# What would cause one of my speakers to be unbalanced?



## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

I have 4 speakers (all the same kind with same wiring) and the front left has never been able to output the same volume level as the other 3 when on default settings (0 balance L/R and R/F). So I have toadjust the balance so that I can get even volume from that speaker but then now it really messes things up cause now the Rear left is noticably louder than Rear right and you can easily tell from the front.

Is this normal? I just the balances from my deck, all speakers are running off it.

Any tips would be appreciate thanks


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## azngotskills (Feb 24, 2006)

no thats not normal....what are the output voltages reading out of the speaker terminals of the amp when running a sine wave without speakers attached? They should be all the same given that everything in your HU is set flat with not balance or fade


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

azngotskills said:


> no thats not normal....what are the output voltages reading out of the speaker terminals of the amp when running a sine wave without speakers attached? They should be all the same given that everything in your HU is set flat with not balance or fade


Ah sorry bro, need to reword it for me in a less technical way. Im not car audio savvy.


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## thomasluke (Jun 10, 2011)

You would have to have a digital multi meter to find out. And by voltages he means the amount of power the amp is sending to all 4 speakers.


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

But my speakers are connected to my deck, only my sub is connected to my amp as its a mono amp.

Would that matter?

I have a DMM.


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## thomasluke (Jun 10, 2011)

ya, that would matter. Instead of measuring your amp outputs measure your hu's.
Pull it out and measure directly at the hu's harness.


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## RNBRAD (Oct 30, 2012)

1. (My Guess) Your either reverse phased, meaning your left speaker terminals are connected backwards.
2. Your install has tweaked the speakers frame putting it into a bind creating limited cone movement. This is rare but a possibility. Usually it's distorted as well. 
3. Possibility you have headunit issues or a setting that's not right.


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

thomasluke said:


> ya, that would matter. Instead of measuring your amp outputs measure your hu's.
> Pull it out and measure directly at the hu's harness.


When i pull the deck out should i measure by connectnig the DMM prongs to the back of the head units jacks? or does it have to be from the head units harness?



RNBRAD said:


> 1. (My Guess) Your either reverse phased, meaning your left speaker terminals are connected backwards.
> 2. Your install has tweaked the speakers frame putting it into a bind creating limited cone movement. This is rare but a possibility. Usually it's distorted as well.
> 3. Possibility you have headunit issues or a setting that's not right.


If the speaker was installed reverse, wouldnt it cut the volume output drastically from that speaker? Like 1/10th output compared to the rest.

I dont have any distorting.

im wondering if its my headunit.


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

Mayosandwich said:


> When i pull the deck out should i measure by connectnig the DMM prongs to the back of the head units jacks? or does it have to be from the head units harness?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, if the speaker wires where connected backwards, the speaker works FINE but it cancels out due to it being 180* out of phase with the other speakers...

Flip the +/- at either the speaker or behind the HU, whichever is easier and you "should" notice a difference... 

You can test this first with the balence/fade...

Fade all the way forward, balence in the center... 

Now, move the balence just off center, does it get noticably better? Louder? 

If so, you for sure are out of phase and need to "flip" the speaker

Sent from the other side using mind bullets...(YapaTalk)


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## Jimi77 (Jul 4, 2005)

Mayosandwich said:


> I have 4 speakers (all the same kind with same wiring) and the front left has never been able to output the same volume level as the other 3 when on default settings (0 balance L/R and R/F). So I have toadjust the balance so that I can get even volume from that speaker but then now it really messes things up cause now the Rear left is noticably louder than Rear right and you can easily tell from the front.
> 
> Is this normal? I just the balances from my deck, all speakers are running off it.
> 
> Any tips would be appreciate thanks


That's not uncommon, because the other speakers are more on-axis than the driver's side speaker. 

However, if you think it's an output problem, set the fader and balance to zero and start swapping left for right to isolate the problem.


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## 07azhhr (Dec 28, 2011)

It could be a speaker out of phase issue or it could very well be an axis issue. I have it as an axis issue in my car. If I move to the passanger side the issue becomes the passanger side. Try sitting in the passanger seat as your first test along with shifting the balance all the way to the right and left.


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> Yes, if the speaker wires where connected backwards, the speaker works FINE but it cancels out due to it being 180* out of phase with the other speakers...
> 
> Flip the +/- at either the speaker or behind the HU, whichever is easier and you "should" notice a difference...
> 
> ...



