JL Audio "V1" Subs - A Word Of Advice

[radioactive]

I wanted to advise anyone considering buying a "V1" series of of JL Audio Subs. I had a pair of F110 V1's, and had them turned off for a few months because I felt they couldn't adequately "keep up" with my Alexias and my Boulder amp's massive power and bass control. So, one weekend about a month ago I plugged them in. One unit wouldn't power on, the other made a humming sound and didn't perform that well. I contacted JL Tech Support -- and I highly recommend their tech support -- very professional, helpful, and courteous. Shane Dalley and Randy Wagner were amazing to deal with. Luckily, I had a little over a month of warranty left on the subs. I learned through the process that JL made a bad choice in capacitors for the V1's and they go bad if not constantly powered on -- even then, they tend to go bad eventually. Perhaps they were saving a buck, perhaps it was just a bad batch, I don't know personally. But I do know this sort of thing happens a lot in subwoofers. In my case, my capacitors had dried up. These issues were "fixed" in all JL "V2" amps in addition to adding features such as better room correction software and improved amps.

So, if you buy a "V1" make sure its amp has been recapped or it has additional warranty. At least find out how much recapping the amp will cost you out of warranty because odds are against you now that the "V1's" are getting to be anywhere from 2-5 years old. Be smart about the actual cost of what you buy knowing full-well that you may end up paying to fix it (maybe even because it was unplugged during the time it was shipped to you)!

Nothing against JL. They make great subs. But this is an issue on all "V1" subs, and people should know about it. Especially those looking to buy used.

JL's service is so good, they go completely through the amp and entire sub and resolve whatever issues they come across when you send it in. They are true professionals, so at least feel comfortable with the idea that their service is top-notch.

[Audio 1]

This is very good advice!
I have a F113 v.1 in my living room system that suffered this issue and had to have the amp replaced a couple of years ago. Mine was out of warranty and the repair was expensive.

[jdandy]

My JL Audio Fathom f113 v:1 is still rocking without any issues after eight years. No complaints. There are times I don't turn the living room system on for days, sometime even a week or more. Guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope my f113 is the exception. Then again, it could drop dead tomorrow. One never knows.

[radioactive]

For those curious about capacitors, how to identify a bad one, etc. There's a nice quick intro site at http://www.instructables.com/id/What...Bad-Capacitor/ -- it doesn't get too technnical and has links to other places to learn more or even get a tester of your own

And Dan, you're one of those guys who's gear never goes bad aren't you ? I'm the guy that buys electronics and they fail the day after the warranty goes bad. Or I get a lemon after another lemon (I went through 5 McIntosh MX150's several years ago -- I heard lots of folks say, "I never had a problem with mine."). I need some of your good fortune haha.