Overworked speakers?

[4styler]

Ok, I'm hoping this isn't the case but I have a bad feeling that my speakers had been overworked on the weekend and now my sound isn't 100% clean anymore.

Here's the system

1 x Sony Headunit

powering

2 x Alpine SPS400s

1x JL G4500 500.4

powering

2x Alpine SPS600s +

1 x MBQuart 12" 300w Sub

Let me explain, I was at a mate's property out in the middle of no-where, and I open up the back of my car to pull out my photography gear and one of the mate's notices the sub I have in the back, and he says, Why don't you play some tunes for us, so I did, but this was at a headunit level of 25 and I left this running for a good 3 hours. My local audio tecchie suggested that this system is only really capable of going to 40.

So later on in the day, several of the ppl there had a few too many to drink and whilst I'm out taking photos of the other guys riding their bikes, someone turns up my headunit to 48! I didn't realise after taking a heap of photos out in the field and as I was walking back, I'm thinking oh shit. So I run in and turn it down.

Now, I fear the worst because after that speaker workout, I drove home and put some frequency testers through the system. At MOST frequencies it sounds clean, but at 800hz to 1khz, the pitch changes rather strangely when the headunit is turned above 30. I have had issues with this amplifier, but I fear it isn't only the amplifier with issues now, it is also my speakers!!

Is this a symptom of overworked speakers, or is this normal? Because I have put frequency testers through this system at LOUD volumes and it seems very clean, but not anymore...

[bassl0va]

When it was first set up was it set right with no clipping? Also, when it was set was it set with the HU at 40? If so then it could have been their fault by clipping the heck out of your gear by turning it way past 40.

It also only sounds funny between those freqencies and after volume 30? How do they sound different? Like crackly or scratchy or clipped?

[raytard]

when speakers blow, one of these things happen

fully blown(melted vc wires, melted tinsels, destroyed former)-no sound

warped vc from heat/bottoming out-"scratchy" sound (like sand is in there, usually not at very low volume)

physical destruction(glue joint broken somewhere)-slapping sound, whacking sound, definately not music, present at almost any volume

on the flipside, if a cap or crossover is popped from too much power for too long, something similar to what you are saying is possible, luckily caps are dirt cheap and just held in by a drop of hot glue and 2 solder joints on a speaker like those. Its hard to diagnose over a forum, but if you explain a bit better or make a vid that could help. Also, consider pulling the speakers and bench testing them just to do a visual inspection and make sure the issue persists when out of the car (eliminating a source/power issue)

[4styler]

When it was first set up was it set right with no clipping? Also, when it was set was it set with the HU at 40? If so then it could have been their fault by clipping the heck out of your gear by turning it way past 40.

It also only sounds funny between those freqencies and after volume 30? How do they sound different? Like crackly or scratchy or clipped?

Well when I first got it, I remember it not clipping. And, yes it is only really after about 32 it begins to sound different, and when i say different I guess scratchy would be the best description. Personally I never push it past 36-38 myself cos it does sound like clipping at that point.

But I'm just thinking it probably is just me being over paranoid, I mean if the system was pushed to 50+ then yes I'd say the speakers are definiently damaged, but luckily it was Def Leppard's Hysteria album that was being pumped through my system at the time and that particular mix is a tad lower than mainstream modern day stuff so I doubt it would have really done any damage. So technically it could have been equivalent to the HU being on 40 with mainstream crap So in other words I think I'm just worrying too much. Besides, my system is pretty damn cheap compared to everything else here and that's what I should expect

[bassl0va]

Well when I first got it, I remember it not clipping. And, yes it is only really after about 32 it begins to sound different, and when i say different I guess scratchy would be the best description. Personally I never push it past 36-38 myself cos it does sound like clipping at that point.

But I'm just thinking it probably is just me being over paranoid, I mean if the system was pushed to 50+ then yes I'd say the speakers are definiently damaged, but luckily it was Def Leppard's Hysteria album that was being pumped through my system at the time and that particular mix is a tad lower than mainstream modern day stuff so I doubt it would have really done any damage. So technically it could have been equivalent to the HU being on 40 with mainstream crap So in other words I think I'm just worrying too much. Besides, my system is pretty damn cheap compared to everything else here and that's what I should expect

If it sounds scratchy then it could be either half blown speakers or a damaged amp. Test the speakers outside the car, if they do the same thing then in must be them. You could also hook up some other speakers to the amp and see if you get that noise, if so, then it's the amp.

You could also check the gains as they may have originally been clipping.

[moetpoppin]

yeah man I'd do some basic troubleshooting on the components of your system

run other speakers on the amp,

run your speakers on another

run the speakers outside the car

changing one thing at a time will start to point you in the right direction

ty