I use an Audio Alchemy OM150, rated for 150 watts into 8 ohms. The amp has a clipping indicator on the front, if/when I see it lighting up, usually above zero db on my AA DLC, I back the volume down a bit. I don't often listen at those extreme levels, but I haven't had any problems. |
Perhaps I read more into it than what was meant. STILL, that is a blanket statement for any situation where it applies. |
Vandermeulen:
"Dump them. I really do not like to give drastic opinions, but ANY "high end" manufacturer who does not make you feel satisfied with how they support their products, should be put out of business regardless of how "good" their product is. It disgusts me really."
The OP didn't say he wasn't satisfied with the support. He asked if anyone had blown the midrange drivers in their speakers.
To the OP. I bought my speakers used and the previous owner stated that he blew a midrange driver and sent the speaker to Gallo to be replaced. He wasn't the original purchaser of the speakers and paid for the replacement.
I have had no trouble with them at all. |
My party guests still laugh about it to this day. Three of the drivers let out a puff of smoke. I still don't see the humor, but I guess sense of humor differ. I now have PA speakers that I run through the home theater system. |
I blew three of four mid drivers from using my 3.1s for karaoke. That would do it - live music (someone singing into a mike) has HUGE dynamic range and clearly this speaker is not designed to handle that. You need either pro studio gear or a heavy duty robust PA type speaker for that. |
I blew three of four mid drivers from using my 3.1s for karaoke. The first year I used them there were no problems. No such luck the second year. Gallo did not cover them under the warranty. I understood why. It was my fault. The defect did not lie with Gallo.
They reminded me that they repair manufacturing defects, and if the amp is the problem, then it is not a manufacturing defect. My first Gallo sub-amp kept blowing fuses after about two months, and they promptly replaced the unit.
I will say that my repairs were very quickly returned, but I am not sure any manufactuer's warranty covers every calamity to the product. |
I'm always open to advice. I was getting at the fact that many speakers can handle their wattage ratings with ease if the signal in is clean and undistorted. However, as hinted at above, a 20 watt receiver that is pushed way past its limits can do more damage than a 200 watt amp that is not being pushed hard. (ie both are trying to put out 100 wpc?) |
Actually, as Chaz noted - it may well have been stray DC.
Marty |
Duke,
I think Elevick was probably told that a higher power amp is less likely to clip in the first place. This advice is sometimes offered to shoppers who will state their amp's power and try to infer a speaker match from their rated power handling specs - kinda like the OP here. I agree that this point wasn't accurately reflected in his post, but it goes to the real issue here: 'twas probably clipping (not too much power, per se) that killed his beasts.
Marty
Marty |
A 250 watt amp driven into mild clipping could easily heat the voice coil more than 350 watts peak of clean music signal.
What Elevick was told is however an exaggeration. It is heat, not a clipped waveform per se, that is damaging. From a thermal power handing standpoing, a clipped waveform simply means the average wattage (heat) going into the voice coil is much closer to the maximum wattage that the amp can put out. 500 watts peak unclipped might be ballpark 50 watts average (depends on the music of course), which is far higher than 1 watt clipped. |
The speakers are rated a 350 watts; but my PS Audio 250 watt amp cooked the midrange drivers in both speakers. Go figure... I don't think these speakers are designed to play loud despite their "rating". The 4 inch mid range is crossed over at 150 Hz to the bass woofer - that is quite low for such a small driver. Also the voice coil is 4 layers - so it certainly isn't designed for good heat dissipation (voice coils get extremely hot when driven hard and can melt or short). It is very likely you simply cooked them. I suggest to be careful with the volume settings... |
I was always taught this: 1 watt of distortion can do much more damage than 500 clean watts. 350 means little if the system or music aren't perfect. |
Dump them. I really do not like to give drastic opinions, but ANY "high end" manufacturer who does not make you feel satisfied with how they support their products, should be put out of business regardless of how "good" their product is. It disgusts me really. |
Could have just been a stray shot of DC.I mention it because a PS Delta 100 cooked a $4500 set of dual 5.25 mids on some $4500 horns.
2 years is a bit long for extending warranty but then again Anthony Gallo isn't the nicest or dependable guy in Hifi.I have have heard stories and gave up my Gallo Ref 2's as within a year or two of going out production if you blew your tweeters they had not stock to replace them.That's crappy back up and why I am loathe to by another Gallo product.
Good luck.Even though my PS was 20 years older than yours I would have the power amp checked if os epak with PS or independent tech about what happened.
G'Luck
Chazz |
I'm perplexed.
Didn't Gallo give any further info on why they did not warrant the repairs? has their warranty been reduced to only 3 months now?
it doesn't appear they were starved for power. How loud do you listen to them?
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