EMIT & EMIM Tweeter Diaphragm Repair How To
- Thread starter Kencat
- Start date
Hi
I've got a pair of qb for a year now, bought them in a second hand shop for 40 euros and I love them. A while later i noticed the tweeters aren't working anymore. Apperently the fuses died, so I looked for replacements, and didn't find any tube fuses of 1.25A so I used a box fuse with same specs.
Now, yesterday I noticed that my tweeters aren't working anymore. I've measured the resistence of my fuses and they were 0 Ohm, so they didn't burned through. I've noticed on the tweeters that some of these 'wires' (don't know how to call them) were loose. Is this repairable? I don't have much knowledge about this subject. Is it possible I clipped my amp, I use a Kenwood ka-4010?
I love my qb's especially with them tweeters.
Thanks
I've got a pair of qb for a year now, bought them in a second hand shop for 40 euros and I love them. A while later i noticed the tweeters aren't working anymore. Apperently the fuses died, so I looked for replacements, and didn't find any tube fuses of 1.25A so I used a box fuse with same specs.
Now, yesterday I noticed that my tweeters aren't working anymore. I've measured the resistence of my fuses and they were 0 Ohm, so they didn't burned through. I've noticed on the tweeters that some of these 'wires' (don't know how to call them) were loose. Is this repairable? I don't have much knowledge about this subject. Is it possible I clipped my amp, I use a Kenwood ka-4010?
I love my qb's especially with them tweeters.
Thanks
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chef free
Super Member
Tim-
Do you mean that the little silver traces have broken off the mylar plastic? If so you can fix them with some "window defogger repair" products like Loctite 15067.
This is MUCH EASIER if you make a stencil first. Take an index card and a very sharp knife and cut a slot the same width as the trace. Use the stencil to make sure the repair material only touches the trace you are repairing.
Qb's were the first "real" speakers I ever owned, still have them too, they sound pretty darn good!
Do you mean that the little silver traces have broken off the mylar plastic? If so you can fix them with some "window defogger repair" products like Loctite 15067.
This is MUCH EASIER if you make a stencil first. Take an index card and a very sharp knife and cut a slot the same width as the trace. Use the stencil to make sure the repair material only touches the trace you are repairing.
Qb's were the first "real" speakers I ever owned, still have them too, they sound pretty darn good!
One of my Qa emits was dead, measured and got no reading the good reads 3.2, so after taking apart it looks like somebody was poking a sharp object through the square hole on the faceplate, so there is indents on the track in 4/5 spots, one part looks ripped..if I touch the track diff places I can get a reading 3.2. -Q
elnaldo
Lunatic Member
You could try the "window defogger repair" trick. It' about repairing a metal trace.
Read about how to disassemble the emit without damaging it. Those magnets are very strong and will tend to rotate when you loose the screws. The long screws tip is a good one.
AND, THOSE 1.25A FUSES ARE TOO LARGE. IN MY EXPERIENCE, MANY EMITS BURN BEFORE THAT 1.25 A FUSE (WHAT CAN BE CONFIRMED READING THIS THREAD), SO MY SPEAKERS NOW HAVE 0.5A OR 0.75A FUSES.
I PREFER TO REPLACE A FUSE THAN TO REPLACE ONE EMIT (WHAT ALREADY HAPPENED ONCE IN MY LIFE, AND WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN)
Read about how to disassemble the emit without damaging it. Those magnets are very strong and will tend to rotate when you loose the screws. The long screws tip is a good one.
AND, THOSE 1.25A FUSES ARE TOO LARGE. IN MY EXPERIENCE, MANY EMITS BURN BEFORE THAT 1.25 A FUSE (WHAT CAN BE CONFIRMED READING THIS THREAD), SO MY SPEAKERS NOW HAVE 0.5A OR 0.75A FUSES.
