TLabs LIVES!!!

[wolf_teeth]

Meniscus Audio Group just sent out a newsletter with this blurb:

Resurrection - Transducer Labs has a new life. The brother behind the design of the TL tweeters has purchased the company. There is now current stock in his possession and we will be listing them back on our site shortly. Eugen plans on upgrading the line by next year with Neo motors and smaller, standard faceplates.

Thought I would share this fantastic news!!
Wolf

[cochinada]

I wonder if the brother will answer an email testifying a case of material fatigue of a tweeter TLab sold...

[wolf_teeth]

Material fatigue?
Wolf

[cochinada]

Material fatigue?
Wolf

Yes, it is told in the thread of my build.

[wolf_teeth]

Could you show a link so I know what you are referring to?
Wolf

[Zvu]

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php?42594-My-first-project-is-a-4-way-speaker&p=630890&viewfull=1#post630890

[wolf_teeth]

I'll see what I can do....
Wolf

[wolf_teeth]

Coch-

Eugen wonders if any of your gear has turn-on thumps. As to that, I also have an Anthem preamp (AVM-30), and it will spit/thump at turn-on/off with the amps on. I've never had any issues with drivers failing though because of it, as the high-pass caps block the DC, and the woofers don't care.

If the drivers' faces had been removed at all before this failure, apparently there are kapton films under the tinsels to prevent shorting on the magnets. There is a sharp edge on the magnet there and it could sever the tinsel under a transient. If the kapton films are not in place under them and the gear thumped, this will cause problems.

He also said while he can't rule out the wire having a failure, this would be the first time in 7 years he's seen the wire cut and fail like that in any driver they've produced.

I'm still wondering if something is wired funny, as I have the same tweeters without incident.
Later,
Wolf

[cochinada]

Hi Wolf,

First of all thanks for caring about my misfortune.

Indeed I had an issue in the pass which I've described also in my thread which I guess you can categorize as a switch-on thump rather than a turn-on thump. This happened when I switched the source from/to the Anthem.

"This is my 2nd pair of tweeters already. The 1st time one blew was because my amp caused a loud burst of noise but I also opened that tweeter and these two wires are still intact and there is connectivity between both terminals. Now, in this last case there was no abuse from the amp but still this happened and one of the wires is broken as I said and of course there is no connectivity whatsoever between both terminals."

As the 1st time this was my fault or better yet the Amp's fault I've simply ordered a second pair to TLabs. After this sad episode my amp was fixed to minimize this burst/thump and also I have a workaround that consists of simply turning the power off and wait until the capacitors discharge before switching to/from the Anthem. This way I don't witness thumps anymore. Even so, and to be totally honest I cannot guarantee 100% there hasn't been any (minor) thump since then.

What puzzles me more is that the 1st time the 1st pair blew the wires were still intact nevertheless and believe me when I say that was a loud thump and hands down the loudest I have heard on my system. To clarify, I never disassembled the drivers except after they were broke to find out what happened. Also, there is nothing funny about my wiring.

I believe Eugen when he says this was never seen in 7 years as I'm used to have all sorts of bad things happening to me during and after the building of my speakers as anyone can read.

[wolf_teeth]

I have the same tweeters MGR-G in my Cecropia Supreme design, and I've not experienced issues like this- even having an Anthem preamp. I have this filter installed:

Being that capacitors block thumps, this should not make any issues occur, nor allow any to occur. This is why I questioned your wiring. Normally a ladder delay does not allow the transients through either, so it still does not make sense as to why these transients happened. I know your thread shows a damped second order that is just shy of being called 1st order due to the resistor on the coil, but even so this should still be safe.

Later,
Wolf

[cochinada]

This is my crossover:

[wolf_teeth]

Yes, I read your thread. Main difference being mine is 3rd electrical and yours is 2nd, but the Q is really barely different in the first C/L section.

I'm having a hard time visualizing why your tweeters would overexcurse on a pop, when they are adequately protected, if they are indeed wired as you have just attached.

Wolf

[cochinada]

Yes, I read your thread. Main difference being mine is 3rd electrical and yours is 2nd, but the Q is really barely different in the first C/L section.

I'm having a hard time visualizing why your tweeters would overexcurse on a pop, when they are adequately protected, if they are indeed wired as you have just attached.

Wolf

They certainly are. I don't believe there was an over-excursion, otherwise both should have blew up. Also this didn't happen with the 1st pair although they blew-up.