• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Vifa Dome Midrange For Kappa 9

Marty Marr

Marty Marr

New Member
Hi,

Forgive me if this thread has been posted elswhere, I couldn't find any reference to it.

Are any of you Kappa owners using, or have ever used, the Vifa 3-inch dome midrange driver to replace the stock Polydome driver in your Kappa 9's? I believe there is even a newer model made by Scan-Speak, called the discovery (ref. Madisound).

If used, how does this replacement sound compared to the Polydome? My Polydome's are still working great, apart from the typical yellowing, but I have been considering these aftermarket replacements and would love to hear your comments.

Thanks!

Marty
 
Register to hide this ad
Marty Marr said:
Hi,

Forgive me if this thread has been posted elswhere, I couldn't find any reference to it.

Are any of you Kappa owners using, or have ever used, the Vifa 3-inch dome midrange driver to replace the stock Polydome driver in your Kappa 9's? I believe there is even a newer model made by Scan-Speak, called the discovery (ref. Madisound).

If used, how does this replacement sound compared to the Polydome? My Polydome's are still working great, apart from the typical yellowing, but I have been considering these aftermarket replacements and would love to hear your comments.

Thanks!

Marty
Click to expand...

my friend down the street just finished restoring a set of kappa 7.1's. he used the vifa domes and imo it sounds really good.

did not know about the scan-speak driver thou...
 
lgreen said:
I just put these in my kappa 7s.

http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=genem&Product_Code=02-239&Category_Code=

Not sure if they are Vifa or Scan Speak or something else, but they sound very good.

If you know what they are, can you post?
Click to expand...


You know, I wouldn't want to make an assumption because I'm really not sure which ones you have. Suffice to say, you have one or the other, and either should be built to exacting standards.

If it helps, Madisound used to sell the Vifa-made dome midrange for the Kappa's; however, when you look them up now, it shows that they have been superceded by the now new Scan Speak driver.

Marty
 
Last edited:
I did a thread about the Vifa midrange about year ago - I found it sounds OK , but it does not retain the same sound as the original polydome - here is the thread:
<http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2696909>
 
Last edited:
They are different and not a direct replacement as stated

Not only do the vifa's not have the hole for rear sound projection but the impedence of the driver is different as well. I am told enough so that the pot adjustment for the dome is not enough to compensate for the differences in sound. I guess if you buy two you may not notice but if you have the K-9's they deserve the real polydome...so they work as designed....keep your eyes on the bay they come up from time to time...:music:
 
The Vifas are 8 ohm and I believe the K9 "equivalents" are 4 ohm, the difference would theoretically cause a frequency shift as the crossover is designed for a 4 ohm driver. Audible difference? Sensitivity output may be different also.
 
They sound too bright using the Infinity crossover.They are physically a different spec driver.
 
Last edited:
I'm hearing yeas and nays on the replacement midranges. So what are us kappa owners going to have to eventually do? Woofers will eventually need refoaming, crossovers eventually need recapping. Polydome midranges will all eventually succumb to age. Are there any alternatives to the drop in midranges from vifa and scan speak?
 
The Vifas are probably great replacements once a crossover tweak is performed to match the specs of the Vifa.
 
There is a repair service here that "rebuilds" domes, using what appears to be either a combination of ring surrounds and smooth domes, cut to size and fused/glued together, or else a replacement molded from material that looks like surround material. I would expect that to create a very altered sound, but in fact it is pretty close to the original, at least closer than any of the three replacement drivers I've heard, and better (IMHO) than at least two of them.

While not ideal (i.e., not quite original), I know several dealers that take their fried Polydomes to this guy for this "rebuilding" when they get damaged ones in. They seem to agree that it is the best available solution. He charges about $75 or $80 for this. The voice coils have to be intact, though, or he won't touch them. Since the guy is really an expert, who repairs various other driver coils, I assume there is a good reason for this.
 
]
I am on an investigative streak at the moment trying to figure out what oil inpregnated products there are out there to simply revive the domes on the ones that have not been over driven and fried yet.I did see a pair for sale and they looked very good,just a slight ting of yellow on the domes otherwise see through (they were like new old stock).They would have been treated with something because there is no way that they could have stayed in that condition since new,whether they were used or not.Air will simply discolour the dome.I have emailed and asked the individual that sold them and havent heard a peep as of yet.But I will keep my efforts up in a solution to this saga.


If you apply heat from a blow dryer the domes do clear up a bit....but it has been said this accelerates the drying out process.....The color of the dome is no big deal and does not affect sound quality in any way....
 
I have heard the same thing about using a blow drier to make the dome appear clear before selling them to unsuspecting buyers. I own both the Kappa 9's, and a pair of Kappa 8's. I got the Kappa 8's for only 50 dollars but they needed new polydomes, and I found a pair on ebay for 80 bucks but I think I was lucky to get them that cheap, you just never know sometimes things slip by and you get good deals. That being said I have no way of knowing how long they will last. What I would suggest is everyone that owns a pair is call Harmon Kardons parts department and start requesting replacement pairs. In these days of poor speaker sales, maybe corporations will see a new way to improve their profit margins if they can sell expensive replacement drivers for some of their vintage products that people still own. Let them know that you don't care for their new products but really are dissapointed in their failure to support their great products from the past. Letters to their corporate headquarters as well. Heck if I had the time I would think that reproducing all the great drivers of many speaker companies would be a great buisness. Think of how easy it would be to just take an existing product and make new replicas. You wouldn't need big engineering departments or R & D departments, you just have to anyalize an existing product and reproduce it.
 
Last edited:
Wow,$50 for Kappa 8's.
$80 for mids.
$130 all up + labour to swap the mids.That's a steal!
 
Last edited:
Augy said:
]If you apply heat from a blow dryer the domes do clear up a bit....but it has been said this accelerates the drying out process.....The color of the dome is no big deal and does not affect sound quality in any way....
Click to expand...

The colour of the domes "I think" doesnt bother anyone.It was more of a statement in the sense of lubing the domes up to prevent cracking or drying out,so the hair dryer treatment is not for me and "I think" that people would not want to apply that approach.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom