Problem with Paradigm Monitor 9's

[StateDJ85]

I have a set of monitor 9s. I recently got a new Yammy RX-V1400 receiver and for some reason one speaker sounds completely different than the other. In the broken speaker, all 3 drivers work and theres no damage done, but theres a significant difference in the sound. I ran through the auto setup and the EQ setting for the 2 speakers were completely different. Also I tried flip-flopping the bad speaker through all the main speaker outputs, tried different wire, and still no luck. I still get sound out of all 3 drivers, and no single driver seems to be bad by itself, but as a whole the speaker just doesnt sound right. Theres not much that can go wrong in a speaker, so do any other people out there know what I'm talking about, and has this ever happened to you?

[RGA]

Not all speakers are matched to one another very closely - there could be a variety of reasons but why not take em back to the dealer and get a new set --- sometimes this just happens -- There could be a crossover problem or some internal problem.

[kexodusc]

Not all speakers are matched to one another very closely - there could be a variety of reasons but why not take em back to the dealer and get a new set --- sometimes this just happens -- There could be a crossover problem or some internal problem.

Unmatched speakers really only suffer in the bottom end as most are crossed over well before they begin to roll off, well outside an even 20% tolernace range which the cheapest drivers surpass. Except in rare cases. The other area could be voice coil inductance and efficiency, though this would vary considerably less.

The benefits of closely matching drivers can't be overstated though, that bottom end extension of the driver can really skew things though. Especially when you level match your speakers at a higher frequency, and have say the right side roll-off earlier than the left. A total soundstage shift and possibly poor imaging.

In this case I wonder if there's an unusual defect in one of the drivers that didn't get detected earlier.
Could be any number of possibilities - over damping, a port blocked, faulty element in the crossover.

StateDJ85, could you explain for across which frequencies you hear the difference in sound? I'm sure you've checked to ensure the wires are connected in proper polarity. Did they sound fine with your old receiver/amp? Perhaps it's the receiver, not the speakers?
As RGA suggested, I'd contact your dealer before dragging this on much further.

[kfalls]

"Also I tried flip-flopping the bad speaker through all the main speaker outputs, tried different wire, and still no luck."

How did you do this? Did you leave the speaker in the same room position and change the wires or visa versa? If you changed the wires, the difference could be due to room placement, in a corner rather than open space will enhance bass frequencies. Something else I don't understand is if the setup program noticed the difference as you state and compensated for it, why is there still a noticeable difference? Unless the auto-adjustments are at their extremes, there shouldn't be a considerable difference in sound especially with matched speakers.

[Woochifer]

First, turn off all of the auto setup and EQ, and listen to the direct output. Then physically switch speakers. If they stil sound different, then take it back to your dealer and have them check it out. If the speakers sound different, then one of them's defective in all likelihood. Something as basic as a loose solder or other connection problem can create tonal differences, and fortunately your dealer can probably fix that fairly quickly.

[N. Abstentia]

Wait, are you saying that the speakers were fine then when you installed the new Yamaha receiver then one speaker all of a sudden sounded bad? If they were fine before, and suddenly not fine with a new receiver....there's your answer.

[StateDJ85]

The problem occured after installing the new receiver, but it only could have done something to the speaker itself. I flipped the speaker connections so all the front outputs drove both speakers, and I also moved the speakers around the room. I think this might be a very odd coincidence, or because the imaging on these speakers is so good, I only noticed it after getting a good receiver. It's at the shop being looked at right now. For those of you who are familiar with the Yamaha auto setup, the "whip cracking" sound brings out the difference in sound more than anything else. Thanks for all your input.