I’m trying to fix this pair of JBL 4301B that I had fr years and only now could afford the missing tweeter. But now one of the woofers is giving me trouble too. I know I am not doing a perfect job because there’s LOTS of it I don’t understand so I do as I can. But can I leave the sound on to hear what’s happening? Should I wear gloves not to get an electric shock? Thanks guys!
Take care to not accidentally short the speaker wire inputs (at the back or inside the cabinet) together as to avoid shorting the signal to the amp.
Really bad idea. Protection circuits on an amp protect the speakers, not the amp. By the time the protection circuit detects an overload created by you shorting some wires and energizes the relay, your finals will already have been fried.
There is no need for gloves.
Totally safe. Go for it. I take full responsibility.
Is the foam rotten?
What are you fixing on it?
This, what exactly is OP doing that he wants to hear the effect while he’s doing it?
Bad idea to work on equipment when it is powered on. It is best to turn off power to the receiver/amplifier before messing with any wiring and/or components, including your speakers. It is easy to blow your equipment if the wiring were to get shorted or crossed.
If you need to replace the tweeter, turn off power to your equipment, unplug the speaker, and replace the tweeter. Before disconnecting anything, take pictures of the wiring and the back of the driver to ensure correct polarity when reconnecting. Inspect the crossover to ensure there is no visible damage. Reassemble the speaker, connect everything, and turn on power.
If you need to work on the woofer, the same procedure as above should be followed. It may be that the surround is split or degraded. A visual inspection should indicate if the woofer needs to be refoamed. If you need to refoam one, do both. A visual inspection of the spider after removing the woofer will indicate if that needs to be repaired. If the problem is a rattling sound, a visual inspection should identify if anything is touching the back side of the cone.
Good advice, thanks! I ended up playing with the sound on and got a solution for the weird wife sound.