zinda
Member
We've all seen these tiny all in one systems that are claiming 1200 watts and use 2" drivers for all 5 surround speakers and a tiny "subwoofer" usually using a 4 or 5 inch driver in some dual chamber box that's designed to hide the speaker. Or on occasion, they will use a much larger cover that suggests it's housing a 8 or 10 inch driver but once the veil is lifted it reveals a tiny 4" driver that's set down away from the cloth do you can't push in on it and feel the edges, most times it's offset and not even in the middle of the cover.
I've been doing my usual busting junk open routine that has lead to finding sand bags in many cabinets, not limited to just sub boxes but center channels and other cabinets that simply weigh more than they should. Of course the moral person would see this and think what the hell are they thinking? I always imagine the quarry dump truck pulling up to the Chinese manufacturers industrial park with the driver looking for an empty lot to dump his load, but once the address is confirmed, he's pulling into an electronics warehouse, confused and double checking that address. Then he gets the guy signalling him over to the building and dumping 2000 tons of sand, sand that will be bagged and shipped overseas inside speakers?!?
One has to think that the cost of shipping that sand could easily have been used in a better way to improve that device, or anything other than dead weight. So as I continue to destroy box after box I sometimes come across stuff that surprises me like an unexpected super braced JVC subwoofer box that had a beefy driver in it, it's just too bad that the receiver that it sold with only lasted 2 years and never could reproduce anything tolerable. So why make such a good cabinet? A mistake, over zealous design engineer, actually trying to make a good product even though the system was junk from the start?
Then I came across the Panasonic ultimate subwoofer that has a nice looking box, plus it shows a 10" driver, albeit not a typical looking driver, but that made it more interesting still. I had to check it out since I know from the past that these didn't do anything better than other similar type systems did and I found they were less effective than many 4 or 5 inch drivers that were in RCA and philips all in one HTS.
I carefully studied the box as they use a common design that does not invite intrusion without force. Glue is usually how they are held together with false walls and covers. Not so much on the Panasonic, it had 4 cover patches over screws! I really thought they were making something good. I removed those screws only to find that they too had glued everything in place. Big screwdrivers were already in my back pocket expecting this, a few twists of the wrist and there it was, the Keltic (I think that's what they coined this sub system) regardless, that's what I'm calling it! So I pushed on it and it was stiff, big rubber surround like a JL W7 10". It had 8 screws holding it in and it was shiny silver that felt like a plastic that was very dense and dampened! I was pretty excited to see this and quickly removed the screws and grabbed a screwdriver to pry that puppy up out of the box expecting it to have a bit of weight and glue. Well it popped off easily and I picked it up feeling like a frisbee. Turned it over and then I saw the actual driver mounted behind it! A generic 6" paper cone driver!
The Keltic was a plastic disc with a big surround.
The box, 7/16" pressboard, as I suspected from previous listening, it was a disaster. Here's the pictures, I have many more like this, it's sad that 1 out of 20 had anything close to a working subwoofer but had no way of getting any use from it since JVC now makes stereos that will probably break on the way home. The part that I don't get is how many people bought this crap and we're happy with it? They weren't cheap, a decent smaller receiver and speakers could be had for the same $300 to $500, or if you were suckered in by Samsung, you're out $600 to $1000 for something that cannot be placed to close to a window or it will melt!
The day samsung figures out how to make plastic conduct electricity will be the day the world should quit buying electronics, I believe the CEO has a metal and wood allergy or phobia and cannot allow any more than 4 screws and 1 oz of copper traces in anything they make. There was someone who commented on some Samsung speakers that they thought were the ultimate, his comments included the fact that someone from JBLs recently acquired division was put in charge of making them. I would have to say that he really must be a genius because I'm sure he was handed 3 screws and a tiny wad of copper and was told to make a floor standing speaker using that and the rest was to be plastic. It's a miracle that anything was produced and called a speaker.
