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JBL Compression Drivers 8 and 16 Ohm

Bubo

Bubo

Super Member
I'm looking at some JBL compression drivers.

If I purchase the 16 Ohm model, can I simply change the Diaphragm to an 8 Ohm to get what I need?

I'm looking at the 2446H-J

Is there anything I need to look out for with these drivers, known defects or issues?

I will be mounting them on JBL horns using and off the shelf Eminence 500 HZ Butterworth Crossover.


http://www.parts-express.com/eminence-pxb2-500-2-way-speaker-crossover-board-500-hz--290-630

Attenuator for the horn
http://www.parts-express.com/eminence-px-lpad-crossover-l-pad-attenuator--290-660
I would like to mate these to my existing bass bin which is a 4 Ohm 15 in woofer.

Being entire new to X-over tech, I know the 4 Ohm woofer will effect the x-over but I'm not sure of the specifics. Any help here is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any insights or info.
 
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You had better check on the availability (unobtainability) and price of original JBL diaphragms before you consider this.
 
toddalin said:
You had better check on the availability (unobtainability) and price of original JBL diaphragms before you consider this.
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The 2446 is current production from what I can tell. JBL doesn't sell diaphragms for current production?

I did notice a lot of made in China diaphragms for sale.
 
Ed, Thanks I was just looking at the JBL factory 8 Ohms, $185ea delivered. Yikes.

Do they make these or does someone else?

I use to get my Mercedes Parts at 50-70% off sometimes from the factory oem.
 
I guess that factory units are available for either impedience at $200 each, or $100 each for aftermarket. I think that includes labor at Orange County Speaker.

But recognize that even current JBL replacements may not be identical to the original pieces used in these drivers, just as one would use JBL 2235 cones as replacements for 136a woofer cones even though they are not identical.
 
Any of the 4" voice coil JBL diaphragms will fit. 2440, 2441, 2445, 2446, 2447, 2450, 2450SL, 2451, 2452, plus TruExtent and other JBL (475 I think). In aftermarket, I think the Radians are the only other ones considered worthwhile. The 4" phenolic diaphragms won't work.
 
Jeffery said:
Any of the 4" voice coil JBL diaphragms will fit. 2440, 2441, 2445, 2446, 2447, 2450, 2450SL, 2451, 2452, plus TruExtent and other JBL (475 I think). In aftermarket, I think the Radians are the only other ones considered worthwhile. The 4" phenolic diaphragms won't work.
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If I only had a deeper wallet or worked at a shop, I could cycle through all the drivers in a bake off, like a wine tasting.

I am totally new to JBL gear, so I am a babe in the woods on this one.

For home listening, are there any favorites, one where the girl sounds just a little bit sweeter in your living room?

I should probably mention that I will be mating the driver to a 2360 Horn, despite it's monstrous size, it's listed as short throw so I went for it.
 
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Bubo said:
If I only had a deeper wallet or worked at a shop, I could cycle through all the drivers in a bake off, like a wine tasting.

I am totally new to JBL gear, so I am a babe in the woods on this one.

For home listening, are there any favorites, one where the girl sounds just a little bit sweeter in your living room?

I should probably mention that I will be mating the driver to a 2360 Horn, despite it's monstrous size, it's listed as short throw so I went for it.
Click to expand...

Not to threadjack but I run Renkus Heinz Ssd-3301 on the JBL 2360 horns. They are great horns. Do yours have the adjustable stands or the fixed version? I have not seen many others running these. Perhaps because they are HUGE :)
 
Bubo said:
If I only had a deeper wallet or worked at a shop, I could cycle through all the drivers in a bake off, like a wine tasting.

I am totally new to JBL gear, so I am a babe in the woods on this one.

For home listening, are there any favorites, one where the girl sounds just a little bit sweeter in your living room?

I should probably mention that I will be mating the driver to a 2360 Horn, despite it's monstrous size, it's listed as short throw so I went for it.
Click to expand...

The list is just diaphragms that will fit your drivers. There are just a few basic versions.

The aluminum versions, that's the 2440/2441, folks seem to like the sound of them, but they are almost as expensive as the beryllium TruExtent diaphragms.

Then the bare titanium diaphragms, I can't recall all the models, but I think they are available smooth or with ribbed surface. Cheapest of the JBL branded diaphragms, likely what a 2446 came with, PA grade durable and maybe a little edgy.

Coated titanium, D8R2450SL, aquaplas coated to take a little of the edge off, not as expensive as aluminum.

