My JL Audio sub is dead. What exactly happened?
I wanted to share a video I made of the power on capacitor repair. Some of you experienced different problems, more related to the actual main amplifier caps going out… but this is a step by step video of the power on cap issue and repair, when your JL Audio Fathom is not coming on all together. Hope this helps some of you out there.
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Yeah my F113 died after 2 years or very very limited use, they required the amp be sent back in the original box and it was expensive. Glad to see they aren't charging as much but disappointed to see why they are failing. My Wilson sub with integrated Marsh amp has worked flawlessly for 10 plus years, knock on wood but then again it's a Class AB 85lb monster not a cheap chinese digital amp |
I’d say they’re acting dishonestly & risk damaging their brand beyond repair. When both my e-sub112 failed, yes they repaired them FOC, but they completely ignored repeated requests for information. I just want to know that the replacement amp plates aren’t the same crap as the original ones? Can I rely on them to last or should I get rid now? Every time I ask I get no reply. A year ago I was singing the praises of JL Audio Subs. I would have recommended them to anyone. Now I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole & would warn others to stay clear. |
Singingtheblues, I wouldn’t hold my breath, however JL has obviously owned up to the issue somewhat by offering their quite reasonable $300 flat rate fix for out of warranty repairs. My guess is that’s about what their cost is on those plate amps from China. I bet they replace 100 amps for every blown driver or control panel section. |
Well, just to add to the group misery, one of my F110v1 just up and died. Being in Canada, the shipping and whole border thing (customs were a bear to deal with last time) has me wondering if I should just buy a cheap and powerful class D amp like crown and just be done with it. JL drivers are great but their Chi-fi alibaba plate amps are crap. |
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Talked to Randy at JL. He indicated this was likely due to some bad or burnt/dried out caps. Confirmed a $300 "fix anything" for subs that are out of warranty. I pay shipping both ways. They also confirmed $82 for a box if you don't have the original. Luckily I have it! He was also very helpful in walking thru and providing this guide for when I get my baby back. https://jlaudio.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115011115308-Adjusting-Phase-Alignment?source=search&a... |
I've owned JL Audio fathom subs for some time. My fathom 113 v1 did have a failure after a power outage. Sub was repaired by JL Audio but they recommended using a surge protector to avoid any chance of amp failure. Currently I own 2 fathom 212 v1 subs each with a SurgeX SA-20 surge protector. The subs have worked flawlessly for 8 years and counting. Surge X units highly recommended! |
@contuzzi Yep I can confirm that, I have 3 fathoms that needed amp replacements. They are the least durable subs I’ve ever owned. Everytime they died was with no music playing, the subs were just on and "pop" and the amp died. Plenty of mass market cheap subs out there in the market that have better reliability than JL. |
Every single E112 and E110 I’ve owned, and every one of my friends have owned, have all had their amps replaced. A few of them TWICE. I have moved on to the Paradigm Defiance X series (NOT the V series, those are not anything special) subs. They are just as musical, way cheaper, and have incredible room correction built in. Only problem is their size. They are a bit bigger than the comparable JL. Anyone want to buy some E112s? ;) |
It’s not just the v1 Fathoms though. I’ve got a pair of e-sub112 that both failed within 12 months! Same issues. They were making pops for months. I thought it was noise on my mains, but they both died within weeks of each other. The UK distributor was very helpful. Took them back & replaced the Amp plates. I’ve asked repeatedly for a detailed explanation as to what exactly failed & for some guarantees the faults have been put right (so they won’t fail in another 12 months), but I don’t get any answers. IMHO, JL Audio need to come out & let us know what these issues are & what they’re doing to rectify the problem. Or risk denting their reputation. |
Hello everyone. Newbie here. Sorry to hear of the issues you are having with the v1 subs. I am in the market for a new subwoofer and saw a number of good deals of the Fathom v1 but this thread has pretty much eliminated that option. Are the v2 subs good to go in terms of reliability or is that too new to determine at this point? |
I've a similar issue - as of recently, my out-of-warranty Fathom 113 no longer turns on and I'd like to check if the capacitor is the issue. However, I'm running into problems at step 1 - how do I get the housing on this thing off? I took off the 16 wood screws but nothing is giving way. Would very much prefer to test for an easy DIY fix before shipping this monstrosity out for repair! Thanks in advance! |
Statman, To answer your question about how JL is able to ship new product....they have boxes for their new production. They do not have any “spare” boxes to sell to customers needing them for repair or other transit purposes. This is what JL has told me. I’ve been speaking with Shane from JL who has been very helpful and transparent with me. -Tom |
Hey Statman, I certainly have thought about the potential damage to a box from that I may borrow from someone. The multiple shipping transfers (getting the box to me, me sending my sub down to JL, JL sending my sub back to me, me sending the box back to its owner)....the box could certainly get damaged. What I can commit to is purchasing a new box from JL ($82) whenever they become available, and I would give that box to whomever was so kind to lend me there’s. That would be the least I could do for such a big favor. What I’m trying to do is save time. My sub has been out of commission for two weeks so far, and I have a big party planned at my house in about a month. I REALLY want my sub back by then and anything I can do to save myself some time to get my sub repaired and back to me, is what I want to do. The new boxes at JL will arrive sometime in the future....they just don’t know when. JL knows that I am trying to find another box to borrow, and they also know that regardless of whether I am able to find a box to borrow, I will be buying a new box from them. I will give that brand new box to the lender if their box gets damaged. Hope this explains my situation. Anyone out there willing to help me? -Tom |
Polar993, If they are on "backorder" how is the company shipping out any new product? The problem with your request of "borrowing" another owners box doesn't guarantee what shape it will return in. Are you paying for that box to be returned to the original owner? You receive the "box", then you ship it to Florida, and then it returns to you. You then will have to ship it back to the original owner? Who pays if the box is damaged? Do you understand my point? Unfortunately I think you may have to wait it out until the replacement boxes arrive. It took me one time to learn to always save my original boxes. Be persistent with them maybe they'll send you one. |
I have been in contact with JL and they have been very helpful. They explained their repair program, where for $300 plus shipping costs, they will repair any damaged parts of my sub and bring it up to current specs. It’s a great program! My biggest and only issue is....I DON’T HAVE A BOX FOR MY F113!!!! I stupidly threw it away thinking I would no longer need it! JL doesn’t have any F113 boxes to sell me. They are on backorder from China with no ETA. I have reached out numerous local dealers to see if they have any boxes, but I have had no luck! By any chance would any of you kind folks on this forum be willing to let me “borrow” your F113 box so I can use it to ship my sub to JL for repair? If you are in NY, CT or NJ I will come and pick up the box from you. If you aren’t local, I will pay to have the empty box shipped to me and I will ship it back to you once I get the sub back from JL. Anyone willing to do do me a HUGE favor? Please?....Pretty please??? -Tom 917-887-8255 |
Polar993, My f112 exhibited the same issues as yours. Bad caps and power supply, from what I’ve read from multiple forums. A box from JL audio will cost you $82+shipping. According to them, you must use their supplied box for shipping the sub back. For $300 plus one-way shipping cost, your f113 will be upgraded to most current version of the f113v1. I sent mine in for repair 2/20 and it’s finally due to come back later this week. Turnaround time was suppose to be 3 weeks but as peter_s noted, they were waiting for parts to come in. Mine also supposedly needed a new woofer so that took an extra 10 days. TBH, I’m still a little miffed about the whole situation. I previously had my f112 serviced Dec 2012 and 5 yrs later it goes back again. I’ve also come across some saying that bad quality parts were used previously, though I’m not sure how accurate this is. My sub was never pushed close to its limit and now the new warranty is just for one year. Good luck... |
@polar993 I sent my 113 in five weeks ago, and they said it would be a three week turnaround. Apparently they are short on parts and are waiting for the right parts to come in. I don’t know how long that will take. I didn’t want to open it up and do the repair myself either. Seems like a reasonable deal, although it is entirely their fault. They cannot upgrade to v2 because if uses different bracing internally. |
I am experiencing the same problems with one of my F113s. I use the two in separate rooms with separate systems. I’ve owned this particular one for about 7 years and it was starting to generate low rumbling/popping sounds about a year ago. The rumbling was not very loud but it was noticeable. I would shut off the sub and the next day power it back up and the problem would go away for about 3 months. Last night I noticed that the F113 wasn’t powered on. I checked the power cord and the outlet and they were fine. My F113 is now dead and won’t power on. I assume I may have the same problems with the caps that others are experiencing, but mine won’t turn on at all. I dont have the tine or the patience to open the sub up and try to implement the repairs myself and I am really interested in JL Audio’s deal for $300 to send the sub back to them for repairs. Can anyone shed more light on this? What is the turnaround time? Unfortunately I threw out both boxes for the subs a few years ago. They were taking up too much space and I have no plans to move, so I figured I wouldn’t need them anymore....ughh! Does JL Audio sell boxes? Do you think they can send me and empty box so I can pack up my sub and send it in for repair? I’ve never dealt with their customer support, so any thoughts you can share on this would be appreciated. One more question....is there a replaceable fuse on the F113? I would love it if there was a simple fix for my problem....though I think it’s wishful thinking! Thanks for your help. |
