Can anyone understand this stereo problem I'm having?

**4RE328** · 09-01-2009, 01:29 AM

[On a recently installed stereo in an '05 Magnum R/T]

What I've done so far to diagnose the issue will be listed below.

The issue I'm trying to fix is that the tweeter on the driver side is quite potent (no matter what crossover setting), and the passenger side is almost dead (no matter what crossover setting). The crossover settings make a difference on each, but without putting my ear right up to the passenger side tweeter, I can't tell it is doing anything.

I don't believe the issue is with the amp, tweeters, or the crossovers, and here is why:

- I swapped the crossovers and had the exact same response (shouldn't be the crossover).

- I used new wire to connect the tweeter in case something was damaged in the wire run, but the same thing (not the wire running from the tweeter to the crossover).

- I ran wire from the driver side crossover to the passenger side tweeter, and the tweeter played just the same as the driver side had played (not the tweeter).

- I swapped the left and right sides on the amp, and still had the driver side tweeter playing strong and the passenger side quiet (so it isn't an issue at the amp).

- I pulled the wire from the passenger side (going from the amp to the crossover) to see if it was damaged, and it is not.

- The wire used is identical on each side for everything, and I checked to see if anything was cross-wired, but all of the pos/neg match up properly.

The only differences left are what woofers are connected to each crossover, but the woofer doesn't seem to be an issue on either side. And also, the driver side wire is being run alongside the RCAs and the wiring that goes to a shock sensor in the rear (though I don't see how those would increase how potent the tweeter on that side is).

Thanks to anyone that can offer any advice as to what may be going on, as I am truly stumped.

The head unit is an Alpine CDA 9851, the amp running the speakers is an Alpine MRV-F345, and the speakers are a JL 6.5 component set (C5-650) (14 gauge wiring is going to the crossover and woofers and the tweeter wiring is about 24 gauge I think)

The sub is a JL 12W6v2 being run off an Alpine MRD-M605 (12 gauge wiring). I'm not sure if any of that can interfere here, but again, I have no idea what the problem is.

**sinistersix** · 09-01-2009, 07:17 AM

So basically youve swapped around everything and that one tweeter is still loud as hell? As long as you know your passive crossover settings are correct, meaning you arent accidentally bi-amping or something, it sounds like to me you some how have a tweeter with a lower ohm load than the other, so its getting more power. Test the resistance of the speaker (nominal resistance at rest) and see what it reads. Do this for both sides. If you dissconnect the loud tweeter, does the softer one suddenly get louder?

**radioactive** · 09-01-2009, 08:10 AM

Did you check the tweeter setting inside the crossover?

**schexy1** · 09-01-2009, 11:45 AM

Did you swap the inputs to the amp?

**4RE328** · 09-01-2009, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by sinistersix

So basically youve swapped around everything and that one tweeter is still loud as hell? As long as you know your passive crossover settings are correct, meaning you arent accidentally bi-amping or something, it sounds like to me you some how have a tweeter with a lower ohm load than the other, so its getting more power. Test the resistance of the speaker (nominal resistance at rest) and see what it reads. Do this for both sides. If you dissconnect the loud tweeter, does the softer one suddenly get louder?

Yes, I've swapped everything but the mids (when keeping everything the same).

Disconnecting the loud tweeter doesn't change the softer one, and swapping crossovers doesn't change a thing, but when the tweeter wiring is swapped amongst the crossovers, the problem swaps, so with all I'd done so far, I'll be taking a closer look at the mids and check the resistance on everything to see if there is a problem with one (otherwise they are all new from the same JL C5-650 set).

I'll be trying some of these things in about an hour--thanks to everyone for your responses thus far.

**LancesRide** · 09-01-2009, 06:35 PM

It sounds like a bad tweeter.

**4RE328** · 09-01-2009, 07:06 PM

UPDATE: After getting an odd reading from the right woofer (odd through the wire, but the right reading from the woofer itself), I pulled all of the wiring and ran new wire (to the mid), and now everything works perfectly. Upon a quick examination of the wiring and speaker connectors and such, I didn't see an immediate reason, but again, everything is working great now so I'm not concerned with it anymore.

Thanks again for all of the helpful responses

and hopefully my problem doesn't mysteriously come back

But it seems like something must have been bad with the wiring.