Cambridge Soundworks Mystery (1 Viewer)

[Overdriven]

I am a first time poster, so I want to that you all for joining me in this mystery today.

At the beginning of this story I have within my possession a few (2) Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble speakers that for whatever reason produce no sound. So after watching one video of how to take one apart I am now an expert. I have not gotten my certificate yet, but I have been assured by my kids that one is on its way.

Nothing within the speaker stood out as being wrong. All connections where solid, the board had no visible scaring and no sound when the speakers are shaken. The outside is completely clean with no damage and has been in my possession for many years.

I thought maybe this was a fluke. But to have 2 of 9 not work? So I bought some on ebay (a set of 4) the user said that they all worked. When I received them I found there to be one that did not work. What are the odds? So based on that fail I just had to purchase more because of science? So I purchased a set of 5 (with accompanied subwoofer). Would you like to guess how many worked? If you answered 4 you would be correct.

So for whatever reason one out of all of the speakers that I keep buying keeps failing. I have a feeling this is a mystery that can easily be explained by an expert in speakers. Since I have not gotten that certificate I am in need of some help.

I am using an ONKYO HT-RC560 to test the speakers. I tested them by plugging the speaker wires into one speaker at a time. I checked and rechecked each one that worked and did not work. I kept the speakers low enough not to be too loud but loud enough to hear about 1 foot away. I never had anything going to the speaker until it was completely plugged in.

I would really like to close this cold case and I am hoping someone hear has an answer to this.

 

[Martino]

OK - a few simple questions for you.

For your speaker test, this is what I am assuming.

You are using the same amp channel for all of your speaker tests (say the Right Front output) - so you plug in speaker 1 to that channel, with the same connections, and verify that that speaker works. Then you disconnect that speaker, and connect the next speaker into the same channel - so the only thing different in the whole chain would be the speaker. After doing this for all of your speakers, you have a few that do not produce any sound, and you somehow label these ones.

If you did not do that, and instead were hooking up multiple speakers into your ONKYO receiver, the issue could be with your receiver and not the speakers. The receiver can have a blown channel, or a configuration setting where the channel is just turned off - so it won't send any signal to the speaker connected to that channel. If you are using speaker cables, one of the cables could be bad, so whatever speaker you hook up to that cable will not produce any sound.

Please clarify how you ran the test first, and perhaps we can help you get the system working.....

 

[Overdriven]

same speaker wire same side. front left.

 

[JohnRice]

I'm not sure I'm following you, but it sounds like a channel of your receiver is dead, not the speakers. Just as Martin stated.

 

[Overdriven]

Can’t be. Because I switched out all of the speakers with the same wire on the same side. I stood in front of the left speaker and kept switching it out for all of the speakers.

 

[Overdriven]

I am trying all of the broken ones on a small stereo. Maybe that will do it?

 

[Overdriven]

Test failed. I grabbed a good one and tested it with success. Tried the other 4 they failed. Tried the good one again with success.

 

[Martino]

OK - thanks for clearing that up - the test is valid, the speakers are bad. -- What is the next step for you?

"But to have 2 of 9 not work? So I bought some on ebay (a set of 4) the user said that they all worked. When I received them I found there to be one that did not work. What are the odds? So based on that fail I just had to purchase more because of science? So I purchased a set of 5 (with accompanied subwoofer). Would you like to guess how many worked? If you answered 4 you would be correct."

# bought: 9 + 4 + 5 = 18
# not working: 2 + 1 + 1 = 4
# remaining that work = 14

So by that account, you now have 14 working speakers that are available for your setup, but you want to still fix the 4 failed ones. Not sure where you are going with this -

I looked up the manual for your receiver:
http://www.specsserver.com/CACHE/FRMPYTMLDOJF.PDF

You can configure your receiver for 9 speakers and a sub...so you have more than enough for that configuration.

 

[Overdriven]

OK - thanks for clearing that up - the test is valid, the speakers are bad. -- What is the next step for you?

"But to have 2 of 9 not work? So I bought some on ebay (a set of 4) the user said that they all worked. When I received them I found there to be one that did not work. What are the odds? So based on that fail I just had to purchase more because of science? So I purchased a set of 5 (with accompanied subwoofer). Would you like to guess how many worked? If you answered 4 you would be correct."

# bought: 9 + 4 + 5 = 18
# not working: 2 + 1 + 1 = 4
# remaining that work = 14

So by that account, you now have 14 working speakers that are available for your setup, but you want to still fix the 4 failed ones. Not sure where you are going with this -

I looked up the manual for your receiver:
http://www.specsserver.com/CACHE/FRMPYTMLDOJF.PDF

You can configure your receiver for 9 speakers and a sub...so you have more than enough for that configuration.

View attachment 71395

I have 3 systems in our house. Main level at 5.1. Basement at 7.1 and a bonus room for the kids at 7.1

main level has a mixed system of speakers.

I can’t believe that the speakers are broken. I have speakers from ages ago that are super cheap that still work. The fact that these just stopped is a true mystery to me. Has this happened to anyone else here?

 

[Overdriven]

So, at this point I can presume that every batch of speakers I buy will have one bad one?