How do you know when you're pushing your woofers too hard?

[Beyond 10+ year member]

Some of you may have seen my post asking about what 15 would outdo my 2 SWR-1242Ds.

Well, I've been turning my 12s up a bit more these past couple of days, and I'm just wondering at what point you know you're pushing your subs too hard.

Anytime I play them hard, there is always a smell coming out of the port. Also, after a "hard-playing" session, I'll feel the woofers, and they are sometimes a bit warm.

But, I listen and watch the subs, and from what I can tell, they are within their excursion limits (there isn't any audible bottoming out), and I can't hear the subs making any kind of noises.

So, is this smell normal? (They're about a year old)

And, how do you know when you're pushing subs too hard?

Click to read more...

 

[kovemaster559 5,000+ posts]

they make weird noises

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

either when they distort or you hear mechanical noises. Sometimes the smell is just excess glue burning off. But if you smell it, then might as well turn it down.

 

[kovemaster559 5,000+ posts]

and the smell is not very normal something is getting hot and burning(coil)

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

if you smell them on a regular basis (thats the coil you're smelling) then you're pushing them too hard, or clipping the signal.

 

[Beyond 10+ year member]

if you smell them on a regular basis (thats the coil you're smelling) then you're pushing them too hard, or clipping the signal.

So a sub can be within it's mechanical limits, but the coil(s) can still be getting too hot?

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

yes. there is mechanical failure and thermal failure. you can burn your coils up.

 

[Beyond 10+ year member]

yes. there is mechanical failure and thermal failure. you can burn your coils up.

So is this just a sign I need more powerful subs that can hold more power?

 

[SethPhillips 5,000+ posts]

when they stop working... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[liftedcj7on44s 10+ year member]

you have probably reached the thermal limits of the sub.

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

So is this just a sign I need more powerful subs that can hold more power?

if you're having to run it that hard to get the level of output you're after then yes. you could just turn your gains down a little at a time until you stop smelling coil.

 

[hrtbrk1 5,000+ posts]

its smokes

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

what amp do you have anyway?

 

[liftedcj7on44s 10+ year member]

when there is no more voice coil

 

[Beyond 10+ year member]

what amp do you have anyway?

Rockford 1000.1bd

Gains are low and matched to my head unit.

Only time I smell it is when I turn the sub up via head unit.

(-16dB is normal listening/component blending level; -5dB is the "push the subs" level)