DJ Tips and Tricks – The Dj Pro

Today, I decided I wanted to share my knowledge about how I fixed my JBL EON615 powered loudspeakers. I wanted to. My JBL EON615 speakers have lasted me years, I've cranked these speakers at a lot of parties, & they've made me a lot of money. This post (& youtube video) are not meant to diss JBL in anyway because they're awesome and I love their speakers. A couple of weeks ago, it was just time for my subwoofer and tweeter to blow out on me at the same exact time. This post will be about steps I took, useful information I came across, & a break down on how I replaced my speakers and fixed my JBL EON615 powered loudspeakers. First and foremost, I am not a professional and I don't want to encourage you to fix your DJ speakers if you're afraid of injury. Seek a professional! This post is just to explain how I fixed my DJ speakers and if you decide to follow along, you've been warned (I'm not a professional). https://www.youtube.com/embed/lmtxhko1c6Y Introduction To Powered Loud Speakers & How They Work First of all, there are many different types of speakers out there so I wanted to go over what a powered loud speaker is and how it works so there's no confusion. Mostly, powered loud speakers are what DJs use to perform at their gigs and it's important to know how these speakers work in case you ever need to fix one of your own. Also, In this post, I'll sometimes refer to powered loud speakers as DJ speakers to shorten it up. Powered loud speakers are speakers with built-in amplifiers that amplify the audio signals of music. The only reason it's called a "Powered" speaker is because it's powered by the AMP that's built inside the unit. How it works is the DJ controller, or stand-alone mixer, sends the audio signal through wires, which usually connects through XLR or RCA, to the back of the loud speaker where the built-in AMP amplifies the audio signal through the tweeter and subwoofer. How Can You Tell If Your Powered Loud Speaker Has a Blown Speaker? Basically, when your speaker is blown, it means it's not working correctly or it's not working at all. It's important to test your speakers with a multimeter to make sure it's the actual speaker, and not the AMP, so I will explain how to do this later in this post. Most of the time, In a powered loud speaker, there's two kinds of speakers that can be blown which is the tweeter or the subwoofer. If either speaker is making a weird humming sound or it sounds distorted when you turn the volume up, then usually that's a big indicator of a blown speaker. If you hear no bass at all then your subwoofer needs to be diagnosed. If you hear no higher pitched sounds then your tweeter needs to be diagnosed. Also, a distorted sound in your speaker means the speaker is failing (falling apart, punctured, etc) and no longer can keep up with the audio signals. As a result, most of the sound is lost and will make a fuzzy, distorted, hissing sound instead. If your speakers are blown, distortion increases as volume is turned up, or you won't hear any sound at all coming from the tweeter or subwoofer. If you're not sure if you're speakers are blown, you can always test them with a multimeter to make sure, which I will show you how to do later in this post. Can I Fix My DJ Speaker Myself? You can do it! I wanted to know how hard it was to fix my powered loud speaker so I started doing research. My only other option was to take them to a repair shop. Remember, if you bought your speakers brand new within a certain time frame and your warranty still covers your speakers then I recommend trying to contact someone about your warranty. The bright side to paying someone to do the hard work for you is you don't have to learn, test, or fix anything, plus if anything becomes defected due to part failure, they'll back up their repair and fix it again. Bringing your equipment to anyone for them to repair it almost always comes with some sort of Warranty so you might not get that luxury when you choose do the job yourself. So, always keep that in mind as a bonus in bringing it to a shop to be repaired. Although, you are going to pay that labor fee on top of whatever parts you need to buy. By the time you're finished reading this post you will be able to choose if you should bring your speakers to be repaired, if you should re-cone your subwoofer, or if you should just replace your subwoofer/tweeter. Diagnosing which speaker is blown? Another thing I found out was, depending on what speaker is blown in your powered loud speaker, it will determine a course of action to take. To explain what I mean, if the tweeter is blown then your only option is to replace it with another similar tweeter with the same specifications. If your subwoofer is blown, you can either re-cone it yourself, or you can replace the whole speaker with the same specifications as the original. Lets dive deeper into details... Blown Tweeter: in my own opinion, I'm not really sure it's worth it to pay someone to repair a blown tweeter since it's so cheap to just buy a new one and swap it out yourself. However, if you have the money, take it to a repair shop. Although, that will depend on your schedule and how well you are at fixing things. Also, do you have a screwdriver or the right tools for taking apart your speakers cabinet to install the new tweeter? I had the tools... Can you just buy any tweeter to replace it or does it have to be a specific model? I replaced mine with