Why Do My Tweeters Keep Blowing?

Question

Okay, well I just installed my amplifier (Profile AP1040) which is pushing 80Wx4 to my components up front (ALPINE SPS600C) and my coax's in the back (ALPINE SPS600) *All speakers are rated at 80 watts RMS, so I am assuming the amplifier should be capable of powering these speakers without any problems.*

The first problem arose when I noticed that my drivers side door tweeter just stopped playing (Burnt Plastic Odor and extremely hot to the touch), so I went ahead and installed the passenger side tweeter in it's spot while I awaited the arrival of my replacement tweeter from Crutchfield. Well, the next day the other tweeter emitted the same burnt plastic odor-heat and now the tweeter is no longer producing clean and crisp highs. I called crutchfield to try and figure out what's going on and they said that it could be a bad crossover in the drivers side door, while another audio specialist said that I could be overpowering my speakers. What do you guys think? I am going to install the replacement crossovers in each door along with the tweeters but I would like to prolong that until I figure out what exactly the problem is (Bad Crossover or Overdriving Amp). Also I noticed that before the tweeters blew I would hear a loud screaming-screeching sound during high pitched vocals in songs, is this a sign of overdriving a tweeter?

Any help would be appreciated.

Mike

Answer 1

because you're cranking it up too high

Answer 2

Sounds like improper gain or boost settings, and/or improper x over settings.

Contrary to popular belief speakers don't cook themselves, they almost always have help from either the user or installer.

good luck.

Answer 3

It is always BETTER / SAFE to get speakers (tweeters) that are rated higher than the amps.

Good luck...

Answer 4

Overdriving the tweeter or using an improper crossover are usually how tweeters get blown.  If you're using two-way passive crossover, try one with a higher high-pass crossover frequency.  4khz to 6khz is a good frequency for most 3/4" to 1" dome tweeters.  mylar and silk tweeters should be crossed over a bit higher.

Make absolutely sure they're on the high-pass output of the crossover, and that your amp isn't clipping.  Clipping is caused when an amp is trying to push out a higher voltage than its power supply is capable of, causing extreme distortion of the signal driven into the speakers.

When I was an installer, I'd connect a standard 12V, 10-12W automotive bulb in series between the crossover output and the tweeter.  This bulb will light up a little bit and absorb excessive power going to the tweeter.  I usually did this to peoples' systems where they had a big problem blowing their tweeters, and it completely eliminated the problem, with the slight disadvantage of lowering their overall volume.