I PREFER TO REPLACE A FUSE THAN TO REPLACE ONE EMIT (WHAT ALREADY HAPPENED ONCE IN MY LIFE, AND WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN)
jdavidm
New Member
Recently acquired a pair of Infinity RS 2.5. 2 of the top grills have busted frames. The woofers have been sent to Watkins for surround refoam, not back yet. I put an ohm meter to each EMIM and all of them read infinite- open. Should I get used replacements, find someone to repair them or find substitute midrange drivers? Probably tough to find a ribbon midrange with a frequency response of 300Hz to 5kHz
slimpikkins
Super Member
The clam can be taken apart. You need to make a jig with a piece of wood and four large finish nails. Place the drive on the wood, mark the mounting holes with a pen, tap the nails in those spots leaving a couple inches of nail out. Now place the driver over the nails, carefully remove the screws pressing down on the clam at the same time. It will want to spread apart. Carefully fish the wire tabs threw the slits and there you go. The idea of the jig is to keep the magnets from clicking together. Once they do that with your diaphragm between it will be very hard to spread them apart without destroying it.
Once the diaphragm is out check the trace with a magnafine glass for breaks and places were it is lifting off the plastic. Newer emims have a piece of scotch tape holding the center traces down. This was a problem area. Once you find the break you may be able to repair it with rear window defogger repair or some other type of conductive paint.
If they are not repairable you can buy used working ones on eBay. A more expensive route is the Graz replacement diaphragms. They are not cheap but are a fine replacement and imo better than original. It is just the diaphragm and not the whole driver. I have them in my RSIIb emims.
Those are wonderful speakers and well worth the effort.
Jim
Once the diaphragm is out check the trace with a magnafine glass for breaks and places were it is lifting off the plastic. Newer emims have a piece of scotch tape holding the center traces down. This was a problem area. Once you find the break you may be able to repair it with rear window defogger repair or some other type of conductive paint.
If they are not repairable you can buy used working ones on eBay. A more expensive route is the Graz replacement diaphragms. They are not cheap but are a fine replacement and imo better than original. It is just the diaphragm and not the whole driver. I have them in my RSIIb emims.
Those are wonderful speakers and well worth the effort.
Jim
elnaldo
Lunatic Member
The EMIT (not EMIM) use to have problems with the solder at the connector tab. I don't know if the EMIM suffer this same problem, but I'd reflow the solder on the tabs, just in case.
(no affiliation) http://www.speakerrepair.com has replacement diaphragms at $400 each.
(no affiliation) http://www.speakerrepair.com has replacement diaphragms at $400 each.
jdavidm
New Member
Thanks for your inputs. Here's a screenshot of the link after I submitted a search of "EMIM"
Looks like I'm out of luck.
I think I'll go with Bohlender Graebener Neo8 ribbon mids.
Also, they came with a couple busted grill frames I need to fix or replace. The grills are the only disappointment on the build quality of these speakers. They use particle board for frames. Should I look for used grills, make new frames, or have new ones made since the ship has sailed trying to keep these speakers original?
Looks like I'm out of luck.
I think I'll go with Bohlender Graebener Neo8 ribbon mids.
Also, they came with a couple busted grill frames I need to fix or replace. The grills are the only disappointment on the build quality of these speakers. They use particle board for frames. Should I look for used grills, make new frames, or have new ones made since the ship has sailed trying to keep these speakers original?
slimpikkins
Super Member
You are not out of luck, they are on eBay all the time (5 up right now for less than those diaphragms, no affiliation). Those in the add are more money than the superior diaphragms Graz sells. Both are more money than the neo8 drivers but there will be no alterations needed.
My grills are broken too. They can be made out of some 1/2 or 5/8 plywood and a jig saw. The curved part is most likely not broken so the ends can be made and glued to the curved pieces.
Jim
My grills are broken too. They can be made out of some 1/2 or 5/8 plywood and a jig saw. The curved part is most likely not broken so the ends can be made and glued to the curved pieces.