the exact specifications (I'll explain more in detail later). Now, let's talk about a blown subwoofer and how your options differentiate. Blown Subwoofer: On the other hand, when your subwoofer is blown, you can either re-cone the speaker or you can replace the speaker entirely. I decided to replace the entire speaker with the same exact specifications as the factory subwoofer that failed me, because I wasn't familiar with re-coning kits and how they worked at the time, plus I didn't have time to guess which I'll explain soon. Although, now that I've researched more, I'm glad I kept my blown subwoofer, because now I do plan on purchasing a re-coning kit to bring it back to life... Are you running out of time to fix your powered loud speaker?: Honestly, the answer to this question really depends on a couple factors that may or may not pertain to you or your situation. For example, my schedule is very tight, meaning I have DJ gigs almost every weekend, and I only have two loud powered speakers. This means, when one of my DJ speakers fail on me, I don't have a lot of time before I need it repaired and It's not a good idea to DJ a party with just one speaker. I don't like DJing gigs with just one speaker, because if my only speaker stops working during a gig, I will disappoint customers, break contracts, and lose out on money. Having two DJ speakers reassures you and your customers if one speaker stops working, hopefully the other speaker will keep working, & music won't stop playing. In fact, I'd say for any mobile DJ, It's imperative to have two speakers working properly for the sake of the party and your reputation. So, time was short for me and my failed DJ speaker/speakers needed fixing ASAP. Figuring Out Your Speakers Specifications: Basically, your built-in AMP inside of your powered loudspeaker may be different specs from my speakers AMP. In any powered loudspeaker, the AMP is only built to withstand a speaker with a certain specification, meaning the speakers diameter, wattage power, speaker material, and OHMS are important to look for when replacing it. In my EON615 powered loudspeakers, my subwoofers diameter is 15 inches, it's a 1000 watts, and it has 8 OHMS. This means when replacing the subwoofer, I need these exact specifications in order for my new subwoofer to work properly. This is why I bought the same exact speaker model as the factory speaker that blew on me. The same thing goes for the tweeter. Installing another speaker with different specifications can result in the speaker not performing, or not performing correctly. The wrong speaker specifications can lead to mechanical failure in the future. You need to make sure that you can choose a recommended replacement speaker with the specs based on the specifications that are needed. One of my first questions I asked google as I was researching how to fix my DJ speakers was, "Can I replace my tweeter/subwoofer with any kind of speaker that matches the same diameter size of the speaker cabinet"? I knew my speaker cabinet had a 15 inch subwoofer so I was thinking all I need to do is purchase another 15 inch subwoofer and boom, I'm done right? Wrong! You need to make sure that the replacement speaker has the same impedance as the original. Also, you must know what your speakers power capability is so it doesn't damage other components. You must match the speaker wattage to the factory speaker wattage meant for that speaker model . Another aspect is to check the diameter of the speaker. Speaker diameter is a measurement of the outside diameter of the frame. Cutout diameter is required for the speaker surround and cone to clear the mounting plane to be screwed down securely. Cone material is also an important factor when picking a replacement speaker. With cones, it should be light enough to respond to electrical signal changes. With all of these certain specifications in mind, it might just be easier to purchase the same exact speaker model you're replacing. In order for you to figure out what your speakers specifications are, you may need to do some online research. Usually, you can find this information by doing a simple google search on the same exact speaker models you're looking for. All I did was type in google, "What tweeter/subwoofer specifications for my JBL EON615 powered loudspeaker do I need"? Also, before purchasing anything, I opened my speaker cabinet to make sure I was purchasing the correct speakers. If you look on the back side of your subwoofer or tweeter that's inside of your loudspeaker cabinet, it will tell you the exact speaker model and specifications you will need to replace that speaker. I will explain this in my Youtube video shortly. Find Your Speaker Specs! New Questions To Ask Yourself? After I learned about my speakers needing to be the right specs, I started asking myself these following questions. Well, do I have time to work on my speakers? Where do I go to purchase a new subwoofer/tweeter? Do I have the time or patience in waiting for a new subwoofer to come in? How much is a replacement subwoofer/tweeter? Do I have time to learn how to fix or install a new subwoofer or tweeter into my speaker cabinet? Do I have time to learn how to re-cone my subwoofer with a re-coning kit? Do I have the tools? Maybe, it's just better to get it repaired? Well, keep on reading to get these questions answered! Repair Shop or Replace DJ Speakers: I decided to replace and install my subwoofer and I will show