My tweeter scares me

[Pbassred]

So: 150W cabinet, Used to have a Peizo tweeter. Now I have selected a 80W Eminence compression driver. I read the Elliott artical about why tweeters die. Now I'm scared.

You see, it is written that the power rating for a compression driver relates to the SYSTEM it works in. Its a 150W system. Will the driver explode if I run the system at 150W?

Am I mistaken? How did the piezo survive?

[badman]

Are you planning pro use? 150W into most real speakers is damaging to your hearing and then some, you'll go deaf even as the drivers give up the ghost. The 80W is probably program material, I'd be surprised if it can handle 80W continuous, most supposedly "200W" woofers can't. You're unlikely to burn it out at anything resembling reasonable levels and with an appropriate crossover though, unless you're using it pro.

[Cameron Glendin]

Ok, the compression driver is most likely twice as loud as your woofer, it will sound very tiny with out the L pad (much easier than learning about resisters) most l pads only handel 50 w. now you are crossing over at 3000 hz ? as sugested before with the 10 inch page. now say when your lower 15" speaker crosses over at 500 hz, only 40% of the power reaches the high frequency speaker after the crossover. Also because the compression driver is staggeringly loud and is cut back by the l pad ie even less than after crossover. by crossing over at 2000 or 3000 hz the highs recieve even less, you would have been able to use a 30w compression driver like many of the 200w plastic boxes.

a 100w 2 inch compression driver that covers from 500hz to 18 000 is smaller and many people including myself, since the 1940s have and continue to believe this as the preferred method. just walk into a cinema! THX ones to boot!!!!!!

Pizzos do not require crossovers and are often burn out proof, so you have a lot more to learn about getting your new toy to work properly and sound, well average to ok.

[poobah]

If the 150 Watt rating is honest... and you don't clip your amp... you'll be alright... clipping is bad.

Some piezos are very tough... I have found few that can stand up to a sledgehammer though.

[Pbassred]

Sorry, I think my question an other posts have confused some people, so this is what it is part of a sound reinforcement system for a small band and recorded music.

Active X/O 0 - 500Hz (poss350hz)
1000W studiomaster MOSFET amp
4ohm 15" Eminence kappa (left and right)

Active X/0 500 - upwards.
850W Peavey 8.5C amp
Carlsbro AT10 cab. contained 10" plus peizo (passively) crossed at 3500Hz.
The peizo is to be replaced with the OEM version of the 80W Eminence PSD2002 compression driver.
I'm in the middle of deciding crossover frequencies and where to source coils.
There won't be a peizo in the new build unless I need a super tweeter

My question is whether the compression driver is ok for the 150W cab.

P.S I just took delivery of new flares. Do you think that peizos suffer from plastic flares? They resonate. Just talking through them turns my voice nasty. I'm tempted to paint the outside with bitumen!

[Cameron Glendin]

Ok

Re plastic flares, use a sealent to mount them in the box. foam would allow it to be an air tight seal. sound is probably where the plastic meets the timber and two different resonences meet. you will find the emenence horn will sound better than a dedicated piezo in the upper freq.

deadening the plastic would never hurt. metal horns tend to need deadning far more than plastic

At 105 db per watt the horn is extremly loud, when you learn about resistors you will find that only say 50% of your watts will get to the horn, so 160w from the amp will give you 80 watts to the high freq speaker. your crossind over high 3.5 and min 12 db style you will have no problem.

re voice sounding harsh, try swapping the polarity to the horn, this may make it sound smooth.

[Pbassred]

Does that mean that I can wind the crossover coils for 80W each feq band rather than 160W? ( I probably wouldn't since I like to over build)

[Pbassred]

A/B checked my new comp drivers against the peizos at 2KHz. The comp drivers are arround 12db louder! I'm going to have to tame them!

They also weigh a kilo each, Reinforcement required!

[Cameron Glendin]

What's wrong with the Carlsboro cabs? Essentially what I am doing IS tinkering. I haven't ruled outchanging the 10" for something better.

MMM you answered your own question with the next statment.

Do you think that peizos suffer from plastic flares? They resonate. Just talking through them turns my voice nasty. I'm tempted to paint the outside with bitumen!

for band use? you must hate the musicians.

you dont like the horn, want to perhaps replace the woofer, next question what material is the box made from? chipboard? how thick is the material? mmm will you want to replace it?


Are you aware that a crossover is more than coils? Do you know what a L pad is?

The comp drivers are arround 12db louder! I'm going to have to tame them!

mmm how many times have i told you? you seem surprised?

At 105 db per watt the horn is extremly loud

Ok, the compression driver is most likely twice as loud as your woofer, it will sound very tiny with out the L pad

mmm spelling tinnie tiny tinei oh well, 10db is twice as loud

Now if you love music, both live and recorded perhaps you will stop trying to make this cheap piece of **** be something other than what it is

A two inch horn is what profesionals use with a decient 15 inch woofer. some who can afford it in this forum actually use these at home because it sounds so much better in the midrange.

Then again what would I know, I am obviously no match for your intelligence, and I wish that I had not wasted my time trying to help you. after all 20 years of practical experience and my own speaker company how could this be relivent to you?.

All I can say now is you wont take free advice, why bother asking?

.

a 100w 2 inch compression driver that covers from 500hz to 18 000 is smaller and many people including myself, since the 1940s have and continue to believe this as the preferred method. just walk into a cinema! THX ones to boot!!!!!!

History lesson


Quality audio started thanks to Altec Lansing and the money thrown at it from hollywood. This created a demand at home for sound as good as a cinema in the 1950s, the home hi fi was created. The very same boxes built in the 50s became the PA rigs that were used in the 70s for Large venue Rock Concerts @104 db per watt efficient / bigger amps allowed the boxes to shrink

Sorry, I think my question an other posts have confused some people, so this is what it is part of a sound reinforcement system for a small band and recorded music.

perhaps you are the one confused afterall you are the one who is afraid of a tweeter!

[Pbassred]

Wow!
Thank for taking so much of you busy day to slag me off.