- Anthony
If you’ve cleaned and moved your speakers but still can’t get the best sound, your subwoofer may be blown.
With this article, Hooke Audio will explore what could be causing your problem and teach you to step by step guide on how to fix a blown subwoofer coil. Let’s get started.
Contents
- 1 What Is A Subwoofer?
- 2 Why did the Subwoofer Blow?
- 3 Steps to Check the Blown Subwoofer
- 4 How to Fix a Blown Speaker
- 4.1 Step 1: Assess the Voice Coil
- 4.2 Step 2: Check the Speaker Cone
- 4.3 Step 3: Detach the Speaker from its Frame
- 4.4 Step 4: Remove the speaker surround
- 4.5 Step 5: Remove the Speaker Cone and Voice Coil
- 4.6 Step 6: Replacing the Voice Coil
- 4.7 Step 7: Repair the Speaker Frame
- 4.8 Step 8: Reassemble and fix other parts
- 5 Conclusion
What Is A Subwoofer?
Subwoofers are components that produce a bass boost with low frequencies. This improves the quality and texture of the music. You can choose from different depths and diameters to enhance your audio quality, making it more useful for large venues. These elements are usually available in two types.
- The powered subwoofer is also known as an active subwoofer. It uses the amplifier/ speaker configuration and connects to the car’s stereo receiver for power via a single cable. This guide will show you how to find top-powered subwoofers on the market.
- Passive subwoofers require an external amplifier to create a low-frequency, bass sound for efficient working and excellent audio quality. Both elements are efficient and produce high-quality music.
It is crucial to keep an eye on the power level. An over-or underpowered subwoofer could cause damage that could tear the cone and the suspension material. In this instance, a stabilizer will be required.
Why did the Subwoofer Blow?
What could have caused your subwoofer’s blow-up? If it is not under-or overpowered, your subwoofer could blow.
Each subwoofer is limited in power; it will be labeled on the box that you receive it or in the instruction book.
If the subwoofer’s handling capability exceeds that of the cone, it can tear the cone, suspension, and spider, leaving you with a subwoofer that is damaged.
Using too much power on the subwoofer could cause damage to the blown subwoofer voice coil. This can separate it from the spider and the cone and may even cause the coil to become damaged.
Subwoofers that are underpowered can cause the speaker to overheat, interfering with its signals and causing damage to the blown subwoofer voice coil.
To avoid interference, the amplifier should have enough power to ensure that all signals are clear. You must ensure that your amplifier is powerful enough to power your subwoofer.
If the signal is not clear, don’t turn the subwoofer up. It is better to do further damage than cause more. If music is being played, a buzzing sound can also indicate that the subwoofer is damaged.
Steps to Check the Blown Subwoofer
To diagnose the real problem, you should first do a few checks. One time, a speaker stopped working. The voice coil had been jabbed. It worked again after I put the voice coil in its place. It was quick and easy.
Subwoofers that have been blown may be experiencing tearing issues or voice coil problems. Two reasons make these more challenging:
1. Blown Coil
The blown subwoofer voice coil component has current flowing through it to pull the speaker magnet against it. This moves the speaker cone upward and downward to produce sound.
If you are unsure if the coil has been damaged, connect the coil terminals to a multimeter. If there is no resistance, the coil could have suffered damage.
2. Broken Speaker Cone
The next possible problem could be a damaged cone. This is often easily detected. The cone can be easily damaged or moved because it is constructed on a suspension system. If your speaker cone has become damaged, look out for these signs:
Remove the cover from your subwoofer. Gently push the sides of the cone to check the movement.
If the cone does not move or is rigid, it could indicate that the voice coil has been damaged or jammed. You should inspect the cone for any small holes or rips. It might be necessary to lighten the cone or foam suspension, but eventually, you will notice a tear in it.
The next step is to determine if the subwoofer cone, foam, or cone has a tear.
The replacement of foam should take approximately 30 minutes. Parts are easily available.
The cost of a cone replacement kit can be twice as expensive as that of a speaker. If any one of the cones, spider, or voice coils is damaged, they will need to all be replaced. It will take approximately 2-3 hours to replace if follows clear instructions.
You can also use materials you already have at home. If you are okay with imperfections, this could be a good option.
How to Fix a Blown Speaker
These tools are essential to your success in restoring your blown subwoofers.
- A screwdriver
- Soldering iron
- Air Compressor
- Multimeter
- Putty knife
- Glue
Step 1: Assess the Voice Coil
You might want to inspect every component of your subwoofer before you start! To check if the voice coil of the subwoofer is blown, you can begin by inspecting it. The coil plays an important role in amplifying current through the speaker.
