Yeah, I get to replace an Ulitma2 tweeter

[RichB]

We got a new kitten. After the little cherub learned to climb the grills, I removed those.
He then managed to rip out a tweeter guard. I attempted to put it back, it slipped, and I dented the tweeter. Argh.

I sent an email to Harman support to get replacement costs for the tweeter and an extra set of Salon2 and Studio2 grills.
If the replacement grills are not too expensive, I'll put the original grills back on as sacrificial and when he grows out of it, put the good ones on.

The beryllium tweeter is a very interesting design. The surround is softly suspended, it feels like a gel.

- Rich

 

[Alex2507]

The surround is softly suspended, it feels like a gel.

Did the cat tell you that?

F^%&in' shoot that thing.

j/k

 

[RichB]

Did the cat tell you that?

F^%&in' shoot that thing.

j/k

Yesterday, he was neutered. That is punishment enough.

- Rich

 

[Irvrobinson]

I forwarded my wife a link to your post, since she is bugging me for a kitten (and she likes black cats) and we have identical speakers. The kitten is cute, the ripped up tweeter is not. Good luck with the fix. Let us know what Revel charges you for the replacement.

 

[RichB]

I forwarded my wife a link to your post, since she is bugging for a kitten (and she likes black cats) and we have identical speakers. The kitten is cute, the ripped up tweeter is not. Good luck with the fix. Let us know what Revel charges you for the replacement.

To be fair, he only removed the tweeter guide. It was the fat-fingered owner that dealt the death blow.

We had a black cat for 19 years but he was stray so was outdoors during the day.
My wife found this little guy at rescue cat. After we "ordered" him, we learned that he was in North Carolina. Volunteers drive cats up to the North East.
He escaped the hurricane.

- Rich

 

[slipperybidness]

To be fair, he only removed the tweeter guide. It was the fat-fingered owner that dealt the death blow.

We had a black cat for 19 years but he was stray so was outdoors during the day.
My wife found this little guy at rescue cat. After we "ordered" him, we learned that he was in North Carolina. Volunteers drive cats up to the North East.
He escaped the hurricane.

- Rich

I got my first black cat as a rescue early this year. She was about 1 year old and really sweet. I can't even imagine how she ended up in the shelter. But, as soon as we got her home, she knew she was home, and so did we!

 

[Irvrobinson]

BTW, Rich. Be very careful with that tweeter dome. Don't break it. It is supposedly pure beryllium, which is quite poisonous.

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

Then the keyboard went

We got a new kitten. After the little cherub learned to climb the grills, I removed those.
He then managed to rip out a tweeter guard. I attempted to put it back, it slipped, and I dented the tweeter. Argh.

View attachment 26173

View attachment 26174

I sent an email to Harman support to get replacement costs for the tweeter and an extra set of Salon2 and Studio2 grills.
If the replacement grills are not too expensive, I'll put the original grills back on as sacrificial and when he grows out of it, put the good ones on.

The beryllium tweeter is a very interesting design. The surround is softly suspended, it feels like a gel.

- Rich

Then the keyboard went. And then your carpets.

 

[KenM10759]

We've had 3 cats in the house since well before I got my KEF R500's new in around the middle of November 2015. When I first got them, 2 of the 3 took turns hopping from the SVS SB2000 sub onto the top of the 42" tall speakers. They only did it a couple times in the first few days the speakers were there, and never left any kind of mark in the walnut veneer finish.

They never once went after the grilles, but perhaps because the bottom of them starts 18-1/2" off the floor. Being magnetically attached, we would know if the cats tried anything because they'd be found on the floor or at least have some damage to the texture.

Carpeting is a different story. We do get their occasional "gifts" (hairballs) but being strictly inside cats they don't bring us any prey. Two were adult cats, only one of them was nearing the end of "kittenhood" and was still mischievously playful. All are calm now, and I LOVE having them!

 

[slipperybidness]

BTW, Rich. Be very careful with that tweeter dome. Don't break it. It is supposedly pure beryllium, which is quite poisonous.

Solid beryllium metal does not carry the same hazards as airborne inhaled dust, but any hazard associated with physical contact is poorly documented. Workers handling finished beryllium pieces are routinely advised to handle them with gloves, both as a precaution and because many if not most applications of beryllium cannot tolerate residue of skin contact such as fingerprints.

 

[Cos]

I have two cats and an English bulldog. I have the GE "Sock" Speakers. I used to cover them with bed sheets before I went to bed so the cat wouldn't feet to the need to scratch. I was lucky neither one of them had interest.

 

[everettT]

My dog makes sure the cats dont scratch anything other than their cat trees. Nothing funnier than a 8# dog bossing 3 cats that double his weight each.

 

[Alex2507]

That tweeter didn't look that dead to me. It looks like a little blue tape might pop that crease out. Or maybe a little vacuum suction, carefully administer, might draw it out into the realm of being a DIY'er's answer to a Frankenstein center. Anyway, if it's junk to you, I'm pretty curious to see what can be done with it. And I'm local.

Did it sound off?

 

[KEW]

View attachment 26174

I find that photo surprising!
I thought Beryllium was more rigid/brittle than that!

 

[RichB]

I find that photo surprising!
I thought Beryllium was more rigid/brittle than that!

It is VERY thin. The surround soft, damped but movable, which is surprising in a tweeter.
I emailed Harman support. No response so far.

- Rich

 

[Irvrobinson]

I find that photo surprising!
I thought Beryllium was more rigid/brittle than that!

I was wondering about that too. It looks like aluminum.

 

[RichB]

I was wondering about that too. It looks like aluminum.

From the Revel web site:

Ultima2 Tweeter

Beryllium and Waveguides

Ultima2 tweeters incorporate pure Beryllium domes, which outperform even diamond domes. Together with an ultra-lowdistortion motor system, their performance is simply unmatched. Acoustically optimized Waveguides provide an inaudible transition from the midrange to the tweeter. This seamlessness is essential to the Ultima2 achievement of sounding like music, rather than a loudspeaker.

It definitely bends though. The poisonous aspect makes me hesitant to attempt a repair. The bend is sharp and deep.

- Rich

 

[Irvrobinson]

From the Revel web site:



It definitely bends though. The poisonous aspect makes me hesitant to attempt a repair. The bend is sharp and deep.

- Rich

Yeah, I know what Revel says in the brochure, but like Kurt I thought Be didn't bend.

 

[RichB]

Yeah, I know what Revel says in the brochure, but like Kurt I thought Be didn't bend.

It would not be the first time marketing took "liberties".

- Rich

 

[Irvrobinson]

It would not be the first time marketing took "liberties".

- Rich

Somehow I thought a science & measurements company like Revel was beyond that. Revel still claims "pure beryllium". And they've expanded their use of Be tweeters, but that crease is damned peculiar.