Updgrade drivers for gutted cabinet?

johnnymc · 16th January 2006, 02:48 AM

I have a pair of ~1990 Speakerlab 2s that I am refinishing.

Since I have em all opened up I wondered if it would be worth replacing drivers and xover.

They are two way with a vifa D19TD 3/4 dome tweeter and unlabeled 5.25" woofer.

The cabinets are 13h x 7w x 8.5d with the tweeter on the bottom. There is 1 1.75" rear port between the drivers.

Thoughts?

sreten · 16th January 2006, 12:04 PM

Hi,

unless they are very bad its not usually cost effective to
replace drivers in the hope that they will sound better.

/sreten.

johnnymc · 16th January 2006, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sreten
Hi,

unless they are very bad its not usually cost effective to
replace drivers in the hope that they will sound better.

/sreten.

sreten:

The problem with that response is it doesn't leave a lot of options!

Let me rephrase: These speakers sound pretty bad, highs are ok but midrange is weak.

What if, for fun, i used them with a subwoofer and I sealed the cabinet, and had say $150 to spend on drivers and xover, now what would you do?

sreten · 17th January 2006, 10:39 AM

Hi,

well the D19 seems a perfectly servicable tweeter :

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...Number=264-500

The bass unit you give no details of, or the crossover.
Could be problems with the crossover and the bass unit is fine.

The P13 would be the classic partner :

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=297-302

But note the graphs do not show baffle step / box diffraction.

This may give you some ideas :

http://speakerbuilder.net/web_files/...ts/DBP/dbp.htm

Though i can't say the most effective way to spend $150 in the USA.

/sreten.

Scottmoose · 17th January 2006, 01:55 PM

Err -try chucking the cabinets as well. You design a cabinet for a specific driver combination so stuffing something else into them, even with modifications won't automatically work for you. It's usually cheaper and easier just to build some new enclosures that are already optimised for a set of new drivers.

Here's a thought: crossovers are a pain to get right, and absorb large quantities of money -often more than the drivers. Try a decent full-range driver instead. Like the Fostex FE206E 8" in a 45L vented box -the dimensions are on the bottom right of this page:
http://www.fostexinternational.com/d...6e_enclrev.pdf Doesn't go low, about 60Hz or so, but for sheer speed you'll hear nothing like them. And that's about how low most stand-mounts go in-room anyway, so they're in good company.

Alternatively, use the same driver, or it's FE207E brother in a Mass-Loaded Transmission Line, which will go much, much lower -down into the 30Hz regions for a somewhat larger cabinet (or taller at any rate). Subs only required for home theatre or Dark Side of the Moon. http://www.quarter-wave.com/Project05/Project05.html

Both of these are dead-easy to build, pretty cheap and, particularly the second, will mug any commercial speaker under £1000 that I know of.

Best
Scott

sreten · 17th January 2006, 04:12 PM

http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker13.html

Is what I would probably put into the cabinets.
Option 3, the inverted arrangement.

/sreten.

Victoria · 17th January 2006, 04:22 PM

I just redid the surrounds on the woofers of a pair of these same speakers. They are the orginal drivers with the Speakerlab label still on them. I just took one of the woofers out and the markings on it are:
1. On the Speakerlab label is ink stamped: W528 P
2. Stenciled on the frame is: W528P-P
1098512
HTH, Vic
As an aside, I also have the subwoofer which was available at the time. It is, roughly, an 18" vented cube with a dual voice coil 10" driver.

johnnymc · 18th January 2006, 08:13 PM

OK, thanks everyone, I'll probably try the zaph silver flute idea.

The full-range tower project looks like easy fun, but that will have to wait for a rainy day when football season is over.

philoneous · 23rd November 2008, 09:51 PM

I have a pair of the same speakers - Speakerlab DAS-2 circa 1985. The woofer foam is shot, but rather than re-foam, I think I'll try a pair of modern drivers. I pinged Speakerlab to see if they still have the specs on the OEM woofers so I can look for a suitable replacement. Here are some details (for historical purposes

)

Cabinet volume ~ 0.38 cu ft
Port is ~1.5" dia by 4" long
woofer cut-out dia 4-7/8"
woofer flange dia 5-7/8"