you my youtube video on how I did this here shortly. However, If you don't have the time to learn these things and you have the money to pay a repair shop to fix your speakers for you then I suggest you call a local repair shop. In fact, you should call a repair shop anyway just to ask for a price on how much it will be to fix your DJ speakers. You can compare a repair shops cost to fix it to the cost of re-coning the subwoofer yourself, or buying the tweeter/subwoofer brand new to install it. Of course, you'll have to tell them exactly what's wrong with it, why you think it's broken, or most likely you'll have to take it to their shop first before you can even get a quote, but it might be worth the headache. If they can re-cone your subwoofer for the same amount of money as it would be to purchase a new one then that might be a better deal, especially if they're going to install it as well.. However, if you're willing to take a decent amount of time learning about your DJ speakers, how they work, options you have to fix them yourself, and you really want to save some money, then I suggest you read on my friend... Should I Repair My Blown Tweeter/Subwoofer Or Buy New? To start off, a tweeter can probably be repaired (I'm not sure), but I wouldn't recommend trying since it's about $30 to $50 bucks to purchase a brand new one. In fact, my replacement tweeter was $35. A blown subwoofer can be repaired using a re-coning kit for anywhere from $30 to $60 depending on the diameter size of the subwoofer & the price of the re-coning kit. I will show you a really nice educational video here soon that explains how these kits work. The bigger your subwoofer, the more money the re-coning kit will be. When you compare re-coning to purchasing a new subwoofer, you're definitely going to pay less money, since a new subwoofer costs more, but what if it doesn't work and you make a mistake? Do you have time to figure it out? Again, the bigger the diameter size of your subwoofer, the higher price it will be to replace it brand new. For example, I recently purchased a brand new 15" JBL, 1000watt, 8 OHM subwoofer which was $116 all together. This new subwoofer replaced my original JBL subwoofer which had the same exact specifications. Also, to add in, it was free shipping as well! I'll explain this in my video in better detail coming up in a minute. Re-coning Your Subwoofer If you're not on a time crunch like me, and you think you can re-cone your subwoofer to save it (& some money) then I suggest you watch a youtube video that can teach you how to re-cone your subwoofer. In fact, there is a really good video that will teach you exactly how to do this job. I will post it below. As for me, I didn't have time to attempt to try this option, because of a gig I had coming up, or else I would have tried to re-cone it myself first to save some money. However, I do plan on following along in this educational video to fix my original subwoofer that's sitting in my closet here in the future. I figure if I fix it, I'll have a backup subwoofer ready to go in case my other speaker decides to blow on me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxGswEB3O_Q&ab_channel=SoundSpeakerRepair Summarizing Your Options: To summarize, If you like to save as much money as possible, and your willing to learn how to fix your own DJ speakers then my question to you is, are you looking to fix your tweeter or your subwoofer? As I previously mentioned, switching out the tweeter is the cheapest, most easiest route, but there are a few things you must look for when replacing a blown tweeter or subwoofer such as making sure it has the same speaker diameter, material, the same amount of OHMS, & wattage output. Your powered speaker has a built-in AMP & a built-in crossover that is meant for that specific factory speakers specifications so keeping the OHMS and wattage the same is important. There is a difference in steps you need to take when repairing your tweeter or subwoofer. If your tweeter goes out on you, you can purchase new tweeters online and replace them yourself if you have the tools and knowledge. If your subwoofer goes out on you, you can learn how to re-cone it with a re-coning kit or purchase another subwoofer brand new with the same specifications as the original subwoofer to install it. Option three is taking it to a repair shop. That's a nice big summary in a nut shell... Choosing The Wrong Speaker Specifications: If you decide to go with an off specification speaker, the sound for the speaker can be alternated. Another aspect with off specification speakers is that it may not perform properly, or at all. This can lead to mechanical failure in the future & the built-in AMP, or crossover, can be damaged. Whatever you decide to do, just know you need to make sure that you can choose a good enough recommended replacement speaker based on the specifications of the factory speaker that has blown. How Do I Take Apart a Powered Loud Speaker For Testing & Repair? It took me about several steps to take apart my loudspeaker for troubleshooting and testing. The first thing I did was unplug my loudspeaker from the outlet to avoid electric shock. After I unplugged my loudspeaker, I used a drill to remove my loudspeaker enclosure’s protective front grille, and the backside control panel with the built-in AMP & crossover network. Next, I had to take out the screws that split the speaker in two and allowed me to unplug my subwoofer/tweeter