AR-2ax Replacement Tweeter

[Guest kevemaher]

It seems that I have one DOA tweeter on my recent ebay AR-2ax purchase. I get an open circuit between the tiny copper colored leads. The mounting and electrical connections are not compatible with the AR replacement products I have seen on ebay, as the leads come out from the dome opposite each other, head to the outside diameter and make contact with clips on the side of the can that it fits into. I have verified that this is the correct connection with an ohmmeter. The tweeter on the other speaker makes sound and has a DC resistance of 5.6 ohms.

I've seen that Parts Express has many candidates that can be fitted into the opening (with or without the can).

I'm soliciting recommendations for the best replacement or for an old AR tweeter that will fit the configuration I have.

Thanks,

Kevin

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there;

Do not consider a brand new tweeter unless all else fails.

There is a mismatch with the older OEM drivers and newer replacement drivers.

You would need to replace both tweeters to match the output also.

My suggestion is to locate a used one on, for just one example, eBay.

There is usually a few on auction every month.

[Guest kevemaher]

Thanks Vern,

This driver does not appear to be tha same as the ones I usually see up for auction on ebay. It looks more like the AR-3a tweeters I've seen. Could this be true?

Kevin

[RoyC]

Kevin,

Your tweeter is physically identical to a 3a tweeter except it is an 8 ohm version.

The first version of these tweeters had the leads in the front, the later version is back-wired with terminals (like modern tweeters).

It sounds like your magnet/coil assembly fell out of the plastic cup/faceplate which is VERY unusual. Whatever, you will have to replace the whole thing. There are no modern counterparts.

Roy

[Guest kevemaher]

Roy,

Thanks for the info. I suspected as much. This kind of tweeter seems hard to find. There are several sources for the modern version, such as Simply Speakers and Vintage AR. I could remove the cups on both speakers and mount and seal into the existing hole. It appears that this driver is sealed.

Do you recommend doing this? Will the sound be OK? What should I do about the crossover?

Thanks,

Kevin

[RoyC]

>Roy,

>Thanks for the info. I suspected as much. This kind of tweeter

>seems hard to find. There are several sources for the modern

>version, such as Simply Speakers and Vintage AR.

The backwired version is tough to find. The modern replacement sold by AB Tech and the above sources are expensive, are all the same unit, and will require a significant crossover change if you don't like it.

You could try the original 3a tweeter with a 3.5 ohm resistor in series...or even without the resistor as long as you leave the level control in place. The crossover point would change a bit, but those old tweeters naturally roll off very quickly. Either choice will sound better than the new replacements without a crossover change.

>remove the cups on both speakers and mount and seal into the

>existing hole. It appears that this driver is sealed.

>Do you recommend doing this?

I'm fuzzy about what you are dealing with. The "cup" is part of your old tweeter's faceplate that attaches to the cabinet. It is NOT meant to be separated from the rest of the tweeter, nor will it fit any other tweeter. It goes with your old tweeter when it is removed. If you install any replacement (new or old) they will fit as is. The AB Tech replacement tweeter's faceplate attaches differently to the rest of the tweeter and does not have a cup, nor does it need one to be installed in the cabinet.

Roy

[Guest kevemaher]

Roy,

Thanks for the continuing discussion. I now understand that what I called "cups" are part of the speaker. I have not seen this type of tweeter on ebay, or anywhere else. Can I use one of the older style? But then I need to figure out how to get the wires back inside the enclosure. How can I find out what's involved in the crossover mods for the new drivers? I may not be able to design it, but I can read a schematic and do the work myself.

Thanks again,

Kevin

[RoyC]

Kevin,

It is possible to use the older style tweeter. Drill a couple of tiny holes (just big enough to feed the tinsel leads through) in the faceplate right next to the magnet. Carefully solder 8 inch or so lengths of small gauge wire (20 or 22ga) to the leads and glue or tape the leads to the outside of the cup. Be sure to make the wire/tinsel lead combo hug the cup so they don't interfere with the tweeter fitting into the cabinet hole. A dab of glue on each tinsel lead where they go through the faceplate will seal it.

You can then connect your new wires to the appropriate black and yellow tweeter leads inside the cabinet.

A number of us are still determining how to deal with the AB Tech tweeter. It will require, at the very least, a different capacitor and a small inductor in parallel with the tweeter.

It would be safer and less expensive to try an old tweeter first.

Roy