When you say move the balance just off centre, how many notches? Like 1 is good enough? And which direction should i balance it onto or does it matter?

From what i know now, is that adjusting the balance 1 or 2 notches to the left makes it bit louder but you cant easily tell cause its so little. Right now i have it 5 notches over to the left cause anything less and its not balanced out between L and R for volume. To me 5 notches is a lot!



07azhhr said:


> It could be a speaker out of phase issue or it could very well be an axis issue. I have it as an axis issue in my car. If I move to the passanger side the issue becomes the passanger side. Try sitting in the passanger seat as your first test along with shifting the balance all the way to the right and left.


Ive tried this before and from what i remember, it doesnt happen on the passenger side. I can test it again but im almost certain when i sit in the passenger side and the balance goes all the way to the R, its louder than when the Balance is to the very light.


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

Mayosandwich said:


> When you say move the balance just off centre, how many notches? Like 1 is good enough? And which direction should i balance it onto or does it matter?
> 
> From what i know now, is that adjusting the balance 1 or 2 notches to the left makes it bit louder but you cant easily tell cause its so little. Right now i have it 5 notches over to the left cause anything less and its not balanced out between L and R for volume. To me 5 notches is a lot!


If you are going to notice a difference, it'll be in the first 3 notches... Usually the first though, as it breaks the 180* phase difference and allows some things to come through they way they "should".. It's usually pretty pronounced... I wouldn't be listening to the sub doing this either, you don't have a problem there.. 

Otherwise, I'd say you might have a bad speaker...after this swap speakers side for side, if the problem follows, bad speaker, if it doesn't, possibly bad HU..


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> If you are going to notice a difference, it'll be in the first 3 notches... Usually the first though, as it breaks the 180* phase difference and allows some things to come through they way they "should".. It's usually pretty pronounced... I wouldn't be listening to the sub doing this either, you don't have a problem there..
> 
> Otherwise, I'd say you might have a bad speaker...after this swap speakers side for side, if the problem follows, bad speaker, if it doesn't, possibly bad HU..


Ok so ill first turn off the sub, then put the balance all the way to the front at 0 L/R, then turn it to the left at 1, then up to 3?

If i recall correctly, the previous speaker in the driver side spot had the same issue. I had to replace it a year ago cause somehow it got small water damage and started distorting real bad, like a constant crackling sound.


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

I just did the balance test, brought the balance over to the left 1 notch, couldnt tell any difference. Did 3 notches, could tell but it was still pretty minor increase in volume on the left speaker.

Another thing is, i dont have the tools to slide my deck out. This is not it but mine looks exactly like it, just standard deck in standard metal sleeve. Is there no way to slide it by hand? id hate to have to take it to Best buy just for this.


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

Mayosandwich said:


> Ok so ill first turn off the sub, then put the balance all the way to the front at 0 L/R, then turn it to the left at 1, then up to 3?
> 
> *If i recall correctly, the previous speaker in the driver side spot had the same issue. I had to replace it a year ago cause somehow it got small water damage and started distorting real bad, like a constant crackling sound*.


 
So, you had the SAME problem before, you are now having it again, and are wondering what might be up?? 

Water damage is sounds like... weather it be a wire all corroded from gettin water in it, or a connector somewhere that got soaked... could be another bad speaker, did you ever do anything about the water in the first place, or did you just replace the speaker?


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> So, you had the SAME problem before, you are now having it again, and are wondering what might be up??
> 
> Water damage is sounds like... weather it be a wire all corroded from gettin water in it, or a connector somewhere that got soaked... could be another bad speaker, did you ever do anything about the water in the first place, or did you just replace the speaker?


Ya we changed the wire ends. But I dont know if it was water damage on the old speaker, but my install guy said 100% it wasnt.

Cause when I first put the very first one in (2 years ago) it was fine but about 2 weeks after it started crackling like crazy one day, so had it checked out, the wiring was fine, tried different wire and same thing. So took out the speaker and noticed the magnet on the coil was touching something so we crazy glued it back and he said that is a perm fix and the hot glue will hold it forever. Looks like the speaker was defective out of the box but since I already installed both speakers, the store wouldnt let me exchange it unless i took both out. Plus i would have to make 2 trips to this guy so instead he said its a minor fix and can just hot glue it.

It was fine for a year then it started crackling again just like the first time. So took it out and the magnet was touching again and replaced it with a new one.

