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scratchy sound from tweeter

Hi everybody reading this. Love music but have not a clue about electronics. Since my arthritis stopped me from playing piano and guitar I now listen to vinyl from my old vintage system. Fisher Studio Standard - CA-880 and small Relistic minimus speakers. I bed you laugh now but hey - I am on a small retirement budget.

Sometimes I like to crank the music up (loss of hearing helps doing so). Now a problem occurred while listening. Mostly the left speaker makes a scratchy sound especial when volume goes up.
But there is also a bit scratch in the right one but about 90% less. I changed to wires to reverse left and right speaker to check.

I first thought it could be the 1980's amp condensers. (They might could benefit from a replacement too)
Since the left speaker was observed to have a problem I changed the tweeters in both speakers.
But the problem is still there. It feels when the amp gets warm it increases the scratch.
Question: Is it possible that only the crossover in the left speaker is bad ???
Thanks upfrontPuu
puu
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
That amp puts out 100 Wpc. Awful lot for those little speakers. Played loud enough long enough you may be hearing voice coil damage. Common symptom, plays fine at low volume, noise gets worse as the volume goes up and the cone excursion increases.

Simple test, take a battery, touch the speaker cables which will make the speaker move in or out. Which way the speaker moves depends on which way you hold the battery. One way it will go in, the other way out. There may be a bit of a pop but it can't hurt anything, battery being much less voltage than your amp has been putting through them.

What should happen if everything is fine is the cone moves one way with almost no sound and goes back when you let go. Flip polarity and the cone should go the other way. If its quiet then your speakers are fine its something else. But I suspect you will hear a scrape or something indicating the speaker (woofer, you already replaced the tweeter) is on its way out.

Sorry. 
puu OP
23 posts
 
Mahalo Millercarob for your speedy reply and detailed instructions - highly appreciated!!!  Will check soon.

Sounds like you know the amp. I misten thought it is 80 w since I  picked somewhere up, the 880 uses two (one for each channel) STK-0080 power amplifier paks, and they are rated at 80 watts.You are right, all happened after I cranked the amp up to the edge of distortion. My mistake and I regret, but still love the nice blue

vu meters on them ....


puu OP
23 posts
 
As suggested, I took a 9 volt battery from a remote and tested.

Only on first contact I hear a static sound and see the bottom speaker membrane move (depending on polarity) in or out. No sound there.
I cannot observe a membrane moving at the tweeters.

I also tested the old tweeters this way, one is making a static sound on first contact and one does not make any sound.
Can the crossover be blown or is something bad in the amp???
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Voice coils are rubbing against the magnets! Turn down the volume before the damage is permanent!
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
One of the 8 inch woofers in my Snell E's now does this all the time! So I had to buy a replacement pair from SEAS! Careful with that volume control!
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