Are these SA 8s blown?

[KTMrida4life 10+ year member]

I have 3 SA 8s in my trunk on 1800W. When I first hooked everything up, I didnt have my gains set right, and I REALLY clipped them and my amp hard. I mean hard.. like 3500-4000W hard from my amp. Sounded AWFUL, and I knew something was wrong, so I checked my gains again and my HU settings for sub level were wayyyyyyy off.

Put them to where they should be, and now it sounds really good up to about 34 volume. My HU max is 50, but I set my gains at 41.. when I start going up to 41 for the full 1800W going to them, it sounds awful. Its loud, but it sounds like theres a bird flapping around in my trunk hitting my rear deck over and over, and its not rattling. I deadened my rear deck and put foam on it, no change. Its coming from the box because I can hear it when I put my ear to it.

So I took the subs out today.. I can see on one of them where it bottomed out hard enough for the leads to hit the cone. I hooked up them up free-air (gains all the way down on amp) and played some music... one of them sounds great, very quiet mechanically, the other 2 sound like something is loose or something is rattling.. and nothing is. All the noise you hear is coming from the sub.. I even have it sitting on something so my plywood in my trunk doesnt rattle.

Tell me what you think... they were all sitting in the same spot, same settings everywhere, same song, same volume on the headunit, etc. Only thing different is the sub. You tell me.

Heres the one that sounds the best of the 3.. pretty quiet mechanically. The others sound like turds compared to this one.

"Good" SA 8 - YouTube

Heres a "blown" one..

Blown SA 8 #1 - YouTube

And heres another "blown" one, this one is the worst IMO...

SA 8 #2, blown? - YouTube

They are not bottoming out, and like I said, same settings, same volume, same song. Whats everyone think? Are they done? They sound great at lower volumes, but Im planning to run more power and they would sound BAD

Click to read more...

 

[dbeez 5,000+ posts]

It could be that when you fed them too much power and they bottomed out you ripped the spiders on 2 or the box could be allowing them to unload and thus causing this issue.

 

[ThatChevyGuy 5,000+ posts]

Well, one thing is for sure, you didn't pull 3500-4000w out of that amp. Sounds like a coil is gone on the other two. Get a DMM and check the ohms of the vc's. Search if you don't know how.

 

[KTMrida4life 10+ year member]

Well, one thing is for sure, you didn't pull 3500-4000w out of that amp.

Well of course, I guess what I meant is.. my gains shouldve been set to 39V, when I checked them afterwards, I read 60V. You tell me?

That happened because I set the gains correctly and then changed the sub output level on my HU like a moron without resetting my gains. Not bass boost, but sub level.. controls how strong the preamp output for the sub is.

This isnt normal sounding though, right? Even free-air.

 

[KTMrida4life 10+ year member]

It could be that when you fed them too much power and they bottomed out you ripped the spiders on 2 or the box could be allowing them to unload and thus causing this issue.

Thats totally possible. I dont think its the box, I had RAM designs do the box and its built to what Sundown recommends.. .6 cuft a sub. Of course anything is possible though.

But just to clarify, this ISNT normal right?

 

[dbeez 5,000+ posts]

I will listen to the video in about 10 minutes but the box could be allowing the subs to unload I doubt jacob gave ram the design he just went off what he knew from experience.

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

On my 18 there are 2 spiders and while free airing there was this really strange noise like you had, but it was because there was a small piece of glue that was sticking and unsticking as the sub played. Both coils read fine and once I stuck it in a box I couldn't hear it anymore. Of course this only applies to those 8's if they use dual spiders as well.

Did you try double checking to see if the dustcap is sealed up properly?

 

[KTMrida4life 10+ year member]

On my 18 there are 2 spiders and while free airing there was this really strange noise like you had, but it was because there was a small piece of glue that was sticking and unsticking as the sub played. Both coils read fine and once I stuck it in a box I couldn't hear it anymore. Of course this only applies to those 8's if they use dual spiders as well.
Did you try double checking to see if the dustcap is sealed up properly?

Looks fine to me. I pulled up on a bit and its not coming off so I guess its OK. Coils read fine on all 3 subs, but on one of the blown ones the tinsels are starting to come apart on... Its almost totally separated from the push leads.

I might just say **** it and recone all 4.. these 3 and my other one. Im assuming I would get the newer softparts from sundown if they fit this frame?

 

[dbeez 5,000+ posts]

Yes 8's are a pita to recone if you don't have new baskets.

 

[KTMrida4life 10+ year member]

Yes 8's are a pita to recone if you don't have new baskets.

Why is that? Its going to be at least 140$ for all 4 recones including shipping, trying to keep costs down as much as possible... If I had to buy frames it would be even more. Scraping the old glue off difficult?

 

[dbeez 5,000+ posts]

Ok under the cone where the triple joint is push up on the cone and see if the spiders are ripped anywhere that's what it sounds like to me.

 

[dbeez 5,000+ posts]

On some of the older baskets there are little bity *** pins where the spiders glue down and its a ***** to get it off.

 

[wenn_du_weinst 10+ year member]

small work surface on 8" frames

just dip the baskets and repaint them it's much easier then grinding old **** off

 

[KTMrida4life 10+ year member]

Ok under the cone where the triple joint is push up on the cone and see if the spiders are ripped anywhere that's what it sounds like to me.

Will do.. not totally sure on what the triple joint is, but I assume its in the center of the sub where everything meets and I see glue.

On some of the older baskets there are little bity *** pins where the spiders glue down and its a ***** to get it off.

Sounds fun.

small work surface on 8" framesjust dip the baskets and repaint them it's much easier then grinding old **** off

Dip in what? I dont have a vat of muriatic acid just laying around. lol

I do have a dremel though, maybe a wirewheel can get it off. If I really to, my uncle has a sandblaster... he also has the stuff I would need to powdercoat them. Paint is so much easier though... and no one will ever see it so Ill probably go that route.

 

[wenn_du_weinst 10+ year member]

I use aircraft remover