how to check a second hand woofer before buying it?

rider60 · 18th October 2007, 05:07

i have been offered a used pioneer 800watt woofer (which i want to fix in my accent viva - crdi) which i will be fixed to my sony 500watt amp in my car.

i currently have a blaupunkt component speakers in the front with the twitters on the speakers its 240watts speakers set and at rear i have a pioneer 460watts set. both these sets are doing great!

i wanted a woofer for a long time now but waited because i needed space in my boot area, but now my pal is offering me this woofer that is like 8-9 months old and is around 1500bucks including the labour charges for fitting it too say what? THE NEW SET OF THE SAME MODEL IN THE MARKET YESTERDAY'S PRICE WAS 3200 ALL INCLUSIVE LABOUR AND FIXING CHARGES ETC!

I WANT YOU GUYS TO HELP ME CHECK THIS WOOFER BEFORE I MAKE MY KILLING AND I AM PULLING OFF THIS DEAL THIS EVENING AT AROUND 5 P.M. SO PLEASE TRY AND HELP ASSES THIS WOOFER BEFORE I ACTUALLY BUY IT PLEASE HELP AND FAST!

gbpscars · 18th October 2007, 10:22

a '500watt' sony amp driving a '800 watt' pioneer 2nd hand woofer...

model #s could have helped a bit.

well do you know if the guy who used it previously listened to ghazals or CDs with "Parental Warning: High Bass!!" stickers?

if you are hard pressed for money, go for it. 1500 looks OK if the woofer is in good condition and has not been abused or overdriven.

may be the seniors can be spot on. wait n watch this thread if anyone replies until your deadline.

P.S.: on your last line that will not be 'ASSES' it will be 'assess'.

Bass&Trouble · 18th October 2007, 12:49

1. Check for marks of physical damage. Ensure that the surround is not damaged or torn, or bearing cracks (happens with foam surrounds that have been around for a while). Inspect the cone for cracks or punctures too. Make sure no part of the magnet is chipped off or bears shattering marks. A subwoofer that has been dropped on its magnet isnt a good bet.

2. Look closely for repair marks around the dust cap. If the sub has been repaired/ voice coil is changed, you should be able to see scratches on the cone right around the dust cap or traces of glue spilled around its periphery.

3. Check the excursion with fingers placed at equal distance from the center on opposite sides, push the cone down. Then pull it up from under. There should be no feeling of 'rubbing'. If there is some friction, the voice coil could be misaligned.

4. Check the suspension. There should be a resistive force when you push or pull the cone. There should be no free movement or play.

5. Make sure the spider is firmly glued to the basket and not uprooted at some part. Likewise for the surround.

rider60 · 19th October 2007, 08:06

@gbpscars
thanks for the spelling correction, i will let you know the model numbers as soon as i can both the woofer's and the amp's. any other suggestions are welcome!

@ bass&trouble
thanks buddy i will make sure i check those before i buy the woofer, which i am going to do today hopefully if the guy selling me the woofer finds time today!

rider60 · 20th October 2007, 12:40

got the sub-woofer fixed in my car i paid 1700bucks for the woofer!
its the pioneer PREMIER series woofer i think its 3yrs old and still in good condition though, i check all the thinks as i was asked to check they were fine!

its a 1000watts woofer
i paid 1300for the woofer
300 for the box and 100 bucks fixing charges!

did i get it at a good price or did i end up paying a lot because the new one in the market of the same 1000watts pioneer 307 champion series woofer is costing 3400 for the woofer alone and the box is 400bucks and the fixing charge is 100 bucks (same)

i will let you know the model number as soon as i open the woofer from the box and see it for it was already fix in the old box itself and i will need to remove the woofer from the box to see the model number!

