I have an Energy XL 5.1 channel setup. One of the speakers sounds off and I think it's due to a blown capacitor or something similar. The speaker itself doesn't sound distorted, but quieter, and the frequency response isn't quite the same.
I don't have an SPL meter but I have a multimeter. The other speakers read 8 ohms across the terminals and this one reads 6.
Any advice on how to troubleshoot to find the exact issue? I'm assuming I need to take it apart, which I've done before.
It sounds as if you have over driven your speaker.
Remove the bass drivers form the faulty speaker and one that is working correctly. Measure the DC resistance of both speakers.
I suspect you will find you get a lower reading on the quieter speaker. If you do, then the driver has been over driven and the voice coil heated up so that the insulation on part of the voice coil has burnt off. This will short some of the voice coil turns and lower the DC resistance and lower the impedance. The result is lower flux generated by the voice coil with the signal and hence the speaker is quieter. This condition could cause your faulty speaker to damage the amplifier fir that channel. So don't use it, until you sort this out.
Your remedy is to have the driver reconed, or replace it. If you are handy, driver reconing is something you could do yourself if you want to study and learn what is involved.
It seems to me you need to play at a lower volume level or get more robust speakers.