from their wire connectors. This allowed me to unscrew my tweeter and take it all the way out of the speaker cabinet. In order to take out my subwoofer, there were additional screws I had to take off the front of the speakers perimeter. I had to be careful with the speakers gasket that helped hold it in place. The next thing that needs to be done is to lift the speaker driver from the speaker cabinets enclosure. Sometimes, in order to remove the connector wires, you'll need to use pliers, however, some wires are soldered on. After the wire connectors are removed, you need to remove the crossover network, unless it's all connected together like mine was. It's always a good idea to test any fuse you see, if any, located on the built-in crossover network. Hopefully, you don't have to replace anything related to that and it's just a blown speaker. Now, at this point, we've removed the subwoofer and the tweeter and it's time to test them with a multimeter. A multimeter is a device that can measure the resistance on the speakers drivers, crossover network, and terminal blocks. This device will help you troubleshoot what's wrong with your speakers and it can help you come up with a solution. I've covered all this and more in the Youtube video I'm about to show you. How Do I Test My Powered Loudspeaker To See If It's Blown? By testing your speakers for OHMS, or impedance, you can determine whether you need to replace your speaker drivers. Impedance refers to the load a speaker places on its amplifier and is measured in OHMS which tests the resistance of the current it holds on the amplifier. Multimeters can be intimidating, but they're useful once you figure out how they work. To test your powered loudspeaker, all you need to do is access your subwoofer and tweeter, disconnect the speakers themselves from the terminals, and hold the multimeter leads on the speaker terminals. Make sure you're detecting some sort of OHMS (not too many and not too less) when connecting your multimeter leads. It doesn't matter which lead connects to the terminals, positive or negative. When both probes on the multimeter are touching the speakers terminals, the multimeter will measure the amount of impedance. If your speaker impedance is designed to be 4 OHMS then expect the multimeter to read normally between 2 to 3 OHMS. If your speaker impedance is 8 OHMS, expect the multimeter to read around 5 to 7 OHMS resistance. A 16 OHMS speaker normally should be around 12 to 14 OHMS resistance. If the multimeter reads too low or too high of a resistance, then this is a huge indication of a problem with the speaker. If you do not see any numbers popping up on your multimeter, then most likely, the speaker has burned itself out, shorted, or has blown. For example, when I performed this OHM test on my speaker drivers, I wasn't getting any OHMS at all on my multimeter when I connected my multimeter leads to both my tweeter & subwoofer terminals. I went as far as opening up my other speaker cabinet and testing the speakers that were working in my other EON615 speaker cabinet. Just as I suspected, I was getting OHMS, or resistance in my working speakers. The test was working properly for me. As for my situation, I had to take both speaker cabinets apart anyway, because miraculously one tweeter blew in one of my speakers and a subwoofer blew in the other speaker in the same day. Where Can I purchase a New Subwoofer or Tweeter To Replace DJ Speakers? There are several stores and online retailers in which you can purchase a new subwoofer or tweeter to install in your powered loudspeaker. My first recommendation is going to be with a company I back up 100% because you can break the total of the speaker into easy payments, regardless of a credit check. ZZounds has a wide variety of subwoofers to choose from. However, if you cant find the correct speaker specs on the subwoofer or tweeter you need, then my next recommendation would be a website called FullCompass. In fact, that's where I bought my subwoofer for my JBL EON615 speaker cabinet. I found a really good identical tweeter on Amazon and that's where I bought my replacement tweeter for my JBL EON615 speaker cabinet. More so, in terms of online retailers where you can purchase a new subwoofer or tweeters to install in your powered loudspeakers, you can purchase them from Amazon, WalMart, Best Buy, Sonic Electronix, eBay, Overstock, Sony, and other online stores. Although Facebook is a social networking site, there is a section on Facebook called Facebook Marketplace and you can purchase a new subwoofer or tweeter there if the specs match up. Lets Wrap Things Up... & Watch My Youtube Video! Finally, if you want to know how I replaced my speakers and the steps I took to repair my JBL EON615 speakers, then watch this video below. I show you step by step how I diagnosed and repaired my speakers and you're guaranteed to learn something by watching it. Next, after this video, I do plan on purchasing a re-coning kit to re-cone my blown subwoofer. I feel like I have the understanding of following directions, the tools, and experience to repair my blown subwoofer. If I can fix my speakers, then I know others can to, but they need a little kick in the butt to get going! Hopefully, by writing this post, I've kicked your butt into gear and you're on your way to fixing your DJ speakers! If not, than this video below will surely get you going! https://www.youtube.com/embed/lmtxhko1c6Y