A Real SL 2000 Hack. Replace stock (burnt voice coils) with "silk diaphragm dome ".

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Comments

  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    The SL 2000 tweeters do not compare at all in my opinion to the RD-0194. This was something I tried just to see if I could make it work. Other's came in and did better work and used better/different diaphragms and I cant really say what their tweeters sounded like after the hack but I can say that mine did not compare in any way to an RD-0194. I would not attempt to make up 8 of them if I was forced to. This was a tedious job to say the least. If it were me I would call Polk and get the tech. dpt. on the line and see what they would be willing to do for you if you buy 8 all at once. Tell them you are a Club Polk member for a discount...That is my 2cents worth anyway..
  • sansuibutch
    sansuibutch Posts: 198
    VSAT88 wrote: »
    The SL 2000 tweeters do not compare at all in my opinion to the RD-0194. This was something I tried just to see if I could make it work. Other's came in and did better work and used better/different diaphragms and I cant really say what their tweeters sounded like after the hack but I can say that mine did not compare in any way to an RD-0194. I would not attempt to make up 8 of them if I was forced to. This was a tedious job to say the least. If it were me I would call Polk and get the tech. dpt. on the line and see what they would be willing to do for you if you buy 8 all at once. Tell them you are a Club Polk member for a discount...That is my 2cents worth anyway..

    Gotchya,, thank you
  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    Here is one of xschop's tweets in a 5jr. I will do an A/B comparo with the SL1000 and post results. (I left in the old crossovers for now as well and will gradually swap everything).

    mhthedam8ldi.jpg
  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    Good deal! Looks great!!
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Kevin, you might want double check the polarity. I just reread the previous post about not knowing the polarity. The leads to those were also not marked from factory.

    And yes, those look cool.
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    Good grief that didn't take long. Nice job xschop. Much more subdued treble, stronger vocals and horns, good and flat. SL1000 sounds even brighter and tinnier side-by-side than before. And yeah, they look great too.
  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    Subdued treble, no doubt on the SL -2000 that happened.. Way to subdued with the diaphragms I used anyway.
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Subdued screetch is the terminology I would use. Rebuilt X-overs is key also.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Round 2...
    These showed up and I dismounted the plates. I measured the poles and mount plates on these... They match the other set and that's most important to repeating a rebuild or re-using the magnets for a new billet plate...

    25.63mm for the pole OD
    26.63mm for the mount plate ID

    Don't let dust get in between there or your new voice coils won't last long....
    4bf8m0vmesk3.jpg




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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Besides the thin MDF bridge, I looked at my old notes from my first 5Jr build and remembered there not being much sealing surface between old SL1000 and the box hole cut-out.... 0.085 of actual gasket is way too thin....

    Kevin, if you can confirm on your end the box inset dims, Ill make the plates to match....
    rxokgsank4kj.jpg
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    I checked them using a ruler marked with tenths. Everything looks correct to me.
  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    edited April 2017
    One thing I have noticed - there seems to be a frequency range that's underrepresented. Cymbals can get buried. The "thwack" of a snare drum can sound more like a "thwuck." I'll check that better with an EQ this weekend.
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Good deal on the dimensions.
    When I was listening to them they were connected to rebuilt x-overs using the same new dayton caps and mills resistors.
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    I was wondering if a different crossover point might brighten them up a bit but that's out of my knowledge range. What were your impressions?
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    New resistors and caps along with some Najee and Boney James as well as some Alfa Mist on Loop. They play the low sax notes very well and as you said had no tinny at all.
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    No fatigue and that's worth it right there.
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Did you perform the battery and Charmin test yet lol?
    734hdyzmtxo9.jpg
    2 more sets arrived and they are not marked for + either....
    Is there any way to check them before installing/gluing?
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Here's a pic of the silks with more coil winding than the SL1000s....
    fby95e675ryh.jpg
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    xschop wrote: »
    Did you perform the battery and Charmin test yet lol?
    Not yet. I will on Saturday for sure.
  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    edited April 2017
    Can not believe those rascals did not put a red marker dot or something on the wire to show polarity. Can you see on the coil if one side of the winding starts low and the other side comes out high ? If you can then use the lowest side for negative and the high side for positive on both then run em that way for a while then flip your wires around polarity wise and see what they sound like that way. At least that way they should be in phase with each other..And hey, that battery and Charmin test works ! at least for mid ranges...sometimes...OK, OK, you got me, I don't really know if it will work at all. That being said I hope if you do use the Charmin that it don't give you a crappy answer.
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Mr Whipple was kinda creepy.
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    I felt like I needed an official Polk lab coat.
    0tlvojzypyqq.jpg
    bzzzit... bzzzit...
    Outward movement was easy to see.
    Correct polarity for both.
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    edited April 2017
    Nice. Hopefully you resisted the urge to squeeze the Charmin.

    On a serious note I tested all 4 these new domes/coils at 7.5-7.8 ohm. I also tested the SL1000s you sent at 6.4 and 6.5 ohm.

    Thinking back on your comment, maybe dropping in a lower value resistor will help with crossover point and loudness change that occured?

    Although the new silks have more winding, these SL1000 have and aluminum alloy frame folded around perimeter of winding that makes them weighty....
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Very interesting that the RDO style housings showed up sooner than expected. They all test at 6.0 to 6.2 ohms. The silk looks like a tighter weave on these as well....

    acp86hvplx1c.jpg
    vyt9t0kdqqhs.jpg
    jra0egln6d8s.jpg
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  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    kevinko wrote: »
    I felt like I needed an official Polk lab coat.
    0tlvojzypyqq.jpg
    bzzzit... bzzzit...
    Outward movement was easy to see.
    Correct polarity for both.

    It seems that in the past I have used a 9v with success as well. Glad that worked. It would have driven me crazy not to know.
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Forgot to mention previously that the plastic diaphragm housings are 0.060" thick
    but the coil lengths are same length as the regular silk ones.

    Has anyone tore apart a 194 and 198 to compare/confirm diaphragms?
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    edited May 2017
    Vsat sent these burnt 194s and they are no different than the aftermarket dimensionally other than there is that same alloy looking ring wound inside the factory coils as Sl1000s had. There is no extra coating on inside domes of these 194s either....
    The 0.060" mystery is solved for me as there are 4 embossed bolt tabs at 0.060" thick....

    q6e8anfuo0f4.jpg
    Post edited by xschop on
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Two locating notch reliefs with a few strokes of 1/4" round file and they're set....
    skaiw9dwkdbl.jpg
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,636
    Sneaky Polk engineers have the mount screws at 39mm on square....

    yo2ktx9c69bk.jpg
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  • VSAT88
    VSAT88 Posts: 1,226
    Thought that may well be 39mm not 40mm. I am not so good at measuring I guess. Those diaphragms I bought took a good bit of hacking to fit then they were very hard to center. Great work !