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Loud Snap at High Volume

I like to listen to orchestral music at fairly high volume.  I have Borresen Z2 speakers driven by a D'Agostino Progression Integrated in a fairly small room: 13x16x12.  At the peak of a crescendo, as you get in say the last movement of Mahler's 8th Symphony, the speakers will emit a loud snap, almost like the crack of a whip.  I haven't measured, but I doubt I have the level much over 90db.  I don't hear any distortion or break up before the snap. so it doesn't seem to be clipping.  Which I can't imagine happening with the power of the DAG (200w into 8ohms/400w into 4 ohm) into a relatively benign 89db sensitive speaker that doesn't dip much below 4 ohms.  I have read it could be loose speaker wire connections, and in fact the Shunyata Alpha V2 cable's banana connectors are not super tight at the back of the speakers.  Or could it be the Z2's ribbon tweeter breaking up?  Any insights would be welcome.

128x128stephendunn
musicaddict
370 posts
 

No guarantees. I'd bet a fortune you are bottoming out the mid/woofer drivers.

I own Michael's Raidho D2 loudspeakers and what you describe is exactly what I might hear if I had the music program amplified to high for them. Everything sounds great and then "POP" or multiples. It's bass and a small cones can only go so loud.

I have a class D amp with 1kw into 4ohms and a 2000 damping factor so I do not blame the amp. I know I need to high pass but they go to 30 in room on their own. I just try to watch the volume levels (mid 80s for me).

I imagine those X2s are fabulous in most every other way. Classical music is pretty tough when it comes to intense transients. Consider high passing the Z2s a bit to relieve the ultimate low end and adding sub(s). Good luck!

Those ribbon tweeters Michael designed are the best I've owned. I had a pair of small Scansonic MB2.5s (by Michael) and even that slightly 'heavier' sealed ribbon tweeter bested the Dynaudio Esotar 2 I listened to on a pair of Sapphires I owned for five years. I've never heard 'distressful' noises from them, just silky treble...

stephendunn's avatar
stephendunn OP
151 posts
 

@musicaddict Thanks for your input.  Yes, the X2's are fabulous in every way except for this limitation, which, as I've said, might be saving my hearing.  I have thought of high passing the Z2s which sounds like it would solve this problem and maybe even get me better bass.  The Z2's go down to 40hz on paper and don't seem to benefit when I add a subwoofer off the speaker terminals.

sounds_real_audio
1,013 posts
 

That loud snap is the sound of you clipping your amplifier..speakers don't appreciate it. 

musicaddict
370 posts
 

It seems doubtful to me that your D'Agostino integrated is clipping. Not sure on damping but 0.1 ohm output impedance doesn't work to a high damping factor...?

I reread and based on no distortion until the pop (and that may not be the best way to describe it, I know what you're referring to) occurs, it seems like all is under control and sounding fine until the reality of physics get in the way.

The bottoming out tells us the excursion limits of the driver. After that it's math as regards the combo you can get, low deep bass, and or loud volume. Even if it doesn't seem like low bass when its pops, if its pops at 95 plus, like mine might, then it's a volume thing perhaps more so than low low bass. it all adds up in speed of the cone and the excursion limits (so far as I know).

jetter
3,033 posts
 

@stephendunn

Seems that pretty much everything has been identified as the culprit here at one time or another.

I thought I had read that you were going to discuss this with your dealer. I may have missed it, but did you have a chance to talk with them and if so what was his/her opinion of what was up?

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