Chosing the Right Tweeter

[Joemzkie]

Hi... Guise, Im a Newbie on sound systems..
I just wanna ask if Someone can help me about choosing the right tweeter for our sound system.
Does it depends on my amplifiers or on woofer or what??.. thanks

 

[dorke]

This is a fairly complicated issue.
I would say it is an acoustic issue more than an electronic one.

It depends on so many things like:
how would you like your system to sound,what kind of music do you play.
what power ratings should your system have.
What size should it have.
What size of room would the music be played in.
What are the other sound elements in the "box".
What is your budget.
and more...

What is your sound system?

 

[Joemzkie]

Hi... Guise, Im a Newbie on sound systems..
I just wanna ask if Someone can help me about choosing the right tweeter for our sound system.
Does it depends on my amplifiers or on woofer or what??.. thanks

This is a fairly complicated issue.
I would say it is an acoustic issue more than an electronic one.

It depends on so many things like:
how would you like your system to sound,what kind of music do you play.
what power ratings should your system have.
What size should it have.
What size of room would the music be played in.
What are the other sound elements in the "box".
What is you budget.
and more...

What is your sound system?

I got
SAKURA AV-733 (Digital Stereo Mixing Amp)
50/60 Hz
Music Power: 450Watt + 450watt

My Speakers are already made speakers
it has 1 woofer and 1 tweeter
the tweeter one is not working so planning to replace it with a new one. But dont know how to choose the right one??..

 

[dorke]

That is a lot of power.
Which brand are the speakers?
The obvious thing to do ,would be getting the same type of tweeter.

 

[Gryd3]

Audio is a mess... part of the reason is that the qualities that many claim are important, don't actually make an audible difference.
dorke got it right on the nose. The easiest method is to simply match new tweeters with old ones. This sounds like you are replacing a part, not building a new system from scratch.

Things to consider:
- The impedance of the new tweeters should be the same as the old.
- Inspect the cross-over and the old tweeter... if it's improperly built or faulted it could kill a tweeter.
- New tweeter should be the same, or higher rated power.

As far as brand is concerned, that's on you to decide.
As far as the wire you use... that's on you too.

 

[Martaine2005]

I agree with dorke..
The tweeter will have an Ohm rating and wattage rating.
Try and replace with same specifications. The size might be a problem, so be prepared for small adjustments on the cabinet opening.

Martin.

 

[Martaine2005]

We did it again Gryd3.....Lol.

 

[Gryd3]

We did it again Gryd3.....Lol.

great minds think alike

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

If your speakers have a crossover, read the specs. It's also a good idea to have a current limiting (fast acting) fuse to protect your system.

 

[Joemzkie]

I open my speaker box and i saw my tweeter is 700watts 4-8Ω and a 10W12ΩJ ceramic cement resistor connected to it, and I saw no crossover.

700 watts tweeter and 450 watts amp??.. is it just fine??..

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

I open my speaker box and i saw my tweeter is 700watts 4-8Ω and 700 watts tweeter and 450 watts amp??.. is it just fine??..

Not a problem having speakers rated more than your amp can deliver. (But it doesn't mean a smaller amp can't blow a larger speaker).
You might save some money by getting tweeters with a lower rating.
Maybe 500w?

But I'd size it at least as large as your drivers rating.

 

[Joemzkie]

Not a problem having speakers rated more than your amp can deliver. (But it doesn't mean a smaller amp can't blow a larger speaker).
You might save some money by getting tweeters with a lower rating.
Maybe 500w?

But I'd size it at least as large as your drivers rating.

thanks for that..

Do i still need any transistor if i buy higher rating tweeter??..

and another what would you prefer??.. Parallel or series connection (the woofer and the tweeter)??..

 

[Gryd3]

thanks for that..

Do i still need any transistor if i buy higher rating tweeter??..

and another what would you prefer??.. Parallel or series connection (the woofer and the tweeter)??..

