# Speakers off at low volumes



## arashb (Sep 26, 2012)

Hey guys, I tried asking the shops around here and they seem pretty clueless suggesting that I need a new amp and that zapco isn't a reputable brand. So screw them.


Anyways I bought this car a few months ago with zapco speakers with crossovers + amps. Not sure on the model, the speakers are carbon fiber. But none of that is relevant. Or atleast I don't think so. My issue is at low volumes my passenger front midspeaker and tweeter don't work until I turn up the volume, then they work fine at lower volumes. Happens every time, where do I even begin troubleshooting?


----------



## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

Switch your front L with front R RCA cables at the amp . If your issues switches side, it is you headunit, RCA cables or anything before the amplifier. If it doesn't, your issues could be a bad channel on the amplifier or wiring/crososver to that pair of speakers.


----------



## smgreen20 (Oct 13, 2006)

First switch the xovers, r to l, l to r. If the side the problem was on is now on the other, it's your passive. No sound at low volumes buy sound at high volumes sounds as of there's a short somewhere. Check all connections too.


----------



## Maylar (Dec 6, 2012)

Definitely check connections at the speaker and crossover. Try tapping on the grille at low volume when it's not working.


----------



## trumpet (Nov 14, 2010)

Where's the guy with the signature that talks about not turning his amp down below 50 watts or the speakers won't work...


----------



## oilman (Feb 21, 2012)

About a year ago i had a similar problem with a Zapco c2k 2.0 running my tweeters. I would have to crank it up for it to kick in and then it would play a while and drop out again. After swapping LR RCA's and it did the same thing other side. In my case it was the amp. Oh and Zapco is a great company.


----------



## claydo (Oct 1, 2012)

I've had amps do this to me before....... upon power up no sound from one speaker.........turn up volume and wow there it is. Had this happen with an old mtx, then several years later with a fosgate. I really don't know what caused it but with both of the amps it would just happen sometimes. After the channel began working it was clear and sounded great and I could turn the volume as low as I wanted.......it only happened at powerup. Wierded me out the first time it happened, but the amp never gave any other trouble, so I ignored it. On the second amp, I was like wtf.......not another one.......but like I said,it was just every now and then so I ignored it on that one too.


----------



## claydo (Oct 1, 2012)

Anyone else ever have an amp that did this?


----------



## Spyke (Apr 20, 2012)

claydo said:


> Anyone else ever have an amp that did this?


Yup. JBL 75x2, Turned out to be a dirty input potentiometer. Used some deoxit and it cleared up. Try slightly turning the gain a little. If the channel comes back on then it could be the prob. If not, go through the tips that the others have given.


----------



## jking29 (Jan 6, 2008)

I had a electronic crossover that would do this, and it turned out to be a cold solder joint.


----------



## ATOMICTECH62 (Jan 24, 2009)

Ive got a MTX 81001 sub amp that does this.If I turn the volume down to about 7 out of 33 it sounds muted,not totally,I can still hear it but I have to crank it almost all the way to get it to kick back in.I just replaced it with a JBL 1200.1 which sounds sooo much better so I havnt been really pushed to put the MTX on the bench just yet.
But I am curious to find out what it is.


----------



## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

jking29 said:


> I had a electronic crossover that would do this, and it turned out to be a cold solder joint.


 
Most all of the problems in this thread are indicitive of a "cold" solder joint... 

Questionable connection, arc bridges gap (volume up), heat expands metal, making connection.. 

System off, cools, metal contracts, problem resets/repeats..


----------