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I decided to ship my F112 for repairs last week instead of messing about repairs I know nothing about. Sucks that it’s out of warranty now and shipping is another $150. Hopefully turn around time won’t be long. babyseaotter99, It’s too bad the f112 is only upgraded to the latest version of v1. I would’ve gladly paid the $300 or maybe even a bit extra for a v2 upgrade. |
I am having a few minor issues (intermittent popping noise at high volumes and a scratchy/intermittent master volume / gain knob on the front panel. I called JL and they informed me they have a repair service where you ship the sub to them, they will repair or replace anything in the unit back to original specs, inlcuding upgrading components to be inline with their current models (or something like that), and pay the return shipping all for $300 I have a F112 |
Sorry doro, the unit is back together so I can't tell you the number of R542. I replaced the 35v/100uf cap and it didn't help. I spoke to JL, and they said in addition to the cap the output FETs are blown! Since this already happened once to me they are going to fix it again under warranty. As the unit failed both times while in standby mode, after I get it fixed again I am going to leave the sub off completely, ie not in standby, while not in use. |
My f112 started rumbling last week, audible from about 8’ away. The sub turns on and the rumbling sometimes goes away after I turn off the unit for a few hours. It was fine for a few days but the rumbling has returned again last night. Was told by JL Audio that the caps need replacing along with amp or power supply(not really sure about this) and that the sub will eventually not turn on in the very near future. How easy is is it to replace the caps? Does replacing them solve the problem in most cases? Really trying to avoid shipping this thing and my warranty has expired. This is the second time I’ve had a problem, the first being in 2012 but it was still under warranty then. I would really appreciate any input and advice on the matter. |
To be fair to JL, I still have the same sub I mentioned in my March '17 post. To recap, I am on my third one now. This time my dealer replaced the amp with a new one sent by JL almost a year ago, and I have been using it a lot with no problems since then. Perhaps they figured out what was wrong in their amp modules. |
Just removed the circuit board from my F113, and I can see that when I sent it in to JL for repair they had indeed replaced the 35v/100uf cap that netforceatg posted a picture of, in fact they had put in a 105°C unit. Until I replace it I won't know if the same cap went bad again, but will use a 125°C spec this time. Have to wonder if there's a design flaw. |
Hello everyone, my name is Salvador. I also have a Fathom F113 that has died. This is the second time that happens to me. The first I changed it for a new amplifier. I have a friend who is trying to repair the second amplifier, but we have a problem, 3 resistors have been burned and the numbers that identify them have been erased to be able to replace them. Could anyone have the amplifier in sight, give me the numeration of the R541, R542 and R544 resistance? Thank you very much and sorry for my English, it's a Google translation. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SIRK15iPahI/WjUqB_fk_hI/AAAAAAAAnOI/EuoOr9Jbk7cFZS-aSHW2drJcuzdw4... |
Yes, I did get this single cap (marked in the red circle) replaced and the subwoofer works as it should again! :) 3USD fix, if you DIY So If your sub is not working I would definitely try to replace this capacitor! I’ve been told that in 9 out of 10 cases, this capacitor is the one creating the problems with the subwooferamplifier not turning on. https://imgur.com/a/J3LAn |
Ok, so I dissembled the amplifier(loosened all the wood screws on the back of the subwoofer) and pulled the amplifier off. It was 1 defective cap that needed to be replaced on my sub. I picked a new cap with slighty higher temp. rating. The value of the one I used is 35Volt 100μF, and 105°C See attached picture, I highlighted the cap that needs replacement in the red circle in the upper left corner: https://imgur.com/a/J3LAn According to repair workshop this is usually the cap that breaks, but It might be the one on the right side aswell. |
Hi Guys, I have a F112 that I bought used i 2012, last week it stopped working(completely dead, no lights or sound). I suspect the same issue here, with blown caps. I have managed to get the amplifier out, but are unable to locate which caps that needs replacing or where to start to look, as there a no visible damage. Any advice? I plan to try to resoldier the defective caps http://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-reviews/jl-audio-fathom-f112-subwoofer-review/intfeat.jpg/image... |
I woke up Saturday to a loud hum in my living room. I found the noise coming from my JL audio F112. Power off still hums. Changed outlets and still hums. I have a power conditioner and found no issues on my grid. I had no idea that these things had these type of issues. I pray I can get it fixed over here on the West coast. I'm not shipping to Florida. Its 5 years old and for the price I paid should have lasted allot longer. Disappointed and interested to see what JL says. |
