New Speaker Problems

[84GNTTYPE]

I picked up a pair of Jensen XS1693 6x9 speakers tonight. They're 180 Watts, 60 Watts RMS, 3 Way. I have a completely stock system with the stereo with Cassette, Fade, Balance, Seek, Scan, and Equalizer.

I hooked up the one on the left side to test it out. I turned on the stereo and it sounded ok. When I crank the Bass all the way up it gets distorted and crackly. I figured that these speakers would be enough to handle the stock unit's bass output.

So what can I do? Would it make a difference if I had the positive and negative wires backwards, do I need better cables, or do I just need to get different speakers?

I would appreciate any help that you could give me!!! I really don't know much about car stereos!! Thanks!!

 

[::2dFx::]

Yes it does make a difference if the neg and pos are reversed. A BIG DIFFERENCE!! Check your wiring - and it may be the radio itself. It's getting old, and cannot provide that bass response you desire.

 

[TURBOV6]

Is it distorting while mounted in the rear deck? It could be the sensitivity ratting on the speakers is low, meaning it needs more power to drive the speaker, a higher sensitivity speaker needs less power to drive. Or it could be a bad speaker.

 

[84GNTTYPE]

I didn't actually have it mounted, when I tried it, it was just sitting on the padded trunk floor. They sounded fine up to the point that the bass was completely cranked.

I will try reversing the pos and neg wires and see if that makes a difference.

On the back of the box is says Sensitivity(1 Watt @ 1 Meter) 93dB

Thanks for the help!!

 

[zam70]

Ummm the speaker will play what ever it recieves....99.99999% of the time, you're not distorting the speaker, you're distorting the head unit. Everyone just blames it on the speaker.

Solution:
Amplifier.

Your problem is you don't have ENOUGH power. stock deck is maybe 5 watts rms.

 

[84GNTTYPE]

So really can handle way more than what they are being sent!? Sounds good to me!

It doesn't hurt them at all though does it???

Thanks!!

 

[zam70]

Actually, you can seriously damage the speaker if you send distortion into it. SO, don't play them if you're hearing distortion, get an amp.

 

[mcss383]

Originally posted by zam70
Actually, you can seriously damage the speaker if you send distortion into it. SO, don't play them if you're hearing distortion, get an amp.

Distortion doesn't kill!! There are only two ways to kill a speaker, overload it thermally (too much power) or overload it mechanically (pushing 10Hz sine wave with the sub in a ported box tuned to 30Hz for example).

Square wave's (severely distorted signal) will have twice the power of a sine wave, but a full square wave at a whopping 1-5w WILL NOT burn up a speaker that can handle 60rms, its just WON't happen (now the speaker may be faulty, or it really can't handle its rating). Now if you send 50w at a full square wave to a speaker that only handles 60w, then you prop will burn up the speaker....

 

[TURBOV6]

Originally posted by 84GNTTYPE
On the back of the box is says Sensitivity(1 Watt @ 1 Meter) 93dB

Thanks for the help!!

93db is not too bad the deck power should be adequate. I use a 1.5v D battery and wire up leads to it to check correct speaker phase. But if the speakers crossed (out-of-phase) its going to sound terrible, but some can't tell that if the phase is off.

 

[TURBOV6]

Originally posted by mcss383
Distortion doesn't kill!! .

Hmm? I'm not too shure about that to a certain extent.

A distorted signal (low power) will have less chances of a speaker to get damaged.

A distorted signal (high power) will have more chances to damage a speaker.

A clipped signal going into a amp can easily damage a speaker.

 

[zam70]

I don't know, mcss383, I've got to disagree with you. Distortion theoretically shouldn't hurt the speaker but, I've replaced an awful lot of speakers in my day that were in underpowered (deck only) systems.

I couldn't tell you exactly (scientifically) why they blew but, it always seemed to involve the bass control being all the way up, volume turned to loud with to little actual power to play the levels the person wanted.

I my self have always overpowered my own personal speakers and have never blown any - ever.

 

[84GNTTYPE]

So what kind of an amp should I put in there?

 

[SilverSleeper]

I think that mcss383 has some valid points.

A speaker is just turning electrical energy into mechanical. Everything that gets sent to it is just pulses of energy. You will blow a speaker if you exceed its mechanical excursion or power handling limits. Sending a speaker distortion is not going to hurt it at a stock deck's power level. High power levels of distortion will make the speaker move in ways not intended, and handle transient power it wasnt intended for.

Ever see a sub that is pushing a low frequency sine wave? They will move back and forth very rapidly. Within the limits, the sub could likely handle it. Now, send that same wave to a 6.5" or less, and it will blow. Because you are exceeding its limit of travel, (or "excursion") it will likely be blown.
Every fry a speaker? I literally melted a pair of cheapy subs I had a long time ago. Couldnt move the cone at all. They were not made to handle that much heat intensity for long periods. Hence "peak power handling". Thermal overload.

Frankly, I think that the EQ in the factory deck is a bit shaky. I had similar problems with my old POS. Move the slider, and it will sound cruddy in spots. The connections are old, and probably dirty.