# subwoofer overheating?



## hayabusa3

Hi guys - not sure if this is the right area to post in but here goes..
I bought my sub used with no user manual and have zero experience with audio equipment, and with only a few google searches to guide me I think she's overheating. The LED turns from green to red and half way through a movie I realise I have no sub. Usually turning it off and on again will reset it to work or even removing the input will reset it. The odd thing is that I can listen to loud music for ages and not have an issue - any feedback is appreciated!:help::huh:


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## bambino

hayabusa3 said:


> Hi guys - not sure if this is the right area to post in but here goes..
> I bought my sub used with no user manual and have zero experience with audio equipment, and with only a few google searches to guide me I think she's overheating. The LED turns from green to red and half way through a movie I realise I have no sub. Usually turning it off and on again will reset it to work or even removing the input will reset it. The odd thing is that I can listen to loud music for ages and not have an issue - any feedback is appreciated!:help::huh:


First off what kind of sub is it. It could be a number of things. :huh:


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## hayabusa3

serwin Vega CLS-15S, maybe 5 or so years old?


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## hayabusa3

Bumping this - anyone know why a sub would throw a red light and no sound for movies but not for music?


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## Benway

Maybe the sub shuts down because of excessive clipping of the input signal? I think overheating would be more of a problem with music that can have loud bass for minutes at a time, but movies seldom have intense bass for a long time.

Try to turn down the level to the subwoofer from the amp, if possible, and raise the level with the volume knob on the sub if is necessary.


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## Mike P.

Id the amp very hot when it kicks out?


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## tonyvdb

I wonder if the auto on feature is not sensing the signal properly. Have you turned the sub to "On" instead of auto?


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## hayabusa3

Benway - I'm unfamiliar with 'clicking'. The sub doesn't make a clicking sound if that's what it means. It just gradually turns the LED from green to red over a period of two minutes or so. I've played with gain and volume with no change.

Mike P - It doesn't feel excessively hot when it goes red.

Tony - This amp only has an on/off ...can't see an auto switch.

I have noticed now that depending on witch setting i'm using - mono movie/ pro logic etc has an effect on the protection feature, it lasts a lot longer on mono movie but I don't really like how the movie sounds on this setting. I've a feeling the sub/amp is not the problem here. I'll try and borrow a reciever and see how that goes...or take my sub to a friends house and watch a movie there. Thanks for you're inputs guy's.


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## Benway

hayabusa3 said:


> Benway - I'm unfamiliar with 'clicking'. The sub doesn't make a clicking sound if that's what it means. It just gradually turns the LED from green to red over a period of two minutes or so. I've played with gain and volume with no change.
> 
> Hello. I wrote clipping, not clicking. It means that the signal is too strong so it becomes distorted. The subwoofer may have protection circuits if the input signal is too strong.
> 
> But if changing gain doesn't help, it must be something else.
> 
> Best bet would maybe to try to find the manual online as a pdf file. I looked around a bit on Cerwin Vega's site but didn't find any, but I didn't put too much effort in it.


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## hayabusa3

My bad - the sub doesn't sound distorted, at least to me. I've tried the volume and gain on the sub at low levels and it still goes into protect. I actually called serwin Vega and a tech there said the cls-15's have been a pretty good sub and this doesn't sound like a familiar problem to him. More finger pointing to the reciever I suppose.


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## goyop

As most of the gentlemen here would suggest, in order to figure out a problem like this you must eliminate possibilities one by one. The next step would be to hook up your sub to another receiver and see if it cuts out. Then you will know if it is the sub or the receiver.

That is all you can do for now. Once you have an answer we can then continue to eliminate other possible issues until we get to the problem.

Good luck.


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## leej

Where is your gain set? Is it maxed out? Music may not drive it as hard, but movies may be over driving the amp into clipping. Try adjusting the gain a little lower.
Oops! I might have looked at the date, before posting! Sorry!


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