[chenson]

I’ve been enjoying my NX-Studios the last few months but unfortunately I just noticed the tweeter on my left speaker is not working. The woofer is working fine. I’m not sure how long that’s been an issue. I haven’t done any critical listening the last few days - just background music - but I assume it started being an issue only recently or I would think I would have noticed it.

Do you have any advice about how I should go about troubleshooting the problem or do you know of any likely culprits? Could it be the wire connections to the tweeter (which seems securely connected) or something in the crossover? Or could it be the tweeter itself? I’m not sure where or how to troubleshoot it since everything just worked when I first put it together. Any advice on where I should start? The fact that it was working but now isn’t has me concerned.

Thanks

[Jaytor]

If you have a multimeter, you could try measuring the AC voltage across the tweeter when playing music. If not, you could buy a dirt-cheap speaker driver from Amazon (you should be able to find something for under $5). First just try to wire it in parallel with the tweeter.

If you are getting a signal from the new driver, it's likely there is a broken connection inside the tweeter which can happen if too much heat was applied when soldering the wires to the tweeter.

If you aren't getting any signal from the new driver, disconnect one of the tweeter leads and try again. It's possible (although unlikely) that the tweeter is shorted, which would prevent a signal from the new driver as well. If you are still not getting any sound from the driver, it is probably a bad solder joint in the crossover.

[Chewbacca]

Hi Chenson!

If your connection points from the crossover wiring to the tweeter are good, I'd work your way back. If you can easily access the crossover, I'd just make sure no solder joint came loose, and nothing shorted out - one bare wire in the crossover touching another.

If you can't easily access your crossover, AND you have a spare tweeter (really shouldn't have to be the same one? I'd just play it at a very low volume to not overdrive the tweeter in any way) just toss it in there and see if it plays. OR, you can always unsolder both tweeters, swap in the one that's working for sure using some quick gator clamps or something of the sort, and you'll know for sure if it's the tweeter or network.

I'm sure there may be a better way about it, but that's what comes to mind! Good luck!

[chenson]

Thanks for the advice. That’s probably enough to get me started. I think I might have a multi-meter somewhere.

[chenson]

Thanks for the guidance. It really helped me figure out how to troubleshoot this issue. Unfortunately it looks like I’m going to need a new tweeter.

I desoldered and removed the connections to the tweeter. Then I tested the continuity/ohms with the multimeter and I wasn’t able to get any reading. I ordered a cheap-o tweeter from Amazon and tested it’s continuity/ohms to make sure I was doing it right and I was able to get a reading pretty quick. So I used some clips to connect the cheap-o tweeter to the NX-Studios as a test - at low volume - and I got sound without any issues. Just to be sure, I reconnected the original tweeter with clips, and still no sound. So, unfortunately it’s the tweeter. But at least I know that I need a replacement.

Thanks for the help.

[Danny Richie]

Just send it in and we'll take care of it.

[Digi-G]

I've got the same thing going on with one of my NX Studios.  They've been working fine the last 2-3 weeks while they break in.  I noticed last night something didn't quite sound right, but honestly couldn't put my finger on what it was until I put my ear close.  No sound from one tweeter.  That's disappointing.  I really haven't pushed them hard, either.

I need to investigate and make sure it's actually the tweeter.

[Norman Tracy]

Danny or Hobbs how careful should builders be soldering wires to the Neo3? Two failures this quickly could be just statistical bunching of a very reliable device. Or perhaps if we are not careful and get too much heat into the terminals it degrades the connection to the traces on the diaphragm? Disassembly of the failed units could shed light on the root cause.

I have a vested interest here having just soldered on a pair of Neo3s. They are in my latest Purifi design and I am loving the Neo3 high frequency reproduction more and more every day.

My Neo3 soldering technique is as follows.
1. Set iron temperature to 650.
2. