Iconoclast
Stunt Coordinator
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2009
- Messages
- 63
- Real Name
- Steve
My Mirage OS-3 CC speaker has failed for the fourth time. Speaker handles 10-175 Watts, 3/4” Titanium hybrid (3” mid + 2x 4.5 woofers) AVR is Pioneer Elite Sc05: 140 Watts/ch with all 5 channels driven 20-20KHz. Use 12AWG Enhanced Loud Oxygen-Free Copper Speaker Wire Cable from monoprice & have banana plugs on both ends so no stray stands of wire crossing over from positive to negative terminal. (I’m told by a tech that if using bare wire & do have wires cross it damages amp & not speaker anyway.) Bought Mirage speakers 3-2009 & upgraded to this Sc05 AVR 6-2009. Center Channel Speaker problems: 1-2011: Returned to Best Buy due to muffled sound from CC. They found failed tweeter & replaced. CC worked great again. 8-2011: Same symptoms. Returned to Best Buy due to muffled sound from CC. They found loose connection to tweeter & soldered/repaired. CC worked great again. (I assumed sloppy, incompetent job with tweeter replacement 7 months prior -- causing the loose connection) 10-2011: Same symptoms. Muffled sound from CC. This time I called Mirage direct & they agreed to exchange for NEW CC speaker. Got new speaker & CC worked great again. I thought it was over. 12-2011: Same symptoms. Muffled sound from CC. (Arrrrrrggggggghhhhh!!!!!!!) I called a Pioneer authorized repair shop & spoke at length with a tech. I was going to bring in my AVR thinking there was some distortion going out to the CC. Tech says it would be very rare based on my symptoms. He thinks AVR is fine & suspects problem (design flaw?) with Mirage crossover or tweeters. If there was a high frequency digital noise problem with the AVR he would expect it to damage the tweeter in hours & it would not take weeks or months of daily use to do this. I listen loud (BD movies at -8.5 dB on my display & TV at -13.5) but, I do not think I’m clipping the amp. AVR Max volume is +8.5 & I never get close to that. Rarely, with a quiet BD, I’ve gone to -7.5. I realize these numbers are subjective & -8.5 on 2 different AVRs would not be the same dB if measured. I’m going to call Pioneer tomorrow & then Mirage. If/when I send in speaker for repair I think in 6 weeks or 6 months I’ll have a 5th failed tweeter. Every expert tells me distortion is what damages tweeters or woofers. Or the part itself is defective. (Or the crossover?) Any suggestions? On my last nerve! Thanks for any help.