Removal of Optimus/Lineaum dipole tweeters


Anyone have any experience in removing these tweeters and/or the accompanying woofers from the Radio Shack Optimus LX-5 and LX-10 speaker systems?
Would like to experiment with these units,but don't want to damage them in doing so.
All advice is appreciated.My thanks in advance.
Tom
tpsonic
There are plugs under the grill that need pulled out to get to the screws. The woofers then remove easily. Madisound has lots of threads on upgrading the crossovers and woofers. I replaced my woofers with Vifa 4" and it made a very nice difference. Some better insulation helps too. Crossover is simple and seems best if left alone.
I've seen people use the tweeters as super tweeters (ie old planer speakers without tweeters or with Lowther types). This doesn't require much of a crossover, just resistors to limit low frequencies from burning out the tweeters.
I think you mean capacitors, not resistors, Elevick.

I modded a few of these for use in a HT system. I replaced the stock cap on the tweeter with the same value Auricap, and the inductor on the woofer with a better one. A little Mortite on the woofer basket helps to reduce resonance/ringing as well. They sound pretty good for what they are.
It appears that there are 3 screws holding the "tweeter assembly" down (left/right/rear) on the LX-5.The LX-10 appears to have the left/right screw hold-down,but has a flange affixed over the wiring coming out of the cabinet.
If loosening these screws,can the tweeter assembly be removed safely and intact? Thanks in advance.
Thank you Elevick and Ait.Have the LX-10s in pieces.Ceriously considering a switch to the Aurum Cantus 7" drivers.Will be replacing components in the crossover and rewiring.
Two questions:
(1) Would I be better off with "new" cabinets/better built?
(2) Are the tweeters exactly the same on the 5/5ii/10s?
Thanks for the help and advice-in advance,Tom


The cabinet maybe improved but this experiementation is not recommended unless you know how to measure box/driver/crossover properly, YMMV. Take the simple approach, due deligence research at Madisound as recommended and try small upgrades first.

I found re-wiring the 10's to yield nice improvement. Have not had the need to do anything else besides stuffing the cabinet.
La45 is correct from what I know.
If I were really concerned, I would get some dampening sheets and coat the entire inside of the speakers...
It appears that the Aurum Cantus 7" DVC midwoofer may be a perfect mate for the Lineaum.The cossover will be 6db/oct at 5Khz.This will further protact the tweeter and require one element per side.A single cap/tweeter and an inductor for the woofers.I will initially use the same cabinet with added "stuffing".With the 6db rolloff of these woofers,they will be down 12db at 10Khz.
I have a choice to make,as to wiring.I have Omega Mikro ribbon,or some cryo'd 18ga copper/woofer and 22ga silver for the Lineaum?
Any thoughts??
The Aurum Cantus DVCs are on their way,along with a .11mH inductor.Will be using dual 6db/oct crossover at 5Khz.
Anyone willing to comment on damping the cosmetic plastic covers on the LX-10s? (front face)
Has anyone found a better alignment on the dipole tweeter?
Forward or further back yield better results?
All comments appreciated-thanks-Tom
Press Mortite (rope caulk, available at Home Depot) into all the nooks and crannies of the faceplate to dampen it - works great and doesn't dry out.

Glue a piece of felt (cut to size) to the top of the cabinet, under the tweeters. It will help to tame diffraction effects.
Thanks Ait. Any use in "hot-glue" and damping in the front plastic panels?
I am using a first order X-over at 5Khz.I decided to use the same capacitors that I used in the DIY speakers that I built previously:PAS 4.0Uf with the V-cap .01 as bypass.I bought the cross-coil 16ga ribbon inductor from Jantzen,as it was a similar ribbon design as the Omega Mikro.
I am going to experiment with moving the location of the di-pole Lineaum,as I have heard the benefits of this in the custom Gallos and the DIYs built before.I had thought about doing this prior to the "mods",but decided that it might be fruitless.