New diaphragms for JBL compression driver

[ramallo]

I have a chance tomorrow to pick up 2 JBL 2426H drivers for 70 bucks. They both need new diaphragms, coils are bad. Looking on Ebay I see JBL brand for 130 bucks, or after market ones for 20 or 30 bucks. Are the after market ones terrible, not bad or a total waste of money.
I am looking to pick these up to play and learn about horns. If I can use the after market diaphragms than I will only have about 120 bucks tied up into them. They come with short round wave guides, like a tweeter would use. Next I would have to buy larger wave guides to use these as a mid range horn.
Like I said, I'm just looking to play with these and maybe make a 2 way speaker system from them but I don't want to start spending a lot when I don't even have a game plan yet.

Thanks
BillWojo

I found a big difference between aftermarket and originals, I recommend you buy the originals.

Best

 

[ramallo]

I prefer the original titanium than the 2420 aluminum and Radian ones, the eBay aftermarket diaphragms are terrible

 

[FieldCoil Adventure]

Both the 1225 ( for JBL ) and the 1228 ( meant for Altec ) are noticeably "softer" above 10K ( even when EQed ).

I attribute this to these Radian diaphragms having less UHF breakup due to the mylar surround.

Anecdotally;
Many users would be surprised that they might find each of these diaphragms less satisfying to listen to ( than the originals, if a tweeter isn't used ).

OTOH, it will usually take most people ( particularly on the forums ) some effort to admit that they might actually enjoy a bit of sonic tickle ( from spurious breakup, when "breakup" has become such a finger-wagging "no-no" ).

🙂

Thank you very much, EarlK
May you advice me some diaphragm to be good for high frequency response above 8Khz with coil diameter 1.75" (44.4mm)?

 

[EarlK]

Thank you very much, EarlK
May you advice me some diaphragm to be good for high frequency response above 8Khz with coil diameter 1.75" (44.4mm)?

I ( strongly ) suspect that there's no after-market diaphragm that will out-perform the originals ( above 8K or below ).

For better performance ( in one response area or another ) consider buying a completely ( new ) driver.

Here's what Zilch measured ( 6+ years back ) for a GPA 902-8B on a 511a horn ( EQed with his Z19 network ).
- It'll sound smoother than what that pic suggests ( since his trace is fairly hiRez ).

Compare to the ( unEqualized ) GPA trace ( mostly unpublished );

Here's the "HF compensated & EQed" little Peerless Driver ( on the PRV 152i clone ).
- This is a crossover sim that uses real-world FR measurements ( so the trace is quite believable ).
- I forget which network this was / though I only published 2 ( so it is trackable over here! ).

Here's the Celestion CDX1-1747 on a 152i clone ( take note of the "squashed-optimistic" vertical scale ).

I prefer my HF to be reproduced by an aluminum diaphragm ( I currently listen to an Altec 288-8K ) with tangential surround.
- So that's why I posted the GPA spec first. As always YMMV .

🙂