Pioneer DSS-9D

[Spint]

I hear these are great classic speakers. I’m looking at a pair in overall very good condition but missing the original woofers. I’m sure the replacement woofers are decent (possibly eminence, brand unmarked) but wondering if they are worth getting if the price is right.

Asking anyone who is familiar with these: what would you give for a good pair without original woofers? Are they still worth considering? Do these need the originals to be special?

 

[goodolpg]

Tweeter looks interesting, is that a special tweeter?
Is there anything special about the woofers? Some Pioneer woofers are known to crack and be unobtanium.
Were those woofers used in other Pioneer models? If yes that might widen the net a bit if looking for OEM's.

 

[Spint]

The original woofers had graphite cones and quite fragile so probably not many have survived. Apparently very difficult to recone. Seems these woofers are near unobtanium but may pop up occasionally. I’ve read several comments these may be pioneers best ever and can sound amazing. Just wondering how important the woofers are for the magic and if they can still be great without the originals. I know it’s all in the ears of the listener but just seeing what people think.

Seems the 9D version has real walnut vs the plain 9 having veneer but I may be wrong. If so, seems that would make it a bit more desirable

 

[swechsler]

The original woofers had graphite cones and quite fragile so probably not many have survived. Apparently very difficult to recone. Seems these woofers are near unobtanium but may pop up occasionally. I’ve read several comments these may be pioneers best ever and can sound amazing. Just wondering how important the woofers are for the magic and if they can still be great without the originals.

I'd probably try to make the best of what I had, while also setting up an eBay search for replacements. Since these are bass reflex, I'd use speaker design software to model the woofer you have, and the cabinet, and see how they can be optimized, possibly by changing the port. Of course, save any original parts so you can restore them if you find the correct woofers. You might also ask on Parts Express' Tech Talk forum to see if they have any suggestions for a viable replacement.

Tweeter looks interesting, is that a special tweeter?

Pioneer refers to it as a beryllium ribbon tweeter.

 

[Spint]

So to the question- $250 a good price?

 

[swechsler]

Sorry, I misread your first post; I thought they were already in your possession. This post says that the woofers are indeed part of the magic, and also have dual voice coils (presumably something like an Infinity Watkins woofer), which means any third party replacement will be subpar and wouldn't work properly with the crossover. Since original replacements are near impossible to find, I'd pass.

 

[Spint]

Saw that post. Then there’s this post saying the original tweeters and mids are a must and the woofer is the only driver they’d consider being replaced.
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/pioneer-dss-9-speaker-replacement.799760/

I’m tempted at $250 as I figure they’re worth it even without the woofers. If I don’t like them or can’t find original woofers I figure I could easily resell. Was really just curious is that price was a good deal or not

but they are pretty. Hard to decide