A subwoofer is like a valuable part of a home theater. However, home theaters can work without one. With a subwoofer, you will be able to get an amazing sound. Nothing works as great as a subwoofer to lift your home theater experience. But what will happen if you ever face any problem with your subwoofer or notice any malfunctioning? You may also ask if it could possibly be fixed or not? So how can you get to know if your home theater subwoofer is blown?
You can test your subwoofer with a low volume. If it is distorted, then you have a blown or partially blown subwoofer. If there is no sound at all, then the subwoofer has been completely blown. You can also check your cable if you think that’s the issue before making any conclusions.
Subwoofers can be blown when they either receive too much power or too much of a distorted signal. You can easily find out that your subwoofer is blown by listening to the sound or reviewing the woofer’s movement. You can also use a multimeter to find out if the coil is blown.
If you want to test the movement of your woofer, you’ll want to remove the cover to reach the cone. In that case, you have to move the cone to evaluate the damage carefully. Signs that your subwoofer is damaged:
- If you do not notice any movement, then it is really damaged.
- If it is extra shaky, this is also a sign of damage.
- If you hear any scratching sounds from your subwoofer, then it is blown.
- Moreover, you can rather use a multimeter to test for a blown coil. (A multimeter measures the amount of voltage, resistance, and current) so that you can find out if there is a lack of electrical resistance.
If you are already undergoing any of these signs, then you might be having a blown subwoofer. But if you notice that, at first, you will want to assess the situation completely. You have to understand what kind of damage happened to your subwoofer, and then you have to determine what you need to do next.
What Happens When a Subwoofer Blows?
Suppose you are enjoying your home theater system, but suddenly one day, something happens with your low-end sound. It may get very soft, or the sound starts to get distorted. Or you may do not hear any sound from the low-end at all, or it starts to sound very unfamiliar and extra loud. Whatever happens, it is making you think that your subwoofer is blown. You can be frustrated because the subwoofer is like a valuable part of a home theater.
When your subwoofer gets damaged or blown to some degree, this can happen because of two things. Those are your subwoofer either received too much power or too much signal. Many subwoofers have been damaged because of the Clipped signals. If you put too much pressure on your subwoofer with too much power, that can also damage it.
Clipped or Distorted Signals
If you turn up a signal that is distorted, that can also damage your subwoofer. Clipped or distorted signals are really harmful to your subwoofer. Sometimes you will not even notice that your signal is distorted until the levels go so high and it starts to distort and damage your subwoofer.
Too Much Power
Sometimes a subwoofer is blown is due to too much power. Though a lot of sounds can be exciting and enjoyable, a subwoofer can only handle so much. If you push your subwoofer to go beyond its power limits so that you can get more sound can result in damage.
Even though subwoofers are skillfully created to resist more power than their specified RMS (root mean square) ratings, also known as continuous power handling, it is still important to make sure the sound is clear and distortion-free at extra high volumes. You should know your subwoofer RMS wattage to ensure that you are supplying the valid amount of power to your subwoofer continuously.
Different Ways to Test if a Subwoofer is Blown
When you start noticing that there is a probability that a subwoofer in your home theater has been blown, you should fully assess the woofer to determine the total amount of damage that already happened. Damage can happen in more than one place. So you have to find out all the damaged parts carefully. Here are the three main ways to test if a subwoofer is blown.
- Test the sound. Is it clipping, distorted, etc.?
- Test the movement of the cone.
- You can also use a multimeter to inquire about electrical resistance.
In this article, you can learn the exact way to perform these tests without further damaging the possibly inadequate subwoofer. So keep reading.
Test the Sound
You can notice the sound to determine how much your subwoofer has already been damaged because sound quality works like an indicator. Most of the time, what you will hear during a fully blown or partially blown subwoofer are:
No sound at all – if you do not hear anything from your subwoofer, then it has likely been completely blown. Test the cable and audio source as well. Make sure that those are well before you do anything to the subwoofer.
Partial sound with distortion – if you ever notice a weak, distorted sound coming from your subwoofer at any volume, then it might be because of a partially blown subwoofer on your hands.
Test the Cone
Reaching to a subwoofer cone to identify damage is not so hard. All the Subwoofer cones come with a built-in suspension system that allows them to move fluidly. So you can easily identify when the cone is off only by using your hands. When you are doing it, you should be very careful and lightly press on the subwoofer cone. Now you will get to know that what you might experience and what they actually mean.
