|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
96.255.236.222
During cosmetic refinishing, discovered a damaged tweeter (you don't want to know why). Factory has none. I've been VERY happy with the sound and detail from day one. Now I have to find a suitable replacement (or set of 4). New turntable arriving today. Looking for suggestions on sources, or ways to find them. I've been "out of the game" for a long time. Thx!
Follow Ups:
UPDATE: Speaker Exchange in Tampa now has my damaged tweeter and mount. They will make a matched pair for me, and return the good one I sent with the bad one, so I have a spare, just in case. I felt confident in them from the first call. I don't yet have their estimate (it should come today), but from all conversations thus far, it will be less than expected, and quick too. Can't wait!
They don't have any more diaphragms, but they might have some suggestions for you.
I would do as unclestu suggested and move the rear tweeter to the front, and replace both the rear tweeters with these Morel tweeters.
http://www.parts-express.com/morel-mdt-12-1-1-8-neodymium-tweeter--277-060
Save the other rear tweeter for a spare.
While not titanium, it will sound fine as the rear tweeter. It also has a very low resonance to crossover low like the original tweeter.
Now:
You need to treat all the foam before it all falls apart.
Buy some Weldbond and thin it out with water, put a couple of thin coats on the foam (wait a half-hour between coats). The first coat (or two) will soak right in. They may need a third coat if the second coat doesn't leave a 'skin' on the surface.
How much do you need to thin it? Try about 2:1 to start. You want it thin enough to soak into the pores of the foam. Use a very soft artist's brush.
Weldbond dries clear and remains flexible. It will add years to the life of the foam, with no noticable change in the sound.
Hi DJK. Thanks for the tip about treating foam surrounds. I have some speakers with Audio Concepts AC7 woofers, about 20 YO, and while they are still fine I worry about their longevity.
I looked up Weld Bond and they offer several different kinds of glue. Which is the one you recommend for this purpose?
It's all the same, just different packaging (really).
I usually buy the 8oz size.
If it starts getting thick after a couple of years, just add a bit of water.
Check out the impedance of the originals to match better with the existing crossovers.
The Morel MDT-12 tweeter would be a safe bet if the Mirage tweeter is 8 ohm, with 89dB sensitivity. The Fs of the Morel tweeter is so low there should be no risk of resonance issues. However, it would still be an unpredictable replacement driver. The soft dome Morel tweeter is rather mellow sounding (but still very detailed), so it may not present as much treble sparkle as the metal dome Mirage tweeter. I don't know how that factor may affect the reflected sound of the rear-firing tweeters sonic signature.
IIRC the M series had identical tweeters front and rear. Make sure the tweeters in front are the same. The rear tweeter supplies the ambiance and so, depending on your room set up, may not be quite so important. Something close will do. That being said, I know nothing of the original characteristics for the Mirage tweeters in order to recommend a reasonable match.I've worked on some M-1's and the tweeters use ferrofluid which sometimes can dry up. removing the voice coil and cleaning out the gap of the old ferrofluid and and refilling will restore the highs, BTW.
Edits: 04/22/15
Thanks Stu,
I might just swap rear to front, and put whatever I can find in the rear. I frankly hadn't noticed any issues. They still produced copious goosebumps with suitable material.
Perhaps mirage can provide you with some specs?
IIRC the mirage M series were not very efficient, but I am not sure if that was due to the paralleled front rear system. I do recall the biwired series was significantly more expensive than the single wire models.
Don't know about efficiency, but they're powered by an Aragon 4004 with Krell KRC-2/KPE pre/phono setup. A clean 105dB wasn't a problem, ever. Appreciate the support. I'll work it out. Thought about downsizing to a monitor or something, but I have a good friend who's been in the business since the 70's. He sold me my Mirage's. I had Martin Logan CLS IIs before that. Loved them, but they didn't have the punch for movies. I found the Mirage's just as compelling, but with major grunt when needed.
They maintain a large database of drivers. They will likely know who made the originals for Mirage and help you find a replacement with specs close to the original. Keep in mind that all but the closest-matching replacements may require slight crossover modifications.
Thanks Brian. I called them yesterday. Mirage actually referred me to them, but they blew me off. Might have just been the rep. I'll try back.
Odd. I've dealt with Madisound MANY times over the past 20 or so years, and they've NEVER been less than friendly and helpful -- as they should be when you want to buy something. Likewise Meniscus, North Creek, Audio Concepts, and Parts Express.
Only mildly bad experience I've ever had with a DIY supply house, come to think of it, is the guy in NY whose name starts with a "Z." When somebody answers the phone, in a heavy NY accent, with "Yeah whaddaya want?" I go elsewhere.
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: