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PSB Stratus Gold i Speakers

Well, I just got back from giving them a demo...they sounded fantastic, BUT, there's a hole in one tweeter. :eek: The owner hadn't noticed, was very apologetic when I brought it to his attention and said he was going to pull the ad.

I didn't really notice any difference in sound between the good and bad tweeter though...the center image was still there in the HF, not lopsided like I thought it would be. :dunno:

We're both going to look into replacing or having it fixed. @Pete B , do you know what exact tweeter the Goldi uses or where I should start looking for a replacement? I told him that he should pull the x-over as well, to see if there's any damage there.

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So glad I didn't make the trip down there now!! Are you considering these if he replaces it? I hope you got him down on price!! :)

Cheers,
Jared
 
It is a Vifa D25AG without the rear chamber, as far as I know, and is easy to take apart.
This was one of the most common tweeters in the 1990 - 2000s and you should be
able to find a doner, post on the Parts Express Tech Talk FS/Wanted Forum.
I'm 99% sure that these would be correct, they look weird because they are mounted
to what look like plastic adapter plates:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Vi...205028?hash=item1ee1511024:g:-H4AAOSwSlRbAI6p

You can use just the dome assembly, or if the magnet structure looks the same just swap the
face plates.

If I had no way to get a dome, I'd probably back it with wax paper and fill it level with PVA glue.
The dome assembly is a replaceable part, there is ferro fluid which you can buy from PE if
you are worried about needing more. It sometimes hardens or even chars when over driven.
 
1ADSarge said:
So glad I didn't make the trip down there now!! Are you considering these if he replaces it? I hope you got him down on price!! :)

Cheers,
Jared
Click to expand...

Definitely still considering these, if we can come to an agreement after figuring in cost for replacements or rebuild service. I've contacted PSB, as I think they will rebuild them for around $112 each. Waiting on a call back.
 
Sonance'84 said:
Definitely still considering these, if we can come to an agreement after figuring in cost for replacements or rebuild service. I've contacted PSB, as I think they will rebuild them for around $112 each. Waiting on a call back.
Click to expand...

Good luck buddy. Let me know how it goes and how well they sound (rub the salt in the wound :p) and how I missed out on these! :D

Cheers,
Jared
 
Pete B said:
It is a Vifa D25AG without the rear chamber, as far as I know, and is easy to take apart.
This was one of the most common tweeters in the 1990 - 2000s and you should be
able to find a doner, post on the Parts Express Tech Talk FS/Wanted Forum.
I'm 99% sure that these would be correct, they look weird because they are mounted
to what look like plastic adapter plates:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Vi...205028?hash=item1ee1511024:g:-H4AAOSwSlRbAI6p

You can use just the dome assembly, or if the magnet structure looks the same just swap the
face plates.

If I had no way to get a dome, I'd probably back it with wax paper and fill it level with PVA glue.
The dome assembly is a replaceable part, there is ferro fluid which you can buy from PE if
you are worried about needing more. It sometimes hardens or even chars when over driven.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I noticed in a thread on DIYAudio that you mentioned your notes said D25AG-07 for the original PSB, but that you've cloned the Gold's using a standard D25AG-06. The version in your link above is an 05. Is there any difference between the 05, 06 and 07 versions?

As far as taking them apart...is it that easy to replace the domes, without needing special tools to center the VC after? Swapping the face plates would be the easiest route, I'd think. I've swapped domes in my Klipsch heritage tweeters, but t they didn't require any VC centering. I know the Peerless style domes need a special centering technique though.

What would cause a hole like that in a tweeter? Can overpowering or clipping do that?
 
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I think that the -07 was just PSBs special order version with the custom face plate.
Edit: fixed this to 05: The 05 was the off the shelf non-chambered version.
The 06 suffix is the impedance.

There are alignment pins - it is a no brainer to swap the domes.
The 6 ohm version is correct.
I'd guess that something poked that hole there.
 
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The hole is a bummer but not the end of the world. I have a set of Magnat speakers with a similar but smaller hole in one of the tweeters. They sound fine but only get rotation in the man cave. I'm curious how often this kind of thing happens.

IMG_20180524_201233_8.jpg
 
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I finally picked up the speakers last weekend. The owner wanted to source and swap the tweeter diaphragm himself, which is what took so long.

I think they sound great, although somewhat laid back in the upper end. I noticed it a little during the demo, but though it might have been the room. It was noticeable when I first hooked them up at home too. Toe-in didn't help much either. Maybe a re-cap of the tweeters would help? The mids and bass are nice though!

I removed the fixed tweeter to make sure it was done properly, and while inside, I noticed the speaker wire may have corroded. The dielectric is clear and I can see green inside along the copper wire. I'm not too sure though? :idea: I'll add a pic of it.

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It's been almost a month now with these speakers and I really enjoy them. My ears had to adjust to their "laid back" upper end, which makes them easy to listen to for long periods of time. I'll probably recap them soon and update the internal wiring. The Musical Fidelity A300 has no issues powering them at any level either. I'm pretty picky about bass as well, but these deliver. The ported 10" doesn't give up much to the sealed 12" in my other speakers. :thumbsup:
 
Congrats! I can't deny that I'm jealous. If I hadn't been able to get a pair of Revel F30's at a good price, I would still be pursuing the Goldilocks myself. I couldn't find any within driving distance.
 
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