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Wilson Maxx II problem

I have a pair of Wilson Maxx II's that I have thoroughly enjoyed, until a couple of days ago.  I developed a crackle in one of my woofers.  The replacement cost is over $1K for the woofer.  I'm told, the woofer is specifically designed to the crossover, in the particular speaker, that's why I can't simply replace it with a used one, from another Maxx.  Does anyone have any suggestions, for a replacement woofer, other than shelling out over a thousand bucks?  Here's some component info:  I'm running krell KV-600 monoblocks as my power, and Aesthetix Calypso as my preamp.  The Krells are rated at 1200 watts into 4 ohms, which is what the impedance is for the Wilson's.  The Calypso tops out at 88 on the "dial", and I usually top out at 62, but the other night I went to 67.  I don't have a graph, but I would think I was well under 1K wattage.  I have always been told, that a driver can take a lot of power, as long as it's clean.  Did I simply put too much power in, or should I put an oscilloscope on my amps?  Is there another option, besides shelling out a thousand bucks, and still have the speaker match it's original specs?
handymann
erik_squires
16,059 posts
 
Are you sure it’s the woofer and not the cables, preamp or the speaker crossover?

First, swap amps. Does the crackle follow the amp?

It’s also worth swapping woofers. Make sure the crackle follows the driver.

If the stereophile review is correct, and this is a partly carbon fiber composite woofer, then I’m pretty sure it was exclusive to Wilson. However, while you are swapping woofer’s it’s worth looking for a part number. :)

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/805wilson/#SkqCSsh1i7b4rWA6.97

Wilson also embeds their crossovers in goop making it impossible to fix them, so if it’s not the driver, you are truly in the thumb screws.

One stupid thing to look for is the dust cap. Dust caps may come unglued. Inspect them to make sure they are still completely attached.

Best,

Erik
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
$1K for a woofer replacement on a $45K list speaker seems like a bargain to me. Doing anything other than a factory authorized change on a speaker of this calibre will destroy any resale value. When I blew a woofer on my Magico V3s (result of a ground buzz played at full volume) I recall it ran about $1.5K. In my case I blew the thing out completely so all it made were farting sounds 😀

I'm afraid you have to suck this sort of thing up as part of the cost of ownership on these brands
handymann OP
383 posts
 
:(  I'm sure it's my woofer and I agree-the replacement price is in line with the cost of the speaker.  Was just hoping for another solution.  Any others out there will a comment?
erik_squires
16,059 posts
 
Not really.  I mean the luckiest you could get is that the crackling is caused by a bug or other trash getting stuck inside that you could blow out, but that's highly unlikely. I'm actually surprised by the way you are describing the sound, that's why I suggested so many ways to diagnose it.

If you are absolutely sure it's your woofer, take it out and look for a model number and look online for a replacement.

Actually one of the best ways to diagnose that woofer is to take it out completely and hook your amp directly to it. You won't hurt it (unlike a tweeter or mid!) and make sure you hear the same problem. Of course, keep your volume control reasonable.

Best,

Erik
handymann OP
383 posts
 
Has anyone ever heard of a woofer being matched to a specific serial number and crossover?  I would a think a Wilson 13" woofer, would be the same, whether it was going in a Maxx II or any number of Maxx III's.  To me, that's like saying a cartridge is matched to a predetermined tone arm-I mean one particular arm, not just any of the brands same model number arm.  Or, an interconnect, being matched to a specific preamp by serial number.
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