Replacement 6.5 inch woofer for broken SoundCraft Absolute 2 Monitor Speaker

[Andy Pitts]

Hi
I have a blown woofer and as the speakers were 2nd hand need the cheapest option for a replacement. An Audax HM 170 Z18 was suggested but is far too dear for me - wondered if you could suggest any other same size woofers that I could fit easily as a replacement? 2nd hand is fine. Thanks!

 

[gfiandy]

Since this driver was made by audax the only one that will fit without modifying the cabinet is the one suggested or the one Audax manufactured for Soundcraft. Have you tried contacting soundcraft to see in they offer a replacement or can recone your existing driver.

 

[turk 182]

are the biwiring jumpers there? i would assume so but it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[Andy Pitts]

soundraft

sorry - I really am a complete novice - biwiring jumpers?

 

[Mooly]

Bi wiring jumpers. Links that allow the drive units to be electrically separated and driven independently

(not quite sure how that relates to a blown woofer but there you go)

 

[giralfino]

I have a blown woofer
...
sorry - I really am a complete novice

It is not meant to sound insulting, but are you sure the woofer is blown (*), and not that there is another problem? If you don't know where to start for a problem determination, just ask.

Bi wiring jumpers. Links that allow the drive units to be electrically separated and driven independently

(not quite sure how that relates to a blown woofer but there you go)

That's related, as if they are not there, and the connection from the amp is to the tweeter binding post only, the woofer wouldn't be driven.

Ralf

(*) Blown means shorted voice coil

 

[turk 182]

a local homebrew studio has some of these they concluded the same (blown woofer) when in fact the binding post needed to be tightened (not making proper contact)

(*) blown can also mean open voice coil

 

[Andy Pitts]

thanks all - definitely not insulting. Take your point about whether the woofer is blown - had assumed so because of a slight burning smell from the speaker and the woofer unit after struggling a bit with some low volume output which cut in and out now produces no sound at all. But you're quite right that I haven't determined what the actual problem with the woofer is. The tweeter works fine by the way. There have never been any jumpers present like those shown in the photo above at the back of the cabinet - have just been connecting the speaker cables direct to either pair of contacts to see if it makes any difference.

 

[chrisb]

Depending on the topology of the XO, it's possible that the burnt smell might be from a damaged component on the board. This is a very common problem with car audio systems which are prone to drastic overdriving. If you've not already done so, pop the woofer out of the cabinet and test it with a 1.5v dry cell battery when disconnected from the XO. At that time you should be able to spot any such smoked XO parts - it's usually pretty obvious.

 

[system7]

Stick at it, Andy. It's a biwired speaker:
Soundcraft Spirit Absolute 2

If the nut behind the plug gets loose, you lose the bass output, which happens when you turn the grip thing. The image below is not biwired, but the plugs work the same way. And if you're like me, you don't have any decent tiny spanners anyway. For all that, solder joints shake themselves loose too.

Maybe nothing wrong with the speakers.

 

[chrisb]

Steve: I'd be inclined to agree there might be nothing wrong except for the "slight burning smell" - that's generally not a good sign

 

[Mooly]

had assumed so because of a slight burning smell from the speaker and the woofer unit after struggling a bit with some low volume output which cut in and out now produces no sound at all.

Sounds to me like the voice coil has overheated enough to deform it and now its rubbing on the magnet.

If you gently move the cone in and out by hand then it should feel free. Any hint of rubbing and its kaput.

 

[turk 182]

the "bi wire" links are flat plates with notches not jumper wires.
but with burnt smell present then it does seem that the OP conclusion is correct.
i don't think a cheap replacement driver is the way to go though but it's not my wallet it's coming out of.

 

[skodaboy]

these were great speakers ,had some in the 90's,why dont soundcraft make monitors any more?

 

[eriksquires]

Perhaps this is the woofer?

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/audax-woofers-6-7/audax-hm170z18-6.5-woofer-aerogel-cone/

 

[VT52]

Perhaps this is the woofer?

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/audax-woofers-6-7/audax-hm170z18-6.5-woofer-aerogel-cone/

The centre of the speaker is a low profile dome on the original Spirit Absolute 2