POP and then there were none,404 subs thats is

[faster100]

I blew my friggin driver in my psw 404 about 10 minutes ago, showing my sister and boyfriend how the system sounded. all the sudden the driver bottomed out and started cracking.... Dammm dammm damm!!!!!
Let me know what ya think of this, its only a few weeks old.. I guess polk CS will be hearing from me asap for monday.. right..

talk later guys,. a very sad me :(

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

Welcome to the Club - two u two weeks, it took me 5 months to blow the M&K..LOL!

[Soccerplyr]

s#$t, just turned in my velo 8 for the 404.

[faster100]

No No this is a great sub, had the volume to high or something.. have had it loud like this before with no problem, nah i think this was a good upgrade for you just don't over due it i guess

[faster100]

This sucks, My sub is gone and still one weekend day left.. Polk to the rescue please send me a new driver fast, LOL oh well
I am still stewing over the demise of my sub last night!! Is there a possible problem with these, as another polkie said his friend managed to pop his 404 in the first night. seems strange as i had my JBL for years and never popped it and i had had it to very loud levels over the years.. alittle disapointing to say the least

[faster100]

well being it has been less than 30 days since i bought the sub from circuit city, they said this morning i can bring it back for a new one.. Lets hope no surprises when i get there .. great news and will write back later today if i had any trouble

[Zero]

Pop - goes another one.

Scott's friend did the same thing.

My condolences. Better luck with the replacement.

Sean

[goingganzo]

when you first get a sub you have to break in the driver. the sub will sound a little weak for a while or so then it will just peark right up. my vels was like that i set it up and every time i used it for the first week i would have to turn down the gain.

[faster100]

Ok i got back from CC just a few ago, I have a replacement new in the box behind me as we speak, havent even opened it up yet. heading that way now.... I am glad i got a new one and didn't have to wait out a new driver

[joe logston]

all you that get a new sub take it easy for a while, till they break in they are real stiff new.

[faster100]

yeah i seen that, thanks

[scottvamp]

Scott's friend did the same thing.
Wow, good memory Sean!!!!!!! Took him an hour...
Ya, give it some break in time and be careful setting it up.
Bass management db limiter would have helped.
Glad to see u got a new one - with no problems.

[faster100]

thats the funny thing. i didn't have the bass limiter on until a few days ago and i just turned it on prior to it popping... so it didn't help this time.. strange, but i know not to put the volume on the sub past 12 O clock anymore specially when the main volume is high

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

I have learned one thing - Never turn an amp volume to a sub past 12, then turn the receiver up. Yeah the sub is louder, but that dont mean it sounds better

[jmasterj]

I get so amused when I read about blown speakers and subs. Not that I'm polking fun at people, just seeing myself a few years ago. It's like getting a Mustang you've just got to drive it and see what it can do. I guess when you get old like me just riding in it is enough. Oh to be youthful in sprit it is wonderful. But can you turn it down just a little bit ?

[faster100]

Well i'm not old but 29 isn't exactly a teen either, LOL Its the fun of it all i guess, I paid for it and i can break it kinda thing.. Not that i intended to though

[Soccerplyr]

Hey Faster-

Do you happen to notice a hum from your 404 when it's not on? Mine does and I was wondering if I should take it back for a new one.

Thanks
Jeff

[faster100]

Yes i do and no you don't have to return it, per polk cs and micah and ken its normal and caused by the amp... Nothing to worry about, + its real low level and can hardly be heard. I hear mine after shutting everything down for the night and heading to bed when the house is silent from T.V's and kiddies...

[organ]

Soccerplyr, You should exchange it for a new one. Is the hum coming from the woofer or the amp? If it's from the woofer, it may be a bad ground. If it's coming from the amp, the transformer may be broken.

Maurice

[faster100]

No its not, I talked straight to POLK customer service, Mine does the same thing, i blew the woofer last weekend and got a new one in the box, surprise this one does it also... Nothing wrong with it i'f its a very very low level hum from the amp..

[danger boy]

holy crap! i've never run my sub past 12 or 1 'clock. crikey, no wonder it blew so fast.

as for the hum in the 404. no other polk sub has this hum. what's up ? bad batch of amps?