A multimeter is a simple tool that can be used to assess the voice coil.
Connect the speaker terminals directly to the multimeter, and you’ll see the results. If there is resistance on the multimeter, that means the coil is still working. However, if the meter is not moving, your coil may be damaged.
Step 2: Check the Speaker Cone
You might consider moving on to the next component, the speaker cone if the voice coil is in good condition. It is often built on a suspension system so you can easily assess it.
Stuck coil
Push the speaker cone gently along its sides and move it around the speaker’s circumference. The cone should sink in and then return to its original position. If the cone remains rigid, it is an indication that your speaker cone has been damaged.
Tear repair
A glue and paper towel can be used to repair a tear. This is not a perfect solution, but it’s an easy one. If the paper towel is two-ply, take one layer off. Cut the paper towel to the size of the tear. The paper towel should be large enough to cover the tear but not too wide.
To cover the rip, spread Elmer’s glue on the paper towel patch. The glue should be able to soak the paper towel but not become too runny. The glued paper towel patch should be applied to the speaker by gently pressing. Finally, smoothen it in the speaker with a tool like a non-serrated butter knife. Continue the same process to the back of your speaker.
After drying, apply black matte spray paint. This can help the speaker’s fiber to be glued and tamped with a paper towel.
Step 3: Detach the Speaker from its Frame
Based on the results of the assessment of the speaker cone and coil, you will now be able to identify the source of the problem. It will then be easier to begin the restoration process. First, you will need to remove the enclosure from the speaker.
You will need a screwdriver from your toolbox to do this. You will need to unscrew the mounting screws holding the speaker in its place. You will need to remove all the attached wires from the speaker. Once you are done, note the exact location of each wire.
The speaker might produce a scratchy sound if the wires are not placed correctly. Make sure you keep all the mounting screws in one location so that they don’t get lost.
Step 4: Remove the speaker surround
Once the speaker is separated from its frame, and all wires are removed, it’s time to remove the surround. You will need a sharp object, such as a tester edge or a putty knife to cut through the glue binding the surround to its speaker frame.
Take out the surround carefully, removing all glue. You should be careful not to puncture the edges of the frame as they are fragile. It is not a good idea to cause damage to the speaker before it has had time to be repaired.
Step 5: Remove the Speaker Cone and Voice Coil
Next, remove the damaged speaker cone as well as the voice coil. You will need a sharp tool, such as the tester edge or putty knife you used in step 1. Slowly remove the speaker cone and voice coil from the subwoofer.
When removing the cone, coil, and spider, be gentle and careful with the terminal wires. All other components must be kept separate.
Step 6: Replacing the Voice Coil
The subwoofer’s voice coil is an essential component. It should be given priority. You will need to replace the coil with a new one. This is the place where the real work begins. Before you start, remove any dirt and dust particles from the area around the gap between the voice coils.
When cleaning the coil, an air compressor is a great tool. Place the new voice coil inside the voice coil gap and wrap a spider around it. Use enough glue to attach the subwoofer cone to the new voice coil.
Allow the car subwoofer to dry for at least 24 hours before you move it.
Step 7: Repair the Speaker Frame
So, how to repair blown subwoofer? Once the new coil has been installed, you will need to put the enclosure back on the speaker. Apply glue to the frame edges of your surround so that it is in direct contact with the frame. Attach the surround to both the speaker frame and cone edges.
You’ll need to give the glue another 24 hours to fully dry.
Step 8: Reassemble and fix other parts
Now it is time to place all other components so the speaker can start working! You must put the wires that you removed in step 3 back in their original places.
Attach the new terminal wires to the existing terminals by simply taking the old terminal wires and connecting them. To ensure they stay in place, use the soldering iron.
Push the cone gently along its sides and move it around the speaker’s circumference. The cone should sink in and then return to its original position. If the cone remains rigid, it is an indication that the speaker cone has been damaged.
TIP: If the cone does not have pre-attached wires you might consider attaching small wires to the terminal wires and then making small holes in your cone. Use a soldering iron to connect the wires to the coil.
Reattach any other parts that were removed earlier to their original positions. Place the car subwoofer in its enclosure, and secure it with the mounting screws.
Enjoy high-quality audio by connecting your car subwoofer to the radio!
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Conclusion
A frustrating problem in a home theater system is fixing blown subwoofer. Fortunately, a blown subwoofer is a relatively easy fix that does not require an expert technician. We hope you find it helpful in our article. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