- No movement – if you lightly press on the cone but it does not move, it is an indicator that damage has occurred.
- A wobbly cone – if you see that the cone unsteadily moves around, then it’s likely the suspension system has been greatly hazarded.
- Scratching sounds – if you hear the cone make scratchy noises while you move it with your hands, then the damage has occurred. You should remove it from your home theater system before it causes damage to any other equipment.
Use a Multimeter
A multimeter is a very useful tool. This tool will be able to inform you if a subwoofer has any damage to its coil. With this device, you can easily check the electrical resistance (also known as ohms, symbol = Ω). If you find that the electrical resistance is zero, then the coil might have been damaged. Again, if the multimeter’s reading does not stay in place, it is also a sign of you having a damaged coil in your hand. So you should probably keep a multimeter around the house. A multimeter is very easy to use. You just have to complete the steps given here.
- At first, disconnect the subwoofer from the power source if it has one.
- Disconnect the audio input from the subwoofer.
- If an external amplifier or receiver is not powering your subwoofer, then you will need to remove the sub from its cage.
- Then you have to connect the two probes to the multimeter. And turn the multimeter on to measure the ohms (Ω) of your subwoofer.
- You have to connect the red probe with the positive lead and the black probe with the negative lead.
Then the multimeter will start to measure the amount of resistance. You will usually have to round up to the nearest whole number to know the correct resistance.
What to Do if You Know Your Subwoofer Is Blown
Damaging a subwoofer is really very stressful. But you should take action as soon as possible once you get to know that your subwoofer is damaged.
At first, you should remove your subwoofer from your working home theater system. Because if you do not remove it from the place, it may end up causing damage to your other equipment, which will be more stressful and cost you a lot of money as well. So you should completely remove it.
If you do not have any electronics experience, you should call someone who is an expert. If your subwoofer is relatively new, it could possibly be covered under warranty. So check this before you start to disassemble the subwoofer. It is good to test the subwoofer by yourself. But it is even better to get more people to estimate the damage. So you can call your extremely tech-savvy friend or take it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy.
And finally, you should now make a decision about what you will do without your subwoofer. Are you on a budget to buy a new one? Could you live without it, currently? Have you ever considered trying to fix it? Most of the time, people choose to buy a new one, but there may be another route for you. So we recommend you to review all of your options to find out what’s best for you.
Best Seller List of Subwoofers:
- 10" front-firing spun-copper IMG woofer
- All-digital amplifier with 300 watts peak power
- Volume low pass crossover and phase control
- Line level LFE RCA inputs for maximum receiver compatibility
- Dimensions 14 5" x 12 5" x 16 4"
- 12" high excursion spun-copper Imp woofer
- 29 hertz – 120 hertz plus /- 3 dB
- 400 watt
- Max acoustic output 116dB
- Bass-reflex via rear firing port. Amplifier power (control/peak): 200 watts/400 watts
- Equally impressive with music and movies;Brushed black polymer veneer cabinet with satin painted plinth
- Low pass crossover and phase control
- Line/LFE inputs for compatibility with most receivers
- Equally impressive with music and movies
- Wireless connectivity allows for premium sound anywhere in the room. Simply connect the ultra-compact, pre-paired transmitter (included) to the subwoofer out or LFE out on your receiver. 2.4gHz connection means hi res sound with minimum latency, for clear, powerful bass with no wires.
- Injection Molded Graphite (IMG) woofers are exceptionally light while being extremely rigid – providing remarkable low frequency response, with minimal cone breakup and distortion.
- Contemporary aesthetic with absolute durability that results in a seamless integration into any décor.
- DOWN-FIRING DRIVER :The high performance driver provides deep bass and placement flexibility.
- LOW PASS CROSSOVER AND PHASE CONTROL:Allows you to blend the subwoofer’s low-frequency tones with other Klipsch speakers as well as establish the ideal level of bass.
