SDA SL2000 tweeter replacement

hauxon
hauxon Posts: 162
in Vintage Speakers
I've been planning for a long time to upgrade the tweeters of my SDA 2B to the newer (better) type. As I understand the main fault with the stock SL2000 is a 5db rise around 13000 Hz . 5db is quite a lot and understandably people want as flat response curve as possible.

I however listened to a sine wave from 20-20000 hz on youtube and noticed to my surprise I can't hear much above 14500 Hz. That's normal, I'm 44 and playing in a band for most of my life probably does not help either.

That started me thinking if upgrading the tweeters might be unnecessary since the most part of the frequency rise might be outside my hearing range. Does anyone know how steep the rise is? Is it +5db at 13000 Hz (where I can clearly hear it) or does it start rising at 13kHz to 5db at 15 or 16 kHz?

Thanks, Hrannar
SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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Comments

  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 162
    It seems that the peak is around 12-13 kHz so I might not be in luck until after 70.... : P
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,184
    I would recommend doing the "TL" mod which incorporates the RD0198-1 tweeter and a capacitor change (google the specifics). The SL2000 sounds very harsh and fatiguing not matter a person's hearing range. It's a relatively inexpensive upgrade and definitely worth it IMO.
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  • RandyCroissant
    RandyCroissant Posts: 475
    ^^^ what he said an then some B)
    Yamaha RXA1030, Yamaha CD-S2100, Yamaha AS-2200, Bluesound node 2i
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  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,637
    edited December 2016
    Even the "drop-in" Polk replacement RD0-194 is far better than the sl2000 imo. 5min job..... The 0198 is outstanding also-if your a handy tech. You cant go wrong either way.
    ..
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    Just do it! There's more to the better sound of the new tweets than the missing hump. Don't just make a decision on a single freq sweep.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited December 2016
    Agreed. The 194 is the easiest upgrade for you to make. A little DIY and add a cap to the crossover and you've done the TL mod that allows you to use the 198. But then once you're into the crossover, the "might-as-wells" start quickly kicking in. Welcome to the rabbit hole.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    Listening to a 20-20000kHz sine wave on Youtube isn't close to proof you can't hear. Any idea how the sine wave was recorded? What gear were you listening on? How far away from the speakers? Are the speakers capable of producing a flat 20-20000kHz sine wave (very few are) You should use really good headphones. At what listening level?

    I'd throw those results right out the window. Poppycock

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,637
    Poppycock ??? New one on me. I had to google that one. It was there too :) LMAO i live in the stix. Carry on
    ..
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    boston1450 wrote: »
    Poppycock ??? New one on me. I had to google that one. It was there too :) LMAO i live in the stix. Carry on
    Pretty common usage around these parts Randy. Gotta come in from the wilderness once in a while brother.
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,788
    edited December 2016
    Poppycock: Dutch translation...soft dung.
    Know your roll, Randy.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,441
    Goes well with tea & crumpet's...
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,788
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    Goes well with tea & crumpet's...

    Well put, sir! A true gentleman lies within you!
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  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 162
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Listening to a 20-20000kHz sine wave on Youtube isn't close to proof you can't hear. Any idea how the sine wave was recorded? What gear were you listening on? How far away from the speakers? Are the speakers capable of producing a flat 20-20000kHz sine wave (very few are) You should use really good headphones. At what listening level?

    I'd throw those results right out the window. Poppycock

    H9

    :)

    I'm not 100% on how the source was generated but most likely a computer generated file. I did the "test" by using Senniheiser HD600 headphones. So the file might be faulty but the Sennheiser has no problem with 14500 Hz +

    Here's the Youtube link:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-iCZElJ8m0

    I did it again. Now I was more "scientific", disabled all EQ and turned the volume more up and I could hear (faintly) up to about 18kHz. I need to do this at home where I don't have as much noise as in my workplace. The above 16kHz sound is probably messed up with Youtube compression as noted in the video description.
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    I'll echo the "just do it" drop-in/upgrade recs above. In a pair of CRS+'s, replacing the original SL2000's with RDO194's significantly improved the sound. Then modifying (and upgrading) the crossover for RDO198's resulted in silky smooth top end and improved detail and imaging. You'll be glad you did it.

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