I was recently trying to optimize the sound of my home theatre (my receiver is a JVC RX-DV3SL) by ear (don't yet have an SPL meter) while I was killing time as the plumber is fixing the piping of my house today.

I had burned some test tones to CD (I've yet to be able to purchase a test disc as I never find in stores the ones I want - AVIA and/or DVE) that range from 20Hz - 20kHz. There was also a 10Hz to 200Hz wave and and 200Hz Sine Wave and a track that features a constant drop from 20kHz to 20Hz at the same volume.

When setting up my sub (a Sony SA-WMS335 that came bundled with four Sony SS-V335 mini satellite speakers and one Sony SS-CN335 center speaker) I made sure to keep the receiver volume at 20 (the max is 50 though I usually watch movies around 24 or 26 depending on how loud or low some films are recorded) when matching my sub and sattelites based on the 100 and 200Hz tones. Then I set my receivers crossover (the sub does not feature its own crossover) to 200Hz (though the speaker instructions recommend 150 I felt that 200 sounded best) and then I listened to "Jurassic Lunch" and a few Bass Mekanik songs to verify my results. Though the sub claims to go down to 26Hz it sounded really whimpy at 30Hz and only really kicked in at 40Hz and though the sattelights and centre claim to go as high as 20kHz it was only truly perceptible at 17kHz (though I suspect that is due to the limit of my hearing capabilities - anyone correctme if I'm wrong) with anything higher barely audible.

Anyhoo, I cranked the volume up to 24 (as that's as high as I dared listen) and listened to the Bass Mechanic songs and even checked the 10Hz to 200Hz sweep and 20kHz to 20Hz drop. It sounded fine for a while and then I stopped the CD and turned the receiver off.

Later I felt like listening to the last song again and noticed that the satellights were barely audible (for all these tests I had my receiver set to 2 channel stereo) but the bass was just fine. I activated all my other speakers and everything sounded fine except for the two front speakers. I turned off the receiver and noticed a burning smell coming from my front speakers. I've currently removed their cables and just left them on their stands hoping they cool off or something.

I'm confused as I would have expected my subwoofer to blow out and not my sattelights because at the current crossover setting whenever I turned off the sub absolutely no bass was heard from any of the speakers. Obviously the sub was getting the full LFE signal. What gives?

My speakers are still under three year warranty but the onesin question looked pretty banged up cos my mom knocked them down when I first set them up in the living room last October. Do you suppose Sams will still honor the warranty or will giveme grief over their physical appearance?

Very possible you were clipping the satellites and fried the tweeters.

I forgot to mention that, before I disconnected my two front speakers, I noticed that they were outputting less audio than the other speakers (center and surrounds) and they would crackle, as if from signal interference, if I were to raise the volume.

So, are my speakers dead or shall I keep waiting and hope they work just fine later?

My satellites don't have tweeters, just a 5.5x11cm cone.

A "driver" can be "anything" dependent on the signal it is designed to handle. A sub/sat system by its very nature has the bass going to the "sub" portion and the "highs" going to the satellites.

It is very common to burn out tweeters or in your case the driver with a signal that the amplifier cannot produce cleanly. It causes the amplifier to clip or chop off the top of the waveform thereby sending a severly distorted signal to a driver.

I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

So, do you suppose calling in the warranty is worth a shot?

You have nothing to lose by trying to see if they will do something for you under warranty.

Just be sure you understand, at those volume levels (if you in fact fried the drivers) it is likely to happen again. The receiver you have appears to not be able to drive those speakers at the volume you require.

Here's hoping. Otherwise I blew $50+ on an extended warranty I wont get to take advantage of.

I have played films like The Fast And The Furious and Daredevil at around 24 and 26 (same goes for LOTR:FOTR, LOTR:FOTR EE and LOTR:TTT) with these same speakers and nothing ever happened (I also bought this receiver back in October 2002) since I brought it home. Could it be that I just that the high frequencies of the 20kHz to 20Hz drop are what killed my speakers? Cos I just switched the fried speakers for my old Aiwa speakers and set them up using the same disc (avoiding the afformentioned drop and any tone higher than 200Hz) and everything is sounding just peachy (with the exception that the sub doesn't really go as low as I'd like it to - but for $200 for the entire speaker bundle I can't really complain).

In any case, if the warranty covers and replaces the speakers, I'm thinking of hooking themup to my comp (where I was using my Aiwa speakers) since the Aiwa speakers are full range and can actually pump decent bass. I'd keep it this way until I eventually get better speakers and a much better sub (I'm thinking a Velodyne CHT-15 since I figure it'll give me close to what I want without murdering my famished budget).

Any speaker and/or sub suggestions?

Just to be sure that I did understand you, you're telling me that the speakers are at fault, not the receiver, right?

No.

Clipping is caused by UNDER driving a speaker with an amplifier that does not have enough power to drive the speaker at the volume you want.

As for your other question, I am not sure. It could be that they were slowly frying and over time they went.

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/it...ails/538399160

Hmm . . .

Now that I look at the specs, the rated power is 100wpc. That should be adequate to drive those speakers.

Not sure what to tell you now other than the fact that you do appeared to have damaged the speakers in some fashion.

neither.

The speakers have a polyswitch in to protect the driver from the power of the reciever. The marketing of these systems calls for at least 80 watts but the drivers can not take that in power test.

Anyway, I bet if you check they are working fine now. They just need to cool down and then the poly switch will close.

Let us know

Interesting!

Thanks bfrank. In more than 25 years of trying, buying and enjoying high end audio I have never heard this before.

It is really only on the lowend HTIB systems.

The small voice coils on these full range systems cant take the power of the recievers.

It is kind of messed up. You by a 100w system but the speakers have to be limitied to take the power. The plus side is if you want to upgrade you have enough power in your reciever.

Many companies use this protection on their tweeters because they also have small coils that cant take the power. It is rare to have it protect on these systems because the SPL required to trip it just on the tweeter is higher then anyone will really ever do. So its more of a safeguard. Some systems use a light bulb to do the same but with out shutting the driver off.

Sorry I haven't reported back in quite a while. My University schedule is really packed with group projects so I didn't have any time to hook up the speakers until just right now.

Anyhoo, there's still barely any audio coming out of the speakers. When I turn the volume up to the maximum the speakers seem to "try" to reproduce the sound appropriately but don't quite get there. In fact, at higher volumes I hear a crackling sound as if the speakers were about to kick in but just can't.

Also, the burn smell never completely went away, if that means anything.

Sorry.

It does not sem to matter "how" it happened then.

Would seem so. Oh well, there's always the warranty.

I went to the SAM's where I purchased the speakers (and payed for the extended warranty) and they said that I had to call the number on the warranty papers so that they would deal with it rather than the store. Sheesh. You figure they'd just do a simple switch. Oh well.

BTW, I'm planning on replacing my sub (not getting rid of it but leaving it hooked up to my comp instead of my HT). I find that it only really makes an impression at 40Hz and I'm looking for something that'll make its presence known at leat at 20Hz. My price range is $400 - $500. Anyone have any reccomendations?

SVS subwoofer is very well regarded at avsforum. I am planning to buy this sub once my JBL PB10 goes out. It is a little bit over your price range. For the cheapest alternative, you should also consider DIY sub. Information on DIY sub can be found at both hometheaterforum and avsforum.

I second the SVS recommendation.

WOW! I am shocked they blew (they have to be crap to not include protection )

Sorry

It's okay, bfrank. I appreciate all the help you and Brian Shannon have offered me.