Blown Atomic CLR

rickbarclay

Inspired
HI, all. You'd think a speaker as expensive as these would last a bit longer than two years...but, I guess not.
So, anyway, I've changed out a driver in a hundred watt outdoor speaker, and I was wondering if anyone here
has repaired a blown Atomic CLR and if so would you be kind enough to share with me how you did it. It's a long shot, I know, but it's either that or buy something cheaper. Thanks for any help. I've already emailed Atomic to see what they have to say.
 
It's assembled by humans like any other speaker cab so I'm sure it's possible to replace components. Hopefully Atomic would have the part you need and a set of instructions could probably be provided to help you DIY.

You'd better be sure it actually is one of the speaker drivers that's at fault though before getting a replacement one sent .... would be sad way to discover it was actually the amp/DSP/crossover etc. that's farted out.

If something went POP as you say, then I'd personally be thinking first it's something before the speaker that's gone.

Also ..... the speaker is concentric so has 2 independent drivers - if one driver went then the other would probably still work and you'd hear something 'unblown' from it
 
Thanks so much for the advice guys. Can the power amp be changed out? Any info on cost? I've been looking at Seismic Audio the past few minutes and am leaning toward buying one if I can't replace the Atomic CLR. Thanks again. I've called and emailed Atomic's support. Waiting
for rsvp.
Also, I wasn't playing at the time the speaker blew. I was watching tv. Soooo, is it a bad idea to leave your powered speakers on for long periods without playing them? Thanks.

Yeah, I understand about the two driver thing. The speaker I fixed continued outputting, but had a buzz that would make a bee proud.
 
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I had this kind of problem recently, it was the dsp that was burned and not the driver. Contact Tom to find a solution with him.
 
Worked with Mr. King when I bought the unit. Seemed like a really stand-up guy. I'll call him. Hate to ask this, but what is a dsp? Thanx.
 
Hate to ask this, but what is a dsp? Thanx.
The Digital Signal Processor ..... the bit where you click switches to alter the sound for different mount positions etc. The signal always passes thru it so if something in it fails then it will very likely affect your sound.

I'd say the best scenario would be that Atomic send you a new power amp and DSP module and you try replacing them (one at a time if that's possible) and send back the part that isn't needed
 
I replaced the power amp in my CLR about a year ago. Tom was very helpful in diagnosing the problem and sent out a new one right away. I was slightly beyond the warranty period but Tom sent the replacement out without any charge. If you go that route, take some pictures before you start disconnecting wires so as not to confuse them when you put in the replacement. It's an easy swap although getting your hands in there to reattach things takes a bit of dexterity.

I've wondered about turning the active CLR into a passive one so that I had other options for amps but not sure if that is possible given the fact that the CLR is bi-amped and has cross-overs.
 
I've wondered about turning the active CLR into a passive one so that I had other options for amps but not sure if that is possible given the fact that the CLR is bi-amped and has cross-overs.

Pretty sure the crossover is part of the power amp so you would have to get the crossover that Atomic uses in their passive unit in order to do this.
 
Great info guys. Thanks a million. Updates will follow, including an SAX review if I go that route. Lots of good reviews available for those
units.
 
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Thanks so much for the advice guys. Can the power amp be changed out? Any info on cost? I've been looking at Seismic Audio the past few minutes and am leaning toward buying one if I can't replace the Atomic CLR. Thanks again. I've called and emailed Atomic's support. Waiting
for rsvp.
Also, I wasn't playing at the time the speaker blew. I was watching tv. Soooo, is it a bad idea to leave your powered speakers on for long periods without playing them? Thanks.

Yeah, I understand about the two driver thing. The speaker I fixed continued outputting, but had a buzz that would make a bee proud.
Everything electronic or mechanical (a CLR is both) has a service life. If it was mine, I would turn the CLR off when not in use.
 
As others have posted, most likely a power amp module failure. This module is easy to remove and replace. Contact Tom King at Atomic Amps and relay any details you can regarding the failure. He should be able to help you troubleshoot and diagnose the fault and provide a path to resolution.
 
The module looks easy enough on the outside. Just a bunch of phillips heads. What about the other side, though? Any soldering necessary?
How much do the units go for? Jazzgtrl4, do you beat the chit out of your axe, or what? :) I try to treat mine like it's the second last thing on earth. I'll turn it off when not in use. I have to play through headphones when the better half's at home, which I imagine is gonna suck tonight.
Mrs. B worked today so I played through one speaker. I got used to it after a bit. She's home now. Monday can't come soon enough. I even called Tom King today to see if he might be around. Nope. Oh, well.
 
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