Help Please...........

**SparkB** · **01-30-08, 11:49 PM**

Hello, i was wondering if i could find some help here, i have been to soo many forums now i cant count them all anymore, and i cant seem to find an answer.

I have a sony amp (STRDE597) and sony subwoofer ( saw2500), for about 1 and a half year now i had no problems with this combination, but lately everytime i play music, a game, a movie, the bass of the subwoofer will cut out, then it will come back in, but it never happens in the same spot or with the same song, it just happens randomely.Almost like it fades in then out, you can tell when its happenning. I'm not sure if the problem is the sub or the amp. The others speakers connected to amp do not have this problems, just the sub connected to a specified sub jack.

I have read places that maybe the amp gets to hot and causes this, but that cant be the case because it happens right away when the amp is turned on.....im stuck on this problem, the warranty is done, i just need to know a good direction to go, do i need to replace some something inside the amp??? or sub? Sony support didnt even help me, all they told me was check cables yadda yadda, and if that doesnt work, send it in for repair...wich cost more then what the sub/amp are worth now. I want to know what can cause this, a burnt resistor?? other electronics in the area? What about optical sound, i have an optical cord hooked up to a ps3, ive changed every possible setting, from frequencies to dolby , you name it. I have tried using this sub to another amp, one that does not have a specified sub output, and the sub seems fine....although not a great sound because its an older amp, but it doesnt cut out like the Sony amp. Could something be wrong with the sub output jack ?? Sorry for all this typing, but i dont want to just throw these things away, they were never abused...

Either way, i thank you for your time.

**Sonnie** · **01-30-08, 11:55 PM**

Hi SparkB and welcome to the Shack!

Sounds like you need to toss the sub and get a new one... otherwise about your only option is to take it in for repair. It's going to be difficult for anyone to diagnose the problem via the Internet or phone, although it would almost have to be the amp causing the problem. It sounds like you've done about everything you can do short of repair.

**SparkB** · **01-30-08, 11:59 PM**

lol eeesh well you may be right, i guess the last test i can do is try connecting the sub to say the center speaker channel, and then wait to see if it ever cuts out, i know the sound wont be great but this should determine if its the sub or amp right? Thanks for your reply!

**alan monro** · **01-31-08, 12:06 AM**

Gooday sparkB . To me it seems to be an intermittent open voice coil in the sub . I presume you have given it a thumping in the past . Your local TV repair bloke would not charge much to test it .Let us know how you go. Kind regards . Alan .

**Sonnie** · **01-31-08, 12:09 AM**

No, that wouldn't necessarily determine if it's the sub or amp... it could however eliminate the sub pre-out channel as the culprit. For this to work, you center pre-out is going to have to deliver full range with no LFE redirection activated. I'm not sure it will work.

I doubt it's going to be the sub itself. Generally subs don't go in and out... they either work or they don't. Besides, you said you tested the driver already. It's most likely the amp. You might could get a replacement amp from Sony parts.

**SparkB** · **01-31-08, 12:15 AM**

Guys thanks alot for your feedback, keep em coming lol, this is what i needed, the more things i try, the more i will learn about this.

**Rodny Alvarez** · **01-31-08, 07:30 AM**

I've seen some car subs do the same thing yours is doing, you play some music and it plays and cuts off and plays again, I agree with alan its maybe the coil

Good luck!!

**brent_s** · **01-31-08, 10:30 AM**

Definitely sounds like an intermittent connection has developed somewhere. Determining whether it's the driver-amp, amp-receiver, or on the amp circuit board itself is the problem.

Could be as simple as the amp to driver connects shaking loose...they're usually just female quick connectors, which don't always have the best grip and could easily loosen up over time, especially in a subwoofer environment. Pull the driver and crimp 'em good for peace of mind. Check the amp end of the wires as well...usually female quick connectors there too.

After that, confirm the interconnect between amp and receiver. Cables *can* go bad, althought it's uncommon. You could also temporarily use speaker level connections, if available on the sub, to bypass the RCA interconnect. This would deny/confirm the sub's preamp input/RCA interconnect as the culprit.

Advanced troubleshooting. Pull the sub driver and connect the amp straight to one of your main speakers. Still run it as the LFE/sub on your receiver at "safe' levels. If the problem still exists, you've eliminated the driver and probably isolated the problem to the amp board itself.

-Brent

**salvasol** · **01-31-08, 04:11 PM**

You mentioned that you already used the Sub with another amp ... Did you use RCA or speaker level connections??? ... maybe there is your answer (bad RCA connector or it can be the cable).

If you can borrow a sub from a family or friend, try it with the amp ... this way you'll know if is the receiver sub pre-out

**Funkmonkey** · **01-31-08, 08:42 PM**

Assuming you've eliminated the cable as the problem, and by the sound of it the sub is not the problem since you tried it on a different system. I would open up the STRDE597 (warranty is done already) and visually check for any loose connection along the sub out that is giving you trouble. If everything is gravy, (if your afraid of electricity stop here and take it in or get a new one) I would power it up and play some music with only the sub connected and then start giggling the wires on the sub out to see if it cuts out. If it does you found your problem, if not take it in or buy a new one. and make sure to dispose of the old one in a "green" way.

