Dammit! Leave my speakers alone!

[topspeed]

What is it about dust caps or dome tweeters that compel morons to punch them in?!?

As I sat down last night, I noticed the tweeter on my left main speaker looked a little funny. Now, unlike the mid bass and bass drivers which are covered by black grills, the tweeters on my speakers have a metal screen cap that covers them so you can still see the dome very clearly. Unfortunately, what I could clearly see was that someone had removed the metal cap and punched in the aluminium dome!!! :mad5:

Here's what get's me: Someone had to intentionally do this. It's physically impossible to push the dome in without removing the grill first. It's just too stiff. I know it wasn't my boys because they know the rules of the house, one of which is leave Daddy's speakers and rig alone, a rule they adhere to very well. I decided early on that trying to figure out who did it would be a waste of energy. There's simply no reason. Blaming someone won't negate the fact that I had to order a new diaphram from B&W this morning. At $100, I was somewhat relieved as I thought I would need to replace the entire transducer, and Lord knows I'm in no rush to discover the replacement cost of a Nautilus tweeter! Apparently, the diaphram can be detached from the motor structure and once it arrives with the schematics, I'll get my first shot at speaker repair. Oh, boy.

End rant. You may now return to your normally scheduled programming. :)

[kexodusc]

$100 for the diaphram....ugh..Dunno what to say about that...****ty.

Been down that road before though. One goofball friend of mine punched in the tweeters on a pair of my speakers because "everyone knows they sound better that way".

I wanted to punch his face in. I can't even imagine where that "tweak" originated from? A white van probably...

Speedy, is it possible to push the dent back out?

[GMichael]

That's just not right! :yikes: Can't people see that these things are not meant to be poked?:incazzato:

Sorry to read about your speaker's fate Top. Don't worry, it will be ok soon.
Have you tried to pull it out yourself? I know that tweeters can be a little tougher than larger drivers.

[SlumpBuster]

Yeah, I've only had success pushing soft dome tweeters back out, and only where the diaphram was fully removable. (Boston Acoustic) This is why I like tweeters with fixed plastic guards. Also I only take my grills off when I'm the only person around.

The saddest thing I ever saw was a pair of Dane towers with the tweeter completely pushed in. It was again like someone had to work at it.

Don't you guys know the rule? "You're not allowed to have nice things." That rule grows exponentially as you get married, have kids, ect. We have been babyproofing the house over the last few months and I've given up on proofing my LP collection. They are all clean, so I guess I'm just going to let him have at it. He's lucky I love him. I did the same thing to my father's collection.

[Luvin Da Blues]

I would try to "pull" it out with a piece of tape first. I have done this in the past with dust caps, not sure if it would work with a dome tweeter tho.

[basite]

it's a shame people do that...

I mean, they know they don't have to push drivers in. You don't smash people's cars too don't you? and at a shop I know these things can happen (at least, at a large shop, not at a specialized hifi dealer), there's always some small kid that likes to push things, but at people's homes???

anyhow, I know there was this trick with a vacuum cleaner, but it was only for soft domes I think... I don't think you can do anything about metal/aluminium/other hard stuff domes, exept for taking them off and pushing the dent out from behind...

Good luck...

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[markw]

What is it about dust caps or dome tweeters that compel morons to punch them in?!? I think it's the same gene that compels people to touch something when it has a "wet paint" sign on it or, in a more extreme case of the nasties, when someone, for no reason, keys the entire drivers side of a brand new car, as was done to my two-week old Hyundai elantra in Bayonne.

But, you're right. When I worked for the Shak, it was impossible to leave the grilles off the speakers. It wasn't just kids, either.

I do fine it hard to believe that someone had the audacity to remove protective grilles in order to poke yours, though. Someone musta really been jonesin for a pokin there.

[Florian]

One of the reasons why i use 4 cameras in my home. One for the entry, one for each balcony and one for the Grand room.

[basite]

One of the reasons why i use 4 cameras in my home. One for the entry, one for each balcony and one for the Grand room.


:yikes:

[bobsticks]

One of the reasons why i use 4 cameras in my home. One for the entry, one for each balcony and one for the Grand room.

Yeah, I think FloJo's got the right approach. Seriously. I mean I think you're handling it in a very mature manner if one could be sure it was confined to a single instance. How's about one of those babysitter spycams? Have you questioned the maid? Colonel Mustard?

