Silent speakers???

[mikec]

Longer ago than I like to think about I bought a kit to make a pair of "Tanzanites" and didn't get to put them together for too long. Loved listening to them but had to put them in storage while we built new house and moved.

Got them out yesterday and hooked them up and . . . NOTHING. Check, check, check and then try different pair of speakers and they work. Tanzinites still don't.

Pulled back off one, thinking it might be something simple, like wires getting pulled loose but everything looks good.

Gonna hunt up my multimeter and start probing, but I'm not good with circuits.

What and how would you start testing to find problem????

[JRT]

If the 3way loudspeakers do not respond to any input, no sound from any of the drivers from either loudspeaker, then I would first look more closely at proper function of the electronics upstream.

A problem with a single component or single solder joint within one filter net in one crossover would only show some effect in one driver in one loudspeaker. Maybe you might have trouble with two, but trouble with all seems unlikely.

A bad connection between binding posts and crossover in one loudspeaker would only show effect in one loudspeaker, not both.

For sake of trouble shooting, do not start inside of loudspeakers that were OK when you put them in storage, rather check everything upstream, all cable connections, system components and various associated settings.

[rpb]

Use a 1.5 volt battery, and see if you can get the woofer to move.

[mikec]

If the 3way loudspeakers do not respond to any input, no sound from any of the drivers from either loudspeaker, then I would first look more closely at proper function of the electronics upstream.

That's why I hooked up another pair of speakers. They worked so all the easy solutions weren't going to help ;)

[Steve Lee]

Take your meter and set it to Ohms after inserting the test cables into the meter in the proper ports.

Zero the meter 1st by shorting the test leads together and make note of of its shorted value.

Then take a resistance test reading by placing the meter leads one on each speaker terminal.

Tell us what you find.

[tomzarbo]

I hope I'm wrong, and I hate to say it but...

Are they ported? Could mice have gotten inside and chewed the wires? I wouldn't put it past those rodents!

TomZ

EDIT: sorry I didn't read the original post well enough, it looks like you've looked things over inside and there are no obvious wire dis-connects.

I'd test each speaker, then each driver individually with a battery like rpb mentioned. You'd know then if the drivers suffered some kind of loss or corrosion internally. Damp storage environment?

Care to post a pic of the internals so we can see what you're looking at? We've got some eagle-eyed folks on this board.

[djg]

What kind of terminals on the speakers? Terminal cups or separate binding posts? Try a continuity check through the terminals from outside to inside. Any corrosion?

Soldered or mechanical connections of the input wires off the terminals? If mechanical, ie ring terminal, try loosening and retightening.

[Wolf]

Don't apply a battery to a ribbon tweeter, or you'll need new ribbons. Not sure what Tanzanites had, but I know Rick loved ribbons.

I would check woofer and mid with a battery and see if they move. If they do, it's in the wiring somehow. If not, I'd have to have a looksee to find out.
Wolf