Comparing SEAS Prestige 27TDFC with Stock RTi-A7 Tweeter

New_World_Man
New_World_Man Posts: 7
in DIY, Mods & Tweaks
I was planning to replace the tweeters in my RTi-A7's. I was not sure I liked the sound, and thought it could be improved with an alternative. So I bought a pair of SEAS Prestige 27TDFC's with notches cut out for the mids. I tested them in separate wooden mounts to compare them side by side. I used a DPDT switch to switch between them during playback and the results blew me away. I much preferred the sound of the stock Polk tweeters! When I switched to the Seas tweets it sounded like some of the high end was lost. It might be that the Polk tweets are more efficient, or have a bright sound many people mention, but in all of my listening tests with this experiment I preferred them over the SEAS Prestige 27TDFC...

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Comments

  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,651
    I'm not gonna say they were engineered to work with a specific tweeter...but as you discovered, they were engineered to work with a specific tweeter.

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    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    What were the ohm's readings of the new vs.factory tweeters?
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,894
    way, way too many variables goin' on here... B)

    That said -- heck, if the OP prefers the tweeters that were specified by the designers and builders of the loudspeaker, that's good, right? :)

    So, now whaddya do with the SEAS tweeters?
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  • New_World_Man
    New_World_Man Posts: 7
    xschop wrote: »
    What were the ohm's readings of the new vs.factory tweeters?

    Good question. The Seas tweets are 6 Ohm. I think the stock Polks are 6 as well, but if not that would of pose a difference in the roll off freq of the crossover. If the Polks are 8 Ohm, that would explain a higher roll off.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,123
    Simple observation here...

    If you preferred them, you wouldn't have wanted to switch them out in the first place.

    Also, you should look at a 3 way crossover network and research how an individual driver (in your case, the tweeter) has to be matched to the crossover AND the other drivers in the speaker itself. It is not as simple as plug and play.
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    way, way too many variables goin' on here... B)
    He's right.

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • New_World_Man
    New_World_Man Posts: 7
    treitz3 wrote: »
    Simple observation here...

    If you preferred them, you wouldn't have wanted to switch them out in the first place.

    I said I preferred them... after the experiment. I didn't say I like them better than anything I have ever heard :smile:
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  • gp4jesus
    gp4jesus Posts: 1,988
    New_World_Man wrote: »
    Good question. The Seas tweets are 6 Ohm. I think the stock Polks are 6 as well, but if not that would of pose a difference in the roll off freq of the crossover. If the Polks are 8 Ohm, that would explain a higher roll off.
    Polks are 4 ohm

    Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED, Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga: LCR mids “Foamed & Plugged**”, inside* & out
    8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out
    *soldered **Rob the Man (Xschop) LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & Mids - 981, connected w/Monoprice Premiere ICs
    Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,123
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    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • gp4jesus
    gp4jesus Posts: 1,988
    NW_man: I may one day replace the stock RTi A7 tweeters, that said...
    “Louder sounds better.” The stock tweeter is 4 ohms. It will be louder than the Seas if it’s 6* ohms thus “sounding better.”
    * unless it’s sensitivity is higher

    When you’re deciding between, for example, two similar speakers, typically the louder pair* will seem to sound better. What I wanna know, which tweeters sounds cleaner, more musical
    *extremes of course are the exception

    Did you try listening to just the tweets? I see from the pics you were set up to listen to both side by side. While doing so, did you adjust the volume?

    When I was was dialing in my tri-amped RTi A7s, I listened one band at time. I spent more time on the tweets than the other two bands because of they’re the RTi A series sore spot. Part of that was using my EXO’s DSP to further “tame” their inherent edginess. Each band has a dedicated parametric EQ.

    I can tell ya the factory XO* is a major source of edginess & brightness. Mine are much cleaner as a result of removing them* but trust me they’re not the sweetest sounding tweets

    So what are you doing w/the Seas now?

    Tony
    Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED, Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga: LCR mids “Foamed & Plugged**”, inside* & out
    8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out
    *soldered **Rob the Man (Xschop) LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & Mids - 981, connected w/Monoprice Premiere ICs
    Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s
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  • gyosa
    gyosa Posts: 750
    That’s probably the wackiest thing I’ve seen on this forum .....
    😂😂

    But , hey , it’s all about having FUN , right ?

    Kudos for giving it a try !

    Bk
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  • gp4jesus
    gp4jesus Posts: 1,988
    gyosa wrote: »
    That’s probably the wackiest thing I’ve seen on this forum .....
    😂😂
    WHAT is the wackiest thing you’ve seen on this forum.
    gyosa wrote: »
    But , hey , it’s all about having FUN , right ?

    Kudos for giving it a try !

    Bk
    I’ll go along w/that

    Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED, Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga: LCR mids “Foamed & Plugged**”, inside* & out
    8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out
    *soldered **Rob the Man (Xschop) LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & Mids - 981, connected w/Monoprice Premiere ICs
    Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s
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