And for the record it is a sad state of affairs that some people just gotta piss in evryone else's Wheaties.

[Florian]

Na, see you guys, I have a sitter for my dog while i am at work. I have two balconys and in this room alone are close to 200k worth of ****. From the outside you can see the Grand, most people dont know what it is, but they can see the huge projector etc.. In this neighborhood with many bars and pubs around, i just dont trust anyone. I work hard for my stuff and the person be damned who ****s it up ;-)

[Jimmy C]

... it's not like there are thousands of people running through your house, correct? Jimmy doesn't get it... within a certain time frame, you must know the finite number of visitors.

Also - are you POSSIBLY underestimating the power of kids? I don't have any first-hand experience, but I have heard stories :*)

I try not to let little crap (especially after 9.11) like this bother me, but it does! Hey... you worked for it and you want it in nice shape.

Doesn't bother me SO much anymore, but yeah, I know whatcha mean B^)

[s dog]

What is it about dust caps or dome tweeters that compel morons to punch them in?!?

As I sat down last night, I noticed the tweeter on my left main speaker looked a little funny. Now, unlike the mid bass and bass drivers which are covered by black grills, the tweeters on my speakers have a metal screen cap that covers them so you can still see the dome very clearly. Unfortunately, what I could clearly see was that someone had removed the metal cap and punched in the aluminium dome!!! :mad5:

Here's what get's me: Someone had to intentionally do this. It's physically impossible to push the dome in without removing the grill first. It's just too stiff. I know it wasn't my boys because they know the rules of the house, one of which is leave Daddy's speakers and rig alone, a rule they adhere to very well. I decided early on that trying to figure out who did it would be a waste of energy. There's simply no reason. Blaming someone won't negate the fact that I had to order a new diaphram from B&W this morning. At $100, I was somewhat relieved as I thought I would need to replace the entire transducer, and Lord knows I'm in no rush to discover the replacement cost of a Nautilus tweeter! Apparently, the diaphram can be detached from the motor structure and once it arrives with the schematics, I'll get my first shot at speaker repair. Oh, boy.

End rant. You may now return to your normally scheduled programming. :) I see tweeter domes pushed in all the time in stores like best buy, I wonder how they ever get them sold in that kind of shape.

[Mr Peabody]

Were they pushed to the point that they no longer worked? Though the cap is pushed in most tweets still work. Look like hell, but work.

[PeruvianSkies]

I would treat it like a crime scene and get some prints....someone's gotta pay for that kinda abuse...I mean, while it might be a $100 repair, it's like keying someone's car....you just don't do that.

[emorphien]

This happened to a hi-fi shop in Cincinnati, they were telling me how they walked around one day and suddenly realized every speaker except those with metal grills over the tweeters, and the Focals with the inverted tweeters, were pushed in.

Actually, iirc, some of the metal grills over the tweeters had been pushed in too.

My totems have no grill, fortunately it's in my bedroom so they should be pretty safe.

[JohnMichael]

Imbeciles are drawn to shiny things. They just have to walk over and touch it. I had a pair of Celestions with metal dome tweeters and during an open house you would be surprised at the number of people who walked toward the tweeters with their fingers aimed at the dome.

[markw]

Imbeciles are drawn to shiny things. They just have to walk over and touch it. I had a pair of Celestions with metal dome tweeters and during an open house you would be surprised at the number of people who walked toward the tweeters with their fingers aimed at the dome.It's too bad there isn't away to wire the metal domes so they pass an electrical current so when they are touched, they give out a zap.

Nothing like the smell of a little burned flesh (their own) to wise one up.

[Luvin Da Blues]

It's too bad there isn't away to wire the metal domes so they pass an electrical current so when they are touched, they give out a zap.

Nothing like the smell of a little burned flesh (their own) to wise one up.

Hell, just put an electric mat in front of the speakers...hmmmm let see... 1000 volts be enuf???:ihih:

[GMichael]

Hell, just put an electric mat in front of the speakers...hmmmm let see... 1000 volts be enuf???:ihih:

That depends. How many Amps are you going to use?

[Luvin Da Blues]

That depends. How many Amps are you going to use?

Depends on the resistance of the d!ckheads biological matter....We'll try to keep it to around 10 milliamps..don't wanna kill anybody Ya Know..on second thought........

[GMichael]

Depends on the resistance of the d!ckheads biological matter....We'll try to keep it to around 10 milliamps..don't wanna kill anybody Ya Know..on second thought........

