Popped a tweeter, faulty unit or user error?

[hdrox88 142]

So, I recently purchased a set of ID X65 and XS28 to run active. Got everything installed and working correctly yesterday and today one of the tweeters just stopped dead in it's tracks. I'd say about an hour of play time. I tested the driver for continuity and got nothing so it's definitely the tweeter that failed. I am running a RF T400-4 with the tweeters on front channels and the mids on the rears. I set gains with a DD-1 to the 0db track and all pass for xover on the amp. I crossed the tweets at 2.5k with 24db slope to start with. I am using the network mode on my pioneer 80prs for xover duty. Was this just a faulty unit? Or am I doing something wrong? Any help is appreciated.

[Sencheezy 689]

Hmmm, not sure what the reason for it to pop. Was it both, or just one side? 

[hdrox88 142]

Just one of them went out, the working one measured 3.9 ohm when tested.

[S.DeYoung 967]

DD-1 is your problem

[lithium 358]

good news you can probably sell the dd-1 for a new tweeter. and it would solve your problems. 

[hdrox88 142]

I've seen mixed reviews on the DD-1. Apparently it's really that bad? I blew a tweeter within an hour of use. Why make such a product if it causes that kind of failure?

[lithium 358]

I've seen mixed reviews on the DD-1. Apparently it's really that bad? I blew a tweeter within an hour of use. Why make such a product if it causes that kind of failure?

 

the tweeter likely failed because you put your faith into a black box to set up your amp. the dd-1 is making someone a lot of money, sorry you got taken advantage of. 

[hdrox88 142]

Excellent! That would probably explain why I smoked my xcon on 1700w. Another one of those things in life to good to be true. Expensive lesson to say the least.

[nadcicle 77]

I can't say it was crossing over at 2.5k so I'd only assume it had to be the gain since the xs28's can get down to 900hz on a steep slope. I own 4 of them myself and enjoy the hell out of them with my cxs64 set. Some of the best speakers I have had the pleasure of owning sound wise. Use those ears man, they won't steer you wrong when you hear shrieking and popping it's probably bad, but when you hit a threshold of not getting any louder and you have play in the gain knob doesn't mean you leave it there either. Always back it don't just a hair and make sure it still sounds good while doing it and you'll always have a winner. The only thing I've ever set with equipment was bass amps to a specific frequency that I burp at. Even then for music it was crap, but when you compete you can't expect to win without pushing things to the limit sometimes. 

[///M5 2,833]

I've seen mixed reviews on the DD-1. Apparently it's really that bad? I blew a tweeter within an hour of use. Why make such a product if it causes that kind of failure?

Don't take this wrong, but there are idiots that will buy it so they made it. It has no value, no use and is absolutely useless. Isn't even good as a paperweight sell it.

Definitely wasn't an equipment failure but a user failure. Chalk it up to a learning experience and spend more time paying attention to what the drivers are telling you.

[Randal Johnson 544]

WOW ...

From what I remember reading about the DD-1 product, It's intended use was for sub bass only.

It was never meant for mid bass, mid range, or highs applications.

I do not own a DD-1, nor will I ever purchase one. Like I said, I just remember reading about it.

[///M5 2,833]

WOW ...

From what I remember reading about the DD-1 product, It's intended use was for sub bass only.

It was never meant for mid bass, mid range, or highs applications.

I do not own a DD-1, nor will I ever purchase one. Like I said, I just remember reading about it.

It sucks just as bad for subs as for anything else.  ie, it is useless.

[jcarter1885 995]

I wouldn't use the DD-1 period but to each its own.

[hdrox88 142]

I never burned anything up til using the DD-1. I always used passive set ups though, so going active makes me nervous about killing things trying to find the sweet spot for the gain. I ended up down one tweet anyway, go figure. I guess it's back to my rock music for setting up my amps. Is using test tones with your ears any more accurate than music? Never tried it, kinda curious.

[nadcicle 77]

I personally use the most dynamic music that I can find. I wouldn't use test tones because then you'd only be adjusting for that individual frequency. Now if you used white noise with an rta meter that's slightly different, but that still wouldn't be doing it one speaker at a time and could still possibly lose potential of any 1 component due to not hearing it with your own ears.

 

Pretty much anything Michael Jackson works since his music has a great dynamic range. Some great 80's and 90's music out there really so you aren't limited to music. Just make sure you're using music that uses real instruments and not some techno/electronica stuff that puts artificial noise in your head since you never know what it's supposed to sound like to begin with.

[hdrox88 142]

I checked the battery in the DD-1and it was down to 8.1v. Curiosity got the best of me so I replaced it with a new one and checked my hu and gain settings to see if there was any difference at all. Nothing changed at all with the new battery. I did notice something interesting. I had tweeters(front channels) disconnected and mids(rear channels) still connected. I disconnected the rear RCA from the amp and left the front connected. I played a 1k hz tone to test with the DD-1 on the front channels and my mids on the rear were playing a quasi inconsistent/distorted 1k hz tone. That is a completely different set of channels yet they still produced sound. I would think that is not a good thing. Is that a sign of amp problems? If the mids are getting a 1k hz distorted signal across channels like that, could that mean that the tweets are getting distorted/unfiltered lower frequencies from the mid channels? Not defending the DD-1, just wondering if I don't have an underlying problem in the amp?

Edited March 14, 2014 by hdrox88

[lithium 358]

is there a 2 channel or 4 channel mode setting on the amp? 

[altoncustomtech 773]

I would definitely say that requires further investigation.  There's not a normal reason for there to be any cross talk between the channels, at least not at any audible level.

[lithium 358]

 

should be on 4 channel otherwise the signal sent to the first set of inputs is duplicated to the rears 

[hdrox88 142]

I am pretty sure it's set to 4ch mode. I'll have to check after work. It wasn't a perfect duplicate tone though. It was kinda fluctuating in hz and sounded lower than 1k.

[lithium 358]

i'm more inclined to think you have some issue with the settings either at the amp or hu rather than an issue with the amp itself. if you have another amp around you could try swapping it in. 

[hdrox88 142]

Yup, it's in 4ch mode. It is definitely raising a concern if channels are exchanging signals like that at lower volume, what happens at higher volume? Unfortunately I don't have another 4ch amp to swap with right now.

 

I drove around for about 30 minutes after work just listening to the two mids and one tweeter and going up and down with the volume on the hu and I never really heard any noticable stress or degrading of the high end til I got to 61 which is alomst the max(62). Could definitely use some eq, but that's kinda pointless with only one tweeter right now.

[lithium 358]

well you should probably rule out the headunit by sending signal to the amp from another device. easiest would be from your phone via a 3.5mm to rca cable. if you have an andriod device, use an app like funcgen to play tones. 

 

experiment with the woofers not the tweeters so they aren't damaged. or use a dmm 

[///M5 2,833]

STOP using the DD-1 it is only hurting. Seriously, it is the biggest waste of $$ in car audio. It does NOTHING positive and can't help you do anything. Actually that statement is wrong, it is good at one thing. It is definitely helpful in allowing people to break their gear. Seen that over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

[SpeakerBoy 64]

I literally haven't heard anything positive about it....

Every time it's mentioned, it's being targeted as the culprit of system failure.

Should tell you all you need to know. It's garbage.

Edited March 17, 2014 by SpeakerBoy