged by heat and is now jammed/rubbing in the magnet assembly. Take the tweets out and connect them to an audio source one at a time, do they work and sound normal? Careful with full-range sources. HF sweep tones are best.


Also be aware that a defective amp can quickly fry tweeters, and even a normal amp driven into clipping will do the same. Given your issue with the amp shutting down, I think that until proven otherwise, the finger is pointing at the amp.

I have had amp checked. Its not the issue.


Thanks for the info, I will test the tweeters asap.


Still would like to know if damaged tweeters would cause an avr to trip off, once volume is turned up.

 

[rdgrimes]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kraddy /forum/post/18177171


Still would like to know if damaged tweeters would cause an avr to trip off, once volume is turned up.

Remove them and see if it still shuts off.

 

[Timothy91]

People's ears change all the time. I hear things differently with different sensitivity in the morning compared to the evening. A car ride that changes inner ear pressure as altitude changes will drastically and dynamically alter my ability to hear details in speakers throughout a several hundred mile trip.


Someone's hearing can also change permanently due to hearing damage and sometimes just age.

 

[Kraddy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rdgrimes /forum/post/18177203


Remove them and see if it still shuts off.

It does.


Which leads me to believe it is the crossover hardware.

 

[cpu8088]

may be leaked capacitors inside the av receiver or blown caps inside the speakers

 

[JeffInDFW]

Kraddy....Since I am about to buy a set of Focal 836v speakers, I'm really digging into your issue.


**DISCLAIMER** I am about to completely botch explaining what I read! I am going from memory, and trying to explain what someone else thought on another forum...


On another forum, back in 2007, a guy claimed that the drivers Focal uses do not stand up to loud playback for an extended period well. He claimed that the driver will heat up, causing something (the voice coil???) to heat up and distort in shape, which will then cause it to ground out??? I tried to find it to link it for you, but I can not find it now....


As a test, can you disconnect, one at a time, each of the drivers and see if you can find one that causes your AVR to shut off???

 

[DonH50]

If the tweeters were overdriven the voice coil can warp and ultimately "fuse" into place, ceasing all sound output. it is possible the crossover fried and a capacitor within them shorted, but it sounds to me like fried tweeters.


Underpowering is the cause of most destroyed tweeters; the amp clips, which generates lots of very high (suprasonic) frequency energy, and instead of moving that fast (they can't) all the energy in the tweeters is converted into heat. BTW, few if any Denon receivers are rated to drive four ohms.

 

[Kraddy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by DonH50 /forum/post/18180838


If the tweeters were overdriven the voice coil can warp and ultimately "fuse" into place, ceasing all sound output. it is possible the crossover fried and a capacitor within them shorted, but it sounds to me like fried tweeters.


Underpowering is the cause of most destroyed tweeters; the amp clips, which generates lots of very high (suprasonic) frequency energy, and instead of moving that fast (they can't) all the energy in the tweeters is converted into heat. BTW, few if any Denon receivers are rated to drive four ohms.

If it is fried tweeters, why then does the avr shut down with the tweeters disconnected? I am not saying it isnt fried tweeters, just that as far as I understand the avr wouldnt shut down with them disconnected.


I hope it is, as replacing them would sure be easier than the crossover.

 

[Kraddy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffInDFW /forum/post/18180349


Kraddy....Since I am about to buy a set of Focal 836v speakers, I'm really digging into your issue.


**DISCLAIMER** I am about to completely botch explaining what I read! I am going from memory, and trying to explain what someone else thought on another forum...


On another forum, back in 2007, a guy claimed that the drivers Focal uses do not stand up to loud playback for an extended period well. He claimed that the driver will heat up, causing something (the voice coil???) to heat up and distort in shape, which will then cause it to ground out??? I tried to find it to link it for you, but I can not find it now....

As a test, can you disconnect, one at a time, each of the drivers and see if you can find one that causes your AVR to shut off???

Will do later tonite, and post results.