Tweeter Screen?

[Guest JonM]

Just wondering, has anyone tried using a mesh screen over the AR dome tweeter (sort of like what Advent used over their fried egg tweeter)? There seems to be plenty of magnetic field on the front of the tweeter to hold a mesh in place, at least for enough time to see if there's any audible effect.

I am running my AR-10pi's naked (the grilles are starting to disintegrate, so they are tucked away safely), and those fragile little domes make me nervous :-) I have neither kids nor cats, but you never know when something really unfortunate might happen.

If this is not a harebrained idea, is there a source for such a thing?

Thanks!

JonM

[JKent]

Not sure of the size of that tweeter but I'll bet you could find a car speaker grille. Maybe go to a local custom installer. On the web, 5.25" is easy to find, smaller not so much. Here is a 4" (o.d. probably about 5")

http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/jukebox/49518100.htm

Here are several sizes, starting a little smaller (o.d. 4 1/8"):

http://www.chokes.com/rbsd.htm

good luck

Kent

[genek]

Just wondering, has anyone tried using a mesh screen over the AR dome tweeter (sort of like what Advent used over their fried egg tweeter)? There seems to be plenty of magnetic field on the front of the tweeter to hold a mesh in place, at least for enough time to see if there's any audible effect.

I once encountered an AR-3a where the seller had inadvertantly reinstalled a loose midrange screen over the tweeter (apparently, the size of the flanges and the screw hole arrangement are identical). I never heard the speaker in operation (fortunately I caught this before the seller fired the speakers up again, because running any significant volume through the mid driver without its screen and foam block could have been a bad thing), so I have no idea what effect if any there might have been on the highs.

[Guest JonM]

Thanks, guys. I'll look around for a way maybe to roll my own. I can feel a trip to the hardware store coming, to see what sorts of metal mesh they have that can be shaped like those Advent tweeter grills (and be strong enough not to collapse under the pull of the tweeter's magnet).

JonM

[Guest JonM]

[inadvertent dupe deleted]

[RoyC]

I never heard the speaker in operation (fortunately I caught this before the seller fired the speakers up again, because running any significant volume through the mid driver without its screen and foam block could have been a bad thing), so I have no idea what effect if any there might have been on the highs.

Hi Gene,

I don't think the danger is all that great. Attached is a photo of the very late 70's midrange made for Cello Amati speakers by AR. It is physically and electrically identical to the AR-11/10pi midrange, but without the fiberglass/screen arrangement. I have a number of them and have safely used them in 3as. Another forum member is trying them in AR-3s as I type. IMO, they sound better than the screened midrange when used with the original tweeters (better highs). The owner of these has a number of them to sell, in case anyone is interested.

Roy

[Guest Jim Collins]

Just wondering, has anyone tried using a mesh screen over the AR dome tweeter (sort of like what Advent used over their fried egg tweeter)? There seems to be plenty of magnetic field on the front of the tweeter to hold a mesh in place, at least for enough time to see if there's any audible effect.

I am running my AR-10pi's naked (the grilles are starting to disintegrate, so they are tucked away safely), and those fragile little domes make me nervous :-) I have neither kids nor cats, but you never know when something really unfortunate might happen.

If this is not a harebrained idea, is there a source for such a thing?

Thanks!

JonM

JonM, I have a pair of KLH "mesh" black metal grills that may suit your purpose. They may be or may not be deep enough but I would be happy to send them to you N/C and you can try them out. I can check it on my LST tweets and see if there is enough clearance. Are the 10pi and LST tweeter domes of the same dimension.

Jim

[Guest JonM]

Roy -

Thanks for those pictures - I always wondered what was under the screen on my midranges. I am convinced, by the way, that those drivers are a key reason why the 10 pi's sound so good. I am continually amazed by the smoothness and clarity of the mids.

Jim -

I appreciate the generous offer. I'll try a home brew approach first. Looking at their web site, Lowe's may have suitable metal mesh (www.lowes.com, look for item 92202) - it looks like something you'd use to make a rabbit cage, so it should be acoustically transparent, sturdy enough, and easy to shape and trim with some metal snips. If it's ferrous, the tweeter's magnet should hold it in place until I decide whether I need a permanent solution.

Once I get around to it, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cheers!

JonM

[Guest John Faulkner]

[

Hi Roy

I have a pair of back wired AR mids that look a lot like those naked Amati mids. So you are saying that i could just pry the grills and fiberglass off the epoxy or whatever is holding it down and the mids will not fly apart? i have slready done that to re-wire an AR-5 mid, so I know it is not that hard to get the grill off, but when I did that i re-glued the grill with epoxy so it may not come off again. I do have extra AR-3a/10/11 mids, as well and an extra pari of AR-5 mids so I am open to trying it. I can see how I would likely get more output, but I thought maybe the fiberglass pad helps dispersion by blocking a little of the direct output from the center of the dome. It doesn't seem likely that AR added the grill for no reason - maybe to help protect the dome from little fingers or anything pressing the rather flexible grill cloth onto the dome and crushing it. The mids already often seem to have stronger output than the tweeters, so I am not sure what I would gain. The other member you talk about - trying them in AR-3 or AR-3a? Who is selling these mids?

thanks

John

I don't think the danger is all that great. Attached is a photo of the very late 70's midrange made for Cello Amati speakers by AR. It is physically and electrically identical to the AR-11/10pi midrange, but without the fiberglass/screen arrangement. I have a number of them and have safely used them in 3as. Another forum member is trying them in AR-3s as I type. IMO, they sound better than the screened midrange when used with the original tweeters (better highs). The owner of these has a number of them to sell, in case anyone is interested.

Roy

[RoyC]

Hi John,

Yikes, I am not recommending that folks pry the screens off their mids ! Sorry for any misunderstanding.

I was simply pointing out that running them without screens would not necessarily be a "bad thing" for the driver, as suggested above. As you commented (and I agree), AR designed the speakers with screened mids, so there is absolutely no reason to mess with them if they are intact and functioning satisfactorily. If looking for replacements, however, the Cello Amati mids are similar enough to the originals that they may be an acceptable alternative for some folks. The forum member who is trying them out is using them in AR-3s (not 3as), and likes them very much. The forum member who is selling them is out of the country for the winter, and has entrusted me with a number of them. PM or email me if you are interested in the details.

Roy

[genek]

I was simply pointing out that running them without screens would not necessarily be a "bad thing" for the driver, as suggested above.

I didn't mean to suggest it would necessarily be a bad thing for the driver; it was just that I would rather not have the experiment performed on a speaker that I was considering buying.