charliehatch wrote:

EdiMC,

Sounds like you've covered most of the possiblities.

I was thinking about this some more, and my favorite theory is that there's something wrong with the power going to the speakers. If you have a bad wiring connection upstream from the outlet somewhere, it could cause high resistance, and you could get a voltage drop that could starve the speaker amplifiers.

If you have a voltmeter, I suggest you find a power outlet that is nearby and on the same circuit as your speakers. Then measure the voltage at that outlet with no load, and then with the speakers trying to reproduce some bass. Do you see a big voltage drop when the speakers try to reproduce bass? That points to a problem in the wiring upstream somewhere. (Of course, if the problem is between the speaker power outlet and the one you're measuring, you might not see a change.)

You could also try switching the circuit breaker off and then on again. Quick and dirty, and it might work if the breaker is the problem.

Definitely most odd...

Charlie

That also came to my mind!
I'm finding this linearity/similarity in behavior very awkward...

At the moment I don't have a voltmeter but will try to get one.
In the meantime, can I use a large extension cord to get electricity from other outlets in the house in order to rule out a possible issue with the living room circuit?


"You could also try switching the circuit breaker off and then on again. Quick and dirty, and it might work if the breaker is the problem" - should I try this with the speakers ON?


Thank you @GDHAL for your input! You already tried to help me out in the thread I created about the underwhelming readings I was getting I now come to the conclusion that this was probably already related to that (to some extent)

1 - the latest calibration was performed using the latest working version of ARC, which was different from the one I used to make the initial one.
But yesterday I uninstalled that version and installed the same version I used the first time to rule that issue out.
In terms of settings, everything was the same.

2 - I have a pair of Triton 3's as front speakers. The light flashes behaviour is the same as the other Tritons I guess.
When I get the chance I'll look into it to see if I can spot any differences.

Thanks!

Good idea about the software, Hal, but that doesn't seem to be the problem. And, the change can be heard, which points towards something else.

Cycling your circuit breaker should be equivalent to simply unplugging the speakers and plugging them back in, and it should not harm the speaker amps. Personally, to be super safe, I would shut down all the equipment and unplug the speakers before cycling the breaker. Then plug things back in and power up the system.

Yes, you can try using extension cords from another power circuit. Good idea. A 20A circuit would be best. Use fat, low resistance cords.

Also, when you pull the speaker plug out of the wall outlet, is it tight? Loose? There could be a poor connection there, although it would have to affect both speaker cord plugs. Are both speakers plugged into the same outlet? Another possibility is that the wiring connection at the outlet inside the box is loose or faulty. I upgraded my outlets with hospital grade 20A capable outlets, which are fairly inexpensive (unless you buy platinum coated ultra premium audio outlets). Hospital outlets have a death grip on the plug. If you aren't comfortable doing that change, an electrician could do it quickly.

Just to show how important the power side is, at one point I upgraded my speaker power cables to larger ones (not ultra fancy audio power cables) and installed hospital outlets, and I noticed an improvement in bass power and definition. I think it was mostly the improved outlet connection (lower resistance at the contacts). Later I went further and had a dedicated 20A circuit installed. I use that to feed a PS Audio P20 Powerplant, which feeds everything in the system, including the speakers. That change improved upper midrange clarity and definition. I'll spare you the lengthy discussion as to why that change improved the system.

Bottom line is...power is important.

Charlie

@charliehatch - OK, so, did everything you suggested and everything is behaving the same way...
Also checked the fuses and they're OK.

Plugs are snuggly fit.

@GDHAL - checked the light blinking pattern and it's the same on both speakers. Everything else is the same...

I'm leaning towards the speakers...
Weird, but it's what seems more logical to me...

EdiMC,

The odds of both speakers failing in exactly the same way are vanishingly small. Perhaps if you ran some extremely loud sound effects on both sides, maybe. But even then, it's very unlikely the damage would be identical.

If not power, then something else upstream in your signal path. A low pass filter setting in the amp or source component? LFE engaged or not? Has to be something like that.

Charlie

One thing, the cards that are sent for replacement are easy to replace.

Even though my speakers are out of warranty my dealings with GE have been easy to acquire the replacement amps.