Jim
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StimpyWan
Addicted Member
Good luck with that too, as BG Radia is no more. They were bought out, a little over a year ago, by Christie Digital for their IP content, and shut down. Christie only wanted the technology, and so far have shown no plans to sell drivers to other manufacturers or DIY'ers. So, while you can still find Neo8's and 10's on-line, they're a dying breed too, with no support. Sad.
jdavidm
New Member
Thanks for the input. It is disappointing that the Neo8s are disappearing too. The BGs are are a bit longer & narrower than the EMIMs. I bought some oak moulding to mount them in the same position. I forgot to take into account the thick grill frame so I shifted them up to clear. Got the woofers back from Watson, now I know why people rave about these. They sound great. Now I'm shopping for an amplifier. My Marantz 2330 is getting toasty running the speakers with the volume knob at half way- looking for a convection cooled power amp around 200wpc. Phase Linear 700 is a possiblilty.
slimpikkins
Super Member
Glad you got them up and running. Pics would be cool and perhaps help others to get some ideas. Did you modify the xo for the different driver?
Jim
Jim
elnaldo
Lunatic Member
I see those Bohlender Graebener Neo8 sell for around $80 each... Are they up to an EMIM?
If so, I'd like to buy some, and try to "clone" an RS 2.5 some day. I have some spare EMIT tweeters... It would be around $250 for 4 mids, Watkins sells the woofers for 750 a pair, so 1K, plus 4 Emits, and crossovers, (some hundreds more). Then, to build a cabinet... I'm thinking in a $2K or 2.5K total... Think also I'm in south america, no way to ship a large speaker from e-bay (actually, there is a way, but much more expensive than those 2K)
If so, I'd like to buy some, and try to "clone" an RS 2.5 some day. I have some spare EMIT tweeters... It would be around $250 for 4 mids, Watkins sells the woofers for 750 a pair, so 1K, plus 4 Emits, and crossovers, (some hundreds more). Then, to build a cabinet... I'm thinking in a $2K or 2.5K total... Think also I'm in south america, no way to ship a large speaker from e-bay (actually, there is a way, but much more expensive than those 2K)
slimpikkins
Super Member
Rs2.5 crossover is 300htz and 5000htz . A lot to ask from the emim and the Watkins woofer. The neo8 looks like 500-20,000htz range. Not quite in the wheel house of the rs2.5 xo but may be a fun project. Seems the Neo8 is out of stock in the usual places I would see them. The monsoon planer computer speaker drivers are another option. If patient the emims can be bought on eBay for less then the bin ones that are on now.
Jim
Jim
jdavidm
New Member
Electronicly, I have no idea if the crossovers work ideally with the Neos. That would require a pink noise generator and an oscilloscope of which I don't own. Also, it looks like the caps are original so some change in value due to age might need to be taken into consideration. I bought them a pair at a time via Ebay- one pair used, the other pair NOS. At least there's a midrange rheostat that helps tweek the gain. At first, I was looking at the ribbon driver on Peavey Versarray 112 MKII but had trouble finding an online vendor. A closer look at the specs suggests they weren't a good fit anyway.
I glued & set the broken top grill frames. The cloth is intact but some of the frame particle wood on the sides are gone. The 2 with the most complete frames are on front, the other 2 are in the back. They looked as if they were collateral damage of a domestic dispute- deliberate breakage. There are no pictures yet because my fabricated mid mounts look too cheesy. I need to figure out something more aestheticlly agreeable so no one will accuse me of butchering a nice set of speakers. Anyone know where I can get some acoustic foam for the background that closely matches the original? I looked on Amazon, but the pictures don't show enough detail and I want to be certain before paying $50 a sheet.
I glued & set the broken top grill frames. The cloth is intact but some of the frame particle wood on the sides are gone. The 2 with the most complete frames are on front, the other 2 are in the back. They looked as if they were collateral damage of a domestic dispute- deliberate breakage. There are no pictures yet because my fabricated mid mounts look too cheesy. I need to figure out something more aestheticlly agreeable so no one will accuse me of butchering a nice set of speakers. Anyone know where I can get some acoustic foam for the background that closely matches the original? I looked on Amazon, but the pictures don't show enough detail and I want to be certain before paying $50 a sheet.
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