How does a speaker blow out?

In my case I blew my Tekton impact monitor tweeter because I got so involved with the classical music Iam playing , I turn the volume too much more than the speakers can handle, first distortion then I smell like something is burning. Iam glad Van L Speakers here in Chicago able to fix them.

       After having repaired a few hundred speaker systems; I can only speak from my own experience/observations.

       A clipped signal and it's energy, after opening up a tweeter and having no where else to go, will end up in the x-over's, next-highest freq, driver.

 More likely to burn the first coil in the low-pass filter than the woofer itself, but things happen. :)

       Lots of blown up electrolytics, BUT- in over 15 years of repairing speaker systems (mostly: college student or Pro musician owned, it always seemed): I never once saw a burnt inductor.    Some: with signs of having been abused and accompanied (in series) by a burnt driver voice coil, but- never one that opened or shorted.   

       Perhaps the customers that clipped their amps, were just lucky in that regard.

       Then too: there are a multitude of systems out there, with no inductors in series w/their woofers, to block such damaging, high freq, energy.

                                              YEP (things happen)!

                                                   Happy listening!

As others have said, clipping generally causes damage to the tweeters before the woofers. If you heard a bad noise from the woofer, then it seems likely it is a mechanical failure, not an electrical failure. 

Does the speaker make any sound when you play it now? Is the tweeter and midrange still working? If so, and the woofer is not totally dead, then this seems like it is damage due to overdriving, not clipping. 

You can often tell if there is mechanical damage by gently pushing on the cone. If you feel any scraping or stiction, then you have mechanical damage. 

How old are your speakers? Have you always used the relatively low power tube amp to drive them? Do you use any equalization or dsp to boost the bass? 

using low powered amps, and your want volume, but the little amp is asked to push more power than available, as mentioned sends DC to tweeter, mid, and heat destroys the coil, driver, etc.

NEVER any issues with my high powered amps, just be careful downing, alcohol, it tends to make you push upper limits.

 drunk ears, don't hear the tweeter, strain, nor the clipping,....if you have a clip light, or the MAC limiter, you should be ok.

just set a volume you don't cross, and your golden.

my( as just mentioned today, by me) set a limit for volume which sounds good, clear, and great. don't cross the limit.

my speaks are rated 250W peak im sure, yet ive been using my 650-700 W RMS amps for a few years now, nary an issue, or problem. Just have self control when you wanna show off with friends over, and they say, is this all? don't it go louder. Most people think your at a live show, and want the floor, and chest to get a front kick in the sternum, that's not how it works, for some yes with massive wallets and a wicked speaker pair, otherwise, be gentle when ripped, or tweeters will melt.

 blow a tweeter/mid on a beautiful speaker pair, or try to impress friends, or yourself.

the most accountable culprit is low powered amps which can not give you the OOOMPH, you really want.

get a good power amp with headroom, 250-300 WPC+.

don't look back