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Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R

72.239.58.93

Posted on August 14, 2014 at 17:04:29
Posts: 32
Joined: July 31, 2014






Need some expert help here. One of my maggie's was sounding very muddy and low, so i noticed that when i took the tweeter fuse out, it made no difference in the sound (the fuse works fine). Then i took the socks off and noticed that the ribbon had broke off on the top (see picture). I am assuming that this is the cause of the problem. Does anyone have a fix for this? Thanks!

 

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RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 14, 2014 at 17:32:31
Tre'
Industry Professional

Posts: 17260
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: February 9, 2002
Can't you just replace the ribbon?

Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 14, 2014 at 18:44:09
neolith
Audiophile

Posts: 4841
Location: Virginia
Joined: February 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since:
December 2, 2004
First it looks to me that the ribbon failed because of mechanical trauma rather than overload (melting) but it would not be the first time that a ribbon successfully protected a fuse.
I have never tried to repair a ribbon but if I were going to give this one a try I would cut a small strip of aluminum foil to bridge the gap and use silver epoxy glue to hold it in place.



"Our head is round in order to allow our thoughts to change direction." Francis Picabia

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 14, 2014 at 21:14:54
macmagman
Audiophile

Posts: 501
Location: NW Indiana
Joined: October 17, 2010
Get a new set exchange from Magnepan. I think they run $120.00 each exchange and if one broke you may as well replace them both.

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 14, 2014 at 22:30:48
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
I've seen CONDUCTIVE Epoxy. We used it for 'bonding' purposes in assembly of quartz tuning fork crystals.

Brochure from where I worked. 35 years ago!
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 15, 2014 at 06:28:04
Roger Gustavsson
Audiophile

Posts: 2051
Location: Huskvarna
Joined: February 12, 2010
Exchange is about $600/pair.
Ribbon Repair Kit is $140 plus shipping.

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 15, 2014 at 17:43:11
neolith
Audiophile

Posts: 4841
Location: Virginia
Joined: February 21, 2002
Contributor
  Since:
December 2, 2004
$232 for an exchange pair including shipping and another $30 for return shipping of the damaged ribbons (2 years ago). Of course it helps to live on the west side of the pond.



"Our head is round in order to allow our thoughts to change direction." Francis Picabia

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 16, 2014 at 02:58:06
Roger Gustavsson
Audiophile

Posts: 2051
Location: Huskvarna
Joined: February 12, 2010
Lucky you!
http://www.forumbilder.se/CE0TP/mg-20-1-ribbon.jpg

You americans could help us europeans! We send our ribbons to and you send them to Magnepan for exchange. Then back from you to Europe.

In Europe it is awfully expensive having them repaired.

Ordered a ribbon repairvkit from Magnepan this summer. Unfortunately they cannot send you the original 3 ohm ribbons for older Tympani IV/IVa, prior to serial number 020949 (mine have 020838). The 2 ohm ribbon plus 1 ohm resistor ribbon is said to be not as good sonicly but more robust.

The recent 3 ohm ribbon is narrower. Maybe it can be used in the old ribbon cages too? Sure the gap between the magnets is wider, thicker dots of adeshive is a must. The magnets are also thicker in the recent ribbons, a loss of effiency would be the case. Maybe it will hold up to the original Tympani IV/IVa ribbons?

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 16, 2014 at 07:40:50
Davy
Audiophile

Posts: 500
Location: London
Joined: July 20, 2001
Sorry to hear you are having problems with your 3.3rs . First no crossover boxes and then this.

The best thing to do on my opinion would be to replace the whole broken ribbon foil with a ribbon repair kit at $140. It's a bit of a hairy job though and you need steady hands.

Cheapest fix might be something like conductive epoxy (not totally sure if it would work) but a repaired tweeter might not sound the same as original, though the break is near the top so it might not affect the sound too much.

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 16, 2014 at 09:26:05
Posts: 32
Joined: July 31, 2014
thanks

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 16, 2014 at 16:05:53
Davy
Audiophile

Posts: 500
Location: London
Joined: July 20, 2001
Yes it's a shame Magnepan no longer manufacture the old wide 3 ohm ribbon. It's thinner than the other 2 types and must have been more prone to breaking. I can't think of any other reason why they changed to the thicker wide 2 ohm wide ribbon and 1 ohm resistor (because the 2 ohm definitely sounds inferior to the original wide 3 ohm and gives less output due to the resistor). This change happened in both the Tympani IVa and MGIIIa throughout their manufacture.

The newer narrow 3 ohm ribbon is the best sounding one. I compared all three types of ribbon a few years ago. At the time I too toyed with the idea of fitting a newer type narrow 3 ohm foil into an older wide cage, but myself and Satie came to the conclusion that there would be two main problems, the first being a wider magnet gap giving less output, and the secondly it would be hard and maybe not possible to put in the damping dots needed.

If the magnets are also thicker on the newer cage that means fitting a narrow foil in a wide cage would give even less efficiency. How much is hard to tell though I guess the only way to find out would be to try it. If it's too inefficient it might not be useable.

Magnepan won't ship whole new narrow tweeters abroad. My only other hope to fit new narrow tweeters into my MGIIIas was to try to find a pair of post 3.3R Maggies with non working drivers (even blown tweeters would be ok as you could get the ribbon repair kit, you just need the new cages). Been looking for 4 years now though and still nothing has turned up on that front!

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 17, 2014 at 07:03:30
ngchaisoon
Audiophile

Posts: 46
Location: Singapore
Joined: August 11, 2004
RE: 3.6R broken ribbon (6.54) Open this result in new window
Posted by ngchaisoon on 2008-05-15, 19:16:41 (218.186.12.9)
This is how I repaired mine about 3.5 years ago. Make another terminal block and glue it to the tweeter cage. Remember to keep the same tension for the ribbon. Good luck.


http://usr.audioasylum.com/images/2/28736/Image055.jpg

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 17, 2014 at 07:26:06
Posts: 32
Joined: July 31, 2014
Thanks. The picture is hard to see. Is that just aluminum foil on a block with a screw in the middle?

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 18, 2014 at 05:56:59
ngchaisoon
Audiophile

Posts: 46
Location: Singapore
Joined: August 11, 2004
I used a quick connect tab glued on the block and use back the original screw and clamp for the ribbon. You need to drill a small hole through the quick connect tab (for the clamp screw) before mounting it on the block. Make sure ribbon contact areas/edge are very smooth/rounded.

Check that your tweeter wire has enough slack to reach the new terminal.



http://marcomanuf.com/HTM%20PAGES/SPEC%20FILE/3000spec%20page.htm

Take a look at Top Hardware QC Tabs.
The quick connect tab that I used looks like type QC26.
Type QC19 might be better if the narrow part is wider than the ribbon.

 

RE: Tweeter Ribbon Assistance Needed for Maggie 3.3R, posted on August 19, 2014 at 06:55:51
PoisonM
Audiophile

Posts: 107
Joined: January 13, 2011
Tweeter..my bane as far as it comes to Maggies too..that and living abroad.

 

$100 from Magnepan, posted on August 21, 2014 at 12:33:38
sbrians
Audiophile

Posts: 1455
Joined: March 4, 2002
But you probably want to replace both sides for $200.

 

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