The 5.25" woofer has the following stamped on the basket:
W528P-P
1098524

0.75" Tweeter:
vifa D19TD-5 8-ohm
29 85 0

planet10 · 23rd November 2008, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Victoria
2. Stenciled on the frame is: W528P-P
1098512

That 2nd number tells us that the drivers were made by Pyle.

dave

16th January 2006, 02:48 AM	#1
johnnymc diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA, USA	Updgrade drivers for gutted cabinet? I have a pair of ~1990 Speakerlab 2s that I am refinishing. Since I have em all opened up I wondered if it would be worth replacing drivers and xover. They are two way with a vifa D19TD 3/4 dome tweeter and unlabeled 5.25" woofer. The cabinets are 13h x 7w x 8.5d with the tweeter on the bottom. There is 1 1.75" rear port between the drivers. Thoughts?

17th January 2006, 04:22 PM	#7
Victoria diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SF Bay area	SpeakerLab DAS 2 I just redid the surrounds on the woofers of a pair of these same speakers. They are the orginal drivers with the Speakerlab label still on them. I just took one of the woofers out and the markings on it are: 1. On the Speakerlab label is ink stamped: W528 P 2. Stenciled on the frame is: W528P-P 1098512 HTH, Vic As an aside, I also have the subwoofer which was available at the time. It is, roughly, an 18" vented cube with a dual voice coil 10" driver.

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16th January 2006, 12:04 PM	#2
sreten diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK	Hi, unless they are very bad its not usually cost effective to replace drivers in the hope that they will sound better. /sreten.

17th January 2006, 10:39 AM	#4
sreten diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK	Hi, well the D19 seems a perfectly servicable tweeter : http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...Number=264-500 The bass unit you give no details of, or the crossover. Could be problems with the crossover and the bass unit is fine. The P13 would be the classic partner : http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=297-302 But note the graphs do not show baffle step / box diffraction. This may give you some ideas : http://speakerbuilder.net/web_files/...ts/DBP/dbp.htm Though i can't say the most effective way to spend $150 in the USA. /sreten.

17th January 2006, 01:55 PM	#5
Scottmoose diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK	Err -try chucking the cabinets as well. You design a cabinet for a specific driver combination so stuffing something else into them, even with modifications won't automatically work for you. It's usually cheaper and easier just to build some new enclosures that are already optimised for a set of new drivers. Here's a thought: crossovers are a pain to get right, and absorb large quantities of money -often more than the drivers. Try a decent full-range driver instead. Like the Fostex FE206E 8" in a 45L vented box -the dimensions are on the bottom right of this page: http://www.fostexinternational.com/d...6e_enclrev.pdf Doesn't go low, about 60Hz or so, but for sheer speed you'll hear nothing like them. And that's about how low most stand-mounts go in-room anyway, so they're in good company. Alternatively, use the same driver, or it's FE207E brother in a Mass-Loaded Transmission Line, which will go much, much lower -down into the 30Hz regions for a somewhat larger cabinet (or taller at any rate). Subs only required for home theatre or Dark Side of the Moon. http://www.quarter-wave.com/Project05/Project05.html Both of these are dead-easy to build, pretty cheap and, particularly the second, will mug any commercial speaker under £1000 that I know of. Best Scott

17th January 2006, 04:12 PM	#6
sreten diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brighton UK	http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker13.html Is what I would probably put into the cabinets. Option 3, the inverted arrangement. /sreten.

18th January 2006, 08:13 PM	#8
johnnymc diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA, USA	OK, thanks everyone, I'll probably try the zaph silver flute idea. The full-range tower project looks like easy fun, but that will have to wait for a rainy day when football season is over.

23rd November 2008, 09:51 PM	#9
philoneous diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2007	I have a pair of the same speakers - Speakerlab DAS-2 circa 1985. The woofer foam is shot, but rather than re-foam, I think I'll try a pair of modern drivers. I pinged Speakerlab to see if they still have the specs on the OEM woofers so I can look for a suitable replacement. Here are some details (for historical purposes ) Cabinet volume ~ 0.38 cu ft Port is ~1.5" dia by 4" long woofer cut-out dia 4-7/8" woofer flange dia 5-7/8" The 5.25" woofer has the following stamped on the basket: W528P-P 1098524 0.75" Tweeter: vifa D19TD-5 8-ohm 29 85 0

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