Component/Germanium emergency!! Smoking!!

[SuperBlack350z 10+ year member]

Ok, here's the situation. Whenever my girlfriend's playing her Germaniums loud they start smoking! I was doing a 1khz test tone to get the amp dialed in and while doing the first step (gain all the way down, turn up volume until it clips) I didn't hear any clipping but the woofers and tweeters on both sides started smoking. WTF is going on? This happened to her the other day while listening with the gain at a little less than 3/4's. Any help is appreciated.

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[theCybe 5,000+ posts]

Use a multimeter.

If the woofers and tweeters are smoking, then

a) clipped signal because the gain is too high

b) clipped signal because you've got a distorted signal (mp3s?)

c) clipped signal because your amplifier is damaged

d) tweeters are highpassed too low

 

[ssj2xxgotenxx 10+ year member]

Ouch... better becareful there, those components aren't cheap.

 

[SuperBlack350z 10+ year member]

Could it be that the amp they're hooked up to is just too much? It's a Polk C300.2, rated at 150w RMS@4ohm , most of the posts about the Germs would lead me to believe that this is not the case. Also, I can't seem to get a reading from the speaker outputs from the multimeter. I have the speakers disconnected and the DMM on AC, but the speaker terminals don't seem to put anything out. But, the outputs work because the speakers play. Also, the sub is playing but I can't get a reading out of those terminals either. Am I f'ing something here? I don't want to do anymore testing with the speakers hooked up for obvious reasons. In response to the list up there:

a)The gain was all the way down

b)All the mp3s played are ripped w/ lossless

c)I'm leaning toward this as a possibility

d)The tweeters are hooked up to the Rainbow passive xovers.

 

[Towncar 10+ year member]

You cant always hear clipping.

 

[theCybe 5,000+ posts]

They smoke with the gains all the way down?

Gain down = high number (like 8.0 volts)

Gain up = low number (like 0.2 volts)

What two points are you touching with the DMM?

 

[mokedaddy 5,000+ posts]

Have you hooked your amplifier to any other speakers?

 

[SQBubble 10+ year member]

Use a multimeter.
If the woofers and tweeters are smoking, then

a) clipped signal because the gain is too high

b) clipped signal because you've got a distorted signal (mp3s?)

c) clipped signal because your amplifier is damaged

d) tweeters are highpassed too low

how can u see if the amplifier is damaged and give clipped signal without knowing??

 

[SuperBlack350z 10+ year member]

With the DMM I put the black on the negative terminal of the right and left side and the red on the positive of the right and left side, and didn't get a reading for either. I have had that amp hooked up to a Diamond subwoofer without incident. We first noticed the problem with the deck (Alpine CDA-9835) at about 25 volume. Could it be that this was just too much? I wouldn't think so, but hey, at this point I'm taking any logical offerings.

 

[superdooperman 10+ year member]

With the DMM I put the black on the negative terminal of the right and left side and the red on the positive of the right and left side, and didn't get a reading for either. I have had that amp hooked up to a Diamond subwoofer without incident. We first noticed the problem with the deck (Alpine CDA-9835) at about 25 volume. Could it be that this was just too much? I wouldn't think so, but hey, at this point I'm taking any logical offerings.

From my experience with Alpine head units, as soon as you start going above 25 on the volume you start getting a clipped signal, on both the internal amp and the preouts.

 

[6spdcoupe 5,000+ posts]

From my experience with Alpine head units, as soon as you start going above 25 on the volume you start getting a clipped signal, on both the internal amp and the preouts.

+1, I would say there is an issue somewhere within the signal. Whether before or after the amp is unknown. Do you have another amp to try?

 

[SuperBlack350z 10+ year member]

Now that I think about it, I had that amp running my Diamond Hex's for a little while and I never had a problem with 'em. So I guess it's very possible that the deck was just cranked too much and they were receiving a clipped signal. I'm thinking this is probably the most logical explanation.

 

[GordonW 10+ year member]

From my experience with Alpine head units, as soon as you start going above 25 on the volume you start getting a clipped signal, on both the internal amp and the preouts.

Second that experience. Same with mine. Varies a bit depending on the song and the source (radio vs. CD), but it's right about there...

Regards,

Gordon.

 

[IgnoreMe 5,000+ posts]

Second that experience. Same with mine. Varies a bit depending on the song and the source (radio vs. CD), but it's right about there...
Regards,

Gordon.

i have the same year deck, jus a different model and everywhere ive read, the alpines from 2004 clip starting at volume 26, meaning dotn turn it up past 25. ive noticed with the internal amp mine starts to distort at about 25-26...