**SparkB** · **01-31-08, 10:22 PM**

Quote:

brent_s wrote:

Definitely sounds like an intermittent connection has developed somewhere. Determining whether it's the driver-amp, amp-receiver, or on the amp circuit board itself is the problem.

Could be as simple as the amp to driver connects shaking loose...they're usually just female quick connectors, which don't always have the best grip and could easily loosen up over time, especially in a subwoofer environment. Pull the driver and crimp 'em good for peace of mind. Check the amp end of the wires as well...usually female quick connectors there too.

After that, confirm the interconnect between amp and receiver. Cables *can* go bad, althought it's uncommon. You could also temporarily use speaker level connections, if available on the sub, to bypass the RCA interconnect. This would deny/confirm the sub's preamp input/RCA interconnect as the culprit.

Advanced troubleshooting. Pull the sub driver and connect the amp straight to one of your main speakers. Still run it as the LFE/sub on your receiver at "safe' levels. If the problem still exists, you've eliminated the driver and probably isolated the problem to the amp board itself.

-Brent

Well, i never thought of trying the last solution you had there, but let me see if i understand, you want me to disconnect the subwoofer from the sub amp, and plug it into a say center speaker on the amp/receiver, and see if that works?? Otherwise, do you mean disconnect the subwoofer speaker and use another plain old speaker with the sub amp?? But either way, i will try these suggestions. Today i decided to give it anoher shot with another amp, now i might of eliminated the amp as the culprit, because when i connected the sub to another amp, i got bass, as before when i tested it, but now i tried adjusting the BASS knob on the amp, and the subwoofer went from a strong bass, to a SUPER strong bass, know what i mean, kinda like something clicked into place? I mean by adjsting that knob , (by only 1 notch) it gave me TOO much bass, because the sub was already set on a level that i thought was good, BUT really it wasnt performing as it should of been. Kinda hard to explain lol, but this is kinda like the problem with the other amp #1: sub producing strong then weak bass, then vice versa with amp#2: sub producing weak bass then strong bass.

So it seems, wel to me lol that the sub is experiencing both weak, and strong bass, WITH both amps, so i was wrong from the beginning. I thought the sub was fine with other amp, but when playing around with knobs, it was only PARTIALLY fine.

I will see what i can do lol
Thanks

**brent_s** · **02-01-08, 10:31 PM**

It would help if we all used the same terms.

subwoofer = cabinet + amp + driver
sub driver or driver = the big round thing that moves back and forth
sub amp = the metal part on the back of the cabinet with knobs and jacks that cables plug in to

You mention using the sub with another amp that had a bass knob. Would that amp be a receiver? Did you pull the sub driver out of the cabinet and run it in free air? How did you connect wires to the sub driver?

I meant to remove the sub driver from the cabinet. Extend the leads from the sub amp through the sub driver opening to another speaker (main, center, surround...doesn't matter). Leave the sub amp connected as is to the LFE/Sub output on your receiver. Play something at a relatively low level until you determine how loud the substitute speaker can safely go. Listen for a while...does the level fluctuate...then it's not the driver.

-Brent

**doubeleive** · **02-01-08, 11:10 PM**

here is a easy solution if you have money to play with, you could simply go to your local home theater store purchase a new sub within your price range, take it home and hook it up, if you get the same problem on the new sub then you know it is the receiver output, then you can simply return the sub and figure out a solution from there, if nothing happens and it works proberly then you fixed the problem and you are the proud owner of a new working subwoofer.

**SparkB** · **02-01-08, 11:44 PM**

Quote:

brent_s wrote:

It would help if we all used the same terms.

subwoofer = cabinet + amp + driver
sub driver or driver = the big round thing that moves back and forth
sub amp = the metal part on the back of the cabinet with knobs and jacks that cables plug in to

You mention using the sub with another amp that had a bass knob. Would that amp be a receiver? Did you pull the sub driver out of the cabinet and run it in free air? How did you connect wires to the sub driver?

I meant to remove the sub driver from the cabinet. Extend the leads from the sub amp through the sub driver opening to another speaker (main, center, surround...doesn't matter). Leave the sub amp connected as is to the LFE/Sub output on your receiver. Play something at a relatively low level until you determine how loud the substitute speaker can safely go. Listen for a while...does the level fluctuate...then it's not the driver.

-Brent

Yea thanks Brent, i follow what you mean now, i havent gotten around to doing that yet, but my next step is that, although even if the sub is broke, i am perfectly happy with my HPM-100 connected to a technics su700. Gives more bass then my other system , just no surround soundeffect (dolby).

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