Problems with the new Fi SSD 15"

[bugotti420 0]

Hey guys, told you I'd be back ... lol ... I recently had the post concerning the enclosure design for the SSD 15 and got that all figured out and taken care off. it looks so sexy with it in the box! Looks like it belongs there lol. Well the Fi sub came in today and I've ran into a problem, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to recone it already within the first 5 minutes of play ... First off let me start off by giving some info, the box of course is tuned to 32hz, I do NOT have a subsonic filter. I was warned of this and my hardheaded self didn't think it would screw anything up that fast. (Almost instantly, bout 5 mins of play time.) The sub is a dual 2 ohm VC. running off of a Kicker ZX1000.1 monoblock amp stable at 2 0hms. VC wired in series and paralell to amp for a 4 0hm load. (not giving it my full power). I'm pretty sure this is an operator error, but also wonder if it could be a manufacture defect and I'm leaning more to the fact of it being my fault because I didn't listen. When sub was brand new and you pushed in on the sub, the suspension was tight it barely moved and it didn't make any "scratch" or rub noise. I played 30hz test tones on it repeatedly for about 45 minutes free air to try and break it in, and layed off of it when the sub was getting warm, still no "scratch" or rub noise. Everything was fine up untill I threw it in the box. It sounded so nice at first, I got so excited and I drove about 5 minutes listening to it at what I thought was low enough volume but when I turned it down I started hearing this loud distorted type of sound that I thought it might of been the plastic in the car just rattling but my friend said nah man it's your sub. I was in denial, no way it can't be ... it was actually my sub. I felt the sub and it was pretty hot then I pushed in on it with it turned off and you can hear a scratchy rub sound, I'm assuming this is coil rub. I got upset with it, and I let it cool down. Once cooled I said screw it, I'm already going to need a recone and I turned it back on loud. Here comes the strange part, to me because I'm not that advanced into the car audio or what I'm doing, but when it gets warm it doesn't make the scratchy rub sound but when it cools off again it makes the noise. Is the heat making the coil shrink a little so it doesn't rub, then when it cools off it thickens up again? Hows this work? ... I don't understand why it's getting so hot either I'm not giving it that much power I don't think, is it because I don't have the SSF and it's over excursion? I'm trying to find a SSF to buy but I'm not getting much info about it or it's called something else like a Fmod inline filter etc. and I am confused on which one to get, could anyone help me with that? And if I get one and my box is tuned to 32 hz, do I need a 30hz SSF? It has just really done my head in, I was so excited about it and now it's screwed ... IT still plays but gets too hot quick and you can smell all the adhesive (i'm guessing that's all that is lol) so I have to cut it down. I even set the HPF on it and turned it down to 50hz so it wouldn't let anything lower than 50hz to reach the sub and it still gets hot. (trying to figure out by myself), i know, HPF on a sub ... *sigh*) All in all I know I need a SSF I just don't know where to go to get one, or what type I need to get. Once I get that I assume I need to order a recone kit. Surely this isn't a manufacture defect but rather an operator error correct? Sorry if this post is screwed up I'm typing it out of anger lol and mainly mad at myself but too late now, trying to remember if I forgot anything ... Any help appreciated to explain what's going on and where to get my SSF. Thanks guys

[NDMstang65 403]

You got a coil wired out of phase dude.

You can't wire a dual coil sub in series and parallel at the same time, it's one or the other.

[NDMstang65 403]

For what it is worth, you also have the wrong voice coil for that amplifier. You should have gotten a dual 1ohm coil and wired it in series. So..if you are getting happy with the volume knob, bass boost in the head unit "Super bass eq" or simply cranking on things too much it will burn up...

This is how you should have it wired.

[ricksi30 923]

You got a coil wired out of phase dude.

You can't wire a dual coil sub in series and parallel at the same time, it's one or the other.

This^^^ Is it DVC 1 or 2, and how exactly do you have it wired?