I cant remember exactly when i noticed the volume on the left speaker lower than the rest but it was before i replaced the old speaker. Since putting in new speaker, no distorting, just the volume is bit off still at default on drivers side.


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## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

ok, does the driver door speaker just SOUND like it's not as loud as the others when you're sitting in the driver's seat?
if you sit in the passenger seat, does it sound like it's switched as well and the passenger is not as loud now?

or if you open the doors and put your ear up to the speaker grills, is the volume different even with your ear up to the grill?


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## Sine Swept (Sep 3, 2010)

Check if the door panels speaker grill is pressed tight onto the speaker cone. The door card may be limiting the speakers movement


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

D-Bass said:


> ok, does the driver door speaker just SOUND like it's not as loud as the others when you're sitting in the driver's seat?
> if you sit in the passenger seat, does it sound like it's switched as well and the passenger is not as loud now?
> 
> or if you open the doors and put your ear up to the speaker grills, is the volume different even with your ear up to the grill?


No it doesnt sound switched but i found the best way to tell that the right is louder is by putting the balance all the way to the left, then all the way to the right and the left isnt as loud. 

I did what you said, opened the doors and put my ear next to each of the front speakers and i cant tell a difference, maybe its from the road noise, but i did it on a quiet street.

I would say its about 20% less volume from the driver speaker.



Sine Swept said:


> Check if the door panels speaker grill is pressed tight onto the speaker cone. The door card may be limiting the speakers movement


Good idea, you think i can check this without having to take the door panel off? Maybe a flashlight would work?


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## Woosey (Feb 2, 2011)

I think it's left side off-axis response and right side there is more baffle amplifiying some of the output..


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## Mayosandwich (Sep 9, 2012)

Woosey said:


> I think it's left side off-axis response and right side there is more baffle amplifiying some of the output..


Whats the simpliest way to check for off axis on the left speaker? This is what it sounds like but from what i see the speaker is facing the same direction and same angle as the other. Any simple way to fix it?


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## Woosey (Feb 2, 2011)

Mayosandwich said:


> Whats the simpliest way to check for off axis on the left speaker? This is what it sounds like but from what i see the speaker is facing the same direction and same angle as the other. Any simple way to fix it?


It's because you don't sit in the middle of the car.. Your ear will "see" the passenger speaker more on the axis of the speaker and your drivers side ear doesn't...


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## lucky (Sep 25, 2009)

Maybe I missed it, but what car do you have or where are the speakers located? More specifics would help you diagnose. I have some of the same issue, but my driver seat midbass/midrange is about 35" away from my head next to my foot. PITA.

You should pick up a pair of headunit removal tools. Take out the headunit, swap wires front left to front right/vice versa, and that would tell you if it is a problem with the headunit outputs without needing special electronic equipment.

If the problem stays in the same door, start the process of elimination from the wiring, polarity, axis issues, etc. BTW, I doubt your driver door is so different from your passenger doors in insulation, baffling, etc that it would make a significant difference.


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## Ooshpow (Dec 25, 2020)

Mayosandwich said:


> Whats the simpliest way to check for off axis on the left speaker? This is what it sounds like but from what i see the speaker is facing the same direction and same angle as the other. Any simple way to fix it?


 Did you ever get to figure out what the problem was ?

I'm having the same exact issue on my 98 ford expedition. I'm thinking it's the HU or the Amp.

At first I thought maybe it's a bad connection, but I started going around playing with the wires and thought.... no it can't be this, because I can at least hear something... its just so darn faint compared to the right side.

Tried sitting in the middle of the car. Nope.
Opened all doors and put my ear up to them, at all balances and fades, nope. 
Took out the HU and messed with the wires, I do all this with the music playing so I can listen for a change in sound when I wiggle a wire. No luck.

When I listen to music at 0/0 B/F, windows closed, car on or off, I can't even tell that the left speakers are playing.... the right side dominates... and when I have only both right speakers playing, it sounds only slightly less loud in the car without the left side playing. 
But when I do the opposite, so now only the left side of the car is playing, and the right turned off, now it just sounds terrible and no bass, not enough power or something. 
It can't be the speakers because I just replaced the speakers, the problem was existing. I'm going to try a new HU with a built in Amp and bypass my factory Amp, and hopefully this solves the problem. I'll return when I've done that to share my results.

P.s. I cannot believe I can't find a straight answer on YouTube in this day and age... but hey.. maybe I'll make one myself. Merry Christmas 🇺🇲🇺🇲🙃


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