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Can a speaker just die?

I recently acquired a ProAc Super Tablette.  I used them for a few weeks and swapped them out with something else (Vandersteen 3A Sigs - yep, from a speaker the size of a pack of smokes to the large floor standers).  I was just curious to see if I could get the Vandys to work in my small listening room (12x16).  

I missed the holographinc imaging the ProAcs provide so decided to swap back.  But one speaker is now not working.  Zero sound.

Was working fine when I swapped them out a week or so ago.  Thought maybe amp went out, or cables so I swapped them around and still no sound.

Any idea what could have happened?

Thanks, and stay safe.
128x128audiodwebe
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Old speakers never die, they just upgrade away.
rodman99999
6,110 posts
 
Then again, if you simply had the spade in the 5-Way wrong, somehow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjYoNL4g5Vg
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
loose connection, probably at the binding post
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Not weird, just atypical. I build systems continuously, and sometimes there is not a complete circuit. The first thing to check when a speaker is not working is the wiring, and it is the culprit most of the time. 

If you were sure that the spade was secure on all connections, then there may be a fault inside the cable. You would never see it, but moving the wire around would influence it and can cause intermittent operation. I have one speaker cable that I have used on so many systems for so many years that it has developed such a condition. I rearrange it and it works. 
crustycoot
629 posts
 
If the intermittent is inside the amp, rodman is probably correct and his instructions are spot on. However, if the wire connections to the spade is where the problem lies that has to be fixed properly by reterminating with a new spade. Or at least reheating the solder joint to eliminate the loss of conductivity. All this can also happen inside the speaker terminal plate just as easily. 
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