Can't tell if my subs are blown, need some help

[Lasherž]

I've never heard that particular sound before coming from subs. My guess would be a loose connection on the signal cable or the amp going into protect like Buck said. It's possible that it's also a weak ground since it starts later on in a song. Do you get it while the car is at speed too? Lower voltage isn't quite as capable of bridging a bad connection gap as charging voltage. Instead of looking at your subwoofer I'm curious what your amp looks like while this is all going down. Any spark sounds near the connectors? Any lights flickering?

If it's the subwoofers then it's going to be the coils, but you'd smell them before getting to this point. Did they start stinking recently?

Spotify uses a lot of crappy compression in their audio but in general it should be fine. It doesn't sound like a clip to me and that's what would happen unless that box is wholly inadequate for those subs. They don't look like they're bottoming out either and the bass intensity didn't change between when it was having an issue and when it wasn't.. The only likely things that change throughout a bassy song with the same background rumble is that the coils heat up a little bit, the battery voltage goes down (and amperage goes up), and things that don't fit right are likely to vibrate loose.

 

[jt4x4]

It sounds like burnt/scraping coil to me. It's tough to watch two speakers at once, especially in a video, but it doesn't look like the speakers are moving together.

Lasherz and Buck: do you think a protection circuit would cycle that fast? I would expect protection to shut it off for long enough to sound like it shut off and came back, whereas the video sounds like it would have to cycle faster than the audio frequency.

 

[d_tek]

Alright just tested the subs individually, one of the subs didn't produce any sound on either channel so I tried bridging it and that did not work either. The sub that does work worked on both channels as well as bridged and didn't seem to have any problems with the issue at hand until I turned on the EQ. Prior to testing them individually, the sub that no longer makes any sound was still working, as you can see in the video. This makes me wonder if the issue is both the subs and the amp maybe? Let me know what you guys think

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Alright just tested the subs individually, one of the subs didn't produce any sound on either channel so I tried bridging it and that did not work either. The sub that does work worked on both channels as well as bridged and didn't seem to have any problems with the issue at hand until I turned on the EQ. Prior to testing them individually, the sub that no longer makes any sound was still working, as you can see in the video. This makes me wonder if the issue is both the subs and the amp maybe? Let me know what you guys think

I would still pull both subs and check the wiring connections( ON THE SUB, not the wires from the amplifier). The reason the Non -working sub is moving within the enclosure( acting as a radiator) is due to chamber pressure while the other is doing work.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Sounds like Ohm loads are reading fine within limitations of 4 ohms each..Wired properly, you should be at a 2 ohm final load. You are going to have to learn how to clean up your music before you play it on your system as well. Bad Music Mixing and not knowing your limitations of your EQ settings can lead to Severe Distortion as well as Maxed tones /beyond your speakers and sub woofer limitations that will eventually damage them/ Hence... Start buying more gear/ digging deeper in your pockets... Just my 2 cents here

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Checking any speaker or sub properly is by itself completely, not wired up/powered up but by itself with a DMM at the coils

 

[d_tek]

I would still pull both subs and check the wiring connections( ON THE SUB, not the wires from the amplifier). The reason the Non -working sub is moving within the enclosure( acting as a radiator) is due to chamber pressure while the other is doing work.

I just checked the wiring today when seeing the impedance of the voice coils. And the sub that is not working now was working yesterday (to some degree at least) as my enclosure is sealed in the middle thus creating two separate chambers

 

[d_tek]

Sounds like Ohm loads are reading fine within limitations of 4 ohms each..Wired properly, you should be at a 2 ohm final load. You are going to have to learn how to clean up your music before you play it on your system as well. Bad Music Mixing and not knowing your limitations of your EQ settings can lead to Severe Distortion as well as Maxed tones /beyond your speakers and sub woofer limitations that will eventually damage them/ Hence... Start buying more gear/ digging deeper in your pockets... Just my 2 cents here

I've been using the two EQs for almost two years before any issues arose and there was minimal distortion. I'm prone to think that spotify must've changed its dB levels on its EQ during the update (I hadn't updated the app in years). Then again, I use the EQ with headphones and I didn't notice any difference in loudness after the update. I'm thinking my best course is to get some new subs, but I'd hate for the amp to have been the problem and then I'm left with two sitting ducks

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Kenwood KAC-6104D

Mono car amplifier 300 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms

www.crutchfield.com

Honestly.. it wouldnt hurt to spend a little more funds on a larger amplifier, but if its working and it meets your criteria/needs, no need in that.
Are these your subs here?

Two 12" Crunch GTR12D4 Subwoofers 700MAXX 350RMS

Two 12 Crunch GTR12D4 Subwoofers 700maxx 350RMS in Consumer Electronics, Vehicle Electronics & GPS, Car Audio

www.popscreen.com

,
and if so.. are they wired correctly at a 4 ohm load as this diagram here? Or do you have them wired at the 1 ohm load in the diagram of which would be incorrect due to the amplifiers stability ohm load?

Subwoofer Wiring Diagrams for Two 4 Ohm Dual Voice Coil Speakers

www.the12volt.com

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

If both subs you have are Dual 4 ohm subs then you should wire them to a final load of 4 ohms for both coils of each sub, for that amplifier.
Another option would be wire 1 coil of each sub being as though they are a 4 ohm Single Voice coil sub with a final load of 2 ohms on that amplifier and they should only receive 1/2 of the RMS value each/ 350 rms devided by 2= 175 RMS each x 2 = 350 RMS for both subs at the 2 ohm final load of which the amplifier is capable of. Wired as followed as a Pair of SVC 4 ohm subs

Subwoofer Wiring Diagrams for Two 4 Ohm Single Voice Coil Speakers

www.the12volt.com

If you want both subs and both coils to be at a final 1 ohm load, then you will need to get a 1 ohm stable amplifier

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

How are your subs wired to that Kenwood amplifier??

 

[d_tek]

How are your subs wired to that Kenwood amplifier??

I have them wired as their own circuit themselves (ex- + and - of channel 1 to one sub, + and - of channel 2 to the other sub). They're single voice coil subs. I didn't wire them myself since I bought the subs, amp, and enclosure all from my brother's friend and I didn't know **** about car audio at the time other than that I wanted some subs.
Believe me, I'd like to upgrade everything which I was going to do about three years ago but I got scammed out of $900 lol . Another thing stopping me is that with my stock alternator I don't know how much more power it can handle without both of my amps constantly kicking into protect mode.
I was planning on getting some DC audio level 1 12s (i was going to get dual 4ohm subs, but they also offer dual 2ohms as well and it seems you know more about wiring for impedance than I do, so which do you recommend given my current amp?)
Also, if you were to say whether the problem is the amp or subs, are you thinking it is the subs at this point? (if it had to be one or the other). By the way, I wanted to thank you for all the help you given me thus far

 

[Firewalker]

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[d_tek]

900 dollars for a set of CRUNCH subwoofers with that amplifier??? OMFG Yeah you got ripped off!

if you had read the entire thread you'd know that I've had these for about four years, whereas I got scammed about three years ago. I paid $160 for the subs, amp, and enclosure, not a bad deal at all if you ask me

 

[Firewalker]

There is nothing in the entire thread about paying 160 dollars. Regardless that is still a rip off for crunch. And yeah I misread on paying 900 dollars for that. It can happen very easily. Either way I think you overpaid since it was a probably a store bought box.

If you can afford to then I would do something else, build your own ported box and DC Audio makes nice subwoofers and I would upgrade to a mono-block amplifier that is 1ohm so you can buy a set of D4 and run them at 1ohm.