After market tweeters??Where do i start looking

[Geezas]

Hi Guys
Well...It looks like i'm in the crap as far as trying to get genuine replacement tweeters for my aging B&W DM220i's.Have tried B&W U.K and B&W U.S and both say they stopped supply of these in 2003.So i guess it's either throw these out, or look for an after market tweeter.Do you guys know a brand?? or website,or possibly a conversion which has been done successfully.Any assistance or recommendations would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Gary-New Zealand

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi Guys
Well...It looks like i'm in the crap as far as trying to get genuine replacement tweeters for my aging B&W DM220i's.Have tried B&W U.K and B&W U.S and both say they stopped supply of these in 2003.So i guess it's either throw these out, or look for an after market tweeter.Do you guys know a brand?? or website,or possibly a conversion which has been done successfully.Any assistance or recommendations would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Gary-New Zealand

Will B & W release to you the characteristics of the tweeter?

Unfortunately replacing drivers with a different one is next to impossible. It involves remodeling the whole system and redesigning the crossover. Each driver is unfortunately unique, especially when it comes to the acoustic roll off. So to do this you need to know the precise details of the tweeter, impedance DC resistance, Fs and sensitivity, as well as the frequency response curve. You also need to know the same for the woofer, plus the Thiel/Small parameters of the woofer. You would also need the existing crossover circuit.

Then you could try and pick out a replacement from the large number available, that would get you as close as possible to the original with minimal crossover modification. With a different tweeter there would have to be some crossover modification. Both speakers would have to be modified.

I would have a go and see if you can get a replacement on eBay from a speaker that has been parted out. If you can't find one, and don't know how to accomplish the above, then you will have to junk the speakers.

I'm getting old and senile, but I have just remembered that back in October or November, I helped a guy repair one of those speakers. The tweeter was not working, but I talked him through trouble shooting the speaker, and it turned out that the cap in the crossover supplying the tweeter was non polarizing electrolytic type. These always fail as they age. We swapped the caps in both speakers with Solen polypropylene caps and everything was fine. What technical skills do you posses? What test gear do you have?

I found the thread. They were B & W. They are a similar vintage, so I wonder if your speakers have electrolytic caps in the crossover? Here is the thread.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37241

 

[pzaur]

Here's another option on Audiogon. More expensive, but, you'll get the same end result.

-pat

 

[TLS Guy]

Here's another option on Audiogon. More expensive, but, you'll get the same end result.

-pat

He has to ship it to New Zealand! We don't know for sure it is the tweeter. The OP needs to make an accurate diagnosis before considering his options.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have done some digging around. I don't think B & W made that tweeter. I think it is from the VIFA classic line, NLA.

Now the 220 had a fourth order crossover. In the archive it does not state the crossover of the 220i. But it looks so similar I think we can assume it does. So there will not be a lot of driver overlap.

This tweeter I think is the closest reincarnation of that tweeter.

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=45_229_270_324&products_id=1078

Now you might have to do some experimenting with the L-pad in the crossover.

Now it seems those speakers are known for your problem. If they are Vifa classic tweeter, and I think they are, they were not known for unreliability.

Change the tweeter over to see if it is the tweeter or crossover. If it is the crossover, the problem will be easily fixed. I think the problem my well be the crossover. If it is the tweeter, try the ones I have selected. You will need to change both tweeters.

If you have to change tweeters it might be a bust, but if you want to give it a shot go ahead.

By the way please give us some feedback to tell us if any of this has been useful.

 

[Geezas]

B&W 220i Tweeter

Firstly,Many thanks TLS Guy for your help,it's much appreciated.I have removed the tweeter and on the rear it says B&W ,HF Unit,part no TP26 (11 JUL 1987) roughly when i bought these speakers i guess.I removed the diaphram(if thats what you call it) and the inside wiring is burnt and smelly and basically came apart when i removed it(its stuffed) .I did blow one of these 5-6 years ago,same senario,blown tweeter....But at that time managed to get another in New Zealand different part no (SP00097) on rear with B&W sticker on the rear and made in 1999.I have e-mailed B&W UK and they said they are not made any more.I am currently in the process of phoning the B&W importers in the states(boston.Mass) to see if they still carry stock but somehow i cant see it.I have been watching the web site AudiogoN for a pair to come up at a reasonable price but then i have to get them to NZ unless of course i send them to a mate of mine in Colorado and he remove the tweeters for me etc.My other options are of course to trash them or as you say try the tweeters as you suggested.Sounds like a bit of a nightmare doesn't it.
Regards

Gary

 

[pzaur]

What about replacing both tweeters with a new Vifa, assuming it is a Vifa tweeter?

-pat

 

[TLS Guy]

What about replacing both tweeters with a new Vifa, assuming it is a Vifa tweeter?

-pat

First of all I can't be certain it is a Vifa tweeter. The second thing, even if it is, that Vifa classic line has completely disappeared. I have searched for any old stock. Vifa is now owned by Tymphany, who also own Peerless and Scanspeak. They now have much reduced offerings of drivers and they are all new designs. The Vifa classic line is really missed, as they were a huge range of good highly cost effective drivers. Now to get a range like that you have to look at the Far Eastern manufacturers. You can't rely on published specs and consistency of product.

If we can find the specs on that tweeter, we can likely get close with minimal crossover mod. If the speaker has a lower crossover order than the DM 220 then we will not likely find a replacement tweeter that has a good enough match to the acoustic roll off of the original. Then you end up with a total redesign, which I don't think would be worth it.