[bugotti420 0]

That is actually how I have it wired, like I said I don't really know what I'm talking about lol, but I do have it wired exactly like that picture shows. At the time of purchasing the sub I wasn't thinking. I was planning on getting two of them so I knew I needed dual 2 ohm to be correct with my amp, but I have to purchase one at a time so I went with the dual 2 ohm, so I'd already have one ready. Then once I got it I realized oh hell it's not going to work with my amp like I was expecting because I wasn't thinking that so I wired it like you have it in the pic.

So if I have it wired like your picture, is it still out of phase? If not, what's the problem with it now?

@ricksi30 it's a DVC 2

[NDMstang65 403]

You should not be able to burn that sub up with the 500 watts that that amp can make..

You've got something really out of wack. Bass boost, volume knob...somethings up man.

[bugotti420 0]

Weird ... I've got the bassboost on the amp all the way off set to 0. The gain is about half way. I'm about to go check out all the settings on the radio. But my 1 Kicker CVR 15 I had, played for 3 years hard with it's brother who died before this one was wired the same way as your picture as well and I haven't touched the radio settings since then. It actually lasted about 3 weeks before dying on me and never getting hot or for that matter warm. What happened to it was the cheap thin spider on it ripped. It was in a sealed box though. You don't think not having a subsonic filter has got anything to do with the Fi going nuts? Something is deFinitely wrong like you said lol. There's no way in hell the CVR should outlast this Fi ... If the Fi is getting hot the CVR shoulda caught on fire if you catch my drift lol. And because of all this I'm afraid I'm going to need a recone because of the scratchyness in it now after all this has happened.

[orlando144 20]

The only time that has happened to me was when i had coils wired wrong. But the heat thing is weird. Try taking off the mounting gasket to see if any part of the suround came unglued. Play it free air and check spiders. Hope this helps..

[bugotti420 0]

The only time that has happened to me was when i had coils wired wrong. But the heat thing is weird. Try taking off the mounting gasket to see if any part of the suround came unglued. Play it free air and check spiders. Hope this helps..

Will give that a try ... I did notice before mounting it into the box that the surround covered the screwholes about halfway and I didn't like the way that looked ... like it was glued stretched too far.

[NDMstang65 403]

No, that's how all of them are. That's how we know if you have mounted it or not. None of our surrounds have the screw holes put in them, you gotta do that yourself.

Make sure that you have the positive terminal on the sub as the one facing the left if you are looking at the sub with the magnet on the floor or table. There could be the odd chance that the wrong color sticker could have gotten put on the terminal itself on the bottom. Positive is ALWAYS on the left with the magnet on the floor and the cone facing the sky.

[Freshh 11]

Edit:

Edited September 8, 2011 by Freshh

[NDMstang65 403]

That's going to confuse him man..that shows positive and negative terminals in different positions, I've already made the diagram of what he should have the way our terminals are set up.

[bugotti420 0]

No, that's how all of them are. That's how we know if you have mounted it or not. None of our surrounds have the screw holes put in them, you gotta do that yourself.

Make sure that you have the positive terminal on the sub as the one facing the left if you are looking at the sub with the magnet on the floor or table. There could be the odd chance that the wrong color sticker could have gotten put on the terminal itself on the bottom. Positive is ALWAYS on the left with the magnet on the floor and the cone facing the sky.

Gotch'a ... I'll look at that once more. As far as I can remember though the positive was on the left but I'll double check.

Which way is it wired?

Option 2 sir.

I keep asking about the subsonic filter, it wouldn't cause it to overheat without because of over excurging?

[trod2902 26]

the lack of subsonic filter would cause mechanical failure, ripped spiders, leads etc...

Sorry to hear this though man, i know how shitty you must have felt when your friend said "nah its your sub man"

Edited September 8, 2011 by trod2902

[ssh 924]

Nick can take care of the guy, no need for everyone else to chime in and cause any confusion between the OP and an employee of Fi.

Think about it. Otherwise he can post in the general section and everyone else can chime in.

[jonbearsmt 919]

holly run on!

