Help Please - Is my B&W damaged!? (1 Viewer)

[Dom H]

To cut a long story short,

Watching 51st State, during the explosion scene near the beginning the right tweeter seems to crackle. The left doesn't, I'm sure it's the tweeter. The volume is not high atall.

I have listened to other DVD's, particularly explosions and I can't hear any crackling, although some music cd's I 'think' I hear some although I think I may be hearing things.

The guy at B&W says if it happens at bassy scenes it will be the bass driver, although i'm sure its from the tweeter.

I can't decide if it's the levels mixed too high in the film or a damaged driver. WOuldn't a damaged driver sound awful? I can listen to the tweeters alone as they arebi-wired with an A-B switch.

Thanks

Dom

 

[Dom H]

I have just listened to the same scene with headphones and through the tv, didn't hear any crackling. Tried the speakers again after and couldn't hear any crackling, I think I'm going mad. Any ideas?

Dom.

 

[Steve_Ma]

When I thought I fried my tweeter, someone from B&W (Equity Audio) suggested that playing test tones was the single best way (for a non techie) to isolate a blown driver/tweeter. I simply popped it in and made sure I got no distortion at any of the tones.
www.stryke.com
NOTE: You must turn down the volume as the tones get higher in frequency. This can destroy tweeters if the user is not careful.
--Steve

 

[PomingF]

More than likely it was your amp distorting/clipping earlier. Play something with more highs at lower sound level and if no more cracking, your B&W may have survived.
PF

 

[Charles Gurganus]

Tweeters will usually blow way before other drivers. The test tone is the best way to tell, from my experience. :frowning:

 

[PomingF]

What I usually do is to play some 20-20KHz sweep test tones and see if the same problem can be reproduced.

PF

 

[Dom H]

Well I can't for the life of me hear any more crackling, even on the scene that I'm sure I could before.

I did notice a slight pop during GoneIn60Secs but that was audible through my headphones also.

I think what is happening is, last week some dodgy wiring on a lamp caused a load of static to be sent through my speakers which I thought would of damaged them. I think they are fine I am just picking up on blemishes in the recordings. Everything I listen to now I listen like a hawk for any crackling, spose I never did that before.

Thanks

Dom

p.s Anyone know the length of the warranty for a UK 602? I knwo it's longer than a year. Also if worst comesto the worst what could I expect to pay for a new driver, bass and tweeter?

 

[Jeremy Hegna]

B&W warranties all of their 600 series for 5 years. Don't be afraid to take your speaker back to the shop if you blew the tweeter. B&W dealers are (in my experience) pretty forgiving with blown drivers. I had a bad sub driver in my 604s, they replaced it in about 15 minutes.

BTW, those Nautilus tweeters...$90! Just for the driver, not the housing...I replaced one in my 802s a couple of days ago. They were on the floor at the dealership and a kid popped his finger into the tweeter causing a dented driver. I had to bring the old one back to the shop so B&W could rebuild it.

Jeremy

 

[Yohan Pamudji]

I had the same problem with my new Paradigm Studio 80s. I heard some distinct crackling with some material right out of the box. I took them back for repairs and the tweeters were busted. Now I'm hyper-critical of everything I listen to, because I'm paranoid about the tweeters. Every time I hear any kind of crackle I think the worst, but it's all in the source material now. I hope this paranoia wears off after some time

 

[Phil_O]

You might also check your speaker connections. I have heard crackling before and my binding posts were not connected tightly...immediate fix!

 

[rodneyH]

Jeremy, check into that.

I have a friend who owns a dealer and the same thing happened to about 8-10 total speakers in the CDM and 800 series that they had the tweeters exposed, a kid popped every one of them, B&W sent out the part for free, not less than 6 months later, it happened again, but this time the little kid only got about 2, B&W again, sent the part out for free.

 

[Steve_Ma]

Now I'm hyper-critical of everything I listen to, because I'm paranoid about the tweeters. Every time I hear any kind of crackle I think the worst...

Yohan, I'm the same way. Still paranoid as anything. I almost blew my tweeter a couple of weeks back, being an idiot with some test tones. Despite the fact that I can still hit all test tones with no distortion, I still listen to every recording on the edge of my seat, waiting for the faintest sign of a crackle or distortion that will confirm the worst. My wife turned on the sink in the upstairs bath while I was listening last weekend. For a few moments I WAS SURE it was the confirmation I had been waiting for. I'm still not sure if I was more relieved or upset. lol.
--Steve

 

[rodneyH]

How about when you hear something you aren't "supposed" to hear, b/c of an open mic or other anomaly? On Eagles DVD, during "hotel california" there is a section when Glenn (I think) is playing the guitar and the pick (or something) sounds really load, I thought I blew something up, but it happens on my dads speakers too (but on a pair of Vandys I have in a bedroom, it isn't nearly as noticable). also on a DVD-A disc I have, during some music, you can hear a door (or something) closing a few times during the track.

 

[Dom H]

Surely a blown driver would be audible straight away, doesn't blown mean got too hot and melted together, ie not working atall. I'm sure if the tweeter was not functioning I would hear it.

A few things I have done before I heard the crackling;

Moved unit hence moved all wiring around

Changed amp plug from single wall outles to antisurge (even tho it was like this a while back)

Changed levels on reciever (back normal now)

As I say I cannot hear any crackling atall now on anything, still a little on edge when listening though.

Thanks

Dom.