Speaker/Subwoofer Problem (Can anyone help?)

[teknein]

Hi everyone,

Recently, I turned off my speakers and there was a short and quiet droning noise. After that my sound system no longer puts out any sound at all. I have an old Harman Kardon HK 595. The subwoofer smelled like burning brakes for a while after the incident so I shut it off. It still turns on and everything is hooked up correctly and everything lights up properly. The fuse appears to be OK. Just no sound coming out. What happened and is this system permanently screwed up? Thanks for the help.

-teknein

 

[JKnPA]

Troubleshoot.....

There is only one way to find out.......
Unplug the unit.
Remove the cover and look/smell for burnt components.
I would suspect the speaker driver first!
Learn by doing.......
Let is know what you find.

 

[teknein]

Thanks for the reply. It says on the back cover of the subwoofer that I'm not supposed to try to unscrew the cover... but I tried it anyway unsuccessfully. Took out all of the anchoring screws but the cover is almost glued on or something. I guess its completely screwed up. But I still don't know what caused this to occur. Maybe it has something to do with having the woofer under my desk with some books leaning against it?

 

[JKnPA]

Choices..........

Well, I guess you have two choices. Either you try to fix it, or use it for a 'door stop'. Being a tech.(retired), I always try to fix it myself. If I can't fix it, I find someone who can.
I'm sure it will come apart...... you have nothing to lose at this point.
'Its a learning process"...............

JK.

 

[Mr. Lamb Fries]

What kind of subwoofer is it? Does the driver (woofer) come out? I would try to take the driver out and then try to "push" the amp out from the inside. It may be glued in but I am sure you could get it with a little work. Once the amp is out, look at the board. There may be a peice on it that is black or discolored. First check the fuse...the fuse may still look intact as in, sometimes a fuse will look OK but is still blown, check the glass housing of the fuse for any discoloration If you see any, the fuse is probably blow. Go to radio shack and try to get a replacement...pop it back in...and enjoy! If the fuse is OK, check the board, a blown board should show you a part that is "fried". It WILL look like a peice that is burt, black, brown discolored fried etc. Once youve discoverd the problem, post back and tell us about it. Someone here could point you in the right direction (even if the direction is the trash )

I had a Subwoofer blow on me and the replacement part was enough that I should get a new one. I ended up sellin it on craigslist for parts!

 

[teknein]

I don't know what kind of subwoofer you'd call it but its got the driver on the bottom and a hole in the front (yeah I don't know that much about speakers). So I unscrewed the thing from the bottom this time and the board is discolored in general (I can't find where exactly all this stuff came from), which is kinda odd because everything still turns on, and lights up, with the exception of sound. There's nothing on the fuse at all, no breaks or discoloration. Everything else near the driver looks fine. I guess I just burned something out... by turning OFF the system (still don't understand this part). How does everyone keep their woofers from blowing? The last thing I need is to buy a new one and have it burn in less than a week. Thanks for the tips guys.

-teknein

 

[markw]

Wait a minute... When you say "my sound system no longer puts out any sound at all.",

are you saying that you don't get any sound out of any of your speakers?

If so, then you've got problems other than just the subwoofer, fella

 

[teknein]

Actually, the two satellites connect through the subwoofer. Both satellites apparently still function properly. So basically the subwoofer fried and the satellites don't have any sound either because of that. It's likely that the connections burned out. The laptop speakers work fine as do headphones. Since the subwoofer is the central piece of the system, the entire thing is dead although everything still turns on.

-teknein

 

[JKnPA]

Discoloration........

So I unscrewed the thing from the bottom this time and the board is discolored in general (I can't find where exactly all this stuff came from), which is kinda odd because everything still turns on, and lights up, with the exception of sound.
*********************************************
Try to isolate what has burnt. What do you mean by "all this stuff". Try to describe what it is? Does the speaker driver look discolored or smell like it cooked?
Do you see any burnt or damaged parts on the amplifier board? Look at the large capacitors; do they look enlarged or leaking fluid?

* Do you have a camera, or can you borrow one. A picture would be great!
** remember..........its a learning process!.........
Jk.