Crossover Madness!

[limashaynut]

:eek:

I am going nuts here trying to get this #!&$*@# thing fixed!

Ok, here is the deal, I have a Polk RTi6 that just went through it's third tweeter, and the speaker is on the way back to Polk. Between my two systems, I have Rti8 (2), RTi6 (4), CSi5 (2), PSW404, PSW505, R15 (2), TC60i (4), so I do have some experience with Polk speakers. I have had trouble with only one of all of these speakers, but it happens like clockwork.

The right front (RTi6) fried the the tweeter right after I got them hooked up, sent back the tweeter and recieved a prompt replacement from Polk. Double checked all of my hookups and settings, installed new tweeter, got rattle/buzz and no high end. I called Polk and talked about amp clipping, speaker settings, etc., the person I spoke with felt it was my amp (Sony 2100ES) clipping and did not think it was a speaker crossover problem.

Polk sent out the second replacement tweeter, and it came FedEx today. Double checked everything once again, installed tweeter, put in CD and started to raise the volume s l o w l y. Before I got to -30 db, the same speaker, same side, had that same old rattle/buzz from the tweeter.

I now do not see any way that this could be the amp clipping, the music volume was quite low. I then pulled the problem speaker, and hooked up an old cheap Sony center speaker. Played fine, cranked it up to 0db with sill no problem. I then bit the bullet and put the bad RTi6 on the left front, and the good one on the right front (the side I had been having problems with), the undamaged RTi6 played just fine at fairly high volumes, and the speaker with the buzzing tweeter continued to do the same thing on the left front.

I am now sending the entire bad speaker back to Polk for them to take a look at, I was told that they were going to replace everthing but the enclosure itself, and I have asked them to give the repaired speaker a good workout.

Any thoughts on this tale of gloom and doom?

What do you guys (ladies as well) think was causing this?

If you think it was a bad crossover in the speaker, how many of you have had the same type of problem with speakers be them Polk or other brands?

[F1nut]

Stuff happens, relax they will take care of it.

[limashaynut]

I am very relaxed, sitting on the couch with the laptop, and HD TV on!

All joking aside, I am not really worked up over this, I have enough Polk products that I know that this is just a quirk (sic?). I also have no doubt that Polk will make it right, the above post was just a bit of humor, albeit a weak one it would seem.

I guess I am just frustrated at finding out WHAT is causing the problem so that it can be avoided in the future. The why is the problem, not the will it be made right.

Thanks,

Jerry

[unc2701]

A short in the crossover that allowed LF tones to get to the tweeter would screw it pretty quickly... best guess I can give without seeing it myself.

[jcaut]

A bad cap on the tweeter network sounds like the most reasonable explanation, based on the info you gave. I would think that something like that would be rather rare. The tweeter should sound bad right from the get-go, if it's played at low volume. Most tweeters will take a low-power, full- range signal for a little while without cooking, though they'll sound nasty doing it.

I'm sure it's frustrating, but Polk will make it right.

[limashaynut]

Thanks for the responses, it sounds like it is in fact a bad crossover. While this is on my 'smaller system' in the den, it is still kind of a pain. At least I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...wait that is a train!

[F1nut]

Yep and Casey Jones is driving.

[limashaynut]

If the Grateful Dead was right, I think he was high on something.