A Comparative Review: Natalie P. Versus Zaph Seas L15RLYP / 27TFFC (with Pics)

[derekbannatyne]

One of my RS180s began to buzz awhile back, so I just pushed it around (I guess in an attempt to straighten it) and it's been fine ever since. I'm not sure what the problem was.

[dCraig]

Nope, but maybe your amp clipped?

Possible,but not likely with this receiver. I have never known it to lip even when blasting through some Old JBL speakers on rock and hard rap when I first got it. In either case, the drivr didn not even sound to me as if it bottomed out or even sounded like somethig went wrong. The bass thump was clean and tight. The buzzing sound started more than 24 hours after the incident. I keep wondering if something fell into the driver thaqt was causing th ebuzz and it fell out again when I remocved the drivr. I will test it independently of the speaqker. The replacement driver is humming along.

[geno742]

One of the RS180s in my Natalies started buzzing.
I removed the driver and found one of the connectors was loose.
Removed all the connectors and soldered the wires directly to the driver tabs on all the drivers.
No more buzzing!

[JonP]

Possible,but not likely with this receiver. I have never known it to lip even when blasting through some Old JBL speakers on rock and hard rap when I first got it. In either case, the drivr didn not even sound to me as if it bottomed out or even sounded like somethig went wrong. The bass thump was clean and tight. The buzzing sound started more than 24 hours after the incident. I keep wondering if something fell into the driver thaqt was causing th ebuzz and it fell out again when I remocved the drivr. I will test it independently of the speaqker. The replacement driver is humming along.

Bummer. Sorry to hear that... and, that's weird that it wasn't an instantly appearing problem. Normally, BANG, and you've bent or cracked the VC form. Derek's sounds like that, in that if he did it only slightly, the aluminum VC form coud have bent or curled slightly, moving it around might have bent it back straight (enough) to stop rubbing. Most folks report, driver go bang, driver be dead...

Maybe a crack in the glue holding the VC wire down, or the spider to the frame or coil, that was very small to start, but after more playing got bigger and made more noise?

Check if it does any rubbing when you gently push in and out by hand. VC rubbing magnet would show here. Running it on the bench carefully at say 20Hz, to near Xmax should highlight all problems, but a flappy loose spider attachment would tend to only show being moved fast. You might have success in regluing it. VC damage... if that was what Derek had, he got lucky...

I'm sure all here are interested in a post mortem...

[dCraig]

OK, post mortem report number 1 -
- I hooked the driver up to the low pass crossover for the Modula MTM I am building and, so far, no sign of the buzzing. Of course, the wires are soldered onto the driver leads right now so that eliminated the test of the connectors but those seem to be solid in the Nat P with the replacement driver. I guess I might have reseated those when I removed the driver and so if they were the cuase it may start again.
- I also remembered that when the driver that was bussing was in the cabinet before I replaced it, the buzzing would go away when I touched the outer edge of the cone with my thumb. Started again as soon as I removed my thumb. Perhaps that will tell someone something. the driver ooks to be in perfect shape so I cannot see anything wrong with it.
- For now, there is no sign that the driver is blown. so, tht's a releif. Next test will be when I ut it in the Modula MTM box. If it comes back, I will report back.

[powens]

Sometimes a foreign object can get in the space between the phase plug and cone, which will cause a buzzing/scratching noise. This has happened to me twice with my RS150. The first time it came like this from parts express, and I was able to get a thin wire and pull the foreign object out. The second time a piece of solder got in there (I have no idea how), and I had to order a new driver. I mention this because when I lightly pushed on one side of the driver it would create more space in the gap and the buzzing would quit. However, when I took my fingers off the cone it would start buzzing again. I don't know if that is your problem or not, but it might be worth checking out.

[dCraig]

Thanks. I checked that but whatever might have been in there would have fallen out by now and I don't see anything. One other possibility is that one of the wires from the crossover haed somehow come into contact witht he cone and perhaps that was the buzzing I heard. Or, maybe even one of the wires from the speaker leads to the coil might have bent toward the cone and rubbed against it causing the buzzing. All of thos would have gone away when I removed the driver.

Bottom line on wires is - ir would be a good practic to make sure your wires to the drivers are routed away from other drivers and can't fall into any of the cones. Don't know if this was the issue but at this point, the driver seems fine.

[dCraig]

been gone for a while but wanted to report that these two speaker designs are still going strong. the Nats have ellowed into a solid staple of my listening. the L15s are in my home office again after loaning them to a friend. he wanted rock speakers so these were not to his taste. but for me they are sweet and great to look at. still satisfied.