?Advice for a dead subwoofer?

[drmedlen]

Hey everyone

I’m new to the board and hoping to get some good insight or possible advice to a recent subwoofer problem. I have a Polk DSW Pro660 wireless subwoofer that I purchased about 7 months ago. A few days ago when I turned it on… no output whatsoever. The subwoofer turns on, but that’s it. I connected it directly to my receiver (to see if it was a wireless problem) and got nothing. I hooked up an older sub that I still have and it worked fine, so no problem with the receiver. I’ve tried resetting the sub using the remote, different connections, different cables, etc…. I called Polk and the tech said it was an amplifier issue and I would need to send the amp to their service center. Now, to save some time and probably some money (I’m not yet sure if it is under warranty), does anyone have any ideas as to what the exact problem could be? Is there something I could do to fix the problem myself?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[j_garcia]

Have you repaired electronics before? If not, I'd just send it in. There'a a good chance the capacitor(s) are the issue, but without opening and testing it, there's no way to really know. The fact that they said they knew it was the amp already (and that's what it sounds like to me) means it is likely a common issue, so you are better off sending it in.

 

[timoteo]

Yeah dont even think about repairing it unless you have experience doing that. I suspect that if you had the experience you wouldnt have asked the question. See how intuitive i am...like Sherlock!!

I had a similar issue with an Earthquake Sound sub i had. One day the sub said NOPE!!

Oh wait you could try replacing the fuse!.... Its behind a little door on the back. Takes a screwdriver to get in there most likely. I replaced the fuse in mine but it would just pop it as soon as i turned it back on. So i called Earthquake, it was about 7months old as well but still under manufacturers warranty. So yours probably still is specially if they said to send it in.

Bottom line, i paid shipping one way, they fixed it & shipped it back. My buddy owns the amp & still works. They are probably aware of a common issue with the model. Remove the amp & it will cost about $25 to ship including packaging.

Try the fuse first though. Replacements can be found at RadioShack i think. Pull it out & take it in to match. If that doesnt work then send it in. Took me about 5 days to get it back. Not bad!

 

[drmedlen]

Thanks for the input guys! Yeah, repairing electronics is not one of my awesome skills. I did check the fuse (failed to mention that earlier) and it was fine. The sub would not even come on when I took it out.

I have begun dismounting the amp from the back of the enclosure. Now, the wires from the sub are soldered to the amp board, but there is some yellow/white material over the connections. Am I right to assume this is some type of insulating material? I guess my question is this: is that stuff necessary? I don't think I will have a problem soldering the wires back, I'm just not familiar with that "substance".

 

[j_garcia]

That stuff is either hot glue or RTV silicone to reduce strain on the solder joints. Not necessary, but highly beneficial during shipping. Most likely the wires are using connectors on the driver, so you should just be able to unplug it from there. If you cut or desolder the wires from the amp, it will almost certainly void the warranty.