Obsolete issue no longer required

[CrossyN]

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[Whiskey7]

Just from my early years of frying radio parts and basic science. Water is a conductor of electricity and as such may hay have caused (-)(+) contact and thus arcing of some level. The sub is probably ok and the issue is probably within the amp and sub electronics connectivity being fried to some extent. Or, the same condition occurred as it relates to the sub power connectivity within the amp.

The other major concern is obviously what caused the area to be compromised by water.

Just my thoughts and logic.

[Kevin @ Integral Audio]

It seems an unlikely outcome for the speakers to end up damaged and the amp to actually survive, but it sounds like that might be what happened. Speakers fail in one of two ways - mechanically or electrically. Electrically = too much power and not enough cooling (i.e. movement) and you melt the voice coil wire. If you are getting sound, it didn't fail this way. Mechanically = too much excursion and something physically fails in the speaker. From what you describe (deafening...thumping...etc) this sounds likely, and also jives with the sound you describe now. With water in there and the amp going haywire who knows what manner of voltage and frequencies were being sent to the speaker.

TBH, you're probably pretty lucky. If you are getting sound out of the amp at all it sounds like it may be ok, which is shocking given the water/smell/etc, and the speaker is a heck of a lot cheaper than the amplifier