Definitive Technology W7 Troubleshooting

The speaker will not power on when the power button is pressed.

Ensure that the speaker is plugged into a power outlet. If your power outlet has a switch that turns it on or off, ensures that it is turned on. In some cases, a fuse or breaker may have blown, causing the power to the outlet to turn off. Make sure your fuse box or breaker box allows power to your outlet, or try a different outlet you know has power.

The power cable may have an internal break. If you have a spare power cable, try using that cable instead. If not, you can order one.

If none of the above steps solve the problem, you may need to replace the power supply. A detailed guide on how to do this can be found here.

The device turns on and connects to an audio source, but no music will play from the speaker.

Ensure that the speaker is not muted before attempting to play audio. The muting can be on the software or hardware side. First ensure the software is not muting the device, a link outlining this process can be found here. Additionally, ensure that the device is not muted on the hardware side. Check this by looking at the volume control knob on the speaker, and ensuring the mute button is not pressed.

Some speakers have built-in noise mitigation to protect ears against loud volumes. Ensure the volume is within an acceptable range before playing audio. This can be done via the volume control knob on the speaker, or the volume control in software. A guide for both potential cases can be found here.

If nothing works, you may need to replace your speakers. A detailed guide on how to do that can be found here.

The speaker cannot link to the mobile app.

Connecting to the speaker requires a Bluetooth connection. Ensure that the Bluetooth capability on both the device and speaker is enabled before attempting to link with the mobile app. If your mobile device is an iPhone, restarting Bluetooth can be done using this guide. If your mobile device is an Android, restarting Bluetooth can be done using this guide.

Restarting the mobile device is a common troubleshooting practice when the speaker fails to connect with the mobile app. A restart guide can be found here if your mobile device is an iPhone here. If your mobile device is an Android, a restart guide can be found here here.

A humming noise emits from the speaker while powered on if no music is playing.

A faulty cable can be the cause of humming while the device is not on. Examine the wires coming from the device for any defects. If defects are visible, look into buying a replacement cable, found here.

A ground loop occurs when the speaker is plugged in at various outlets. Ensure that all power plugs share the same wall outlet. A more detailed explanation of the ground loop can be found here.

The speaker cannot connect to the local wireless network, or frequently disconnects without warning.

Ensure that your wireless network is working properly. Try using another device to connect to the internet over Wi-Fi. You may need to restart your wireless access point if you can’t connect to your Wi-Fi network. In most cases, this will be your modem. You can restart your modem by unplugging it, waiting about 10 seconds, and then plugging it back in.

If you have many wireless devices in the same area as the speaker, they may be causing interference. Try switching other wireless devices off to see if it improves the speaker’s connection.

If your other devices have Wi-Fi connectivity, the problem most likely lies with the speaker itself. The Wi-Fi card may need to be replaced. You can find a guide on how to do this here.

Offices, Hotels, Airports, and areas with “guest” Wi-Fi networks, are places where connection issues may be prominent connecting to a noncorporate network is recommended.

The Wi-Fi router’s distance from the speaker may impact the connection. When the device is a long distance away from the Wi-Fi router the connection to that router loses stability.

Rebooting your speaker and/or your Wi-Fi router may fix the problem. This may take several attempts. Learn how to reboot the speaker here

The speaker turns on, connects to the mobile app, and plays music, but the music sounds distorted or is missing certain sounds.

Check the mobile app to make sure the EQ settings are not the cause of the problem. A poorly configured EQ can make music sound distorted by maxing out the internal power supply of the speaker. Try lowering the volume on the speaker or flattening the equalizer.

If the speaker sounds like it's skipping or cutting out, it may be out of range of the wireless source. Try moving the source device closer to the speaker. Alternatively, try connecting with a different device via a physical cable to eliminate the Wi-Fi card as a suspect.

If none of the above works, it may be an issue with the source device. Ensure that your phone's operating system is up-to-date, and try re-installing the mobile app. Also, ensure that the speaker's firmware is up-to-date using the mobile app.

If none of the above steps help, it may be the tweeters in your speaker. The tweeters produce higher-frequency sounds, without which your music will sound distorted. You can find a guide on how to replace your tweeters here. you can also know where to find 4-inch tweeters which are the correct size for a replacement here.