Help me figure out if my subs are blown

[Scarenius 10+ year member]

I'm just going to give all the relevant info I've been able to conjure. I'm trying to figure out if it's a problem with my amp, or my subs.

The subs are DVC (4 ohm), for reference.

1. Wiring the subs at 8 ohm makes the louder than wiring them at 2 ohm

2. The subs have been getting progressively softer for some time. This isn't perceptual adaptation, because I can't really feel the bass anymore, either.

3. Both subs' resistance: 3.9 ohms on one coil, 4.0 ohms on the other.

Any sugguestions?

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[Strecker25 10+ year member]

looks to me like your subs are fine, as those measurements are fine. Have u tried wiring them to what you think is 2 ohms and measuring at the leads, the only possibility i can think of is maybe u got something reversed.

 

[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

Have you tried hooking them up to a different amp? What amp are you using?

Are you 100% sure you're wiring them up correctly to deduce that 8 ohms is louder than 2? That doesn't make any sense to me unless the amp is not 2-ohm stable.

Try hooking them up to one of your buddies' amps.

 

[skeptikal Premium Member]

your ears may be getting used to the bass also man.

 

[RandyJ 10+ year member]

He mentioned that it is not progressive adaptivity because he cannot feel the bass.

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

Are both subs wired to one another in parallel? If so they are in a 1 ohm load not 2ohm. If they are each wired to their own channel.....not a mono channel then that is different.

 

[skeptikal Premium Member]

good call n00blet i misread thead..

 

[Scarenius 10+ year member]

Well, here's the update. I went through and did it again, wired them at 2 ohms apiece, and played it like usual. Almost no sound. This time, I left it on for about 3 minutes and came back. There was smoke coming out of each sub! I rushed and shut off my stereo, and that's when I realized it. The voice coil markers are reversed! I had experimented before, but I was worried that wiring voice coils to oppose each other would fry my subs. Well, they're medium rare as it is, now, so why not? I switched polarity on one voice coil for each sub, and whammo! Instant sound gain.

Long story short, my subs are not blown. They're probably a lot closer, now, but they're not blown. Also, one voice coil is slightly stronger than the other. Probably the fault of the dealer. Buying refurbs or B stock and not telling me.

Anyhoo, I wired them at 2 ohms apiece, stopped bridging my amp, and mounted the subs pointing up. I'm happy with the results.

 

[skeptikal Premium Member]

nice job.... now you'll just have to be careful //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif.