Rubber Duck Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Vintage AR (ebay) has a number of speaker replacements for AR speakers. Are these any different than those offered by ABtech? In particular I'm looking at the AR 9 tweeter replacement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Hi and welcome to the CSP!I don't know, so maybe should not comment, but I see AB Tech is selling the same tweeter for the 9 and the 3a. If you have not done so, take a look at the excellent AR3a restoration manual:http://www.classicsp...-3a_full_pd.pdfYou'll see there are some issues with the AB Tech tweeter (used in the 3a). Roy, one of the authors of that manual, has developed a mod using the $22 HiVi tweeter with a $3 18ga, .05mh parallel inductor. http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=297-417andhttp://www.parts-exp...r=255-200&DID=7I used them in my AR3a's and they work very well. Will they work as well in the 9s? Maybe Roy will comment here.Vintage AR also sells the HiVi tweeter mod for the 3a (for considerably more than $22 ), and that's NOT what he sells for the 9, so these may not be interchangeable. I'd suggest you see what other members have to say about the tweeters for AR9s before you jump to buy something.Good luckKent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubber Duck Posted April 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Hi and welcome to the CSP!I don't know, so maybe should not comment, but I see AB Tech is selling the same tweeter for the 9 and the 3a. If you have not done so, take a look at the excellent AR3a restoration manual:http://www.classicsp...-3a_full_pd.pdfYou'll see there are some issues with the AB Tech tweeter (used in the 3a). Roy, one of the authors of that manual, has developed a mod using the $22 HiVi tweeter with a $3 18ga, .05mh parallel inductor. http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=297-417andhttp://www.parts-exp...r=255-200&DID=7I used them in my AR3a's and they work very well. Will they work as well in the 9s? Maybe Roy will comment here.Vintage AR also sells the HiVi tweeter mod for the 3a (for considerably more than $22 ), and that's NOT what he sells for the 9, so these may not be interchangeable. I'd suggest you see what other members have to say about the tweeters for AR9s before you jump to buy something.Good luckKentWill this work for the AR11? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 I think you'd probably be better off using the HiVi on the 11's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubber Duck Posted April 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 I think you'd probably be better off using the HiVi on the 11's.Do I need the inductor or any changes to the crossover for using the HiVi on the AR11? is an adapter needed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Do I need the inductor or any changes to the crossover for using the HiVi on the AR11? is an adapter needed?The AR-11 already has a parallel .1mh inductor in the tweeter circuit, therefore the HiVi Q1R may be acceptable without an additional inductor. I have never tried it, but it will fit the cabinet hole. The rather expensive AB Tech tweeter is not likely to be better than the HiVi, but it fits the cabinet hole best of all. I have no insight into the use of the HiVi tweeter in the AR-9, but it is always prudent to avoid the most recent ABT tweeter replacement whenever possible, imo. I still believe original used parts are the best bet for most restorations.Ebay's "Vintage AR" purchases all of his new replacement drivers directly from AB Tech, but often has decent used parts available. HiVi (Q1R) tweeters are sourced from Madisound and Parts Express. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mluong303 Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 The AR-11 already has a parallel .1mh inductor in the tweeter circuit, therefore the HiVi Q1R may be acceptable without an additional inductor. I have never tried it, but it will fit the cabinet hole. The rather expensive AB Tech tweeter is not likely to be better than the HiVi, but it fits the cabinet hole best of all. I have no insight into the use of the HiVi tweeter in the AR-9, but it is always prudent to avoid the most recent ABT tweeter replacement whenever possible, imo. I still believe original used parts are the best bet for most restorations.Ebay's "Vintage AR" purchases all of his new replacement drivers directly from AB Tech, but often has decent used parts available. HiVi (Q1R) tweeters are sourced from Madisound and Parts Express. RoyHi RoyIs there any remedy to the AB Tech tweeter at all so it can be more listen-able? Adding resistor, inductor or even coated the very thin soft dome with butyl latex to add weight and tame the ringing of the brightness etc. I would like to know what you had tried or anyone else who had experiment around... Thanks.Minh Luong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundminded Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 Vintage AR (ebay) has a number of speaker replacements for AR speakers. Are these any different than those offered by ABtech? In particular I'm looking at the AR 9 tweeter replacement?The AR9 tweeter is entirely different from the one in AR3a. AR9's tweeter has a recessed dome much like most modern dome tweeters. AR3a has a dome which protrudes from the front plate considerably. As a result, AR3a has far better HF dispersion than AR9. AR9's highs are focused like most other speakers. IMO this makes replacement of AR9's tweeter with a contemporary design much closer to the original performace if on axis FR, sensitivity, and electrical characteristics are similar than anything you can buy manufactured today to replace AR3a's tweeter. IMO if AR9's highs had been designed along the lines of LST or even AR3a it would have been a much better speaker. The AR9 tweeter may be able to handle more power than AR3a, I'm not sure. Its higher crossover frequency of 7 khz instead of 5 khz better restricts its range to the FR region it is intended for and works best at. That part was an improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi RoyIs there any remedy to the AB Tech tweeter at all so it can be more listen-able? Adding resistor, inductor or even coated the very thin soft dome with butyl latex to add weight and tame the ringing of the brightness etc. I would like to know what you had tried or anyone else who had experiment around... Thanks.Minh LuongHi Minh,Well, the .07mh parallel inductor Ken suggested makes it "usable" in the 3a. My problem with it is an inherent harshness and sibilance that increases with volume level. I dissected one that didn't survive Ken's testing, and found the construction quality not up to the standards of any other potential replacement tweeter we have discussed (HiVi, Vifa, SEAS etc). For one thing, there is no damping material under the dome, which I'm guessing is the primary reason for its unfriendly behavior.It does fit the hole very well, however, and if it cost $23 (like the HiVi tweeter) I would recommend it as being worth a try. $70 is too much to pay, imo, for a tweeter of this quality.Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mluong303 Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi Minh,Well, the .07mh parallel inductor Ken suggested makes it "usable" in the 3a. My problem with it is an inherent harshness and sibilance that increases with volume level. I dissected one that didn't survive Ken's testing, and found the construction quality not up to the standards of any other potential replacement tweeter we have discussed (HiVi, Vifa, SEAS etc). For one thing, there is no damping material under the dome, which I'm guessing is the primary reason for its unfriendly behavior.It does fit the hole very well, however, and if it cost $23 (like the HiVi tweeter) I would recommend it as being worth a try. $70 is too much to pay, imo, for a tweeter of this quality.RoyHi RoyThank you for your reply. Do you still have the opened up AB Tech tweeter to take and post few close up pictures. Is the thin fabric dome/voice coil assembly glued to the face plate or to the magnet assembly. If it is glued to the face plate like the AR9/AR-58S tweeter then by adding sponge/felt material behind the dome and paint couple layers of butyl latex on the done would absorb and subdue the ringing problem? Just wondering...!Minh Luong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi RoyThank you for your reply. Do you still have the opened up AB Tech tweeter to take and post few close up pictures. Is the thin fabric dome/voice coil assembly glued to the face plate or to the magnet assembly. If it is glued to the face plate like the AR9/AR-58S tweeter then by adding sponge/felt material behind the dome and paint couple layers of butyl latex on the done would absorb and subdue the ringing problem? Just wondering...!Minh LuongHi Minh,I'll have to search to see if I saved any photos, but, yes, the dome/voice coil assembly is attached to the faceplate. I recall ferro-fluid dripping out as well. Finding the appropriate degree of modification, and then consistently duplicating it would prove interesting. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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