Burning smell

[hatrix 2]

So I know these Fi speakers can take a beating, but I had my 18" SSD playing for maybe an hour at pretty high volume with some really heavy bass and I noticed a burning smell coming from it. The dustcap was pretty warm. I know its the voice coils, but I play at the same volume all the time and have never had this problem. Is it just because of the extended usage ?

I know its not good when it happens. I'm running it off an Onkyo HT-S3100 5.1 receiver. I don't think its clipping, as the receiver would shut off. The sub is fine when not played for extended periods though. Should I be worried ?

[bigrank916 72]

So I know these Fi speakers can take a beating, but I had my 18" SSD playing for maybe an hour at pretty high volume with some really heavy bass and I noticed a burning smell coming from it. The dustcap was pretty warm. I know its the voice coils, but I play at the same volume all the time and have never had this problem. Is it just because of the extended usage ?

I know its not good when it happens. I'm running it off an Onkyo HT-S3100 5.1 receiver. I don't think its clipping, as the receiver would shut off. The sub is fine when not played for extended periods though. Should I be worried ?

Its never good to smell something burning. You were probably pushing them to far for too long. I know Fi can be a monster but every driver has its warning and failing points. Just got to be smart about it. An hour is a pretty long time at high volume too. I definately wouldnt do it again!

[hatrix 2]

Its never good to smell something burning. You were probably pushing them to far for too long. I know Fi can be a monster but every driver has its warning and failing points. Just got to be smart about it. An hour is a pretty long time at high volume too. I definately wouldnt do it again!

Oh yea I hear you. I for sure won't be. I had some people over so it was an odd occasion. I usually listen to it in small amounts.

[ABXX49 20]

It's not that you were listening to it too long, but you were using too much power. A driver of that quality will play at it's RMS for a SUPER long time.

[KU40 173]

Too much power. Don't get that itch to crank it so high again or you'll have a burnt subwoofer.

[jcarter1885 995]

Too much power. Don't get that itch to crank it so high again or you'll have a burnt subwoofer.

Dont show your equipment up for more than what it can do or you wont have it to entertain them with again or yourself.

[hatrix 2]

To much ? Well my receiver is only 700 watts. That seems rather odd.

[Duran 387]

To much ? Well my receiver is only 700 watts. That seems rather odd.

Don't question it, the woofer was too hot. That is directly linked to too much power (for too long).

[slim142 9]

Wait a min... I got lost now

So even if you have exactly 2k watts RMS or less and your gains set correctly (supposing this was a car case) and your volume at 75% or less, you can still mess up your sub?

[Duran 387]

...I had my 18" SSD playing for maybe an hour at pretty high volume with some really heavy bass...

Wait a min... I got lost now

So even if you have exactly 2k watts RMS or less and your gains set correctly (supposing this was a car case) and your volume at 75% or less, you can still mess up your sub?

In red is why it started to burn. His SSD probably isn't messed up, but over time abusing it like that will cause damage.

[Mac N Cheese 90]

...I had my 18" SSD playing for maybe an hour at pretty high volume with some really heavy bass...

Wait a min... I got lost now

So even if you have exactly 2k watts RMS or less and your gains set correctly (supposing this was a car case) and your volume at 75% or less, you can still mess up your sub?

In red is why it started to burn. His SSD probably isn't messed up, but over time abusing it like that will cause damage.

x2 an hour is a very long time

[KU40 173]

To much ? Well my receiver is only 700 watts. That seems rather odd.

If it was clipping you could have had over 1000 watts.

[Mac N Cheese 90]

To much ? Well my receiver is only 700 watts. That seems rather odd.

If it was clipping you could have had over 1000 watts.

x2, what are your settings set as?

[jcarter1885 995]

What is your box size and tuning also?

[jcarter1885 995]

Wait a min... I got lost now

So even if you have exactly 2k watts RMS or less and your gains set correctly (supposing this was a car case) and your volume at 75% or less, you can still mess up your sub?

There are alot of factors that play a role in this such as: box size, amps settings, head unit settings, some songs have more bass than others, the recording of the music. Just because your system is performing fine on one song, you should still keep your ears, eyes and nose open and available to sense stress on the woofer and simply turn it down. Since he wasnt paying attention to it one song could of triggered it and it just got worse from there plus the amount of time. Its not that your gains arent set right but other factors may play a role and all you have to do is simply turn the knob down. I wouldnt be riding around (car example) with my volume at or around 75% all the time or for long periods of time anyway. Just my .02

[hatrix 2]

Box is 9cu ft tuned to 33hz. Gain on receiver is set to +12 dB for bass. I also use virtual dj and set gains in the program to. It sits at about 5.

I think virtual dj is the problem, so I just turned the gain down on my receiver for each speaker except the subwoofer, and I just don't touch the gain now in virtual dj.

