# Speaker Sounding Muddy



## Andy Haefner (Mar 17, 2018)

Hello I recently suspended some JBL EON 612 Powered speakers as part of a sound setup for an event I'm doing... And the problem that I'm running into is that they sound god awful... They never used to sound this bad, extremely muddy. They only thing I could think of that could've cause this is maybe the Eyebolt damaging something on the inside? Possibly cutting the horn from the mix? Ive tested every part of the system... And the issue is definitely at the speaker because the same XLR line works great plugged into some other powered speakers we have... EQ Doesn't help at all, what could this issue be?


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## jkowtko (Mar 17, 2018)

If it's both speakers then the chance of both horns being blown sounds low.

The simplest way to troubleshoot is to start eliminating and/or narrowing down on possibilities -- start by connect different speakers to your output lines and see if those speakers also sound muddy.


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## Andy Haefner (Mar 17, 2018)

jkowtko said:


> If it's both speakers then the chance of both horns being blown sounds low.
> 
> The simplest way to troubleshoot is to start eliminating and/or narrowing down on possibilities -- start by connect different speakers to your output lines and see if those speakers also sound muddy.


That's exactly what I did and other speakers didn't sound muddy... Maybe a call to JBL is in order.


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## jkowtko (Mar 17, 2018)

Still sounds unlikely to me. I've never worked with this model before ... but from looking at it online --

* there is an EQ program switching button the back ... There is an EQ setting for "sub" make sure it isn't set to that.
* Is that a circuit breaker? Can you pop it and reset it?
* I am also assuming that you are using an XLR source (not bluetooth)?


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## Andy Haefner (Mar 17, 2018)

jkowtko said:


> Still sounds unlikely to me. I've never worked with this model before ... but from looking at it online --
> 
> * there is an EQ program switching button the back ... There is an EQ setting for "sub" make sure it isn't set to that.
> * Is that a circuit breaker? Can you pop it and reset it?
> * I am also assuming that you are using an XLR source (not bluetooth)?


The Bluetooth is only for control of the speaker, I'll have to try cycling the power then... The EQ was set to "Main"


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## FMEng (Mar 17, 2018)

I assume the speakers are hung so that they are angled down toward the audience, putting the audience (and the mix position) in the horn pattern. They should sound muddy off-axis. Make sure the internal, parametric EQ isn't turned on. It has a separate button, marked EQ+. If the EQ checks out, you are going to have to get your ear up close to the horns to verify the drivers and amplifiers are alive.


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## RonHebbard (Mar 17, 2018)

Andy Haefner said:


> The Bluetooth is only for control of the speaker, I'll have to try cycling the power then... The EQ was set to "Main"


 

Andy Haefner said:


> Hello I recently suspended some JBL EON 612 Powered speakers as part of a sound setup for an event I'm doing... And the problem that I'm running into is that they sound god awful... They never used to sound this bad, extremely muddy. *They only thing I could think of that could've cause this is maybe the Eyebolt damaging something on the inside?* Possibly cutting the horn from the mix? Ive tested every part of the system... And the issue is definitely at the speaker because the same XLR line works great plugged into some other powered speakers we have... EQ Doesn't help at all, what could this issue be?


 * @Andy Haefner* On page 20 of JBL's on line manual, they clearly state the length of thread to use on your _shouldered RATED eye bolts_ when suspending your speakers. Of course you *DID NOT EXCEED* their specified thread length and the shoulders limit the length of thread engagement as well as support the eye bolt for over head rigging purposes thus how can you be worried about the eye bolt doing any damage within your speaker? 
Toodleoo! 
Ron Hebbard.


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## JD (Mar 17, 2018)

Could this simply be the new position? Specs say a coverage pattern of 60 (v) x 100 (h). Usually those patterns collapse as the frequency goes up. If they were near ground level or on stands the audience area may have been within axis, but now suspended they may be outside of the vertical axis, which would have a very profound effect on the sound. As distance increases, this effect is even more noticeable. How high were they elevated?


