Tubeears:
Yikes!!
Its not that hard to replace the tweets, but it does get a bit tricky in spots.
Here's what I learned the hard way, for the public record.
First, you need to get a good quality Phillips head screw driver that is an exact
match for the size of the head of those soft, brass screws. Especially if you try
to use a screwdriver that's a little too small, those screws are soft enough that
you really do run the risk of stripping out the screw head, at which
point,"you are screwed.";-)
Additionally, you need to take the speakers off the stands and lay them down
on a soft surface (like a pillow or cushion) terminal side facing down. At first I
tried to unscrew those tweeterss while still attached to the stands, but trying
to exert the proper amount of horizontal pressure was just too hard. You
really need to be able to bear straight down vertically, on the screw heads.
Once you have the screws out, there is another bit of a challenge. The high
frequency drivers are not glued into the cabinet, but there is a thin foam
gasket behind each one, which gets compressed when the drivers are screwed
into place. It has the effect of making the drivers stick to the cabinet a bit. So,
you need either a small screwdriver, or a pair of pliers, or a coat hanger or
paperclip bent into a small hook, to insert into one of the empty screw holes
in the faceplate of the tweeter so you can pry the driver up and away from the
cabinet. Not at all impossible, but a little tricky if you're not expecting it.
It is not hard to detach the drivers from the wires. You could simply clip the
wires, but I chose to use some desoldering braid to remove the solder and
keep the wires intact and at full length. Once you have the new drivers
soldered in, it's easy to put them back in the cabinet.
Hope this helps anybody who attempts this upgrade.
The new tweets require some break in time, but believe me, it's worth the
effort.
