Marantz HD-88 Replacement Super Tweeter?
- Thread starter hardeejr
- Start date
I do still have the middle barbell things from the VariQ things. You're correct, the form completely disintegrated long ago. Same with the grills. He made some new grills out of some ugly thin carpet stuff and plywood.
Mucho better, those look proper.:thmbsp:
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
thats great to know hardeejr! You set me straight on yours and now I feel like retreating to the corner and hitting myself over the head with a hammer, heheh! I want you to have a gander at my HD 66's in the gallery. Yes that is a current pic taken not more than a few months ago of them. Your eyes and everyone else who sees these are seeing a very rare sight! I'm willing to bet that these are the only ones left on the planet still in one peice. In all my years I have NEVER seen another intact pair. I currently moved to Texas and now they are in my mom's entertainment center and she loves the sound they put out! I want to take them out but she won't let me, LOL! Her friends that visit absolutely just raise a ruckus over the foam grills and they just can't believe they are 32 years old. My nieces want to run their fingers all over them and I say, "Don't touch!!!" Hehehe!
http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5056&size=big&cat=&ppuser=28748
http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=5056&size=big&cat=&ppuser=28748
WOW! Those look incredible. The only picture I've ever seen of the HD-88 with its original grill is on the Vintage Knob.... and that's off a brochure. Impressive... though it is only a matter of time until those things disintegrate like the rest.
The original grills certainly do look phenomenal. I still have the magnets from mine... I wish someone made a replacement that looks the same as the originals...
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
WOW! Those look incredible. The only picture I've ever seen of the HD-88 with its original grill is on the Vintage Knob.... and that's off a brochure. Impressive... though it is only a matter of time until those things disintegrate like the rest.
Thanks Ryan, I had them treated with a Silicone/Oil preservant a while back. They have held up incredibly. Whenever I talk about them, I forget to mention that. I sprayed them liberally 20 years ago when i put them away shrinkwrapped in boxes, and I sprayed them again when i took them out of boxes to refoam them. The original surrounds were still intact but after a few bass notes, they shredded.. I suspect they will stay intact for many, many more years
Charlie:nutz:
THANKS! I'll shoot them an e-mail now!
Thanks Ryan, I had them treated with a Silicone/Oil preservant a while back. They have held up incredibly. Whenever I talk about them, I forget to mention that. I sprayed them liberally 20 years ago when i put them away shrinkwrapped in boxes, and I sprayed them again when i took them out of boxes to refoam them. The original surrounds were still intact but after a few bass notes, they shredded.. I suspect they will stay intact for many, many more years
Charlie:nutz:
I hope they do stay intact. They look amazing. I'm thinking if they can design custom ones for these I may order some. I'm hoping they'll hold up...
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
Thats Great! Are you loooking into having a foam company make some?? That would be cool. Feel free to print off my picture for them to see the design they need to duplicate, don't forget that the backside facing the drivers there is a cutout for the dome of the LPF tweeter, if that is not done you will crush the dome! LEt me know if you would like a picture of the backside. They will also need to cut a ridge for the metal strips. Make sure before anything that they can provide you with "Open Cell" acoustically transparent foam, otherwise the sound will be afected and you may not like it. Good Luck, Ryan!
Charlie
LEt me know if you would like a picture of the backside. They will also need to cut a ridge for the metal strips. Make sure before anything that they can provide you with "Open Cell" acoustically transparent foam, otherwise the sound will be afected and you may not like it. Good Luck, Ryan!Charlie
Thats Great! Are you loooking into having a foam company make some?? That would be cool. Feel free to print off my picture for them to see the design they need to duplicate, don't forget that the backside facing the drivers there is a cutout for the dome of the LPF tweeter, if that is not done you will crush the dome!
Charlie
I'm checking into it. I have talked to the guys over at FoamTrends, but he needs a sample that's intact...
Synchro-bias
New ClassA
Gosh what beautiful looking speakers 
hope u found a replacement tweeter. I know Marantz made some great stuff in the 80s etc Never got to hear the Marantz speakers
hope u found a replacement tweeter. I know Marantz made some great stuff in the 80s etc Never got to hear the Marantz speakers That's great Ryan! Marantz's HD series speakers were their best line. Now cross your fingers for me as I undergo surgery with a tweeter & super tweeter from my Kenwood Model Sevens
Surgury eh? Tearing them apart? What happened to em?
