AudioBanter.com - View Single Post - Help me understand what is too much volume.

On 28 Aug 2003 20:45:38 GMT, (ChewPick)
wrote:

I apologize if this is not the correct NG to post this in.

I just finished sending my Infinity Alpha 40's out for warranty work.=20
Somehow in the last two months I blew one of my tweeters. I couldn't
actually tell by listening that a tweeter was blown (I am green to
home audio). I decided to check out the tweeters on the speakers
after trolling different audio newsgroups and somebody had posted
describing recurring problems with the tweeters in this model speaker.

I think because I am so new to audio I may be turning these things up
way too loud. Is there a way I can tell how loud I can turn these
speakers up without risk of damage?

There is also a chance that the tweeter was blown before I bought them
because they were floor model speakers.

FYI: My receiver is a Yamaha 5650 and my speaker wire is 16 Gauge
Monster cable...and yes I know I got ripped off with the monster cable

I once have seen tweeters utterly obliterated (as in melted cone
plastics, plastic threads hanging down dripping towards the bottom),
by an amp that was never used above normal "livingroom" volume.

After investigation, it appeared that the amp sometimes went in
spontaneous +100 KHz of oscillation, delivering near full power to the
tweeter.

The amp in question was a Yamaha. (too long ago to remember type no,
it had a Class "A" / "B" setting).

Solution was (second strange coincidence coming up):
Adding a series network of 10 Ohm and 100 nF in series. (see other
related subject in this group)

In the PA shop I was working that was standing practice when std amps
were used in backround music applications and the wires got somewhat
long. (but long enough to warrant a more expensive and less
qualitative mono 70 / 100V system)

...All this happened 20 years ago - YMMV

--=20
- Ren=E9