JBL 026Ti & after-market replacement

[Fred Sanford]

I recently toasted an 026Ti tweeter in one of my HP420s, and have been scouting for an OEM replacement. In the meantime, I grabbed two of the Goldwood GT-338 replacement tweeters available from Parts Express ($7.70 each, 3 year warranty):

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/psho...5&ctab=14#Tabs

This was partly just to give me a backup so I'd be less worried opening up the non-playing 026, however once I got into it the damage was obviously unrepairable. I figured I'd post a couple of pics and a general first impression of listening to the two options side-by-side.

I'd always liked the sound of the 026Ti, I'd mentioned here that it was the best feature of the HP420 to me. Now, comparing it side to side with the Goldwood there's a very obvious difference, with the JBL easily winning out. I've played tunes in mono to the two speakers, and also played selections twice through after flipping the L/R wiring in between plays. Reverbs and cymbals obviously decay towards the side with the JBL tweet, even in mono. Some percussion instruments actually appear only on the JBL tweeter's side, and don't seem to show up at all on the Goldwood. I'll have a crude RTA setup out tomorrow, and might be able to show a measured difference then.

Terminals are also slightly different, with the Goldwood having two smaller male terminals on opposite sides of the magnet, where the JBL has larger male + female lugs on one side.

Pics to follow...

je

[Fred Sanford]

Pics of the two tweets:

[Fred Sanford]

Pics of the damaged 026Ti voice coil...mmm, toasty:

[Fred Sanford]

Crude & un-scientific, as promised- pretty much confirms what I was hearing, though. Ignore the 60 cycle hum I didn't investigate...first pic is with the JBL tweet, second pic is replacement. Last display bar to the right is overall level, then 16K & 8K as you move left.