powered sub longevity

[BC Dave]

What's been your experience with powered subs lasting or dying premature deaths? It doesn't seem uncommon to hear about amplifiers dying or drivers failing in subs that are only three or four years old. Personally I am still using a 1996 Mirage BPS-150 sub that hasn't given me a lick of trouble, but after reading about so many people having trouble with sub amps/drivers I wonder if I am just lucky... And if sub amp failures are more common than not, why is this happening? Poor build quality or severe demands on otherwise good plate amps? Then again perhaps it's people trying to run subs louder than they were designed to go. What's your verdict?

 

[j_garcia]

It sounds like it just means your sub amp was not an el-cheapo kind of thing. Quality amps should last many years, whether a sub amp or separate amp. I get the impression today's digital amps will likely last even longer. The most common failure IMO is heat and heat-cycle related and will be components on a board and/or the capacitors. Capacitors get old sort of like batteries and eventually fail, so that is common, and cheap or undersized capacitors means failure is probably going to come sooner rather than later.

Decent drivers should last a fairly long time. To me, for audioholics in general I guess, I will probalby upgrade before the end of the life cycle of the sub I think I will probably be keeping my current one for a while though...

 

[Pyrrho]

I have owned two different powered subwoofers, and two unpowered ones that I drive with a separate amplifier. I prefer the latter, and suspect that it will last longer that way, as the amplifier being separate will not be subject to subwoofer vibrations, and it also can have air easily circulate around it (instead of being inside an insulated box with only one side exposed to outside air). With the first powered subwoofer, which was a very old Yamaha (1980's?) that I no longer have, it never gave me any troubles, but it was not a very good subwoofer either. The last I heard, it was still working fine. I also had a Carver Cinema 5.1 subwoofer, and with it, there was a design flaw, which caused the amplifier to fail over time due to excessive heat. There was a fix for that (which included added heat sink area), and it has worked ever since (though I no longer own that one either, but I am in touch with who currently owns it). I now use two SVS CS-Ultra subwoofers, which are the unpowered version of the cylinder Ultra (and is the old 12" woofer version, not the new larger woofer version, which does not seem to have been made in an unpowered form).

I have noticed that quite a few powered subwoofers are reported as failing (both from reading things online, and from my brother, who repairs electronics for a living). I think it is mostly poor design with cheap amplifiers that are not properly designed for use in a box, even though they are plate amplifiers that are supposed to be used that way. Of course, there are other problems that some encounter as well, but I believe that amplifier failure is more common than woofer failure.

 

[BC Dave]

Good observation

I also own a VMPS passive sub that I am powering with a Rotel power amp. I'm very happy with that combination, with one exception. The 15 inch passive radiator has a design flaw whereby at very high levels during an action movie, the back of the cone will strike the metal frame of the radiator and cause distortion. VMPS reportedly has a newer passive radiator design that avoids this problem. I haven't ordered the piece yet but probably will at some point. I usually don't listen loud enough to encounter this problem but I sure noticed it on War of the Worlds.

 

[j_garcia]

I also had a Carver Cinema 5.1 subwoofer, and with it, there was a design flaw, which caused the amplifier to fail over time due to excessive heat. There was a fix for that (which included added heat sink area), and it has worked ever since (though I no longer own that one either, but I am in touch with who currently owns it).

I had one of those Carver subs and it died shortly after I sold it to a friend. He called Carver and sent it in and they replaced the amp free of charge though he did have to pay shipping.

 

[Warpdrv]

I also own a VMPS passive sub that I am powering with a Rotel power amp. I'm very happy with that combination, with one exception. The 15 inch passive radiator has a design flaw whereby at very high levels during an action movie, the back of the cone will strike the metal frame of the radiator and cause distortion. VMPS reportedly has a newer passive radiator design that avoids this problem. I haven't ordered the piece yet but probably will at some point. I usually don't listen loud enough to encounter this problem but I sure noticed it on War of the Worlds.

VMPS wasn't well known for their production of HT type subs... musical design yes but extreme excursion wasn't their strongpoints..Nice looking speakers, no question about it, Though I never had the chance to hear them. Deep Bass subs were never their strongpoint though. The last few years (5-10) have shown some growth in the heavy low bass incorporation. something that is likely not very friendly for this PR subs you have.....

I would suggest that you think about either upgrading the PR's in that subs or incorporate a High Pass filter to limit the low end going to that sub.

Recently they started pimping their new thoughts about building subs using TC-Sounds drivers and PR's. Problem was they only posted pics of their old subs photoshopped with TC drivers in them.... the designs didn't look all that promising IMO - they should have posted the design ideas along with the pics to have a better understanding of their thoughts.... there was a thread at AVS.

 

[JAC]

VMPS wasn't well known for their production of HT type subs... musical design yes but extreme excursion wasn't their strongpoints..Nice looking speakers, no question about it, Though I never had the chance to hear them. Deep Bass subs were never their strongpoint though. The last few years (5-10) have shown some growth in the heavy low bass incorporation. something that is likely not very friendly for this PR subs you have.....

I would suggest that you think about either upgrading the PR's in that subs or incorporate a High Pass filter to limit the low end going to that sub.

Recently they started pimping their new thoughts about building subs using TC-Sounds drivers and PR's. Problem was they only posted pics of their old subs photoshopped with TC drivers in them.... the designs didn't look all that promising IMO - they should have posted the design ideas along with the pics to have a better understanding of their thoughts.... there was a thread at AVS.

Pimping? While I am not sure what that might mean, the pics were accurate depictions of what the subs will look like.

Using the TC Sounds Drivers and the new, high excursion "Big Bump" Passive Radiator works fine.

As you mentioned VMPS is not after the BOOM box 135db market, but the new TC Sounds Drivers and "Big Bump" PR's allow higher output for those looking for such in a highly accurate, low distortion and musical Sub.

 

[JAC]

I also own a VMPS passive sub that I am powering with a Rotel power amp. I'm very happy with that combination, with one exception. The 15 inch passive radiator has a design flaw whereby at very high levels during an action movie, the back of the cone will strike the metal frame of the radiator and cause distortion. VMPS reportedly has a newer passive radiator design that avoids this problem. I haven't ordered the piece yet but probably will at some point. I usually don't listen loud enough to encounter this problem but I sure noticed it on War of the Worlds.

Hi Dave,

Many of the early VMPS subs were designed more for Music and didn't have the excursion for HT use. It wasn't actually a design flaw, as it was the limits of intended use back then. Your sub and PR were designed well before LFE channels.

The newer Passive Radiators now have increased capacity and can offer higher performance in the HT type applications. However they still are not "directed" at SUPER High Output as other brand might be. The primary focus has been Musical accuracy first and output second.