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Old 7th Sep 2019, 11:03 am   #1
LASCONWAY
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Default Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Hello,

Hope your all getting on wonderfully

I recently lost all the high end signal from both my Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speakers.

The signal was intermittent at high volume and then gone completely

The amp running into the speakers is a Pioneer SA 420

What is likely to have happened here / how can I fix or what should I replace?

I have attached photos showing a serrated connection on the front of one of the speakers' tweeters. And to me what looks like clean enough connection points on the other side of the tweeters

Your wisdom is greatly appreciated in advance!

Thanks,

Laurence
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 11:06 am   #2
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Hello and welcome to the forums.

I'd have thought it highly unlikely that both speakers would fail simultaneously. Could it be an amplifier problem? Again unlikely that both amplifier channels would fail simultaneously.
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 11:11 am   #3
SteveCG
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Lasconway,

As I look at photos 4 and 5 in your sequence I think that I'm not seeing a connection on one side from the central dome (front view) to where the wire goes to the tag. Can you confirm please? There should be connections on both sides of the dome for the tweeter to work.

Last edited by SteveCG; 7th Sep 2019 at 11:12 am. Reason: added text
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 11:39 am   #4
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Just out of interest in hifi terms the word 'signal' is generally used to describe low level electronic or radio wave signals, with 'sound' being the norm when referring to the output of speakers. Although somewhat confusingly, speakers are fed with signals. Hope you get your problem sorted.
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 2:28 pm   #5
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Failure of the flexible wire connecting the voice coil to the connection tags is a common failure mode.

These speakers are about forty years old now. I think it's metal fatigue.

If I knew how to dissolve that rubbery coating I would have a go at soldering a thin wire onto the end of the break. Then drill a tiny hole in the plastic near the connection tab and solder that end.

Easier said than done.
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 2:43 pm   #6
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Whilst that Pioneer amplifier is only modestly powered, and may have been unlikely to have over-driven them, I too have had old tweeters simultaneously failing. If repair is not practical, there are some nice " Audax type" domed tweeters readily avaiable at modest prices online and may work well with the original xovers.
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 3:34 pm   #7
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Re post 3 and 5, yes I can see the break as well.
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Old 8th Sep 2019, 8:12 am   #8
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

First thing to check is if you have DC on the OP of the amp. Second check tweeter continuity, if broken as suspected it may be possible to pull a half turn or turn of the coil and re-solder to the terminal, just use a needle to tease the wire off the former, no need to dissolve the glue.

I had some NOS coils for those tweeters, now sold, but from memory contemporary replacements are available.

Andy.
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Old 11th Nov 2019, 1:26 pm   #9
LASCONWAY
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Hello,

A long over due update! Thanks all so much for your help! I ended up replacing one tweeter and un coiling and re connecting the separated connection on the other!

Thanks again for the info

Laurence
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Old 13th Nov 2019, 6:55 am   #10
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

You got there in the end, nice one, another pair of vintage speakers saved.

Andy.
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Old 13th Nov 2019, 9:38 am   #11
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Default Re: Celestion Ditton 15 XR Speaker Tweeters No Signal

Tweeters are usually fed via capacitors, which block DC and so save the tweeters in the case of DC from a faulty amplifier.

The amplifier faults which do destroy tweeters are high frequency oscillation, or simply the use of too small an amplifier driven into clipping causing a great increase of the power applied higher up the spectrum. This is how parties ruin speakers.

David
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