What's wrong with this $$$ speaker?

[Mr Teal]

A can of cooling spray from an electronics supply store can do wonders for solving these kinds of problems, just spray different areas of the crossover until you find the bad spot. I'd guess it's a bad electro or solder joint, as was mentioned.

Since the speakers are getting older, it might be easiest to simply replace all the electros on both channels, and reflow all the joints. Crossovers are fairly simple, there shouldn't be many of them.

[tom1356]

Christopher you must be talking about the DSS-9 or 10E right? Unscrew the connector panel off the back and tighten up the binding posts from the inside. You may want to clean the connections with pro-gold etc. before you tighten them. The woffer crossover is glued to the back. The mid-tweeter crossover is glued to the side. The woofer surround must be in need of replacement by now. Keep your eye on them. The woofer cone is almost as fragile as the midrange cone. These are incredible speakers with a few tweeks. But don't tell anyone. Let me know how you do.

[cdwitmer]

I am so greatly encouraged by all the replies I am getting. I shall try some of these suggestions before wimping out and turning them over to the Pioneer service center.

I'm not sure if these are the equivalent of the DSS-10E. The Japanese model name is S-9500DV. They have beryllium ribbon tweeters and beryllium dome midranges, and yes, the woofer cones are extremely brittle. I just replaced the surrounds on the woofers a few days ago. I am very impressed by the attention to detail on the woofers. I also have this loudspeaker's little brother, which had the model name S-1800DV. The latter speaker is quite similar, except the midrange is made of boron instead of beryllium, and it is a bass reflex cabinet instead of sealed. The little brother is about twice as efficient, probably due to the BR design, and also the fact that it doesn't reach quite as low. I wasn't even aware that Pioneer marketed something like these outside Japan, but I very much like this entire family. I have at various times owned TEN different models of speaker in this family, and they are all really excellent. (S-180/180A/180III/180D/1800DV, S-922, S-933, S-955III, S-9500/9500DV) The most I ever paid for any of them was $300 for a pair, and those were S-955III demo units in a dealer showroom for about a year at the time I bought them. The next most expensive was $200 for a pair that had just been extensively maintained by Pioneer, and they were almost like new. After that they were all less than $100 per pair, or zero cost. (People here tend to trash the entire loudspeaker when the woofer edge starts to rot.) Another reason people trash them is because the brittle woofer cones break. The only thing I am not thrilled with is the cabinets, but that is because I know how much better a well made DIY cabinet can be. I think I like the S-9500DV best because of its sealed cabinet. The bass is, to my mind, extremely realistic, and I attend classical music concerts with enough frequency that I am competent to judge of the sound of live acoustic bass instruments.

[tom1356]

Christopher,
It sounds like those are the upscale japanese version of the DSS (digital standard series) Pioneer sold for a short time in the US about 1986-89.
I have the DSS-10E, DSS-9, and DSS-6E. I use the 6E as my shop speakers. All are ported. All use beryllium ribbon tweeters, all have Boron/titanium mids and Graphite woffers. Be sure to remove the fuses on the tweeter crossovers. Take the wire grills off the mids. The drivers are of incredible build quality.
Tweeked out they are smooth and delicious.
On the ported ones, try disconnecting the second set of voice coils (they run about 40Hz and below) It can clean up the low bass a lot if you don't need the extra low end. If you need specifics let me know.

[cdwitmer]

Tom, is the removal of the wire mesh covers over the midranges reversible? I would like to remove them except I worry about 1) adequately protecting the midranges while moving the speakers around, and 2) hurting the resale value of the speakers if I ever decide to auction them . . .

Thanks!

[tom1356]

Originally posted by cdwitmer
Tom, is the removal of the wire mesh covers over the midranges reversible? I would like to remove them except I worry about 1) adequately protecting the midranges while moving the speakers around, and 2) hurting the resale value of the speakers if I ever decide to auction them . . .

Thanks!

As long as you are careful not to distort the screens when removing them. Make two handles out of strong wire. Fashion the ends into small hooks. With someone holding the cabinet, pull evenly. They should come off slowly.
Good luck!

[cdwitmer]

I just wanted to say thanks for the suggestions on the intermittent problems I was having with my Pioneer loudspeakers. Apparently, the passive crossover components are all still in fine shape. The problem was a loose connection on the inside of the speaker terminals, and rectifying it was a simple matter of tightening a nut. I also cleaned the terminals. Sounds wonderful now. I wish everything in life was this simple. Since I am busy and not at all that technical, I would have not even attempted to fix this if it hadn't been for encouragement from the online community. I'm grateful to you all.

Chris Witmer
Tokyo

[Smithline]

I have never known a cap to sort of blow,if you can get at the x over try to use a meter set for resistance ( the caps won't show any ) just see it there is any difference in resistance here and there.
Don't you just hate the intermitant bugs ? It is time to yank them apart and hope something makes sence with meters and batterys, test leads etc....Something is hinky if the whole output shuts down and comes on....It may be something very simple,naturally you have checked both sides of the amp and all interconnects....Wish i could be more helpfull,this intermittant stuff is the most frustrating thing in audio.

[cdwitmer]

It was frustrating, but the good people posting to this thread suggested I look for a loose connection, which is what it turned out to be. Tightening and cleaning the speaker posts INSIDE the box is what was needed.

[OldCarNut]

I second removing the woofer while hooked up (even if jumper wires are required) and "handling" the x-over board, even tapping lightly on it to see if you could aggravate the problem yourself.