# Newbie: tweeter replacement advice pls !



## rockblock (Jan 9, 2009)

Hi Folks, I'm new to this and not too techie, so I appreciate your help & patience...

I just got a pair of original Sony tower speakers SS-AV55 (130W) that each have 2x6" woofers + 1x2" dome tweeters. 

The problem is that the tweeters are so poor (or busted) that only the woofers can be heard, it almost seems that all the power is being sucked up by the 2 woofers, while the tweeter barely produces any sound... I have other speakers in which you can clearly hear the crispness of the tweeters, but not with these.

So I was thinking that these are cheap quality tweeters and was looking at replacing them, but I'm not sure with what? I'd like something silky and louder, but I'm also on a tight budget, so I'd be looking for a compromise...anything out there that you guys can recommend? What about power wise? are there any limits to the tweeter in comparison with the woofers? I'm running them off of a 5x100W Yamaha 595 receiver.

P.S. Do I need to replace the tweeters with identical 2" ones, or would 1", or horns also be good? My tweeter is round, encapsulated via 4 screws. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

Get ohms and dimension and order the cheapest that will fit the build





rockblock said:


> Hi Folks, I'm new to this and not too techie, so I appreciate your help & patience...
> 
> I just got a pair of original Sony tower speakers SS-AV55 (130W) that each have 2x6" woofers + 1x2" dome tweeters.
> 
> ...


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## Fixtion (Aug 25, 2006)

*partsexpress*
Parts-Express.com - Speakers, Replacement Woofer, Tweeter, 
Drivers, Subwoofer, Pro Audio, Car Audio, Horn Driver


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## rockblock (Jan 9, 2009)

8675309 said:


> Get ohms and dimension and order the cheapest that will fit the build


Thanks for your prompt response...there are no specs on the tweeter itself, just some numbers stamped on the magnet...on the speaker box, there is only the following info (see attachment). 

Am I to interpret that 8 ohms is the load for each of the 3 driver? What about the power? Does 130W relate to each individual driver, or total power for combined drivers? Also what does "non-clip" mean?

Thx


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## Fixtion (Aug 25, 2006)

***


> Am I to interpret that 8 ohms is the load for each of the 3 driver? What about the power?


the impedance on the drivers may vary from driver to driver, and that number is not to be taken as an exact. 
the impedance of a driver varies through out it's frequency range, and those ratings are only normal numbers.
*to answer you question, the 8 ohm rating on the stick indicates the driver, 
with crossover topology are nominally rated at 8ohms.*



> What about the power? Does 130W relate to each individual driver, or total power for combined drivers?


power handling is somewhat relative, where more power allows for headroom for dynamic or crescendo factor in music. 
again, these number are all normal in achieving specific mechanical, electrical, or listening standards.
*130w relates to the entire tower, as the sticker states. SPEAKER SYSTEM.*



> Also what does "non-clip" mean?


when delivering power to a driver or set of speaker, ideally power shall be of non-clipped or distorted through all stages of the signal, 
source, pre-amp, amplification, etc. clipping indicates a plateau in the signal, 
which is generally a sine wave. clipping also tends to fry speaker if done excessively, or during improper use, 
such as running a driver outside it's intended use.
*be sure all components will integrate well, source, pre-amp, amplifier, and 
know the limits of each before clipping as to avoid any problems.*

**disclaimer* the following is my interpretation of my own personal knowledge, information, and belief.


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## rockblock (Jan 9, 2009)

OK, thx for the clarification. 

I guess my final question would be, what power should I be looking for the tweeter to handle? Between the 3 drivers (2 woofers + 1 tweeter), I assume that the power is not distributed evenly amongst the 3...so, what ratio should I be using?...would it be a good guess to say that 40% + 40% + 20% (tweeter)? If so, would that mean I would be looking at something like this:

- 8 ohms
- 25-40W
- 87-92dB
- 2-3kHz crossover

Thx again !


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## 8675309 (Jan 8, 2007)

On your Sony Speaker I would not be that worried. You may call madisound or Parts express and they may be able to get you squared away with a replacment.


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## rockblock (Jan 9, 2009)

I've managed to get a hold of the manual that provides some additional info on the speakers (not sure if this can provide any additional help for the tweeters though):

Speaker specs:

*Woofers: 6.5" cones x 2
Tweeter: 1" dome
Freq. response: 30-20kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 91 dB SPL , 1W measured @ 1m
Power handling: 130W*

I'm not sure if the sensitivity gives us more insight, but I thought I'd share

Thx


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