Have been looking for a pair of JBL 2420 drivers for a speaker build. Buying them used is the way I want to go. What do I need to concern myself with looking for used drivers if anything?
One pair I found the owner says they are not working, could that be just the diaphragms are shot?
One pair I found the owner says they are not working, could that be just the diaphragms are shot?
If they are working you want JBL or Radians in them not the cheap aftermarket diaphragms. They measure all over the place and are in no way as good as the originals. You would probably be better off getting a non working pair and then purchasing a new set for them. You have a couple of choices from JBL 2421 aluminum or 2425/26 Ti not cheap in either case and the Radians.
Take a good look with the back cover off to make sure that the you have a uniform gap and you don't have a rust bucket on your hands. I have seen drivers that looked OK on the outside and the inside looked like it had a glass of water poured down the throat. On the other side of the coin you can get some that look beat to death and rust spots on the outside and the insides look factory fresh.
Rob🙂
Take a good look with the back cover off to make sure that the you have a uniform gap and you don't have a rust bucket on your hands. I have seen drivers that looked OK on the outside and the inside looked like it had a glass of water poured down the throat. On the other side of the coin you can get some that look beat to death and rust spots on the outside and the insides look factory fresh.
Rob🙂
Last edited:
In addition to burnt voice coils and shattered aluminum diaphragms, the 2420 can suffer from misalignment, a cracked throat, internal corrosion, and de-magnetization.
Other than that...
I had a beat up pair that were very clean inside, and had been remagged. They were fitted with horrendous sounding titanium diaphragms - which nonetheless measured relatively flat over the range I used them.
Look for a reputable seller on eBay, but also have a look here: Jammin Jersey: Speakers Horns Drivers Crossovers Tweeters
IMO you really want OEM AL diaphragms or possibly Radian replacements, avoid Ti diaphragms or plan on replacing them immediately.
Look for a reputable seller on eBay, but also have a look here: Jammin Jersey: Speakers Horns Drivers Crossovers Tweeters
IMO you really want OEM AL diaphragms or possibly Radian replacements, avoid Ti diaphragms or plan on replacing them immediately.
There's a mystique to compression drivers, probably related to the tight tolerance gaps, etc, but they're still just transducers. I had great results coating the embossed diaphragms in Selenium D2500Ti. Getting a nicely matched pair of motors took a little doing, though.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.