Strange disappearing bass with Wharfedale Diamond 8.2's

[sandeepg]

I've had a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 8.2 bookshelf speakers for around 4 years now but they've suddenly developed a weird problem.
I noticed yesterday that the bass seemed reduced and after messing around with the balance, realised that the left speaker's bass driver had stopped working. I tried disconnecting and then connecting the speaker cable for that speaker at both ends but to no avail. So I then thought, the driver must have gone. But I turned them on today and had bass coming out of the left speaker for a few seconds before it stopped again. So right now, there's no bass out of the left speaker but seeing as this just happened yesterday, I don't really know how long the wait is until it might start working again.

The only other piece of info I can think may be relevant is that the left speaker bass driver had been distorting slightly at mid volume with some music but when I pushed the volume a little higher it disappeared. And that was a few weeks ago.

If anybody could shed any light on this I'd much appreciate it.

[BlueWizard]

Sounds like it might be a lose internal connection. Sometimes to make assembly easier and faster, they use 'push-on' connectors, and over time, with changes in temperature, and vibration, the 'push-on' connectors can work loose.

Before you go farther, check the connection on the back of the speakers, and make sure they are clean and tight, and that there are not stray wires shorting things out. Next, check the connections on the back of the amp; clean, tight, no stray shorts.

Most modern speakers don't have an access panel, like a back panel that screws off. So the only way to get inside the cabinet is to remove the bass speaker. If the Diamond 8's are like the Diamond 9's then that should be a simply matter of removing some screws.

However, they may not be standard straight-blade or Phillips head screws. They could use a hex-head or square head driver. That's not that big a problem. You can buy a set of screwdrivers with interchangeable bits in an assortment of configurations; straight, phillips, spline, square, hex, etc.... These are usually cheap and should have the type you need.

Because it is so easy for the screwdriver to slip, I always put a piece of cardboard over the speaker cone near the screw I'm working on. That way if the screwdriver slips, it is more likely to hit the cardboard than to damage the speaker cone. You do need to pay constant attention to what you are doing, and be careful NOT to let the screwdriver slip.

Now, once the screws are out, carefully remove the woofer. You probably can't pull it very far out, so take it slow. You should be able to see the speaker terminals and the connecting wires.

Two important point -

One, don't put too much stress on the wires or you will break them off.

Second, it DOES matter which wire goes where. You must make sure you plug the wire back onto the SAME connection it came off of.

If the 'push-on' connectors are on but still loose, then you might need to squeeze them down a little with a pliers. Remember, just a slight amount. You do NOT want to crimp the connector all the way closed or you will never be able to get it back on.

If you have the skill and ability, you could solder the connection on, that way they can never slip off. BUT, you need to make sure you DO NOT drip loose solder in the cabinet or onto the speaker, or this could cause problems.

How much you can do, and how well you can do it, depend on your own assessment of your skill level and ability. Caution is in order, and a degree of delicacy. Also, know when and how much force can be use, and how much can not be used is important. It only takes one small slip to puncture the cone of the speaker, so be careful. Basic common sense should be a sufficient guide for most people.

Steve/bluewizard

[dingwall]

How are they wired (externally) and what with? You might want to double-check each connection, sometimes easily missed. Even some cables themselves are prone to breaking too...

[Sun]

I had these speakers a few years ago and the bass went from one, it was a lose connection inside and easily remedied once opened. Unfortunately I can't tell you more than that I had actually sold them on when it was discovered, but the recipient told me it was all very simple to fix.

[sandeepg]

Thanks for your replies.
I've taken the screws out from the front of the speakers but can't remove the woofer after doing so. I'm not really sure what the screws on the front of the speaker are securing. The back of the speaker where the speaker cables are connected does have 4 screws around it. I managed to take this panel off but can't really pull the whole panel out of the speaker. I can only see the underside of the panel where the internal wires connect to the external speaker cable connectors. There are 3 cables connected to 3 of the binding posts:

One connected to each of the following:

Black HF
Black LF
Red LF

I can't really see any other cables that may have come loose as the panel doesn't come out further than an inch or two. Additional info that may be useful is that I haven't got my speakers bi-wired so just have one cable connected to the black HF binding post and one cable connected to the red HF.

Any more help would be massively appreciated.