Typically... the amp goes to a cross-over, which provides at least two outputs:
- Highpass for the Tweeter
- (Optional) Bandpass for mids
- Lowpass for the Sub/Main

If there is no cross-over, I would suggest connecting in parallel, but only after reading the specs on the tweeter!
In a series configuration, ALL current passes through the components... so the loud thumpin bass would have to pass through the tweeter...
In a parallel configuration, the current splits (evenly or unevenly) between the connected speakers.

The problem with suggestion Parallel or Series here though is that it's dependant on the tweeter...
I would strongly suggest sticking to the installation manual for the tweeter.

If the tweeter has any kind of filter in it, it could require a specific installation method. Parallel vs. Series.
Example:
-If the tweeter had a capacitor in series with it, then parallel is required... A capacitor will NOT pass bass notes, so a series installation would make your Mids/Subs sound tinny.
-If the tweeter had an inductor in parallel with it, then series is required... An inductor will NOT pass high notes (or would pass most bass notes) so a parallel installation here would allow the bass notes to bypass your Mids/Subs with the tweeter's inductor.

 

[Joemzkie]

Thanks for that Gryd3...

I am planning to buy 500watts, if so, do i still have to buy any capacitor or transistor with 450watts amplifier??.. just curious... as what Tha fios agaibh had said... "But it doesn't mean a smaller amp can't blow a larger speaker".

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

Great post Gryd3, I'd just like to add:
The rating tell the maximum allowable wattage. If it is rated 450w or higher (amp output), you should be fine.

I recommend you take a look at crossovers. Especially given the high wattage your dealing with. They are not too expensive and easy to hook up.
It will ensure that the high frequencies are directed to the tweeters and lows to your drivers. Aside from improved fidelity it may increase the life of your speakers.

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

"But it doesn't mean a smaller amp can't blow a larger speaker".

A poor amplifier design may not be response enough to reproduce the sound accurately and overdrive the voice coil in the speaker. This is one of the things that blows speakers.
A better amplifier is more dynamic and has more headroom to handle the frequencies (responsiveness) at higher volumes and incorporate protections such as clipping where the peak signal is cut off when it reaches it maximum output.

 

[Joemzkie]

Thank You So much guise...

You just not answer my questions you also give me extra knowledge...

Thanks God Bless...

 

[dorke]

I think it is very important to find out why the tweeter has blown.
It is absolutely crucial to find out that it isn't the AMP that caused the problem.

Another thing is the difference between music power and R.M.S power.

What kind of speakers do you have brand and model?
Can you post some pictures and or datasheet if you have it.

 

[hevans1944]

I open my speaker box and i saw my tweeter is 700watts 4-8Ω and a 10W12ΩJ ceramic cement resistor connected to it, and I saw no crossover.

I would take a closer look at the "10W12ΩJ ceramic cement resistor" to make sure (1) it really is a twelve ohm resistor and (2) that it hasn't been burned out and become an open circuit, especially if it is in series with the tweeter.

Disconnect the speaker from the amp and make two measurements with your multi-meter set to the ohms function: measure across the tweeter speaker terminals and also measure across the resistor. It will be necessary to disconnect one wire to the woofer speaker before making these measurements since the woofer is in parallel with the tweeter and you don't want that to affect your measurement.

Depending on how the tweeter is made (it may use a high-resistance ceramic transducer) it may not show any continuity. That doesn't mean it is bad, in which case the resistor may be just a load resistor in parallel with the tweeter to protect the amp from trying to drive a high-impedance load. However, if the resistor is in series with the tweeter, then a broken resistance wire under all that ceramic cement will definitely stop the tweeter from working.

With the woofer disconnected for the above test, and if you measure an open-circuit across the tweeter speaker terminals, and if the resistor measures twelve ohms, you could test the tweeter for functionality with a nine-volt "transistor radio" battery. Each time you briefly touch the battery terminals to the speaker terminals you should hear a "click" from the tweeter. If the click occurs, the tweeter could still be bad, but if you do not hear a click the tweeter is definitely bad.

Please tell us if that "10W12ΩJ ceramic cement resistor" is in series or in parallel with the tweeter speaker terminals.

 

[BobK]

You would never wire a woofer and tweeter in series. They would interact with each other in bad ways.

Bob