[bugotti420 0]

Well I pulled it out. Checked everything and free aired it. It still makes the noise and gets hot out of the box. It didn't do this when I freeaired it when I got it before it ever seen a box The wires are in the correct terminals. I looked at the flatwound coil, they are starting to get brown/black. The wires are in right spots in amp unless amp lies to me and I've never had probs with a sub on this amp before so surely not. I don't understand why it's cooking like this. Other than not having a Subsonic filter and it caused something to fail within 5 mins of play. If the mechanical part failed, will a recone not fix it? Yes I did feel shitty when friend said it was my sub and I still feel shitty because it's dying on

Me and it hasn't even played an hours worth of music inside the box. It's funny when it's cool it make the scratch rub sound, but when hot it doesnt make the sound. And when it stops making sound it sounds AWESOME but i cant let it keep going because at the same time it's getting discomfortably hot to the touch. I don't get it, almost just wanting to throw car audio down the drain .... Nah I love it too much but dang what gives?!?

[jonbearsmt 919]

your not too far from austin if you wanted somone to take a look at it... im just south of san marcos.

[bugotti420 0]

Well I might take that into consideration. I think I've got it all figured out other than is to why it's getting so damn hot and it's got coilrub already. It's hooked up correctly, just like Nick's picture. The only thing missing is a subsonic filter ... I'm gonna have to try and take a video of it. I can't capture the temperature of it though so you'll just have to take my word for it lol

[slim2fattycake 85]

half way gain doesnt mean half power. warped former or a piece of the coils is loose from being overheated maybe.

[NDMstang65 403]

If you have a flat wind coil and it is brown or black..on 500 watts of power..i swear you have it wired out of phase.

We can throw our big crown on it in the shop free air for days and never have a problem out of it, mechanically or thermally.

[orlando144 20]

Same thing happened to my Orion Hcca. Found out the VC former had rub on it. You can try playing the sub free air and press gently on diferent parts of the surround/spider to see if the rub goes away.

Edited September 8, 2011 by orlando144

[bugotti420 0]

I don't get it. How could it be out of phase? lol I want to understand.

One set of terminals, the positive wire is on the left, and runs to the amp. The negative is on the right, and runs to the amp.

The other set of terminals there's a little , "U" shaped wire to jump the Positive and negative off.

Like I said though It took the 30hz test tone perfect-o for 45 minutes in free air motion and only got a tad bit warm, not much at all really, and had no noise.

The problem all started when it seen the box for the first time, almost instantly within 5 minutes of play. Baam, rub noise. Coil starts getting brownish/blackish.

I did push in on my speaker, around the dustcap and the sound quieted down somewhat but I realized I was damn near keeping the sub to move at that point.

The sub just cannot play music at low volumes, without making the ugly rub noise. Almost as if, and I dont think at all - that it plays any bass during this period. Just the rub noise. But when I crank the volume up past 30 of 62, it starts to move the sub and warm it up and magically the rub noise stops and produces wonderful bass, but gets hot. It's driving me nuts lol

Edited September 8, 2011 by Bugotti

[NDMstang65 403]

I don't get it. How could it be out of phase? lol I want to understand.

One set of terminals, the positive wire is on the left, and runs to the amp. The negative is on the right, and runs to the amp.

The other set of terminals there's a little , "U" shaped wire to jump the Positive and negative off.

Like I said though It took the 30hz test tone perfect-o for 45 minutes in free air motion and only got a tad bit warm, not much at all really, and had no noise.

The problem all started when it seen the box for the first time, almost instantly within 5 minutes of play. Baam, rub noise. Coil starts getting brownish/blackish.

I did push in on my speaker, around the dustcap and the sound quieted down somewhat but I realized I was damn near keeping the sub to move at that point.

The sub just cannot play music at low volumes, without making the ugly rub noise. Almost as if, and I dont think at all - that it plays any bass during this period. Just the rub noise. But when I crank the volume up past 30 of 62, it starts to move the sub and warm it up and magically the rub noise stops and produces wonderful bass, but gets hot. It's driving me nuts lol

Take the sub out exactly how you have it wired and take a picture of it.

It sounds like to me you have one coil shorted...and you have the amp hooked up to the other coil..which is not series.

You have to have + of coil 1 hooked to the - of coil 2.

[orlando144 20]

Gotta be patient man. Im in Austin, where arw you at? Im on a phone so i cant see your signature...