Maybe a couple of nice strong caps.
Kazzzzzzap! Pop.


Oh, where'd you get that hair style?

[topspeed]

Hmmm....now that you mention it, I do know a retired EE that can probably make that mat in exchange for a 6 pack of Heineken...:lol:

I can always count on you guys for a good laugh! Thanks for all the responses.

Here's an image of the cap, (no, this isn't mine) so you can get an idea of how strong the grille is. To punch in the tweeter, you would have to seriously damage the grill, which on mine is still completely intact. No, whoever did this took the time to pull the grill off (which, unfortunately, isn't hard) and then did their deed.

http://www.u-audio.com/img/goods/3/0000000002724.jpg

As you can see, the domes are aluminum, so they can't be pulled out. Even if I removed the dents once the diaphram is detached from the motor structure, I just couldn't stand knowing all the creases and everything else were still there. Whether it made an audible difference is irrelevant. I already know it's damaged, and that's enough. It would be like having my car keyed and leaving it that way. I'd rather just suck it up and fix it the right way.

It really is amazing how thoughtless some people can be. I've given up on the belief that I can ever keep anything pristine, especially my cars. Whenever I get a new one, it isn't a matter of whether or not some doughnut is going to put a ding in it (even when I intentionally park far away from other cars), it's more a matter of whether it will happen in the first week or first month? Like clockwork, some jackass will hit it, I'll call the Dent Doctor and have it rubbed out, and life goes on.

Happens every time.

[Woochifer]

Alright Speedy! I'll man up ... it was me! I had a bad sports weekend -- my Bruins lost a football game, a quarterback, a point guard, and a shooting guard; AND my fantasy football team got killed yesterday!

So, at the time it seemed like a good idea to take my frustrations out on a Trojan's speakers! But, in retrospect ...uh ... it was a bad idea after all! :idea: Sorry 'bout that!

Seriously though, that sucks! And it's not even like those CDMs are unprotected either (like the totally exposed tweeter domes on the CM and DM series models). Maybe someone's got some DIY steel cage solutions to keep your speaks away from prying hands? :cornut: (And I'm taking notes because my five month old will be poking away at the audio gear in very short order!)

[topspeed]

Figures.

If it's bad, it's a Bruin's fault. ;)

[EFE Speakers]

#1.
Have you and your wife been getting along lately?

#2.
Have you recently listed any properties telling your client they would get the same price for their house as last year but it would only take a little longer to sell?

Think hard before you answer?

:cornut:

[GMichael]

#1.
Have you and your wife been getting along lately?

#2.
Have you recently listed any properties telling your client they would get the same price for their house as last year but it would only take a little longer to sell?

Think hard before you answer?

:cornut:

Oh darn! When I saw your moniker I was expecting some inside trick to popping out a pushed in dome.:idea:

[EFE Speakers]

Oh darn! When I saw your moniker I was expecting some inside trick to popping out a pushed in dome.:idea:


If the dome and voice coil can be removed (and apparently it can if he is buying a new one), then the dent can be pushed out! It will never be as smooth (as before) but it can be pushed out from the inside once removed. Clip your index fingernail (very short) and carefully push your finger down the center of the voice coil once it is removed from the magnet structure.

:cornut:

Success,
Ed Frias
EFE TECHNOLOGY Speakers

[Glen B]

What is it about dust caps or dome tweeters that compel morons to punch them in?!?

I got home yesterday to find that my 5-year-old grandson had started peeling the fabric away from the grill of my HT center channel speaker, punched in the dustcaps on both mid/woofers, unplugged the wires to the center and a side of one of the mains, and separated the two halves of the 16 gauge zip. All this during one day off from school because of local elections. This is the second time he has unplugged the center channel wires. Its a good thing the banana plugs were not touching. I could have blown my receiver center channel if I had turned it on and cranked up the volume. Just when I thought he had just about outgrown his mischief, he goes and does this. He's lucky that I love him. :mad: :) Anyone else would be toast. :mad5:

[topspeed]

#1.
Have you and your wife been getting along lately? Swimmingly. 2 minutes at a time...mebbe 3 if I think about baseball.


#2.
Have you recently listed any properties telling your client they would get the same price for their house as last year but it would only take a little longer to sell?

Think hard before you answer?

:cornut:Never.

