• 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

Rectilinear III Highboys tweeter replacement?

beepee

beepee

New Member
I have a pair of the Rectilinear III Highboys, 1969 version I believe. (They have the red folded paper surrounds on the woofers, whizzer cone mids, and paper cone tweeters - with two knob adjustments on the back.) My problem is that two of the tweeters (one of the 2.5 and one of the 2.0) aren't working. If it turns out that I must replace them, I would prefer a near (both sonically and visually) match - as I like to keep things original as possible.
I don't prefer the appearance of the PartsExpress Goldwood or Factory Buyouts, but a closer match would be the Pioneer FD66AP45-13F 2-1/2 cone tweeter - no longer sold.

Any suggestions would be appreciated and thanks for your forum!

[Personal speakers: Norman Lab 335s, DLK 1s, Rectilinear III Highboys]IMG_2223.JPG IMG_2224.JPG IMG_2225.JPG IMG_2226.JPG IMG_2223.JPG IMG_2224.JPG IMG_2225.JPG IMG_2226.JPG
 
Register to hide this ad
Hey man,

They're Peerless tweeters and come up on ebay on a semi regular basis. Buying a modern drop-in replacement isn't going to happen. But if it did, you'd have to replace all the tweeters in both cabinets to have it match. You don't eeeven want to bother with that. Ebay, that's how that's done.

Biggles
 
Have you opened them up to make sure the problem isn't the wiring to the tweeter? That would also be a good time to throw in some new caps, which will really make them sing!
 
I have the 111's. The drivers in them are very good. And we don't know why they sound better than the parts. I would go used original.
Making them better could be a carrier job.
 
The Peerless cone tweeters of that era came in both round and square frame models. The most important thing to look for is the impedance as they came in 4, 8, and 16 ohm versions (and even some oddball impedannace ratings made just for certain speaker brands). These tweeters were not only used by Rectilinear but also in some models from Infinity, Design Acoustics (D series models of D-4,6,8, and 12), Electro-Voice ETR series models, Micro-Acoustics (their earliest models), McIntosh and many others so they are always turning up on FleaBay with the challenge being to locate them. Definitely source some original replacements or the smooth sound of the Model III's will be altered.
 
I really dig my Highboys and the quality sound they (re)produce.
If I'm not mistaken, Matsushita made an alnico cone tweeter that could replace the Peerless MT-225.
mats-peerless-comp-3-jpg.4164
 
ra.ra said:
I think PeteB is correct - - Rectilinear III's are often found with the square version of tweeters (pic courtesy of Biggles).
Click to expand...

Yes! Those are the last pair of III's I have left. My oldest son won't let them go, they're his. He's running them with a Sansui 9090 that we found languishing in a thrift store, then had rebuilt.

If your tweeters do actually need to be replaced, it's not going to be a big deal.

Biggles
 
Thank you for your comments and advice; I will listen - and I hope to keep vintage/original.

I have defaulted to my local vintage speaker shop/guy when it comes surrounds, etc.. in the past and he does not recommend replacing caps unless there is an issue. Everyone else seems to say the opposite? I think he said it would change the sound from the original/intended sound.

I really like the sound of these Highboys and would love to bring them up to regular listening condition.

Does anyone know of a good vintage speaker guy/shop in the tri-state area of Tennessee/Mississippi/Arkansas?

Norman Labs 335 (original owner, new foam surrounds), DLK 1s (replaced phenolic ring tweeter with modern retro- match PartsExpress), Rectilinear IIIs Highboys (2 drivers out)
 
Hey Beepee,

All capacitors age, some better, some worse than others. Electrolytic capacitors age the worst, they have a predicted lifespan of approximately 10 years. Yes, it is possible that the capacitors actually sound just fine. However, capacitors do something else other than just filter out unwanted frequencies. They're a protection device. If and when the capacitor for your tweeter fails, or fails to do its job properly, it will fry it. The most common symptom of old capacitors is that they make the speaker sound veiled and dull. To compensate for that, the user generally will turn up the amplifier and/or jack the pots in the back to brighten up the drivers. Over time, this can fry your tweeters, especially if you like to put some power behind your music.

If you want to retain the "original" sound of the speaker system, replace the capacitors with the same type that the factory did. For the III's, this is non-polar electrolytics. However, these Peerless tweeters respond very well to the more modern design of the poly capacitor.

If your speaker repair technician replaces any driver with another brand, you no longer have a pair of Rectilinear III's. This would be a real shame.

Biggles
 
Very good suggestions here.. given by folk in"in the know"!

EBAY often is a great source for getting OEM type speaker parts, guys like myself have lying about from past speaker projects, vintage and modern.

However, I did come across a rather interesting find where I sought to replace elements in a Fisher speaker system.. some twenty years old now. I found compatible drivers in a surround sound (center) speaker.. Apparently, some leftovers or common drivers for mids and highs were placed in these cabinets... probably on the cheap for the new manufacturer of such :dunno:


Not saying this will work for you.. but its another lead, none the less!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom