Cheap tweak from Virtual Dynamics:

Ouch! They must not have been packed very well. Are you still contemplating trying out a pair in the future? I saw a used pair for sale recently( maybe that's the same guy that sold to you) as it was marked for sale in the heading but the ad remained there for a while.

Most tweeters use metric size to hold the domes in place. Vifa, Seas, Scanspeak, Peerless all use metric. Brass the metal of music, on a t-shirt coming your way soon. Tom

Hey, Tom! Put me on your list for that Brass T-shirt. I play a brass instrument( trumpet) as well.

We've got too much time on our hands! Brass mounting screws vs. steel, don't you wonder how much affect this can really have when their mass is so insignificant relative to their proximity or lack thereof to the voice coils magnetic field? I wish my brain could retrieve this tidbit in totality from memory, but I remember a speaker manufacturer speaking about the issue of screws, speaker mounting, and mdf. It may have been the owner of Magico in a recent Stereophile or Absolute Sound issue. Anyway... he talked about the dangers and deficiencies of using mdf as cabinet material because of it's propensity for losing ability to lock screw threads with the stresses of constant vibration and the passage of time. No doubt part of his spiel is self serving, but as someone with a bit of experience fabricating sculpture and furniture, I can attest to the potential for weakened threads if you back out and replace screws in mdf. Personally, I think the dangers likely outweigh the potential rewards. At the very least, I'd think about putting the speaker on it's back side after removing the screws and reinforcing the thread walls with tiny amounts of thin superglue applied with a needle applicator.

Photon
You are right about those fasteners in use with mdf. I dipped my brass screws in Cascade Audio paste. The paste product is like concrete when it drys and it is drawn into the pores of the wood or mdf. When my Dunlavys were in use I sealed all reachable internal surfaces with Cascade. Major hours and pain endured. When I was finished with this part of the project, the stage was wall to wall or 21 feet wide. New brass fasteners ideally should have a deeper cut thread to reach further into the wood surface. Brass around the tweeter dome and all crossover standoffs and fasteners should be brass..There is a sonic difference..certainly cleaner more articulate and less confused..Tom