What has blown my tweeter????

An update:

The dealer has found that the tweeter is completely "fried". They will replace it for me and are sending the amp back to Classe. HFO seems to be suspected.

How will I know if it is truly fixed?

Thanks Jameswei,

The dealer is presently doing some tests.

I'm curious to know if the tweeter might generate a very high frequency sound of its own before failure?

As for "collateral damage" it would seem to me that Classe should definately foot the bill for a new tweeter. Especialy if the Classe proves to be defective and the cause of the tweeter's failure.

A company as respected as Classe I imagine would have some form of professional ethics...?

If you suspect the Cap 101, I would try switching channel connections and listening at low volumes to see if the high frequency noise is recurring (don't fry your other tweeter!). If you can isolate the source of the noise to the Cap 101, I would write a description of what's wrong and send it into the factory for repair. I assume it's still under warranty if it's brand new. Unfortunately, you may have to pay for a new tweeter; I doubt you can get Classe to pay for the collateral damage. The new tweeter may sound significantly different until it's broken in.

It would seem, from the symptoms I had before the tweeter malfunction, that there was some HFO High Frequency Oscliation, or supersonic frequency.

My question is this: The Classe Cap 101 that I have is brand new, can this unit be repaired? Or is this likely to happen repeatedly? I personally am allergic to spending a lot of money on brand new tweeters every few months....

Thanks

Digitaltwist, your first step should be to remove the tweeter from the cabinet, and make sure it is still connected. Your solution may involve nothing more than a quick reconnect with the soldering iron, etc.

If the tweeter is connected, ensure that the wiring from the tweeter back is OK. Make sure that all appears fine through the crossover.

Next is to connect the tweeter to a speaker cable, via wires/alligator clips. This is the last thing to try, and will absolutely tell you if the tweeter is gone. Of course, make sure to be very judicious with the volume, as you wouldn't want to blow the tweeter now.

If nothing comes of this, you will need to purchase a replacement.

Good luck!

No my speakers do not have fuses. They are a two way design using Focal drivers.

Does your speakers have some type of fuse device?

Thanks for the humorous replies. My use of hyperbole was perhaps a little confused... The tweeter is still physically in the speaker, it just doesn't emit any sound. I did notice however that on the day previous to the tweeter malfunction there was a high pitched sound when I turned the volume on the Cap 101 up without any source input. When I reached 30 on the Led, the right speaker (the blown one), made a strange crackling sound... It was not immediately broken though.

Might this be due to static? Something wrong with the Cap 101?

Tweet,tweet.......tweet-tweet.

My audiophile cat does not agree with Sarah, and thinks the dog buried it in your back yard. If the tweeter is still there, then check the wiring.

I also would refer you to several recent threads regarding the known hazard domestic cats pose to stereo equipment. Cats have been observed lying on amplifiers and sitting/crouching on top of speakers. If a cat or pair of cats has had access to your listening room, you should sequester and interrogate it/them. Quite possibly one of them or even a whole gang has made off with the tweeter. If you don't do something now, your woofer could be next.

There was a DIY post recently about building your own speakers. I would search for that and then track down all who expressed an interest. One of them has your tweeter! It's very obvious. Trust me on this.

It's not clear what you mean when you say the tweeters have totally disappeared. If they look normal but just aren't playing, you could have a component failure in the crossover or a bad wire connection inside the speaker. Or you could just have a poorly manufactured tweeter that failed after some use.

If you really mean that the tweeter is no longer visible to the eye, i.e., that it has been physically removed, then it must either have been ejected across the room or have fallen into the speaker enclosure. The volume settings you described are unlikely to have caused this. Was there a thunder storm? A close lightning strike can do weird things. Otherwise, I would suspect foul play. I assume the tweeter was in place when you got the speakers. When was the last time you observed the tweeter? Do a lot of people have access to your listening room? I hope you find out; good luck.