Help with Allison 9 Speakers....

[Michael Kennedy]

I am a true novice to home speakers. I found this site, and I thought I would post my question here.....
I have a pair of Allison 9 speakers that I bought, I think it was 1982-85? I still have them. How do I buy new speakers for them? All the speakers still work, except for one--it is the top speaker. The middle and the bass speakers still work--just need one new speaker, or someone to repair the top speaker on one of the speakers. By the way, how does the Allison 9 technology compare to today's speakers?
I am posting to this thread--just saw it is about loudspeakers....
Thanks for your help.

 

[lovinthehd]

Basically if you can't get the actual replacement tweeter (doubtful it can be repaired), it's likely an exercise in futility to find something that will match up to the other drivers and crossover network in the speaker. Allison doesn't seem to be around any longer from a brief search. Speaker technology hasn't changed a lot, many current speakers still use the same basic technology.

 

[TLS Guy]

I am a true novice to home speakers. I found this site, and I thought I would post my question here.....
I have a pair of Allison 9 speakers that I bought, I think it was 1982-85? I still have them. How do I buy new speakers for them? All the speakers still work, except for one--it is the top speaker. The middle and the bass speakers still work--just need one new speaker, or someone to repair the top speaker on one of the speakers. By the way, how does the Allison 9 technology compare to today's speakers?
I am posting to this thread--just saw it is about loudspeakers....
Thanks for your help.

Roy Allison was a great designer.

Those are one of the few vintage speakers worth restoring.

There are no replacement drivers. So the only hope is to carefully measure and analyze the design and modify the crossover to modern tweeters. This is actually quite an arduous process. It would involve sending both speakers to someone like myself. The restoration would not be cheap. In the end the speakers would never be exactly the same as the originals.

However these speakers are considered worthy of restoration.

You need to consider passing these on for someone with a passion for restoration or buying new speakers.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Basically if you can't get the actual replacement tweeter (doubtful it can be repaired), it's likely an exercise in futility to find something that will match up to the other drivers and crossover network in the speaker. Allison doesn't seem to be around any longer from a brief search. Speaker technology hasn't changed a lot, many current speakers still use the same basic technology.

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your time.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Roy Allison was a great designer.

Those are one of the few vintage speakers worth restoring.

There are no replacement drivers. So the only hope is to carefully measure and analyze the design and modify the crossover to modern tweeters. This is actually quite an arduous process. It would involve sending both speakers to someone like myself. The restoration would not be cheap. In the end the speakers would never be exactly the same as the originals.

However these speakers are considered worthy of restoration.

You need to consider passing these on for someone with a passion for restoration or buying new speakers.

Thank you for your help; I appreciate your time.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thank you for your help; I appreciate your time.

I do have a solution for you. I was looking at the pictures and recognized the tweeter as the old SEAS H-087 35 mm tweeter. This was used by AR and Dynaco and others. The old tweeters are failing. However SEAS have introduced a replacement I find, because of demand. Since this is specialist the price is a little high.

You will need to replace both, so it will set you back $504.80 plus shipping.

For those speakers, I would say it was worth it.

The sensitivity is 1 db higher then the original, but that is not enough to warrant messing with the crossover.

 

[Michael Kennedy]

Hello,
You are right; the price is a bit much. I will wait and think about it. I have your post, if I decide to replace it.
Thank you.

I do have a solution for you. I was looking at the pictures and recognized the tweeter as the old SEAS H-087 35 mm tweeter. This was used by AR and Dynaco and others. The old tweeters are failing. However SEAS have introduced a replacement I find, because of demand. Since this is specialist the price is a little high.

You will need to replace both, so it will set you back $504.80 plus shipping.

For those speakers, I would say it was worth it.

The sensitivity is 1 db higher then the original, but that is not enough to warrant messing with the crossover.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

I do have a solution for you. I was looking at the pictures and recognized the tweeter as the old SEAS H-087 35 mm tweeter. This was used by AR and Dynaco and others. The old tweeters are failing. However SEAS have introduced a replacement I find, because of demand. Since this is specialist the price is a little high.

You will need to replace both, so it will set you back $504.80 plus shipping.

For those speakers, I would say it was worth it.

The sensitivity is 1 db higher then the original, but that is not enough to warrant messing with the crossover.

This is getting confusing. The OP says it's the top tweeter that isn't working. That wouldn't be the 1.5" Seas unit--it looks to me like the 3/4" "fried egg" tweeter that was proprietary to Allison. Maybe we're looking at different pictures. Can you vector me to what you're referencing? Thanks.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

This is getting confusing. The OP says it's the top tweeter that isn't working. That wouldn't be the 1.5" Seas unit--it looks to me like the 3/4" "fried egg" tweeter that was proprietary to Allison. Maybe we're looking at different pictures. Can you vector me to what you're referencing? Thanks.

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/allison/allison_cd_series/allison_cd_9_manual/allison_cd_9_manual_pg4.html#previous-photo
Spec in Manual says tweeter is 1" diam. Convex Diaphragm; 1/2" diam voice coil with silicone damping/cooling material in the gap, so it's not this 35mm Seas tweeter.
Two xover points at 350 and 3750hz

So, it's somewhat unlikely to be this 35mm Seas tweeter as drop-in replacement

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Thanks bored dude. It's definitely a proprietary tweeter, not the 1.5" used most famously on the original Dynaco A-25. Michael--where are you located?

 

[Dennis Murphy]

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/allison/allison_cd_series/allison_cd_9_manual/allison_cd_9_manual_pg4.html#previous-photo
Spec in Manual says tweeter is 1" diam. Convex Diaphragm; 1/2" diam voice coil with silicone damping/cooling material in the gap, so it's not this 35mm Seas tweeter.
Two xover points at 350 and 3750hz

So, it's somewhat unlikely to be this 35mm Seas tweeter as drop-in replacement

BTW, that spec sheet reminded me of the time I met Roy Allison at the 1976 Washington Audio Show. I had helped draft Federal Trade Commission warranty rules that distinguished between a "full" and a "limited" warranty. The rules are still in effect, but no one ever offered or offers a "full" warranty because the requirements are too strict. Except for Roy Allison. (Note his "full warranty" in the first column of the spec sheet.) I thanked him for his pro-consumer posture, and he thanked me for giving him the opportunity to highlight the warranty protection he was offering. I'm afraid that never succeeded because no one could figure out what the difference was between the two types of warranties without checking the fine print with the help of a lawyer, and most people just thought "limited" referred to the number of years the warranty was in effect. But Roy was certainly a gentleman who hopefully took a few sales away from Bose back in the day.

 

[TLS Guy]

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/allison/allison_cd_series/allison_cd_9_manual/allison_cd_9_manual_pg4.html#previous-photo
Spec in Manual says tweeter is 1" diam. Convex Diaphragm; 1/2" diam voice coil with silicone damping/cooling material in the gap, so it's not this 35mm Seas tweeter.
Two xover points at 350 and 3750hz

So, it's somewhat unlikely to be this 35mm Seas tweeter as drop-in replacement

According to that, the tweeter is proprietary. So the working tweeter would have to be measured. There are an enormous number of 1" dome tweeters out there, so finding a very close match is highly probable.