Blown L100 ! Why me ?

[bonanzadave]

I was warming up before the Aussie Floyd concert with a little Dark Side and the LE5-2 & LE25 on the Rt side left the building. I use a Yamaha M50 and and was wondering what I did wrong or what happened. Have already swapped over the drivers and they are definitely bad. I read posts on this site last night for 3 hours. My next step to get this speaker going will come from within. Thanks. Bonanzadave

[Mr. Widget]

I was warming up before the Aussie Floyd concert with a little Dark Side and the LE5-2 & LE25 on the Rt side left the building. I use a Yamaha M50 and and was wondering what I did wrong or what happened. Have already swapped over the drivers and they are definitely bad. I read posts on this site last night for 3 hours. My next step to get this speaker going will come from within. Thanks. Bonanzadave

I have no idea what a Yamaha M50 is, but I am guessing that it is a low powered amp. You are much more likely to blow mids and tweeters by clipping an under powered system. Typically you will hear the distortion telling you to turn it down! If you don't head that warning, the heat generated in the voicecoils of the mids and tweeters that are attempting to reproduce the almost squarewaves your amp is producing will damage virtually any speaker. Crappy speakers are less susceptible to this damage but they too will be damaged.

Assuming this is the case, after you replace your mid and HF drivers get an amp with 100 to 200 watts and listen more closely to the music... it will warn you in advance of failure.

Widget

[Don C]

The mids may have failed due to the voice coil coming unglued from the former. I have a few like this. If that's what happened, it is not anybodys fault. The bad news is, the other one will probably be gone soon too. You can tell by looking at the DC resistance through the coil. If it measures OK, but puts out no sound, it's that glue problem. I'd put in something newer, maybe a 104H-2. I don't know what to say about the tweeter, except that I have a few bad ones of those too. It's more likely to find the voice coil is open on those.

[Mr. Widget]

I didn't read this over, but I'd assume it says basicly the same thing I did but in more detail.

http://www.jblpro.com/pub/technote/lowpower.pdf


Widget

[speakerdave]

I'm with Mr. Wizard, here. Since the mid on that speaker is run full on top, it will also be getting the massive quantity of high frequency grung that is produced by clipping your amp, and you have knocked out the tweeter and mid together.

The good news is that the LE5-2 midrange and the LE25 tweeter are frequently available on ebay (for widely varying prices). I would also check the capacitors in the crossovers, would probably replace them with ones having higher voltage ratings, for the kind of treatment you are giving them--which is OK--I understand completely the occasional urge to feel the sound as well as hear it.

David

[bonanzadave]

Thanks gents, All I can say is bummer ! I thought the Yamaha M-50 & C-50 were ok. I found a local LE26. Think that will work ? I could scavenge my brothers L166s. Repair or replace ?

[duaneage]

The M-50 is a decent amp.. Those speakers were pretty old and it was probably just their time. I just sold a pair of 5-2 speakers on the 'Bay and your price to replace them will vary.

I have a pair of 104-H mids if your interested, PM me.

[Mr. Widget]

The M-50 is a decent amp..

I wasn't suggesting that it is a bad amp... just that it might not have the power to play as loudly as was required. How many watts is it?

Those speakers were pretty old and it was probably just their time.

Just their time for a tweeter and a mid to fail simultaneously???

My L100s are pretty old too... I don't expect them to fail anytime soon.


Widget

[bonanzadave]

Sorry I dont have The M50 specs on hand. The data tag says 200 watts. I understand totally that this is a mid range consumer amp and I got what I paid for. No offense taken. All this infomation is completly constructive. Thanks.

[johnaec]

Are you sure it's not the crossover? Have you tried the "bad" speakers in the good enclosure, or measured the resistance across the leads to see if the coils are open?

John

[morbo!]

get your multi meter check your cables too
i would start with the source.
and work my way through the system till i find the weak link
the process of elimination
ive seen people dismantle their entire systems for something simple

multimeter is invaluable

[Don C]

The Yamaha M-50 power amplifier is rated at 120 watts per channel. I would think that this is enough to avoid clipping unless you listen at very high levels.

[bonanzadave]

I put the bad drivers in the good box. No joy. I put the good drivers in the bad box. Works fine. I have been known to get the M50 wound a bit. Damn Dire Straits ! Can I use a LE26

[morbo!]

time to remove the glue from the cone

some carefull prodding with a multi meter might reviel the break usuall near the solder on the -negitive terminal i think inside the driver
and if your real lucky remove the glue and resolder
bingo
make sure to solder well if you find it plenty of heat
them voice coils suck the heat out
but not to hot
lol
p.s attach the multi to one terminal the feel for the wire with a needle while testing the needle with the other probe

[bonanzadave]

How about a pair of LE26s and 104-Hs. Will this work. Dont want to mod the cabs or work the crossovers.