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Replacement tweeters for Allison?


JKent

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It's a long and tragic tale, but my single Allison: Four restoration is not going well.

The good news: The filthy and water-stained cabinet now looks like new.

The bad news: The woofer needs refoaming (but I knew that all along).

And, the ugly: BOTH tweeters are toast!

Any suggestions for replacement tweeters (that won't break the bank)?

Thanks

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>It's a long and tragic tale, but my single Allison: Four

>restoration is not going well.

>The good news: The filthy and water-stained cabinet now looks

>like new.

>The bad news: The woofer needs refoaming (but I knew that all

>along).

>And, the ugly: BOTH tweeters are toast!

>Any suggestions for replacement tweeters (that won't break the

>bank)?

>

>Thanks

Hello Jkent,

I don't know if you are subscribed to the Allison forum at yahoo groups, but there has been extensive discussion lately about restoring the fine tweeter wires. Don't know if this helps but you may find it interesting. The detail some of those guys went into was amazing but beyond the effort I would make to repair a driver.(I think depending on how desperate I get!)

Not much to do for original replacements at the moment except to keep watching ebay for 2 way tweeters.

I hope to have time after the holidays to do research into non Allison mid range and tweeters that could be used as adequate replacements. That's a tall order considering the mids and tweets are the heart of what makes an allison system what it is, but I am also a realist. So far (and it's been years now) no sign of new quality replacements that bear the Allison name.

Personally, I've been collecting Allison stuff for backup since 2000.

Last thing I bought were a pair of 115's.(Ebay) All my surround speakers have 8" Allison woofers and 2 way tweeters so this pair are for spares. My order from 2000 (from the company) got me a spare 3way mid and tweeter for my model ones.

Good luck,

Bill

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Thanks Bill

No--I did not know about the Allison forum at Yahoo groups. Wish I had, because I ruined a tweeter trying to lenghthen the hair-thin lead.

I just tried to look at that forum, but apparently you have to be a member. I tried to sign up, even tho they want too much info, but every screen name I tried was taken!

I may try again, but it's sort of moot now, since the tweeters are toast :-(

I'd be interested to know if you come up with an alternative.

Simply Speakers suggested:

The best tweeter we can recommend is our GT-510 for $29.95 but it needs another ¼” on the hole cut out. You have 3” and need 3 1/4”

I wrote to Madisound and they asked for photos, so I'm waiting to hear back from them.

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PS

I did join that forum. Got 2 replies:

they can't be repaired,

they can't be replaced,

watch ebay.

Not much help so far. Still open to suggestions re new tweeters that are good enough to use in a single Allison Four for a center chanel in a surround system.

Madisound suggested the Audax TW025A0. I may go with those.

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Hi there;

If you are going to spend any money, go the used eBay route for one.

I bought a few and am very pleased with the purchases.

Mine also have the screens.

If you are a winner on eBay, for one, specify how you want them packaged for shipment.

Nothing more frustrating than receiving tweeters with crushed domes.

I also have 2 brand new ones I bought here about 10 years ago, for spares.

You can buy numerous new replacement drivers and end up very frustrated that you don't end of with Allison's anymore.

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  • 1 month later...
Guest aladinsan

Depending on your budget, this list should give you great options on tweeters that are readily available - good luck! My preference is the Morel's!

The Morel MDT33, along with the Accuton C223/6, Hiquphon OW I/II/III, Human 002, Scan-Speak R2904/7000, and the Alison Acoustics 4010203 (previously available only as a replacement part for Allison loudspeakers) are considered by many to be the ultimate electrodynamic tweeters available.

One other option maybe the Morel Supreme 110.

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  • 2 weeks later...

>Depending on your budget, this list should give you great

>options on tweeters that are readily available - good luck!

>My preference is the Morel's!

>

>The Morel MDT33, along with the Accuton C223/6, Hiquphon OW

>I/II/III, Human 002, Scan-Speak R2904/7000, and the Alison

>Acoustics 4010203 (previously available only as a replacement

>part for Allison loudspeakers) are considered by many to be

>the ultimate electrodynamic tweeters available.

>

>One other option maybe the Morel Supreme 110.

OMG! The Morel 110s are $334/pair! I think that's more than I paid for the pair of Allison Fours (with 4 tweeters) brand new back in the day (I could be wrong, but YIKES!)

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  • 1 month later...

Update:

I still have not gotten around to fixing this speaker, but now I have all the parts. Plan A was: I bought a pair of Audax TW025A2's from Madisound. They are 4 ohm and are the tweeters used in the legendary Spica T-50. At about $30 each I thought these would be a good choice.

BUT--I found a pair of original Allison tweeters from the Allison: Five on ebay. A quick check of the Allison web site showed that the Fours and the Fives used the same tweeter (part #4010202, listed at $65 each). Of course that web site and the Allison company seem to be defunct so buying from Allison was not an option.

Anyway--got the pair for $33 + S/H, so for under $45 I now have originals! There is a slight difference. The tweeters from the Fives have lugs instead of those horrible hair-thin leads and spring posts that got me in trouble in the first place. I guess I can fill the holes where the spring posts go and sell the posts on ebay! The Five tweets also have odd plastic pins protruding from the fronts (two per tweeter, although one is snapped off)

So Plan B is: Use the Allison: Five tweeters, refoam the woofer, refinish the walnut veneer, and I'll have a single Allison: Four, perfect for a center channel application (or I'll sell it, and my original pair of Fours on ebay)

The only downside is I'm past the return period for the Audax tweets from Madisound. Guess I'll have to sell THOSE on ebay, too!

Seems all's well. Anybody see any problems I may have missed?

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Hi Kent;

Thank you following up with this last write-up.

By you going through each step and having someone responding to it, everyone else can see what paths there are and frustrations as well in attempting to restore a classic speaker.

At least you end up with true Allison tweeters in the end, congratulations.

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you know it's odd. If you check the Allison site:

http://www.allisonacoustics.com/parts.html

they show that the 2-way tweeter AND the 3-way tweeter are replacements for the A4 and A5. But not ALL the speakers are listed under both 2-way and 3-way. How can this be? As far as I know, the (only) difference between the Four and Five is that the Four used two matched tweeters, while the Five was the "budget" version, using only one.

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  • 9 years later...
On 2/5/2007 at 11:29 PM, JKent said:

you know it's odd. If you check the Allison site:

http://www.allisonacoustics.com/parts.html

they show that the 2-way tweeter AND the 3-way tweeter are replacements for the A4 and A5. But not ALL the speakers are listed under both 2-way and 3-way. How can this be? As far as I know, the (only) difference between the Four and Five is that the Four used two matched tweeters, while the Five was the "budget" version, using only one.

 

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  • 4 years later...
On 12/30/2020 at 8:38 AM, mako said:

mi dispiace ... il post è molto vecchio ma ci provo comunque. Chi ha anche bruciato qualche tweeter Allison per il modello SEI? Ne avrei bisogno

Ebay is your best bet to find Two way Allison tweeters for the Six (even in Italy 🇮🇹). I maintain a worldwide search purely out of curiosity.

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