SEA W18EX 7"

[ANeonRider 3]

Sounds like you have a signal problem, not a driver problem to me.

[///M5 2,833]

I agree, they laugh at 35wrms...big time.

[Smondo17 0]

haha that's what I thought.. So how should I go about fixing this signal problem. Would running it at a higher slope fix this

[///M5 2,833]

I don't think it is slope related if it is only affecting one driver. As I stated days ago take off the panels and listen to them, I think it will make the problem much easier to find.

[Smondo17 0]

I've taken the panel off multiple times and listened to the speakers with my ear a few inches away. The sound comes directly from the driver. It sounds like what paper breakup would sound like to me. The right speaker makes this sound more and alot quicker, the left speaker has alot smaller but still the same sound - just not as evident.

Edited January 19, 2008 by Smondo17

[///M5 2,833]

Have you tried connecting your outputs to different speakers to see if the noise remains?

Have you switched the output of the amplifier to see if it follows the speaker or the amplifier?

[danssoslow 0]

Have you tried connecting your outputs to different speakers to see if the noise remains?

Have you switched the output of the amplifier to see if it follows the speaker or the amplifier?

Along the same note, I would swap the speakers completely. This would isolate the speaker from not only the signal, but any possible physical problems that might exsist within that door.

[Smondo17 0]

could the speaker wires guage have an effect like I'm describing

[///M5 2,833]

No. For 35wrms even 18ga would be fine, I'd rec'd 16 though.

[danssoslow 0]

could the speaker wires guage have an effect like I'm describing

Doubtful, and if both doors are running the same size wire, I'd say it's a non issue at this point. Have you switched the speakers yet?

Troubleshooting isn't hard. It can get more involved trying to track things down, but the work of tracking it down is the same. You HAVE to start switching things around, noting the changes, tracking the symptoms (wether the problem has switched sides or stayed) and start to isolate the symptom down to the cause.

Wondering what might be the cause and completely changing what you believe to be the cause at this point can get costly. Say you change the speaker wire and the problem still exists; now you're out a couple bucks on some wire you didn't need.

Personally, I'd start at the speakers and work back. Swap the speakers.

-If the problem swithces sides, it's the speaker. Done.

-If the problem stays on the same side, swap speaker leads at the amp.

-If the problem stays on the same side, it's in the cabling or in the door installation. Done

-If the problem switched sides, swap the rca's at the amp.

-If the problem stays on the same side, it's the amp. Done.

-If the problem swithced sides, swap the other end of the same set of rca's (be it at a processor or the radio).

-If the problem stayed on the same side, it's the rca's. Done.

-If the problem swithced sides, we then isolate the next unit upstream. I will assume the amp is directly connected to the radio. At this point we would assume the problem is in the radio. Swap the radio out with another radio, and see if the problem still exists. If you are using an external unit, such as a crossover or equalizer, we would start to repeat the steps we did at the apmlifier by swaping the rca's at the input of the unit you are attemting to isolate. And so on, and so on, looking to see if the problem swaps sides everytime something upstream is moved.

Basically, if something is changed and the problem doesn't change accordingly, the problem is downstream from the change. If the problem does change, move another step upstream. Depending on how many pieces there are to your system will detrmine how involved the troubleshooting could get.

Now, You'll see I wrote done ond the end of some of these steps, where our problem had been found. This only means the the problem has been narrowed down to a specific component in the system, so we're not actually done yet. At this point you should disconnect the specific component, looking for obvious signs of damage.

Say we found the problem was in the speaker wire or the door install. At this point, disconnect the wire from the amp, uninstalling/unrouting the wire back to the door. Noticing any signs of chaffing, breaks in a conductor, tears in the shielding, etc. It's important to note where the problem happened on the wire, as this would be a sign to avoid a bad situation again; making sure that whatever caused the damage does not pose a threat to the new wire that you will later run.

Let's say that you do not find a problem with the wire. If possible, reconnect it at the amp (now running directly from the speaker to the amp, outside of the area it is normaly routed) and see if the problem still exists. If it does, swap the wire out completely. If it still exists after completey removing the wire from the system, it has to be something in the door, as we have already removed the speakers from being the possible problem. Check the door install as closely as possible.

Sorry to be so long winded; but the only way to get your problem narrowed down is to get in there and attack the system like a madman. Good luck!

Edit: It seems I am having a hard time spelling "switched" correctly. Sorry.

Edited January 20, 2008 by danssoslow

[Smondo17 0]

I recently just drove back to college and i took my sub box out to fit everything. SO i had a good 3 hours to listen to my mids. They are running around 35rms and they sounded great. Both of them sounded equally the same but once the power is turned up they go crazy sloppy, distorted. M5 you said awhile ago that they need a higher slope i just feel that is the problem still but i can only run a -12 slope.

[Smondo17 0]

Dan i appreciate the time you spent in that long post and i will defiantly do this troubleshooting process once i get out of the cold of boston and back home