Yet another ps-15 thread

[Rob_Beech]

As someone who refuses to purchase DBX equipment on the principle of the DRPA's known and well documented issues, I have to say that I don't think it is the problem here.

 

The driver blowing issues you tend to get with the DRPA are usually limited to HF drivers which are driven separately. A larger driver (particularly a 15) is much more forgiving to this thump, and the passive crossover in the box should stop this signal doing any damage to the HF. The PS15's whilst are far from my favourite box, have decent enough drivers to withstand this.

 

What you seem to be having issues with is the high power handling of the PS15. They are a loud box but a box that has a high power handling to make them loud. As such, they're not an amazingly efficient box. Of course, to get the volume the user requires, sometimes it's necessary to utilise their program/peak power handling. The drivers handle short term transients pretty well, and it makes for a loud and not unpleasant sounding box. The problem comes when people try to drive the box at these sorts of levels (particularly for with heavy LF material with no subs) constantly.

 

If you do the calculations and limit the amps to only output the rms level of the box, then providing the signal is clean, you will not blow a driver. However, you'll lose potentially 6dB of peak headroom in the system. If you leave it as it is, you'll continue blowing drivers. If you put a slow attack compressor into the chain, you should let peaks through, save the system. But the sound might suffer from "ducking" if you're not careful.

 

To put it simply, if you're not getting the spl out of the boxes without blowing drivers, then you need to look at different boxes. In some cases, MORE boxes, but in this case, different ones as the PS15 doesn't array.

 

Rob

[Simon Lewis]

Amplifier fuses blowing can be indicative of long term thermal fatigue.

 

Braid lead out wires breaking is indicative of over excursion

 

voice coils 'dropping off' seems to be either glue failure or overtemperature conditions.

 

Overall, it looks like it's time for a louder, more efficient system, or the users have to turn down!