I have a blown driver and I'm not sure what to do


I have a set of Paradigm Speakers that make up my 7.1 set-up.  I had blown driver in one of the ADP 590s I'm using for a side speaker and replaced a driver in it ($300) 

I hear distortion in the other ADP and I'm pretty sure it's ANOTHER blown driver.  The price of the driver has gone up to $500.....same exact part.

Part ID # 2030800007 

I don't know that it's worth it....

Any thoughts?

128x128shweinhold
Paradigm makes their own woofers. Even with that as a reality, they may use the same woofer in other speakers, specifically the floorstanders.

to make a new woofer for each and every new model that is introduced, is not the most efficient in time and resources.

Also, that tuning the top of a woofer’s (passive) crossover is the hardest part of crossover design.

so when a woofer is made that works, the incentive to change it or make a new one is less than zero. less than zero.

thus, woofer designs tend to get moved around in a given model year or model type sales period/cycle.

thus, that same woofer is probably available in other models, specifically the floorstanders from that model/cycle/period, or window, of possibly 2-3-4 years of designs.

If they change the surround, or the spyder, or so on, they change the top end response of the woofer and thus complicate it’s use. It’s far easier to change the box design and change the bottom end spec.

From that model cycle, look for woofers of the same design and basket.

They may be a drop in replacement and available as a $500-700-900 pair. With possibly 4 woofers, even (paired woofers per floorstander box, etc).

Or find an orphaned single/pair floorstander with a blown tweeter, the most common problem.

I’m trying to give the reasoning behind looking for a floorstander based compliment to your ADP blown woofer. The odds are better than even that is is out there.

properly done, this may change the costing of the woofers you are looking for to being less than half of the paradigm costing.

You just gotta spend the time on the research end of things. And see if what I’m thinking is possible - actually is possible.

Thus the pool of potential donors can increase by a factor of 3-4-5, thus increasing your chances of getting to lower cost and more timely - replacements.

Pay the price they are asking for their limited stock of NOS replacements at hand....or go to the work-self-time equation. Pick your trade-off.

eg, in this image, the bottom two woofers on the floorstanders and the outside woofers on the center and the woofers in the surrounds, are possibly all the same woofer. It’s just good design practice.

http://img.usaudiomart.com/uploads/large/528771-paradigm_reference_studio_100v5_cc690v5_adp590v5_com...

If you ask paradigm directly on this subject, they may or may not clarify. That is up to them, as to how they may handle such a question.

My thoughts should first be targeted towards amplification.

Please check DC(using conventional DC voltmeter or DMM) when system at idle on the speaker terminals or buy woofers in bulk for your 7.1 system 2 per each speaker just in case. After checking DC at idle, I would check with 1khz/.5Vrms input signal to check DC on the output. That requires either signal generator or Serato LP or any record/CD with test signals.

Meanwhile, don't keep your system on at idle and turn off



$500 for a driver, it better be one of the best in the world.  I can't believe paradigm is charging that much. It's not right for their customers and plain pretentious.
Thanks for the responses!

When the first driver went I did consider my amp, and determined that it wasn’t this issue based on discussion with friends and Paradigm.

Denon AVR3808CI

Maybe I missed something, but it’s been the same amp and speakers for over 8 years now. Maybe something is wrong with the amp?

Here’s the rest of my set-up:
Mains
Studio 60 v4
Center
Studio CC 590 v4
Surrounds
Studio ADP 590 v4
Rear
SA-15R-30
Sub
Sunfire True Sub


130W sounds like a lot, but it's not. So if you play loud you might be
distorting (over driving) the very small power supplies in the amp.
Low power = heat= blown speakers