what would make my speakers smell?

[AJ Bertelson]

This happened a couple of days ago. One of my speakers started smelling like burnt epoxy/silicon. I also noticed that that channels amp got really hot. So I removed that speaker and am using a gimp speaker at the moment.

but what would make it smell though.

[Ken L]

Would cause the smell, and could present a condition equivalent or close equivalaent of a short across the output terminals of the amp, which would overload the amp.

Possible cause could be something within the amp causing it, more likely, the voice coil gave up from age, defect or abuse.

Normally, I would expect the amp to cut off on overload circuitry before burning up - However, not all equipment has protective ciircuitry and if they have it, sometimes it fails.

Did you have a party? and/or crank them up a bunch right before this occured? _big grin_

The most common occurence ( in a residence) is when mom and dad go on vacation, leaving one of the kids in charge - they have a bunch of other kids over, crank it way up - the voice coils can't take it and expire on the spot.

or the voice coil may have simply died on it's own - stuff happens_grin_

The speaker has to be rebuilt or replaced.

Do some careful A/B switching of channels with the gimp speaker and listen carefully to see if the amp is still intact. Before hooking up the good speaker or repaired/replacement speaker to the questionable channel you want to use an inexpensive speaker to test it out. If the channel is bad it may well blow another driver.
An amp problem could have caused the first voice coil to go. Pretty much if there are problems with the amp, you will usually be able to hear them - not necessarily, but generally if you don't notice anything over a period of careful listening you will have probably lucked out with the amp.

Any number of scenarios could have occured here - we're missing a lot of information -

However, on the basis of the information we have the most likely scenario is the voice coil failed.
Regards

Ken L

[kelticwizard]

Smells like burnt epoxy?

A) What kind of board is the speaker's crossover on?
B) Any kind of resistors in your crossover?

[AJ Bertelson]

There was no way to salvage the speaker so I just tore it appart.

Looks like one of the caps exploded but it is still in place. There is this goo that is around the cap on the PCB

[wrenchone]

One of the crossover caps gave up the ghost. If it's in the LP filter for the woofers, it will put a fair approximation of a short across the amp output. Replacing the cap may be enough to restore the speaker to normal operation. The other possibility might be that the high pass cap in series with the tweeter shorted, but that would be far less likely to load down the amplifier.

[AJ Bertelson]

If the amp shorted could it happen again?

[wrenchone]

It was the speaker that initiated the carnage by shorting. If the amp dies assymmetrically, it could favor the speakers with a brief DC pulse that may or may not damage the speakers.

[audioPT]

I've got this problem some time ago...

DC into the sub... I haven't heard anything... just the smell.
The voice coil was simply... melted

[gmphadte]

Put ON your amp without speakers, vol Min.
Check DC voltage at the amp terminals. If you measure anything more than milliVolts, your amp needs repairs.

Enjoy

[Malefoda]

Up for this old thread as I've cooked something.

Story:
Open baffle, Fostex FF85WK on top, Eminence Alpha 15 on bottom. Then a just of the box Sure TK2050 to try it and... loud pop, well, few time after... a burnt smell just above the Fostex! Pullged things off, checked DC (too late sadly...) and that s... amp shown 20V DC!!!
My brand new speakers... well, I have checked the speakers conductivity, 7 ohms and 6 for the Eminences, no sign of short. Plugged my SS amp back: still playing.

But I wonder if they have been damaged, so strong smell, something may have been damaged or changed, how can I know if it's the case? Sound is ... I don't know, I "imagine" it's a bit muddier than before, but that may be in my head, how to know... I guess if nobody told me I won't notice. And coils? And film caps? ( 63V rated they may be fine ).
I hate DIY today.
What's that smell again? o_O In the owen seems...
The pie is buring!!!

@#!F... !