[Skierman]

This is not a bash, I love the MS8, but am out of ideas and would like educated opinions/guidance on anything I possibly may be overlooking.

My set up is as follows
F150 with factory nav/sony sytem
High/Mid's are summed to the MS8, low was summed to input channel 8.
Signal is grabbed after the factory amp since it's impossible to get it before the amp b/c of the way audio is sent to it.
All 8 output channels are used. The MS8 powers side speakers which are polk 4 ohm, and everything else is ran off an external amplifier.


The first MS8 I had only worked for about a day. Turned the vehicle off, and it wouldn't come on anymore. Since I had bought it from an individual, I bit the bullet and bought another at full retail for the warranty. I plugged it in and it worked for about a month. I was having a turn on pop issue, after some help learned that it was because the factory amp was turning on before the MS8, which was not preventable. There was no way to have the MS8 turn on the factory amp so I wired in a delay for the MS8 to turn on later. This prevented the turn on pop.

Had the 2nd unit for a month with no real issues except lack of full midbass which there are many threads on. I EQ'd it to my liking and 2 weeks later it stopped working. Checked power/ground etc, had voltage across the terminals, unplugged everything but power/ground/remote in/out, still wouldnt power up. Hit the reset light, the external amp would cycle on, the LED would light up, and then it would turn off in about 5 seconds.

RA'd it and received the replacement a week and a half after I mailed it which was last week. Direct plug in and everything was good. EQ'd it straight off the bat. 3 days later it to turn on. I rechecked everything, unplugged all connections except power/ground/remote in/out hit reset, LED came on again, turned off in about 5 seconds. So once again I have RA'd it, mailed it express on Saturday so it would be there on Tuesday. Im getting tired of no sound.

I've spoken with some tech's at JBL but they are unable to see what the technicians diagnose, they receive the unit, and send out another. I don't know what the problem is. The install is pretty straight forward. I've checked and rechecked all connections. Hooked the MS8 to a external power supply and it still won't turn on but for 5 seconds after hitting reset. I am worried it has something to do with the internal amp b/c I read some people were having issues.

Any ideas or just bad luck?

 

[Chaos]

So you're on the fourth unit, and still no joy?

This probably isn't going to help you at all, but did you try to connect everything except for the 1 pair of speakers running off the internal amp?

 

[Andy Wehmeyer]

When you send the MS-8 back, do you send the whole thing and replace the display and the cable too?

A few more questions:

1. What's connected to REM In?
2. What's connected to REM out?

 

[Skierman]

So you're on the fourth unit, and still no joy?

This probably isn't going to help you at all, but did you try to connect everything except for the 1 pair of speakers running off the internal amp?

I have done that after it stopped turning on. I am thinking about leaving them disconnected but what's the point.

When you send the MS-8 back, do you send the whole thing and replace the display and the cable too?

A few more questions:

1. What's connected to REM In?
2. What's connected to REM out?

I am using everything from the first MS8. When I bought the 2nd unit, I just unplugged the 1st unit, replaced it with the 2nd, didnt touch anything else in the box. Same with the 3rd. When I send the MS8 back, everything is completely untouched except for the MS8, which has all the plastic on the unit still, shipped in the plastic wrap it came in. The 1st one I sent in, did have some surface scratches, but nothing worth noting. 2nd unit was completely untouched cosmetically. I just got email confirmation that it has arrived today at the center in GA.

I haven't replaced the display, or cable, because they haven't given me an issue and always worked. All I do is swap the MS8 unit, no changing anything.

Power for the the remote in is from a fused fuse tap off the retained accessory power in the kickpanel fuse box. It is wired to a relay, which is used as a turn for a battery isolator, and the delay timer inline to the remote in on the MS8 to prevent turn on pop. The remote out is connected to a Zuki amp. The Zuki has 3 remote in's. One remote out to the amp, then daisy chained from remote in to remote in.

 

[Skierman]

Andy,,please help. Received the 4th unit last night, won't turn on now, 24 hours later. I am getting very tired.

Same story as everything before except this time I did not plug in or calibrate for speakers to run off the MS8 internal amp. I thought the internal amp was the culprit.

Leads me to believe something is wrong with the remote in. I'd like to know what is going on. Is 12-14V too much for the remote in to handle?

 

[zoomer]

4 broken MS-8s? hmm start looking at your install! JBL has been exeplary!
I just installed mine last week. generally happy, I can post a review

 

[bassfromspace]

4 broken MS-8s? hmm start looking at your install! JBL has been exeplary!
I just installed mine last week. generally happy, I can post a review

He's not the only person to have gone through multiple MS-8's. They're damn good when they work.

 

[Skierman]

4 broken MS-8s? hmm start looking at your install! JBL has been exeplary!
I just installed mine last week. generally happy, I can post a review

It was professionally installed. There isn't much to screw up, power, ground, remote in, remote out. They are all doing the appropriate things. Voltage across the remote in and power. One worked for a month. 2 for 1 day. 1 for 3 days.

 

[zoomer]

It was professionally installed. There isn't much to screw up, power, ground, remote in, remote out. They are all doing the appropriate things. Voltage across the remote in and power. One worked for a month. 2 for 1 day. 1 for 3 days.

OK I will keep my fingers crossed! I am likeing mine more and more as I listen to varied music.

 

[subwoofery]

It was professionally installed. There isn't much to screw up, power, ground, remote in, remote out. They are all doing the appropriate things. Voltage across the remote in and power. One worked for a month. 2 for 1 day. 1 for 3 days.

Even if there isn't much to screw up doesn't mean the installer can't screw it up... Ask the installer to install a relay for the remote instead of getting it from the HU.

Kelvin

 

[Andy Wehmeyer]

It was professionally installed. There isn't much to screw up, power, ground, remote in, remote out. They are all doing the appropriate things. Voltage across the remote in and power. One worked for a month. 2 for 1 day. 1 for 3 days.

While we have had occasional hardware failures, there's no design or production flaw that would cause 4 bad MS-8s.

If you have power ground and remote in, then none of those are the problem. I'd check to see what the current draw is on whatever is connected to the REM out. Also, I think your guys have replaced MS-8 4 tiimes, but have NOT replaced the display or the cable. Once you've confirmed that the current draw on the REM out is less than 1A, then I'd try replacing the display and the cable. Just hook that stuff up in the trunk temporarily if you don't want to go through the hassle of re-running the cable to troubleshoot.

 

[Skierman]

Even if there isn't much to screw up doesn't mean the installer can't screw it up... Ask the installer to install a relay for the remote instead of getting it from the HU.

Kelvin

There is no remote from the factory HU, comes from a fuse tap that is used for retained accessory power. There is voltage at the appropriate terminals.

While we have had occasional hardware failures, there's no design or production flaw that would cause 4 bad MS-8s.

If you have power ground and remote in, then none of those are the problem. I'd check to see what the current draw is on whatever is connected to the REM out. Also, I think your guys have replaced MS-8 4 tiimes, but have NOT replaced the display or the cable. Once you've confirmed that the current draw on the REM out is less than 1A, then I'd try replacing the display and the cable. Just hook that stuff up in the trunk temporarily if you don't want to go through the hassle of re-running the cable to troubleshoot.

Andy, with the vehicle on, there is power across terminals for 12V in, and remote IN, there is no voltage coming from the remote out.

With the unit installed in the vehicle, no blue LED lights up when cycling the vehicle on and off. The only time there is blue LED is when you hit the reset button, ignition on or off, whether remote in connected or not, for about 5 seconds.

When the MS8 is pulled from the vehicle, connected to a power supply, remote in, ground, power, the unit will cycle on for a few seconds when power is first switched on at the power supply. Like when installing it in a vehicle. Then will turn off, have to hit reset for it to cycle back on for 5 seconds.