TruExtent Be diaphragms, most expensive at ~$500 ea.

Radian aluminum dome/mylar surround, supposed to sound nice, cheaper than any JBL diaphragm, the only aftermarket (other than TruExtent) that's really worth pursuing.
 
Bubo said:
For home listening, are there any favorites, one where the girl sounds just a little bit sweeter in your living room?

I should probably mention that I will be mating the driver to a 2360 Horn, despite it's monstrous size, it's listed as short throw so I went for it.
Click to expand...

You should step back and consider your ultimate goal. You are looking at swapping diaphragms to match an off the shelf passive crossover designed for PA use...and putting it in the living room. The Eminence crossover is a quality product but it simply isn't designed specifically for your JBL horn-driver combination or your woofer. It will work but work doesn't mean a flat hi-fi response. Add a 31 band stereo EQ and you may be very happy with the results. Or not.

For about what you plan to spend on the crossovers and L-pads and you can get an electronic crossover and gain a ton of flexibility to tweak the sound to better match your combination of components....and no need to swap diaphragms. Of course you'll need to consider how to wire it into your system between the pre-amp and a 4 channels of amps. I think the miniDSP is a nice unit for for what you are doing though there are a bunch of pro-audio crossovers that may be closer to plug and play and easier to use.

Just a thought. Good luck with the project!
 
Bubo said:
Is there anything I need to look out for with these drivers
Click to expand...
Response begins to roll off at 5.5khz, and takes a steep 10db dump around 7khz. To play with any degree of flatness/smoothness, they want an EQ'd network. Ideally, they want to be bi-amped on DSP using parameters well documented and published by JBL and built-in to some DSP speaker management processors.

Read Donprice's post above, it's spot on.

2445/2446 is one of the last compression drivers i would ever voluntarily work with.
 
Working with Be is about as easy as working with the ebola virus. No wonder they are so expensive.
 
donprice said:
You should step back and consider your ultimate goal. You are looking at swapping diaphragms to match an off the shelf passive crossover designed for PA use...and putting it in the living room. The Eminence crossover is a quality product but it simply isn't designed specifically for your JBL horn-driver combination or your woofer. It will work but work doesn't mean a flat hi-fi response. Add a 31 band stereo EQ and you may be very happy with the results. Or not.

For about what you plan to spend on the crossovers and L-pads and you can get an electronic crossover and gain a ton of flexibility to tweak the sound to better match your combination of components....and no need to swap diaphragms. Of course you'll need to consider how to wire it into your system between the pre-amp and a 4 channels of amps. I think the miniDSP is a nice unit for for what you are doing though there are a bunch of pro-audio crossovers that may be closer to plug and play and easier to use.

Just a thought. Good luck with the project!
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Don,

Thanks for the sage advice.

I can see that I'm going to be in a steep learning curve, for a while.

When I saw the horns, I couldn't stop myself, I had to buy them........ Fortunately, I only have audio addiction.

I'm hoping to keep the initial cost down, which may be unrealistic, by staying with my current gear....in this case my 1980 Mac Stack. To go bi-amp I would need to add an additional Mac MC 2205, which still run around $1500-2000 for a good one.

I'll have to go back and look at the compression driver spec sheet, it appeared to run flat with this horn, perhaps I missed a key phrase like: "if used with JBL Crossover or THX Crossover" etc.... It's always the fine print.

Feeling my way in the dark......thanks!
 
I skimmed the thread so pardon if this was mentioned. Check your DCR on those diaphragms. I had a pair of those drivers once, and if I remember correctly they ohmed out at just under 7 ohms - that was with the 16 ohm diaphragms. Just a thought
mark
 
elitopus said:
Not to threadjack but I run Renkus Heinz Ssd-3301 on the JBL 2360 horns. They are great horns. Do yours have the adjustable stands or the fixed version? I have not seen many others running these. Perhaps because they are HUGE :)
Click to expand...
what do you think of those renkus drivers. I just bought a set to on top of a set of LaScala base bins.
 
Jcricket said:
I skimmed the thread so pardon if this was mentioned. Check your DCR on those diaphragms. I had a pair of those drivers once, and if I remember correctly they ohmed out at just under 7 ohms - that was with the 16 ohm diaphragms. Just a thought
mark
Click to expand...

I see pics of the 16 Ohms with a DMM showing approx 8 Ohms in the photo, what's the story with that?

I can get the 16 Ohm J models with originals used very reasonably. This would make life easy
 
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