Paradigm Phantom replacement tweeter choice

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jump to Latest
I

IMDAMNEDIFIDO

Member
Joined 2016
#1
Hello,
I hope I'm in the right place to ask this question. If not any direction would be appreciated.

I have an old pair of paradigm Phantom V2's that I would like to use in my garage. Both tweeters are shot and paradigm does not stock them any longer. I don't know a lot about speakers but I do realize that crossovers and tweeters are matched. I have looked at the Phantom specs and some of the aftermarket tweeters available. My knowledge is very limited and I was hoping someone may have a suggestion or have tried to match tweeters for this speaker in the past. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
Thank you in advance,

Phantom specs http://www.paradigm.com/products-hidden/collection=classic/model=phantom-v2/page=specs
 
Last edited:
#2
Hi, it does not surprise me, that both tweeters are dead now, because they were too weak and thin-sounding: 19mm dome and prolly voice coil, prolly no surrounding cone, which would raise efficiency, coupled in at 2KHz. for the combination with two 6.5 inch woofers. I would heavily modify the loudspeaker; fit in the biggest strong wideband tweeter as possible, so if there is 4 inch distance between woofers, a 4 inch PA driver with at least 92dB efficiency and at least 19mm, better 25mm coil, would be o.k.. Reduction of X to 1KHz 12dB/octave, tho it reduces power handing of tweeter, shall improve sound, so one is not gonna burn the loudspeakers in frustration.

Unfortunately, direct-radiating hi-eff tweeters were never propular. Some half matches, rather fullranges than tweeters:
Faital 4FE35/4R: good sound
Tymphani TC10FG00-04: stronger
Sica Z001800: quiet supertrebles but hiest power handling

One could also equip the Faital with a short horn, which raises eff in the mids.
 
Last edited:
#3
Grasso, thank you very much for your response. I really don't want to get too much into this as I don't think they were one of paradigms best, but Tymphani TC10FG00-04 is very affordable. Someone removed all the Paradigm stickers from the tweeters so there is no identification or documentation of impedance. They are considered to be an 8 ohm box and I noticed that the two woofers for each four ohm. It's been a long time for me but if I remember correctly those two four-ohm woofers could make 8 ohms or 2 Ohms depending on how they're wired? Anyway I can't check the resistance of the two tweeters that are blown as they have infinite resistance. Do you know for sure what the impedance should be on those two tweeters. I noticed that the Tymphani TC10FG00-04 you recommended shows to be a 30 watt tweeter. The phantoms are 100 watt boxes, so I'm guessing that the tweeter doesn't see that much power through the crossover? Thank you very much for all your help... I sincerely appreciate it.
 
#5
They are fullrange drivers but can be used as tweeters. For a tweeter, impedance does not matter much, but efficiency is paramount. A drop-in replacement is unrealistic, because a 19mm small radiator cannot put out necessary clean power at frequency as lo as 2KHz. A 25mm dome equipped with a ~8x4 inch horn as used for Public Adress could, all you had to do is fit it in mechanically, and electrically with our help and "aligning crossovers without measurements". Still, in order to archieve great sound i would fit a direct-radiating driver into a custom horn and back chamber and re-design also the lopass, which feeds the woofers. Your model seems large enuff to acomodate the new treble unit. For driver i rather use the Faital or yet another model with still hier treble efficiency.
 
#6
Just for the diplomatic stuff, a common Monacor,Visaton,Peerless,Scanspeak 8 Ohms 25mm dome tweeter would prolly fit pretty reit in, as in restoring and possibly slightly improving things. Just for my feeling, i do not like those common quasi-D'Apollito combinations with too hi X frequency and woofer pistons several times larger than tweeter one. Better is a true-D'Apollito FAST, which i tried to sneak in here.
 
#7
Im interested but alligning crossovers, custom horn back chamber and redesign sounds pretty daunting. Is this something I could do with your instructions? I have electrical knowledge from 6 yrs of copier service and strong mechanical background. Do you have an idea of the cost of this endeavor?
Thanks, Brad
 
#9
Paradigm state a 2 KHz 2. order crossover, so the tweeter should have a fundamental resonance of no hier than 1 KHz. Disassemble an old one and see, if there is ferrofluid, some brown smear, at magnet gap and coil. If there is, the new model should also contain ferrofluid or have a fundamental resonance of at most 700 Hz. In order to not have to change crossover too much, it should have 8 Ohms and 91dBm/W efficiency. It should have hi power handling, so go for a voice coil of 25mm diameter and wound on aluminium former. This should work quite well, but if you can also get hold of some capacitances 1, 2.2, 3.3 and 4.7 uF /150V, inductances 100, 220 and 470uH /2A and resistors 1, 2.2, 4.7, 10, 22 and 47 Ohms / 5W, you can fine-tune it by ear. It does not need to be a dome tweeter, but if it is a fullrange, you also need to build a small back chamber. Good luck!
 
#11
Hello, I've been looking through all of the 4-inch options that you mentioned for a tweeter hoping that I could modify this speaker box enough to house that size. Unfortunately I cannot the maximum opening I have to work with is 3.7 inches. Obviously all the specs change when I go to a smaller Tweeter and I am hesitant to choose another Tweeter without some recommendation from you. Do you have any suggestions for this size? Thank you Brad

There is ferrofluid in the stock tweeters
 
Last edited:
#12
I believe I can make the SICA Z001800 fit my enclosure. You mentioned that a horn would improve eff in the mids. I have about 6 1/4" x 4" of space to work with for a horn. Any suggestions for a horn size to use or size to avoid?
Thank you, Brad

There is ferrofluid in the stock tweeters[/QUOTE]
 
#13
Hi, you chose a woofer tagged as midrange for use as tweeter, not an impossible choice, because that model has o.k. trebles at least on axis and good power handling. Power handling is still belo perfection, because voice coil height exceeds magnet gap height by some millimeters, and trebles will sound quite old-fashioned, lacking super-trebles. Efficiency is good enuff, so a horn is not needed, and a horn would need a new crossover due to additional runtime and so phase difference. Still this driver is not a really good solution. I am gonna send you a personal message proposing a custom solution. Uli
 
#16
Paradigm phantom pics

Test
 

Attachments

  • 1482876688795368526843.jpg
    1482876688795368526843.jpg
    418.6 KB · Views: 151
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom