I have installed a new set of speakers and there is no bass. Have I done something wrong?
One of the most common causes of lack of bass from speakers is out-of-phase wiring. This occurs when the positive and negative wires are connected incorrectly. The positive and negative wire connection at the source unit must be the same at the speaker connection.
positive must connect to positive
negative must connect to negative
Most speakers will have a positive (+) sign and/or a negative (—) sign on the terminal, or may have a red mark for positive and/or a black mark for negative. If in doubt, there is a relatively simple way to check the phase of the wiring.
Using a 1.5v or AA battery hold the positive and negative wires connected to your speaker on the relative terminals of the battery, if it is in phase (correct) the speaker cone will move outward, but if it is out of phase (correct) the cone will move inward. To ensure the system is in-phase all speakers must be consistent.
I have installed a new set of speakers and they sound distorted and crackly, what could cause this?
1) One installation error that results in these symptoms is when the speakers are mounted in the vehicle, the mounting holes have been drilled with the speakers in place. When the drill bit is withdrawn from the hole, the material that has been removed (metal or wood etc ) can drop into the speaker and/or voice coil resulting in speaker failure, due to foreign objects damaging the voice coil. This is not covered under the product warranty. Always use the provided template to pre drill the mounting holes.
2) Another cause of distortion or crackling is a burnt voice coil. This is a symptom of over driving the speakers, or delivering a clipped or distorted signal to the speakers from the source unit or amplifier. You may be able to smell the coil is burnt, or by gently applying even pressure push the cone of the speaker down and you will feel if the coil is rubbing or binding.
3) Insecure wiring or poor connections are common causes of crackly or distorted sound from speakers. Check all wiring.
There is no sound coming from my new speakers. What could be the problem?
Firstly you need to check the wiring from your source/amplifier to your speakers to ensure that no wires are going to ground or earth by touching any part of the vehicle as this could put the source/amplifier into protection, and/or terminate signal output to your speakers. Also check all fuses as grounding the system may blow fuses, and they will need replacing
In some cases you may cause permanent damage to the source unit by grounding the speakers so careful attention to secure and insulated wiring is very important.