Dan W Posted April 19, 2017 Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 I have a mint pair of 2AX's that I have had for years that I love. I will never get rid of them but I have always felt that the midrange always sounded sort of muffled. Pots, caps etc was all taken care of a couple of years ago. I have been reading all of the discussions about the HiVi tweeter and looking at the frequency graph. I am actually thinking of using the Q1R as a replacement for the midrange driver. Is this a viable option? Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 19, 2017 Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 Do you have an early 2ax with the red dome tweeter, or a later one with the black dome tweeter. The early 2ax crosses from woofer to mid at 2kHz. The later one crosses at 1.4kHz. The Q1R tweeter's response bottoms out at 1.5kHz. It might work ok in the early model, but probably not in the later one. The HiVi dome midranges have a response range of 800Hz-9kHz, so one of them would probably a better driver to play with. You'll still need a mod if you want the crossover points to be the same, but at least there'd be more overlap to serve as a buffer if you're going to try to do it ears-only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted April 19, 2017 Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 Hi Dan, and welcome to the forum. Your comment may be the first time I have read about dissatisfaction specifically directed toward the 2ax mid driver. It certainly is a funny-looking driver that does not particularly inspire confidence with its build quality or aesthetics, but it has performed admirably well in tens of thousands of AR-2ax's, AR-4's and AR-2x's. Your descriptive word choice - - "muffled" - - reminds me of another recent thread where I think someone was experimenting with possibly removing the fiberglass damping covering the cone surface, but I cannot seem to recall the results of that test case. You should also be aware that significant modifications to the cabinet front panel will most likely be required in order to fit and install the HiVi Q1R where the original 2ax mid is normally situated. Also, not quite sure about the lower end of this driver - - - genek says 1500Hz, the Parts Express data sheet states 2500Hz, but the curve on the Madisound data sheet seems to suggest about 2000Hz. Also, are you certain that your mids are producing sufficient output? Have you tried various settings for the pot controls? Could an adjustment of the cap value on the mid bring things more to your satisfaction? My personal notes for properly working 2ax mid-drivers show DCR measurements between 6.2 and 6.9 ohms. If your speakers are indeed "mint" and you already love them, I would strongly suggest you try to find a way to get original 2ax mids to meet your personal goals before any consideration is given to cutting up your cabinets in order to accommodate a more modern "upgrade" driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan W Posted April 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 I greatly appreciate the replies. I have the later ones with the black dome tweeter.... 192000 range. I am going to take your advice to heart! The drivers are all working as designed... really nice sounding speakers. I think I should be happy with what I have and just enjoy them. On the rare occasion when the vocals are sounding a little off I can just switch to other speakers that are a little brighter sounding. Thank you both for your patience and responses to a somewhat naive question. daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genek Posted April 19, 2017 Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 My mistake. I was reading on my phone and got the number wrong. Definitely 2.5kHz, which makes the tweeter a no-go as a mid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankmarsi Posted April 19, 2017 Report Share Posted April 19, 2017 Dan W, you can't beat this offering: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Acoustic-Research-AR-2ax-Midrange-Drivers-Loudspeakers-/262942934987?hash=item3d389ec7cb:g:e0AAAOSwpkFY6qtL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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