- POWERED SUBWOOFER FOR EXTRA BASS and PUNCH – A 10-inch Dynamic Balance woofer and a uniquely configured directed port provides accurate bass with added depth that brings your music and movies alive. A perfect solution for your small-to-mid size room.Waterproof : No
- LOUDER CLEARER SOUND EVEN AT HIGH VOLUME – Enjoy a thrilling yet balanced music experience with rich, deep sound, even at low frequencies. BLENDS EASILY WITH ANY SPEAKER and plays the most demanding nodes effortlessly without any distortion
- DOUBLE THE AMPLIFIER POWER TO 100 Watts of Dynamic Power with its in-built 50-watt RMS amp. Sophisticated engineering with best in class resonance-free driver materials make this sub highly durable and FIT FOR EXTENDED USE
- EASY TO INTEGRATE WITH EXISTING SYSTEMS – Hook up this sub to the receiver and upgrade your music sound instantly. Features continuously variable 80-160 Hz crossover and 40-160 Hz (-3dB) frequency response
- A sleek detachable grille on the front, speaker and line-level inputs as well as speaker-level outputs on the back, and a Phase Toggle Switch for multiple subwoofers, make this sub cohesive and complete.
- Enclosure Type: bass reflex
- Amplifier Type: Class AB
- Amplifier power: 120 watts peak/ 60 watts RMS
- Frequency response: 38hz-200hz; crossover frequency: 40hz-200hz
- Driver: 10" Low Throw dynamic woofer with these inputs: L/R/LFE/speaker level
- Active 10” subwoofer perfect to provide that extra punch for your home theater or music listening setup
- Amplify your movie, music, and gaming experience with a speaker that provides full frequency audio with a three-way coaxial, four-driver speaker system
- Create a robust 5.1.2 home theater setup perfect for Dolby Atmos with the complete range of CS speakers from Sony with the SACS9 subwoofer, 2 SSCS3 tower speakers, 1 SSCS8 center channel speaker, 2 SSCS5 bookshelf speakers, and 2 SSCSE Dolby Atmos enabled speakers
- 10” Dual layer mica woofer diaphragm delivers faithful sound and optimal bass response
- Motion feedback technology utilizes detection circuitry to correct variations in the input signal, helping to prevent distortion
- New twisted flare port contributes to clear and tight bass
- Advanced YST II (Yamaha Active Servo Technology II)
- 8” cone woofer
- Stylish addition to any room
- Dynamic Power: 100W (5 ohms)
- 12" front-firing, spun copper img woofer
- 2.4Ghz wireless hi-fi pre-paired transmitter
- All-digital amplifier
- Low pass crossover and phase control
- Strong, flexible, removable grille
- New twisted flare port contributes to clear and tight bass
- Advanced YST II (Yamaha Active Servo Technology II)
- 10” cone woofer
- Stylish addition to any room
Related Questions:
Can you fix a blown subwoofer?
Yes, there are numerous ways that you can use to fix a subwoofer. But the task is not easy at all. It will require precision and skill. You will need to detach and separate parts of the subwoofer.
Fixing the area of the subwoofer that has been damaged is also quite challenging. If you want to get your blown subwoofer repaired, it’s best to get it in the hands of an experienced professional with the tools and knowledge to complete the tasks at hand. So we do not recommend you to take attempt to fix your subwoofer unless you actually know what you are doing.
What are the good options for purchasing a new subwoofer?
There are many kinds of subwoofer available on the market from different manufacturers. Day by day, they are getting much better and upgraded. Though it is a matter of sorrow that your subwoofer is blown, you will really enjoy shopping for a new subwoofer. You can find an option available for every budget very easily. The Polk Audio has a few highly rated, budget-friendly options on Amazon.
The PWS10 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer and its PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer really come with good build quality. The Bic Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer is another great option, but you have to spend a slightly higher amount of money for this. And if you have a budget of 500 dollars, you can upgrade to the SVS SB-100 Subwoofer with a 12-inch Driver, 300-Watts RMS, and a Sealed Cabinet. You can choose one of the above or find something else. But whatever your specifications are, there is always a solution for you.
- Built-in BASH amp
- output: 1,000 watts peak/250 watts RMS
- 12-in. front-firing, long-throw, heavy-duty poly-injected woofer with high-power magnet and long excursion surround
- dual flared front ports provide positioning versatility
- Frequency response: 21 Hz to 200 HZ (±3 dB)
-our editorial board has reviewed this article and has been approved for publication according to our editorial policy.
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Last update on 2024-09-07
