Replacing my tweeters a good idea?

Let's not overcomplicate this, guys....SPECIFICALLY: adding a small resistance in series with the tweeter will possibly slightly RAISE the system's crossover frequency, which would allow the tweeter to run even further away from its primary resonance. That fact, plus its lowered sensitivity via the added 1-2 ohms, should protect it rather than endanger it or the system, no? The effect upon system total impedence would likewise be sufficiently small enough to ignore. "Padding" the tweeter in this way is a whole lot more predictable than round after round of cable experiments, and a lot quicker. I don't mean to step on any toes, either, but padding a tweeter lightly IS a relatively easy, simple thing to try. Isn't this why some manufacturers provide switched tweeter levels via in-line resistors as part of their designs?...Let's let the thread-head have his fun, and get the benefits of a more pleasing spectral balance, eh? He's probably not gonna blow up his speaker, nor destroy its response. Cheers.

No one is suggesting going through one's electronics and replacing parts willy nilly. This is a specific fix, based on experience and SUCCESS. To lead people to believe that inserting a resistor in series with a tweeter will cauuse the walls to come tumbling down is irresponsible. To many, it shows a lack of REAL knowledge(not the kind that magazine readers espouse) and/or experience in working with loudspeakers. I do not doubt a person's expertise in electronics, skills which I readily admit I do not possess. However, in working with hundreds of loudspeakers over a 20 year period, I know what I am talking about. I do not pretend to be able to predict the opinions of anyone, but I do know how they feel when they explicitly say something. Joe D'Appolito's advice(in almost every instance of the many I have heard him)for the taming of a harsh tweeter is insertion of a series resistor, as a first step. It works, and I have NEVER seen or heard things go wrong. As stated before, there are alternate routes to solving this problem. Other speaker designers will take different roads. No problem. I would like to see more of them in this thread. But, I respect Joe more than anyone in this field. He does not BS people. Nor is he out for fame(although he cannot avoid it) or fortune. He offers free, PERSONAL advice on all areas of the speaker hobby. And while his tastes are not the same as everyone out there(how could they possibly be?), he is genuinely interested in providing people with the satisfaction and answers they ultimately seek. He is out there, on the front lines, freely sharing his knowledge for the betterment of the hobby.

"To many, it shows a lack of REAL knowledge(not the kind that magazine readers espouse) and/or experience in working with loudspeakers." I beg your pardon. I have designed / built / modified dozens upon dozens of speakers systems with references available to support this. This includes both consumer and professional models, as i used to do Pro Sound for a living. If you searched around a little bit on various audio related websites ( Audio Asylum, Audio Review, Klipsch's home page, etc..), you'd find references to "mods" that i've developed on various speaker models and other individuals that have followed them with great success. I currently have over a half dozen different speaker pairs in my basement brought over by local audiophiles for repairs and modifications. These range from La Scala's & Heresy's to Genesis and some custom built pieces by Kinetic Audio. I even have some sound reinforcement cabinets originally made by Peavey that i'm re-doing. Besides that, my brothers' speaker system, which we designed and are still working on, consists of 14 drivers in a total of 12 "cabinets" with active crossovers and is quad-amped (appr. 850 wpc). My main system is tri-amped using speakers that we designed and built with some outside help from Jon Risch on the subwoofer design. It will soon be totally revamped with a total of 6 amplifiers running multiple banks of electrostatic tweeters, multiple mid's and a quartet of woofers per channel. Power output will be somewhere in the range of 1800 wpc. The speaker system that is in my bedroom consists of some small two way stamd mounted satellites (picture Sequerra's MET 7's and you'd be pretty close) and two sealed downloaded subs. I built and designed these also. For my HT system, i'm currently building a center channel speaker. It will consist of a 3/4" dome, a 1 1/2" dome, two eights and a 12" woofer. I purchased identical drivers to what the manufacturer used for my mains and surrounds. By the way, i modified / upgraded those too. The speakers in my computer room system have also been modified ( rewired, re-tuned, braced, upgraded components, etc..). The speakers in my basement system have been completely redesigned and bare little resemblance to the factory produced models, both internally and externally. Needless to say, I think your barking up the wrong tree. I like my music and my electronics. I also have enough knowledge to design and repair most of the equipment if need be. As to inserting a series resistor with a tweeter to reduce its output, yes, it will work. This does not mean that it is the best method to use. It is a quick and dirty approach used or suggested when know-how, skill and money are all at a minimum. Someone that finds themselves in that position would be better off NOT going into ANY piece of audio gear and looking for alternative methods to deal with the problem. An inexpensive ( below $20) set of well chosen interconnects would probably take care of the problem in this specific situation. This would require a lot less effort, no soldering and even less thought as to how to do it. Then again, knowing which interconnects to use would require experimentation and experience. This is something that someone giving advice as a "magazine reader" would probably never know. Sean >

Well thank you for providing your eulogy to us all. I do not frequent other sites, so I am relying on this thread for you to add something meaningful to both this person's problem, and my general knowledge. I would go along with the cable suggestion as something to investigate. Especially in light of the zippy low end Kimber currently being used. But, let's be specific. Could you be so kind as to enlighten me as to what "inexpensive( below $20) set of well chosen interconnects" are capable of getting this person some real results, without hurting other areas? Yes, the resistor is quick and dirty. Is that something to be ashamed of? I don't propose that the guy begin a research campaign. He wants a problem solved. And in your own words regarding the $2 resistor, "it will work".

The cables in question are marketed by a company called "MobileSpec" and come with a limited lifetime warranty. As to the specific model name or number, i don't have that handy. If someone was truly interested in these, they can email me and i will find out the specifics. I can also provide testimonials / references from people that have used them with great results in terms of "taming" a bright / sibilant system and converting it into something that is far more musical and enjoyable. As to your comments pertaining to me being a "magazine reader" and limited in my scope of things audio related, you might want to broaden your own horizons before throwing stones at others. Sean >