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Don't forget to check under the hood [message #61465]

Tue, 24 November 2009 23:33

Bill Epstein
Messages: 1088
Registered: May 2009
Location: Smoky Mts. USA

Illuminati (2nd Degree)

Been plagued for quite awhile with one speaker a good 10 dB louder than the other. I've played with positioning, stylus azimuth, cleaning terminals and cable contacts, etc. Sometimes something seems to work for awhile than the problem comes back.

Finally, I popped out the woofers Sunday. Completely ohmed out the crossover, everything matched L to R. Noticed one bare wire end in the 2226 push terminal seemed loose. These bare ends are tinned so no point in fooling with cramolin or Deoxit but I tightened up the connection, then checked the rest.

Bingo! Problem solved. Image is now centered and instrumets are where they belong side to side and front to back. I'm still not convinced or maybe just amazed that a somewhat tenuous connection could be the problem. I would have thought the connection would be more of an "off and on" thing.

The 2226 may be the greatest 15" mid-woofer on the planet (it is) but those terminals are crapola. Pretty soon I'm going to go back in and hard wire the cables.

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Re: Don't forget to check under the hood [message #61467 is a reply to message #61465]

Wed, 25 November 2009 09:16

Matts
Messages: 359
Registered: May 2009

Grand Master

Agree on the 2226- great driver! I hard-wired mine when I built 'em and have had no problems. iirc, I used the same tabs that the small wires that run to the voice coil are on, and tinned the connecting wires well & did it quickly with a hot iron so the heat didn't have time to run down and melt the connections below. I think I took the push connectors off the B&C drivers and soldered onto what was below them.

Last couple times someone asked me to look at their "store bought" speakers cause there was a crackle or something they thought was horrible, it turned out to be simple connections.

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Re: Don't forget to check under the hood [message #61471 is a reply to message #61465]

Wed, 25 November 2009 15:30

Bill Epstein
Messages: 1088
Registered: May 2009
Location: Smoky Mts. USA

Illuminati (2nd Degree)

I recall the B&C terminals being better but maybe I have them confused with Altecs. Now those are stout terminals!

Your post encourages me to do the job tomorrow AM with heatsinks on those 'tinsel' wires to the driver and have a look at the B&Cs as well.

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Re: Don't forget to check under the hood [message #61473 is a reply to message #61471]

Wed, 25 November 2009 15:50

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18792
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Wow, what a deal! That must have been frustrating.

Do you tin the wires before inserting them? Seems like lots of stuff has those spring loaded connectors but I've never had trouble with them. The ones that bug me are the ones you have to screw down and tighten. Seems like those always come loose after a while.

I agree with Matts though. Anywhere there is a mechanical connection, you have a potential problem. I used to always avoid them, and solder everything instead. But I stopped doing that a long time ago, because I like the serviceability of having a quick connect of some sort.

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