Tweeters are an essential part of an audio entertainment system. Whether you’re listening to music, movies, or anything in between, your tweeters play a crucial role in the speakers’ high frequencies. However, improper usage can cause them to blow, sending loud pop noises and ruining their clarity.
Tweeters keep blowing when they go below their recommended hertz, if they encounter too much audio clipping or compression, or if there’s not enough headroom on your amplifiers. To prevent tweeters from blowing, use the built-in capacitor or a two-way crossover to protect them from low frequencies.
Throughout this post, we’ll also cover a handful of reasons your tweeters keep blowing out, how you can prevent it from happening, and tips to check if your tweeters are permanently damaged. You’ll also learn what to do if they’re crackling or blowing out too often.
Why Are Your Tweeters Blowing Out?
Are you using a custom set of speakers, but the tweeters keep blowing? This common issue stems from countless problems, including incorrect frequencies, compression, clipping, and more.
Protecting your tweeters starts at the source, so let’s break down a handful of reasons your tweeters are experiencing problems below:
- They’re going too far below the recommended hertz. Many tweeters blow out when the hertz is too low. Tweeters are designed to handle a high frequency, so dipping too low (below the average of 2,000 hertz) can cause irreparable damage.
- Too much clipping and compression can damage a tweeter. Clipping and compressing your audio files might save a lot of file space, but it’ll cause all sorts of issues with your tweeters and subwoofers. The last thing you want is to sacrifice your sound system for a slightly smaller storage file.
- There’s not enough headroom on your amplifiers to accommodate the dB. Many tweeters have a decibel ceiling. If your amplifiers go too high, it can blow the tweeters. This problem only progresses if you don’t pay attention to the dB because it’s not always noticeable right away. It can slowly get worse over time.
- You might’ve chosen the wrong speakers, amplifiers, and other audio equipment. There are several pieces involved in the process, all of which can alter the hertz’ range. If your tweeters are exposed to extremely low or high hertz, they’ll likely blow or become partially damaged.
These four reasons are undeniably the most common problems associated with blown tweeters, but many more issues can land your speakers in hot water.
For example, the extremely loud volume will shred your tweeters and subwoofers. It’s best to check their recommendations before blaring the noise, even if they’re capable of doing so.
Knowing the causes is half of the battle, but you can check out some preventative steps to protect your tweeters in the next section.
Related article: Can You Wire Tweeters in Series?
How Do You Stop Tweeters From Blowing?
Replacing tweeters can be tedious, expensive, and difficult. If you’re trying to keep it from happening, or you’re wondering why they keep blowing, you’re in the right place.
Many safety techniques, such as using a crossover or capacitor, can make a world of difference for your sound system.
Here’s the five-step process to preserve your tweeters:
- Use a capacitor to prevent low frequencies from damaging the tweeter. A capacitor attaches from the tweeter to the speakers. It limits itself from dipping too low, which is one of the primary reasons they blow in the first place. Many tweeters come with a power cable with yellow labels to indicate the capacitor’s location.
- Keep your hertz within the tweeter’s recommended frequency. Every tweeter should have a guide that shows its limitations. According to Everything What, tweeters typically have a range of 2,000 to 20,000 hertz. Going too high above or far below these limitations can cause all sorts of issues.
- Don’t turn your speakers louder than they’re supposed to go. When your speakers get too loud, it can cause damage to your subwoofers and tweeters. Many high-end tweeters can produce excellent sound without showing signs of damage, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe from harm.
- Consider installing a two-way crossover. These tools are designed with an inlet and outlet to protect your devices from going out of their respective ranges. Much like a capacitor, you can install it on a tweeter. Many people believe two-way crossovers are better than capacitors because they provide a better audio transfer.
- Getting a bigger amp will increase the headroom (but pay close attention). A few additional dB can provide excellent padding, but ensure you don’t use the headroom as an extra audio range. If they go up to 12 dB, you don’t have to play your music that high! Keep it a couple of dB below to provide headroom.
Save yourself time, money, and stress by applying our five-step rule to keep your tweeters in good condition. It might be tempting to blast them as high and loud as possible, but it’s not worth the struggles you’ll likely encounter.
Check their limits, keep the volume at a reasonable level, and consider hooking up a capacitor or two-way crossover. PricedRight Sales offers a beginner-friendly tutorial regarding blown tweeters that you can review here:
How To Check if Your Tweeters Are Blown
Are your speakers crackly or not producing the sound they used to? Are you worried if your tweeters and subwoofers are blown?
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to check their condition. Throughout this process, ensure you don’t turn the speakers too loud since it can cloud the results or cause more damage.
So, how can you know if your tweeters are blown?
Test Your Tweeters With High Frequencies
You can find YouTube videos (or use your favorite songs) to test the high-end range. If you don’t hear anything or it sounds distorted, your tweeters are either permanently or partially damaged.
Crackling, ticking, or fogginess are signs of a damaged tweeter that might need to be replaced. If you’re unsure, we recommend taking your speakers to a music shop for a professional opinion.
Find Their Low Range
Much like the previous suggestion, it’s a good idea to check your tweeter’s low-end range. Find a song that reaches toward the bottom of their 2,000-hertz limit (or whatever your speakers are designed for), lower the volume, and listen to the clarity.
If it sounds smooth and similar to the rest of the audio clip, they’re fine. If it’s silent or distorted, your tweeters need to be replaced or repaired.
Compare the Tweeter’s Volume and Clarity
Does the high-end of your speakers sound similar to the low-end? They should have similar clarity and depth. Turn them to a quiet volume, listen closely, turn up the volume, and check if they’re consistent. Loud volume can highlight the tweeters, so it’s crucial to check as wide a noise range as possible.
If you’re noticing any audio problems with high frequencies, there’s a high chance your tweeters are involved. Testing their low and high-end range can let you know if they need to be fixed or replaced (or if there’s nothing wrong with them at all).
Conclusion
Tweeters aren’t supposed to drop to a low frequency, so it’s important to use crossovers and capacities whenever necessary.
The best way to treat the problem is to get an amplifier with enough headroom so the dB doesn’t dip below the recommended range.
Compression and clipping play a significant role in the process, but nothing overshadows the frequency.