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SPEAKER REPAIR
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Paul’s Blog
Replacement Drivers
When a woofer, midrange, or tweeter fails, it is time
to replace (or repair) it. Exact replacements are a necessity in this case.
If the left side tweeter is not working and you can get an exact brand and model number
replacement then do it! If the replacement is of the same
brand (but not model number) do not waste your time or money. Non-exact
replacement mids and tweeters will "fill the
hole" but not give you the sound of the original. If a non-exact
replacement part is used, you will not only have to replace the damaged part
but both drivers
to keep a balanced stereo image. As previously stated, crossovers were designed for the original drivers and any
compensation that was added might not sound good on the new drivers. All crossovers (passive or electronic) are not rigid
frequency dividing lines. In a simple two way design
(one woofer and one tweeter) the designer might set a crossover point of 2000
hertz (also written as 2 Khz or 2000 cycles per
second (cps)). This does not mean that all
of the energy above 2000 hz goes to the tweeter and
below it goes to the woofer. In fact, in some low budget designs, there is no
upper frequency roll off for the woofer. This means that for at least one octave
of sound above and below this frequency (1 Khz to 4
Khz)
the sound from the two drivers will intermingle and cause interference. This
can be either constructive or destructive interference and the designer takes this into account by knowing not just the response
curves of each driver but how they work together. If the woofer and tweeter
both have a peak of 3 dB at the same frequency, they could combine at this
one band of frequencies to make the sound "harsh" (like the sound
through a megaphone). Conversely, if the speakers cancelled each other, you
would lose many of the important midrange frequencies making the sound a lot
quieter, thinner and less present. This is why I would not recommend clone
replacement mids and tweeters in a quality speaker
system. The woofer, should it fail, is the most critical
component to replace as it works in conjunction with the cabinet. If you
haven't already, I urge you to read my importance of box tuning page.
Last updated 12/17/2012 |