Edited December 24, 2009 by hatrix

[ABXX49 20]

+12 dB for bass.

If this is the same type of bass boost as on a car audio amplifier, turn that shtt off!. I believe it was m5 who said that you should always subtract dB's when trying to EQ. Which I know you weren't trying to EQ, but there is a reason you should subtract, not add. (within reason)

[Mac N Cheese 90]

+12 dB for bass.

If this is the same type of bass boost as on a car audio amplifier, turn that shtt off!. I believe it was m5 who said that you should always subtract dB's when trying to EQ. Which I know you weren't trying to EQ, but there is a reason you should subtract, not add. (within reason)

x2 if thats the same bass boost on amp then thats why the woofer's dustcap is warm/burning

[hatrix 2]

Its just gains. Its under "Level Cal".

I can set dB gain for every speaker (5.1 system).

[BKOLFO4 29]

The bottom line is you overpowered it for too long. . . It may or may not take it. . .

Short periods of time will be ok, long periods of time might not be.

[hatrix 2]

Yea I get that. I will be more careful. But I turned it up yesterday with my new settings and it sounded a lot better.

Edited December 26, 2009 by hatrix

[slim142 9]

Wait a min... I got lost now

So even if you have exactly 2k watts RMS or less and your gains set correctly (supposing this was a car case) and your volume at 75% or less, you can still mess up your sub?

There are alot of factors that play a role in this such as: box size, amps settings, head unit settings, some songs have more bass than others, the recording of the music. Just because your system is performing fine on one song, you should still keep your ears, eyes and nose open and available to sense stress on the woofer and simply turn it down. Since he wasnt paying attention to it one song could of triggered it and it just got worse from there plus the amount of time. Its not that your gains arent set right but other factors may play a role and all you have to do is simply turn the knob down. I wouldnt be riding around (car example) with my volume at or around 75% all the time or for long periods of time anyway. Just my .02

I see

So considering an stable case. Fi BTL 18" with a Sundown 2000D. Gains set right. No Bass Boost anywhere and amplifier configured right. Everything is perfect. It does NOT mean you can play for long periods of time? Keep in mind we are talkin about a case in which there are no installation or configuration problems.

I want to make sure I get this right because Im planning on getting a monster system and my university is somewhat far away, if I ever have to take the trip there with my audio system finished, I dont want to know that trip can be the last for a fully loaded BTL... you know?

[ABXX49 20]

I see

So considering an stable case. Fi BTL 18" with a Sundown 2000D. Gains set right. No Bass Boost anywhere and amplifier configured right. Everything is perfect. It does NOT mean you can play for long periods of time? Keep in mind we are talkin about a case in which there are no installation or configuration problems.

I want to make sure I get this right because Im planning on getting a monster system and my university is somewhat far away, if I ever have to take the trip there with my audio system finished, I dont want to know that trip can be the last for a fully loaded BTL... you know?

Okay. Let's say you have all your settings right, and a properly built box. You're woofer will last. (excluding some lemons)

You're volume knob will be directly correlated to the power your amplifier is putting out. You set you're gain with your volume knob at 75% conservatively so you know you're HU is not clipping. You set it that way so that YOU KNOW when you're volume is on, say 15/20 (75%) that that is your MAX listening volume. Any higher you will risk clipping, and thus over powering.

[slim142 9]

I see

So considering an stable case. Fi BTL 18" with a Sundown 2000D. Gains set right. No Bass Boost anywhere and amplifier configured right. Everything is perfect. It does NOT mean you can play for long periods of time? Keep in mind we are talkin about a case in which there are no installation or configuration problems.

I want to make sure I get this right because Im planning on getting a monster system and my university is somewhat far away, if I ever have to take the trip there with my audio system finished, I dont want to know that trip can be the last for a fully loaded BTL... you know?

Okay. Let's say you have all your settings right, and a properly built box. You're woofer will last. (excluding some lemons)

You're volume knob will be directly correlated to the power your amplifier is putting out. You set you're gain with your volume knob at 75% conservatively so you know you're HU is not clipping. You set it that way so that YOU KNOW when you're volume is on, say 15/20 (75%) that that is your MAX listening volume. Any higher you will risk clipping, and thus over powering.

Yeah, definitely. If I set my gains at 75% of HU volume, thats it. Whenever Im playing beats, I would keep an eye to make sure the volume stays at 15/20 or lower.

Besides the fact that I learned (and I always see around) that you should never play your HU higher than 75% of its volume capacity.

[NDMstang65 403]

Speakers are stupid...they do exactly what you tell them to do.

If you tell it to drive itself into a wall..it does it. If you tell it to catch itself on fire via the volume knob..it does it.

Ultimately it is not what the speaker can take, it is completely in the hands of the loose nut behind the controls.