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Wilson Maxx II problem

I have a pair of Wilson Maxx II's that I have thoroughly enjoyed, until a couple of days ago.  I developed a crackle in one of my woofers.  The replacement cost is over $1K for the woofer.  I'm told, the woofer is specifically designed to the crossover, in the particular speaker, that's why I can't simply replace it with a used one, from another Maxx.  Does anyone have any suggestions, for a replacement woofer, other than shelling out over a thousand bucks?  Here's some component info:  I'm running krell KV-600 monoblocks as my power, and Aesthetix Calypso as my preamp.  The Krells are rated at 1200 watts into 4 ohms, which is what the impedance is for the Wilson's.  The Calypso tops out at 88 on the "dial", and I usually top out at 62, but the other night I went to 67.  I don't have a graph, but I would think I was well under 1K wattage.  I have always been told, that a driver can take a lot of power, as long as it's clean.  Did I simply put too much power in, or should I put an oscilloscope on my amps?  Is there another option, besides shelling out a thousand bucks, and still have the speaker match it's original specs?
handymann

Showing 4 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,591 posts
 
Are you sure it’s the woofer and not the cables, preamp or the speaker crossover?

First, swap amps. Does the crackle follow the amp?

It’s also worth swapping woofers. Make sure the crackle follows the driver.

If the stereophile review is correct, and this is a partly carbon fiber composite woofer, then I’m pretty sure it was exclusive to Wilson. However, while you are swapping woofer’s it’s worth looking for a part number. :)

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/805wilson/#SkqCSsh1i7b4rWA6.97

Wilson also embeds their crossovers in goop making it impossible to fix them, so if it’s not the driver, you are truly in the thumb screws.

One stupid thing to look for is the dust cap. Dust caps may come unglued. Inspect them to make sure they are still completely attached.

Best,

Erik
erik_squires
16,591 posts
 
Not really.  I mean the luckiest you could get is that the crackling is caused by a bug or other trash getting stuck inside that you could blow out, but that's highly unlikely. I'm actually surprised by the way you are describing the sound, that's why I suggested so many ways to diagnose it.

If you are absolutely sure it's your woofer, take it out and look for a model number and look online for a replacement.

Actually one of the best ways to diagnose that woofer is to take it out completely and hook your amp directly to it. You won't hurt it (unlike a tweeter or mid!) and make sure you hear the same problem. Of course, keep your volume control reasonable.

Best,

Erik
erik_squires
16,591 posts
 
I don't think that's what they are saying.

What they mean is that the specific characteristics of the custom Focal woofer can't be recreated by an off the shelf driver, so you must buy Wilson's since they are the only source.

In other words, no other Focal 13" (or whatever size) would match the crossover.

Best,

Erik
erik_squires
16,591 posts
 
Sub/woofer integration is a monster, so bass limited speakers often play better in room than larger.

Bass traps, eq and room design are our friends.

Erik

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