speaker help

[huracain 0]

hi i was doing a gig on saterday and all of a sudden the speakers volume went right down and the speakers sounded like pinky and perky on helium. the speakers were kam im 12 now i might of being useing a bigger amp than needed . done this hundreds of times before .ther both went of together .i remember reading somwere that ther is a somsort of circuit breaker that stops damage to speakers .i am asking is that what has happened here .or have i edit by ADS Entertainments them . if ther fixable and how ? thanks for any help

 

If you can't spell the word, don't use it http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif

Edited December 13, 2005 by ADS Entertainments

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

Sounds like you have blown the Crossover in the speakers...

 

normaly the top end goes first though so get somone who knows what there looking at to take it apart and test them...

 

 

[FDDJ 0]

QUOTE (huracain @ Dec 13 2005, 11:17 PM)

the  speakers were kam

That's your problem right there... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/tongue.gif

 

I agree with Marky, probably the crossover gone bang. Unscrew the back plate on the cabinet (where you plug in your speaker lead) and look at the crossover itself to check for damage.

 

Make sure all the wires are connected and have not come away from the white blocks. This is an example of what a crossover looks like (albeit from a Hi Fi cab):

 

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/speaker-12.jpg

 

Once you have finished checking it out, set fire to your Kam speakers, then read through this thread about buying a correctly matched amp and speakers combo.

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/thumbup.gif

[ChrisPointon 0]

Don't think it's the Crossover, that would usually mean horn failure, and since by the description given the horn seems to still be working so, more likely the bass driver blown. Most crossovers only pass the high frequencies to the horn, and don't really have any influence on the Bass Driver, unless it's a low pass filter driving a subwooofer in a bass bin.

 

If I remember rightly some Kam models don't even have a crossover fitted, just a R-C combination in series with the Horn / tweeter unit.

 

Try gently pressing in the cone, if it's scratchy or stiff and doesn't move freely then it's a sure fire sign that its failed. But it can still be burned out even if it moves okay, but often they do fail in that way http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif

 

It's worth bearing in mind that Kam, along with some other manufacturers often inflate their speakers values using Peak or Maximum Values, so make sure that you check the RMS value against that of the Amplifier to make sure that

 

i) you are not overdriving them for long periods of time

ii) you are not running your amplifier into high levels of clipping

 

Drivers can simply fail from fatigue, but more often there may be some other cause, so it's worth checking, before you fit a new component.

[huracain 0]

thank u for your replys. yes sadly i did know i was over running them with a high watts amp .in my stupidness i never had them to loud always kept them within what i though twas way under ther mid range .as stated before ther both went at the same time .i thought that was very strange can that happen two if i have blown the cones .both blowing together and not under two mutch stress .sadly i usualy use my ohm 5 speakers but i recently hurt my back .so was using the light plastic kams :) . thank you for all help .i live in billingham north east england can any onr recomend a good honest person who can have a look at them ..

[ChrisPointon 0]

It's not too difficult to replace the drivers yourself, all you need is a screwdriver and perhaps access to a Soldering Iron & Solder http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif although you should perhaps get a 2nd opinion before spending ££ on a new driver. Although I am 80% certain that is where the fault lies.

 

Any Kam mailorder dealer should be able to supply you with a replacement driver, although I would recommend taking the opportunity to upgrade to another driver by a better manufacturer such as Celestion or Eminence. Eminence drivers in particular are competitively priced, reliable and available from most Dj outlets. Many professional loudspeaker manufacturers are already using Eminence in their own designs.

 

Sadly, I can't personally recommend anybody in your area myself, although maybe somebody closer to you on the forum can perhaps give their recommendations?

[centrestagediscos 0]

if billingham is anywhere near newcastle then try that branch of stage electrics there not the cheapest place in the world but they know what there doing and if there anything like my local branch will look after you with replacement kit while they fix yours and also gaurantee there work.

[norty303 0]

I'd investigate all other avenues as well as it's very unusual for 2 drivers in 2 separate cabs to go at exactly the same time unless levels are suddenly cranked by a significant amount.

 

Try getting a small amp and a speaker cable with bare ends and touch them directly onto the bass driver terminals. this will tell you whether the driver has gone or if it's something else.

[superstardeejay 0]

A nice easy way of testing your woofers if you dont have a multimeter is to briefly touch the terminals across a 1.5V AA torch battery, the speaker will crackle if it's passing current. Disconnect the driver from the cabinet first otherwise any crossover may sink the voltage.