Midrange and Tweeter considerations for my Beolab Penta 3 Upgrade

9 replies
IR
Irinikus
Bronze
7 posts
Posted April 26, 2020 at 21:38 GMT
#2137598

This is the tweeter that I'm seriously considering: (ScanSpeak Illuminator Ring Radiator)

 

The faceplate will have to be removed though: (This image shows that it can be done safely)

 

 

Here's another driver, which I've just found which also might show promise:

 

Here are some close-ups 

I would rather install new drivers in these speakers than refurbished ones, as there's now way of telling wether the voice coil is perfectly entered in the magnet gap, when fitting new surrounds, without fitting a shim, which would require the removal of the dust cap. (Which would be incredibly difficult to do without the correct equipment!)

There also have been significant advances in driver technology, since the Penta's conception, so as a project, I'd like to play around with modern drivers.

This gives you an idea as to what the baffles will look like with the new drives installed:

I like the Penta’s but feel that they lack a bit in the mid and treble arena. The tweeter in question is the best tweeter made by ScanSpeak. It’s a doped silk ring radiator tweeter (Far more advanced than the original tweeter found in the Penta's). The new midrange unit is a paper honeycomb Balanced Mode Radiator, which has an incredible frequency response. (The dispersion field from these drivers is far superior to that of conventional cone type drivers.) It also has a nominal impedance of 4ohms like that of the original driver.

I’m not going to modify the baffle of the speaker, so the original drivers can be reinserted if need be.
I will modify the crossovers as required, when I fit them with higher grade components.
This is my main hifi, so you surely can see from this that I’m rather into my audio and don’t really like to compromise, so this will be done properly. (The crossover mods will require a bit of research on my part.)

Location: South Africa

ST
Stereomensch
Bronze
530 posts
Posted April 29, 2020 at 14:11 GMT
#2137599

Sounds like a very interesting project.

I'm very curious how it works out.

 

DI
Dillen
BronzeModeratorFounder
12777 posts
Posted April 29, 2020 at 15:02 GMT
#2137600

And why?   

Martin

ST
Stereomensch
Bronze
530 posts
Posted April 30, 2020 at 08:33 GMT
#2137601

I think a good idea is to combine the pentas with a subwoofer :)

This is a very easy improvement and you don't damage anything of the pentas. ;)

DI
Dillen
BronzeModeratorFounder
12777 posts
Posted May 5, 2020 at 19:29 GMT
#2137602

The original drivers are not at all difficult to refoam, and if you use good quality foam surrounds they can be
brought back very close - I would say after a couple dozen playing hours indistinguishable - from the original.

I never found any modern drivers coming even close to the T/S parameters of the original drivers.
They were all way off, unless far to large to fit physically.

Did you manage to find drivers with matching T/S parameters? (Where?),
or did you do some heavy modifications to the crossover filters and cabinet enclosures to suit the new drivers needs?

How does the new tweeters dispersion compare to the original dome type?

Please tell.

Martin

ST
Stereomensch
Bronze
530 posts
Posted September 1, 2021 at 09:31 GMT
#2137603

I wonder if we ever get any updates on this project?

 

:)

B(
beosnuf (archived2)
Bronze
17 posts
Posted September 9, 2021 at 14:46 GMT
#2137604

Ik heb er een tweeter bijgezet van scan speak
B(
beosnuf (archived2)
Bronze
17 posts
Posted December 4, 2021 at 11:25 GMT
#2137605

 

Hey,

I have not done anything to the filter, I have installed a 2 wire cable from the amplifier (Pentalab) to the scanspeak tweeters with a bipolar capacitor in between (in the + connection) I have used 8 uf but you can use a different value capacitor to use experiment with it.

I have scanspeak Tweeters use type number R 2004/602000 these are not cheap but sound very good,

I think the Penta's are a good improvement in the highs after installing the tweeters,

you can also ask Beobuddy who has replaced the original tweeters and adjusted the filter.

gr Beosnuf.

 

Hallo,

Ik heb niets gedaan aan het filter , ik heb vanaf de versterker (Pentalab) een 2 adrige kabel naar de scanspeak tweeters aangebracht met daar tussen een bipolair condensator (in de +aansluiting)  ik heb 8 uf gebruikt maar je kan door een andere waarde condensator te gebruiken er mee experimenteren .

ik heb scanspeak Tweeters gebruik type nummer R 2004/602000 deze zij niet goedkoop maar klinken erg goed,

ik vind de Penta's na het aanbrengen van de tweeters wel een goede verbetering in het hoog ,

je kan ook Beobuddy vragen die heeft de originele tweeters vervangen en het filter aangepast .

gr Beosnuf.

 

 

 

MI
mirku
Bronze
6 posts
Posted December 4, 2021 at 15:14 GMT
#2137606

Thanks ! it is a good start!

@Beobuddy : i do not want to spam your personal inbox :) . Would it be possible for you to share how you replaced/modified the original tweeter and crossover ?

 

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