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
I received them with the tweeter & super tweeter in one cabinet not working. I don't know if they were "fried" or just got broken leads from age or moisture damage. Fed Ex damaged one speaker by breaking off the grill badge, scuffing the woofer and pushing in the midrange dome, grrrrr! I was so mad when i took that one out of box. Fed Ex told me they need to be unopened and I was like, what kind of shippers are these people! Anyways, I was able to fix that stuff myself. The backsides of the grills had mold and I had to clean that off with a towel and some bleach. I spent alot of time contacting just about every speaker repair company in the entire United States, and no luck They all shunned me and said the probability of a successful tweeter rebuild for the original frames is is virtually zero. Last nite I shuffled through all my speaker parts and found a pair of HPM 500 Pioneer Polymer Graphite tweeters, to my surprise they fit right in the mount of the super tweeter. They have a large magnet and can handle more power than the original. When I hooked the first one up and compared it to the original working super tweet, they were virtually indestinguishable. the HPM 500 tweet was just as detailed and precise as the original. The 500 tweet seems to like the beefy Xover of the Sevens
They all shunned me and said the probability of a successful tweeter rebuild for the original frames is is virtually zero. Last nite I shuffled through all my speaker parts and found a pair of HPM 500 Pioneer Polymer Graphite tweeters, to my surprise they fit right in the mount of the super tweeter. They have a large magnet and can handle more power than the original. When I hooked the first one up and compared it to the original working super tweet, they were virtually indestinguishable. the HPM 500 tweet was just as detailed and precise as the original. The 500 tweet seems to like the beefy Xover of the Sevens
Edriz
AK Member
I had a pair of the HD-88's I bought when I was stationed in Alaska in 1977. They had the foam grills. Not only did they sound amazing, they were gorgeous. Would anybody want to art with a pair? I'd love to get another set? And I have been looking daily. How do the 880's measure up the 88's and are the 88's that "rare"?
Big Tuna
Too Much Power!
Hey Ed, the HD88's and HD880's are very very close performance-wise. The 880's drivers are revised with larger magnets, better midrange and better woofer, IMO, no offense. Also the 88's came right at the dawn of the big power receivers, so Marantz upped the beef with the 880's, they were conservatively rated at 250 Watts but actually could handle well over 300. The revisions made to the 880's came also due to customer feedback with the 88's having trouble with the mids & tweeters, albeit the same visually as the 880's but internally weaker. my brother had a pair of HD88's coupled to his Marantz 2385 and he loved it. The 88's are a bit more rare than the 880's but if you come across either of 'em, scoop 'em up! So, if you loved your 88's, you'll love the 880's as well.
Edriz
AK Member
Great thanks. Can the 880's be had with that awesome looking massive foam grills. Mine had the brown foam grills that looked like , god, I can't explain it. I saw a picture here on AK. I think somebody showed a pic of there HD66's. They were beautiful. I loved mine.
Some guy here had a blue grill. I don't think I could handle that. I think there was a brochure on the bay that showed the grill I had but I ain't payin no $20 something for a brochure just to look at.
I tried googlin the HD 88's frequently but no luck. If the 880's area step above, I may be in the market. I was considering looking for some Klipsch Cornwalls.
I had a set of Lascalas years ago but heard the Cornwalls had a better Bass response. Hard to believe but I was gonna give em a try. There are a few sets on the bay but for a BIN and for BIG bucks. I'm gonna wait a year or so anyway.
I've only had the Bose 901's seris V for a couple months and I need to work them some more. Besided, the wife likes them. This is my 2nd set of 901's.years ago I had the series IV's. I wanted to see if there were any reason for a series V. I'm spending alot on gear so I got to keep the wife happy. If she sees me spending more on speakers, she'll flip. Back off for a year and she'll forget about it. Know what I mean!! lol
Now, it's a toss up between the Marantz HD 880's and the Cornwalls. I may lean towads the HD's
Some guy here had a blue grill. I don't think I could handle that. I think there was a brochure on the bay that showed the grill I had but I ain't payin no $20 something for a brochure just to look at.
I tried googlin the HD 88's frequently but no luck. If the 880's area step above, I may be in the market. I was considering looking for some Klipsch Cornwalls.
I had a set of Lascalas years ago but heard the Cornwalls had a better Bass response. Hard to believe but I was gonna give em a try. There are a few sets on the bay but for a BIN and for BIG bucks. I'm gonna wait a year or so anyway.
I've only had the Bose 901's seris V for a couple months and I need to work them some more. Besided, the wife likes them. This is my 2nd set of 901's.years ago I had the series IV's. I wanted to see if there were any reason for a series V. I'm spending alot on gear so I got to keep the wife happy. If she sees me spending more on speakers, she'll flip. Back off for a year and she'll forget about it. Know what I mean!! lol
Now, it's a toss up between the Marantz HD 880's and the Cornwalls. I may lean towads the HD's