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## TimMc (Mar 18, 2018)

Andy Haefner said:


> Hello I recently suspended some JBL EON 612 Powered speakers as part of a sound setup for an event I'm doing... And the problem that I'm running into is that they sound god awful... They never used to sound this bad, extremely muddy. They only thing I could think of that could've cause this is maybe the Eyebolt damaging something on the inside? Possibly cutting the horn from the mix? Ive tested every part of the system... And the issue is definitely at the speaker because the same XLR line works great plugged into some other powered speakers we have... EQ Doesn't help at all, what could this issue be?



When was it "they never used to sound this bad..."? Right after they were installed, and then got muddy sounding later? Who else has access (esp after hours) to this system?


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## Ben Stiegler (Mar 21, 2018)

Depending on the throw distance and audience address angle, sometimes you want to hang them “upside down” with woofer above tweeter. Bass is fairly non directional, but the highs and mids coming off the horn sure IS. You want to paint the audience at head level with he horn coverage ... and keep it off floors, rear wall, balcony front, etc. as much as possible. Post some pix showing the space and the hang geometry for us.

Also ... got safety chains or cables rated at 7x the static load? Dropping speaker on talent or audience usually gets a bad review. No single point of failure should permit it’s descent!


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## Andy Haefner (Mar 21, 2018)

Ben Stiegler said:


> Depending on the throw distance and audience address angle, sometimes you want to hang therm “upside down” with woofer above tweeter. Bass fairly non directional, but the highs and mids coming off the horn Sure IS. You want to paint the audience at head level with he horn coverage ... and keep it off floors, rear wall, balcony front, etc. as much as possible. Post some pix showing the space and the hang geometry for us.
> 
> Also ... got safety chains or cables rated at 7x the static load? Dropping speaker on talentbor audience usually gets a bad review. No single point of failure show permit it’s descent!


Speakers were hung vertically at regular orientation, WITH a rated safety cable... However after taking them down and further examination something is definitely wrong with the HF driver. They're being replaced under warranty. It's absolutely absurd them both blowing like that but maybe it's just something weird, like the EON 612's not liking recieving a feed from my digital audio snake. Which is an interesting thought. As I have two more JBL's running the same settings off of the same feed from the snake, but those come off of a different thru output on another speaker... Possibly buffering them from whatever wrecked the other two.


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## Andy Haefner (Mar 21, 2018)

TimMc said:


> When was it "they never used to sound this bad..."? Right after they were installed, and then got muddy sounding later? Who else has access (esp after hours) to this system?


Nobody else had access, I definitely think something messed with them rather electronically or messed with whatever software is running.


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## Andy Haefner (Mar 21, 2018)

JD said:


> Could this simply be the new position? Specs say a coverage pattern of 60 (v) x 100 (h). Usually those patterns collapse as the frequency goes up. If they were near ground level or on stands the audience area may have been within axis, but now suspended they may be outside of the vertical axis, which would have a very profound effect on the sound. As distance increases, this effect is even more noticeable. How high were they elevated?


They were elevated about 16 feet


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## FMEng (Mar 22, 2018)

Simply turning on or off the console or the stage box while the speakers are powered up could do it. The rule is amplifiers (speakers) on last and off first. Power up transients are a common problem with analog consoles but less predictable with digital systems. A power bump could do the same thing.


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## Ben Stiegler (Mar 22, 2018)

Andy Haefner said:


> Speakers were hung vertically at regular orientation, WITH a rated safety cable... However after taking them down and further examination something is definitely wrong with the HF driver. They're being replaced under warranty. It's absolutely absurd them both blowing like that but maybe it's just something weird, like the EON 612's not liking recieving a feed from my digital audio snake. Which is an interesting thought. As I have two more JBL's running the same settings off of the same feed from the snake, but those come off of a different thru output on another speaker... Possibly buffering them from whatever wrecked the other two.


Glad you found the problem! Perhaps power sequencing (hard wired, or dmx remoted) will protect the repaired EON and its cousins from a recurrence.


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