I doubt that guy is still employed at samsung, I just don't see how they can be taken seriously in the audio world. Now don't start in on me with some 1 off design they made, anyone can do that, put all your resources into a single item and I would expect nothing less from any of us reading this no less a billion $ company.
All major electronics manufacturers seem to be running downhill with scissors racing to the bottom.
I've been doing my usual busting junk open routine that has lead to finding sand bags in many cabinets, not limited to just sub boxes but center channels and other cabinets that simply weigh more than they should. Of course the moral person would see this and think what the hell are they thinking? I always imagine the quarry dump truck pulling up to the Chinese manufacturers industrial park with the driver looking for an empty lot to dump his load, but once the address is confirmed, he's pulling into an electronics warehouse, confused and double checking that address. Then he gets the guy signalling him over to the building and dumping 2000 tons of sand, sand that will be bagged and shipped overseas inside speakers?!?
One has to think that the cost of shipping that sand could easily have been used in a better way to improve that device, or anything other than dead weight. So as I continue to destroy box after box I sometimes come across stuff that surprises me like an unexpected super braced JVC subwoofer box that had a beefy driver in it, it's just too bad that the receiver that it sold with only lasted 2 years and never could reproduce anything tolerable. So why make such a good cabinet? A mistake, over zealous design engineer, actually trying to make a good product even though the system was junk from the start?
Then I came across the Panasonic ultimate subwoofer that has a nice looking box, plus it shows a 10" driver, albeit not a typical looking driver, but that made it more interesting still. I had to check it out since I know from the past that these didn't do anything better than other similar type systems did and I found they were less effective than many 4 or 5 inch drivers that were in RCA and philips all in one HTS.
I carefully studied the box as they use a common design that does not invite intrusion without force. Glue is usually how they are held together with false walls and covers. Not so much on the Panasonic, it had 4 cover patches over screws! I really thought they were making something good. I removed those screws only to find that they too had glued everything in place. Big screwdrivers were already in my back pocket expecting this, a few twists of the wrist and there it was, the Keltic (I think that's what they coined this sub system) regardless, that's what I'm calling it! So I pushed on it and it was stiff, big rubber surround like a JL W7 10". It had 8 screws holding it in and it was shiny silver that felt like a plastic that was very dense and dampened! I was pretty excited to see this and quickly removed the screws and grabbed a screwdriver to pry that puppy up out of the box expecting it to have a bit of weight and glue. Well it popped off easily and I picked it up feeling like a frisbee. Turned it over and then I saw the actual driver mounted behind it! A generic 6" paper cone driver!
The Keltic was a plastic disc with a big surround.
The box, 7/16" pressboard, as I suspected from previous listening, it was a disaster. Here's the pictures, I have many more like this, it's sad that 1 out of 20 had anything close to a working subwoofer but had no way of getting any use from it since JVC now makes stereos that will probably break on the way home. The part that I don't get is how many people bought this crap and we're happy with it? They weren't cheap, a decent smaller receiver and speakers could be had for the same $300 to $500, or if you were suckered in by Samsung, you're out $600 to $1000 for something that cannot be placed to close to a window or it will melt!
The day samsung figures out how to make plastic conduct electricity will be the day the world should quit buying electronics, I believe the CEO has a metal and wood allergy or phobia and cannot allow any more than 4 screws and 1 oz of copper traces in anything they make. There was someone who commented on some Samsung speakers that they thought were the ultimate, his comments included the fact that someone from JBLs recently acquired division was put in charge of making them. I would have to say that he really must be a genius because I'm sure he was handed 3 screws and a tiny wad of copper and was told to make a floor standing speaker using that and the rest was to be plastic. It's a miracle that anything was produced and called a speaker.
I doubt that guy is still employed at samsung, I just don't see how they can be taken seriously in the audio world. Now don't start in on me with some 1 off design they made, anyone can do that, put all your resources into a single item and I would expect nothing less from any of us reading this no less a billion $ company.
All major electronics manufacturers seem to be running downhill with scissors racing to the bottom.
