My right original D2008/8511 was going in and out on my SBLs so I just installed a new D2008/852100 in the right speaker and left the original in left speaker for comparison. I run active with two 250s, an 82 and now listening to my CDX. To my ears listening to it cold - the D2008/852100 does not measure up or even compare to the original D2008/8511. It lacks so much of the brightness and openness of the original tweeter that to me the heart and soul of the Naim sound we all appreciate is missing. The difference is so drastic that I don’t see how any period of “running in” could make a meaningful improvement. My question is - what to do? Can my original D2208/8511s be rebuilt or at least repaired? Might the HIQUPHON OA2-92 be better? Or am I just stuck in the past and need to move on? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.
PS: I double checked all the polarities, soldered the wires well directly to the terminals and fitted the old magnet to the rear just as it was on the original.
What do you mean “going in and out”? Just wondering if anything else might be wrong, like crossover. You could swap the tweeters now between the two cabinets, which might tell you.
Before trying the new tweeter I checked pretty much everything. Swapped left and right speakers and even replaced and resoldered all NACA5 connectors. Also - when I lightly touched and held the dome of the bad tweeter it would come back in until I let go. Based on this I’m fairly certain its not a difference in the cabinets or other connections or components.
So the dome was moving very visibly in and out? At what point did it do that - randomly, or at switch cabinets if the strange behaviour continued in the other speaker, and the other tweeter behaved OK in the errant box, then indeed the tweeter at fault somehow, though your description of the behaviour is a new one on me.
Falcon Acoustics, near Oxford, sell Scanspeak driver units. I can see the 2008 on their website, but I know nothing about building loudspeakers or repairing them. It may help you to have a look.
I do know the company, as I have a pair of their fantastic Gold Badge LS3/5A loudspeakers.
I don’t see what your geographical location has to do with anything. What help are you seeking here? I suggested a solution, which you seem inclined to ignore.
Will you just sit there and complain, or try to fix the problem?
graham55: I’m not complaining about anything. Respectfully, I just don’t see how a referral to a UK seller of an item I stated I already recently bought and installed is helpful. Am I missing something?
You might do worse than email Scanspeak and explain the difference you hear, maybe with REW plots of both showing response in your room/speaker, and ask for their comment in case you have s dud one. Their website seems yo suggest it is s direct replacement. I just looked: info at scan-speak dot dk
I’m not doubting your assessment of how drastic the difference is at all, do you think that letting the driver run in for a bit longer might be worth a try? That plus IB’s suggestions to rule out a bad driver - you could also try swapping the poor sounding driver for your other new one. Though if it’s a bad batch or something that might not help.
Good luck anyway.
Nothing wrong with being stuck in the past either, plenty on here are, myself included, new stuff has to earn its place and not be awarded it by virtue of being new
My dealer Accent on Music in Mount Kisco, NY obtained one of the last original Scan Speak tweeters last year and installed it. Sounds wonderful in my active 250dr/ 52/ SBLs. Give them a call and see if they can help.