Thankfully, the media has already hammered it into their psyche so many times that most are (finally) in touch with reality: If they bought between '05 and now, they're screwed and they know it.

[bobsticks]

Thankfully, the media has already hammered it into their psyche so many times that most are (finally) in touch with reality: If they bought between '05 and now, they're screwed and they know it.

There's a guy sleeping in the alley three stories below me that said the same thing not two hours ago. Some people just complain all the time. Even now he's complaining about the quality of the Maytag box in this thunderstorm...

[Worf101]

I got home yesterday to find that my 5-year-old grandson had started peeling the fabric away from the grill of my HT center channel speaker, punched in the dustcaps on both mid/woofers, unplugged the wires to the center and a side of one of the mains, and separated the two halves of the 16 gauge zip. All this during one day off from school because of local elections. This is the second time he has unplugged the center channel wires. Its a good thing the banana plugs were not touching. I could have blown my receiver center channel if I had turned it on and cranked up the volume. Just when I thought he had just about outgrown his mischief, he goes and does this. He's lucky that I love him. :mad: :) Anyone else would be toast. :mad5:
Do you believe in "corporal punishment"? If you do, then a spankin' (not a whippin) after the first incident might have convinced him to lay off the friggin' gear. If you don't believe in striking a child in anyway whatsoever... well...

Da Worfster

[Groundbeef]

Do you believe in "corporal punishment"? If you do, then a spankin' (not a whippin) after the first incident might have convinced him to lay off the friggin' gear. If you don't believe in striking a child in anyway whatsoever... well...

Da Worfster

I always found a "slap" to the hand works better in those cases. My wife and I have had great success with the kids, with a minimum of "kidproofing". Generally after a swat or 2 they got the message. Corporal punishment is best reserved for bad behavior, not curiosity.

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

They removed the grille, punched in an aluminum dome tweeter (which I imagine involves a wooden dowl and a felt covered hammer), replaces the grille, and nobody says anything about it for months?

Thats not just rude. Thats a ****ing gypsy curse.

[topspeed]

Well, I must say that B&W's customer service is pretty darn good!

I received the replacement diaphram yesterday and Tech Support walked me through the install this morning. It took about five minutes and was far easier than I thought, admittedly the top mounted tweeter facilitates matters considerably. After gently lifting the nautilus tube to clear the rubber grommet, I twisted the front cap off, plugged the new diaphram in and voila!, we're back in business :thumbsup: I put on a John Mayer SACD to make sure everything was shiny and save for what sounds like a little necessary break-in compared to the right channel, I'm a happy camper!

BTW, if I did this right, here are pics of the former dome. It's in the box the replacement came in which, by the way, placed the diaphram in between 4" foam cut-outs top and bottom and was then double boxed with styrofoam (sp?) peanuts! Talk about well packed!

[topspeed]

Do you believe in "corporal punishment"? If you do, then a spankin' (not a whippin) after the first incident might have convinced him to lay off the friggin' gear. If you don't believe in striking a child in anyway whatsoever... well...

Da Worfster
Are you kidding? I've got a wooden spoon for just an occasion.

I'm pretty sure it wasn't my boys, they're pretty well behaved. Meh, I'm not concerned about who did it anymore. That would simply be wasted energy.

[GMichael]

All's well that ends well.

[bobsticks]

Congrats on the quick fix and some piece of mind. Usually it doesn't work out so handily. Impressive customer support too; chalk one up for B&W.

Nice choice in listening material as well.

[topspeed]

Thanks, guys.

Bobsticks,

I know Mayer gets a bad rap for being a bit of a pretty boy, but anyone that cites SRV as one of his main influences is worth a listen in my book. If you don't already have it, consider picking up Trio. This is probably my favorite recording by Mayer and showcases his blues background much more than the first two albums. Room for Squares is sonically cleaner (indeed, I use it as a reference recording), but the musicianship on Trio is guttier and more satisfying. Check it out.

[bobsticks]

Actually I was saying the same thing right here just earlier this morning. I guess great minds think alike. :D

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=24868

[tiny]

I see tweeter domes pushed in all the time in stores like best buy, I wonder how they ever get them sold in that kind of shape.

it is best buy where people don't know it isn't supposed to be that way... I am convinced this is where the urban legend of it sounds better that way started from. Some idiot box store jokers told the customer that because every one of them in the store was that way.

These are definitely some interesting tips on how to fix the problem. Because the problem exists, I find myself liking horns more and more.