What good is replacing the display cable if the unit won't turn on? If everything works when I have a new unit, plug and play.

Will reinstalling it, with out the remote out, with a new display cable cause the unit to turn on? Shouldn't the MS8 should turn on without the display cable connected nor the remote out connected?

 

[yuri]

just saying .. my first ms-8 froze after a month , bought 2nd one while that one was been fixed ... repaired one came back and lasted around a month before it broke again (turning itself on and off) jbl replaced that with a new one .. worked fine until i fitted a new battery in the car , now it comes on plays and turns itself off after 9 seconds ...

the second ms-8 worked /played faultlessly for over a year now ,its been in and out of 2 cars substituting for the other one that "breaks" until tonight when i pulled the "broke" one i fitted it in its place and i have broke one of the rca inputs ...

 

[zoomer]

Glad I am not the only one that broke the RCAs! In 35 years of audio i have never before broken an RCA input before this!
Its great that Andy from Harman follows the forum and helps. Hopefully Andy will provide some feedback to the supply management to find a better RCA input assembly and get to the bottom of the failure issues!
I really love the improvement in soundstage I got and smoother sound with the MS8

 

[Skierman]

Still having issues with the unit's failing after a few days of use. They just fail to turn on. Tech support has been helpful trying to trouble shoot and narrow down causes but at the cost of a unit at a time. The tech suggest I write Andy and JBL customer service so I have, waiting to hear back.

 

[Skierman]

STILL having issues. Andy contacted me last month and suggested I replace the display and cable. Thought we nipped the problem. While waiting for a warranty replacement I went and purchased another unit since it was going to be 2 months. It worked flawless for three days, now the new MS8 fails to turn on. It has power, etc, but will not power on. Wrote Andy, hoping to hear back soon.

 

[deesz]

Are you sure the polks are 4ohms some polks are 2.6ohms and this could be part of your problem with it playing for a while then stop working. other than that i find it strange you have gone through so many.

 

[quality_sound]

STILL having issues. Andy contacted me last month and suggested I replace the display and cable. Thought we nipped the problem. While waiting for a warranty replacement I went and purchased another unit since it was going to be 2 months. It worked flawless for three days, now the new MS8 fails to turn on. It has power, etc, but will not power on. Wrote Andy, hoping to hear back soon.

I'm betting it's related to all the stuff you have being turned on with your turn-on circuit. Try running the MS-8 on it's OWN turn-on and see how it does. Hell, I'd just jumper power fromt he battery connection and leave it on and see what happens. The only common thing here is that the power cycling is causing the problem. Start troubleshooting there.

 

[Skierman]

I'm betting it's related to all the stuff you have being turned on with your turn-on circuit. Try running the MS-8 on it's OWN turn-on and see how it does. Hell, I'd just jumper power fromt he battery connection and leave it on and see what happens. The only common thing here is that the power cycling is causing the problem. Start troubleshooting there.

It does have it's own turn on circuit. An acc fuse tap, with a relay and timer to delay the MS8 from turning on for a few seconds so the factory stuff can turn on first to avoid a pop. Is that what you are saying by letting it have it's own turn-on?

I believe it's a turn on issue too, or the hi level input is causing issues. But how could a delay on the turn on cause the MS8's issue?

I bought a LC6i just in case, so I can wire it to the hi level factory signal, bring the voltage down and run RCA's to the MS8. We will be rewiring the install, just to double check everything. We are also going to wire a relay from the remote out to turn on the external amps just in case even though the draw is below 1 amp.

 

[Skierman]

Are you sure the polks are 4ohms some polks are 2.6ohms and this could be part of your problem with it playing for a while then stop working. other than that i find it strange you have gone through so many.

Im not positive, but I believe they are 4 ohms. I left them disconnected with one of the units though before it stopped.