18th October 2007, 05:07	#1
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,620 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	how to check a second hand woofer before buying it? i have been offered a used pioneer 800watt woofer (which i want to fix in my accent viva - crdi) which i will be fixed to my sony 500watt amp in my car. i currently have a blaupunkt component speakers in the front with the twitters on the speakers its 240watts speakers set and at rear i have a pioneer 460watts set. both these sets are doing great! i wanted a woofer for a long time now but waited because i needed space in my boot area, but now my pal is offering me this woofer that is like 8-9 months old and is around 1500bucks including the labour charges for fitting it too say what? THE NEW SET OF THE SAME MODEL IN THE MARKET YESTERDAY'S PRICE WAS 3200 ALL INCLUSIVE LABOUR AND FIXING CHARGES ETC! I WANT YOU GUYS TO HELP ME CHECK THIS WOOFER BEFORE I MAKE MY KILLING AND I AM PULLING OFF THIS DEAL THIS EVENING AT AROUND 5 P.M. SO PLEASE TRY AND HELP ASSES THIS WOOFER BEFORE I ACTUALLY BUY IT PLEASE HELP AND FAST!
	() Thanks

18th October 2007, 10:22	#2
gbpscars BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 402 Thanked: 5 Times	a '500watt' sony amp driving a '800 watt' pioneer 2nd hand woofer... model #s could have helped a bit. well do you know if the guy who used it previously listened to ghazals or CDs with "Parental Warning: High Bass!!" stickers? if you are hard pressed for money, go for it. 1500 looks OK if the woofer is in good condition and has not been abused or overdriven. may be the seniors can be spot on. wait n watch this thread if anyone replies until your deadline. P.S.: on your last line that will not be 'ASSES' it will be 'assess'. Last edited by gbpscars : 18th October 2007 at 10:23.
	() Thanks

18th October 2007, 12:49	#3
Bass&Trouble Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 2,754 Thanked: 124 Times	1. Check for marks of physical damage. Ensure that the surround is not damaged or torn, or bearing cracks (happens with foam surrounds that have been around for a while). Inspect the cone for cracks or punctures too. Make sure no part of the magnet is chipped off or bears shattering marks. A subwoofer that has been dropped on its magnet isnt a good bet. 2. Look closely for repair marks around the dust cap. If the sub has been repaired/ voice coil is changed, you should be able to see scratches on the cone right around the dust cap or traces of glue spilled around its periphery. 3. Check the excursion with fingers placed at equal distance from the center on opposite sides, push the cone down. Then pull it up from under. There should be no feeling of 'rubbing'. If there is some friction, the voice coil could be misaligned. 4. Check the suspension. There should be a resistive force when you push or pull the cone. There should be no free movement or play. 5. Make sure the spider is firmly glued to the basket and not uprooted at some part. Likewise for the surround.
	() Thanks

19th October 2007, 08:06	#4
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,620 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	@gbpscars thanks for the spelling correction, i will let you know the model numbers as soon as i can both the woofer's and the amp's. any other suggestions are welcome! @ bass&trouble thanks buddy i will make sure i check those before i buy the woofer, which i am going to do today hopefully if the guy selling me the woofer finds time today! Last edited by rider60 : 19th October 2007 at 08:19.
	() Thanks

20th October 2007, 12:40	#5
rider60 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bhagyanagaram. (A.K.A. Hyderabad) Posts: 1,620 Thanked: 56 Times View My Garage	got the sub-woofer fixed in my car i paid 1700bucks for the woofer! its the pioneer PREMIER series woofer i think its 3yrs old and still in good condition though, i check all the thinks as i was asked to check they were fine! its a 1000watts woofer i paid 1300for the woofer 300 for the box and 100 bucks fixing charges! did i get it at a good price or did i end up paying a lot because the new one in the market of the same 1000watts pioneer 307 champion series woofer is costing 3400 for the woofer alone and the box is 400bucks and the fixing charge is 100 bucks (same) i will let you know the model number as soon as i open the woofer from the box and see it for it was already fix in the old box itself and i will need to remove the woofer from the box to see the model number!
	() Thanks