12. Troubleshooting Guide
Symptom
Possible Cause
Action
No Output From Speakers | Broken Speaker Cables(s) | Check the electrical continuity of |
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| the loudspeaker cables, and |
| Amplifier | replace if necessary. |
| Check the gain controls on the | |
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| |
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| amplifier are turned up. |
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| Be sure the amplifier is receiving |
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| an input signal (check the |
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| “signal” indicators on the amp). |
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| Connect the loudspeaker cable |
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| which has no output to another |
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| amplifier channel you know is |
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| working, make sure signal is fed |
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| to the new amplifier channel. If |
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| output is obtained from the |
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| loudspeakers(s) then the |
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| problem is with the amplifier |
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| channel or input signal leads. If |
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| this is not the case then the fault |
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| may lie in the cabling or the |
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| loudspeaker. |
Intermittent Output | Poor Connection | Check the loudspeaker cabling |
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| has a good electrical connection |
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| with amplifier outputs and |
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| loudspeaker inputs. A bad |
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| connection can increase |
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| resistance which will substantially |
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| reduce the output, or make |
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| “cracking” noises which are |
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| unrelated to signal content |
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| If using |
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| cable, be sure no strands of |
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| cable are causing short circuits |
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| between the positive and |
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| negative terminals of the |
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| amplifier outputs and/or |
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| loudspeaker inputs. |
Poor Low Frequency | “Out of phase” connection | When two speakers are |
Output |
| connected “out of phase”, the low |
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| frequencies will virtually be |
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| cancelled out. Check the |
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| connections at the |
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| amplifier/speaker paying |
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| attention to polarity. (see section |
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| 4). |
Irregular sounds such as | Poor system grounding | Check and correct system |
buzzing and humming |
| grounding. |
emanating from the |
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loudspeaker | Faulty electronic device in | The speaker cannot generate |
| the signal chain | these sounds on its own. It is |
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| most likely there is a fault with a |
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| piece of electronic equipment in |
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| the signal path. |