[faster100]

As i said before i don't run it past 12 O either, I was showing off and i don't really think i realized t first it was all the way up. I was leaning over the sub and turning up without looking, far as the Hum go's. I talked to polk and they say its "normal" so i am fine with that.. I wouldn't think every model was messed up if it were a problem, Have you heard the hum?? Its not the typical hum everyone might think, it's low low level but is there non the less

[brettw22]

I had a sub that generated a humming sound (Infinity Sub) and took it in for service. They found a bad ground and as soon as they fixed that, everything was back to normal. My situation may have been a little different though because when this thing was being used, it would hold the bass punch and not let go until I wiggled the wiring to make it stop........Point is, still might be a ground issue. Not a bad idea to have it checked out.......

[faster100]

Thing is all the 404's do it, so i'f its a QC problem at polk we all need replacement =subs and a nationwide recall of the new 404's. Otherwise they stand and state its "NORMAL" so thats what i will leave it at, I have had 2 404's do the same thing so it is either "nothing" or "Normal" or they have a quality control issue on their hands with the new subs 404's

[Soccerplyr]

Faster-
I've got another question for you. We seem to have similiar set-ups and I was curious about stereo sound and your integra. Does it have the direct (no sub 2 channel) setting like the Onkyo's? If so, can you notice a difference in bass when running it in stereo then switching to direct? I have my receiver set at 0 (vloume level on sub output) and sub volume at 10 o'clock (this is set using spl). I actually get less bass when running it in stereo then I do in the direct mode and this is driving me crazy. Unless I set it to 1 o'clock I can't even match the output of the 70's by themselves, however if this is normal I will stop pulling my hair out and live with it.

Thanks-
Jeff

[faster100]

Actually i don't use direct, I just tried it today for the first time. It cuts out the sub and i'm a sub guy and run it with everything i listen to. It also disables the treble and bass controls.. I will do some testing to see how i like it versus the stereo which i am very happy with. My Integra has everything a regular Onkyo has and in some cases a few more options so it will be easy to compare our setups as they are almost alike..

[Soccerplyr]

thanks- just killing myself trying to figure out why the bass from my speakers is better then my speakers and sub. I guess I could try turning the bass up on the oink

[faster100]

On my Integra i have to set my sub out to +2 and my sub to 12'O clock at least to get the bass i like. try raising the bass also, i set mine at +2 for music and +4 for movies to get that extra bass kick..

[Soccerplyr]

what about the bass tone control? D oyuo adjust that at all or just the sub output in the set-up?

[faster100]

Yes i run the bass at 2+ for music and 4+ on movies, Now i calibrated my setup again today and my sub is set to 12'O clock and the sub out on the receiver is set to 2+db which means nothing to anyone elses setup but thats what mine is at. what size room you have may have a large impact on bass and where the sub is located in the room?

[Soccerplyr]

the room is long and skinny. 1/2 of it 10' 7" x 10'7" is the "hometheater" the other half is my dinning area. I tried Dr. Spec's method of placing the sub in the sweetspot and crawling round the room to find the most bass and placed the sub in the rear left corner.

________________________
............................................door.. ..................................................
LF...............tv................Rf............. ....................dinig area





sub...........couch............................... .............................................
LR................................ RR .... hallway........................................... .

[Soccerplyr]

dots where the only way I could get everything to stay in place, but it's something like this with sub firing forward

[faster100]

well i have heard the sub should be optimally placed in the front stage, for matching and maybe that is the problem, I don't know really..

[Dr. Spec]

Originally posted by Soccerplyr
I tried Dr. Spec's method of placing the sub in the sweetspot and crawling round the room to find the most bass and placed the sub in the rear left corner.

I think that was Ron-P's recommendation - just giving credit where it is due.

I agree with Faster - front sound stage for best blending with the mains and preferably near a corner.

[Soccerplyr]

I've had it in the front as well. I give up! I'll just us direct mode.

Thanks for the help though. It's really appreciated.
Jeff

[faster100]

strange, generally i would think less bass with direct. hence no sub and no treble/bass settings? Huh, i am at a loss...... I don't know the answer and some things can't be fixed over the phone or internet , I know, my family calls me constantly about computer problems and i say some things can be talked through and some things have to be seen and diagnosed there. maybe you can get some help over there and try different things

[Soccerplyr]

I think I might just run it hot. Hell, it hasn't even broken in yet.
I want to make a sono anyway, so this might help me motivate to get started.

I think I'll credit the great bass from the direct mode to bi-wiring and the great job on the cable I made. :D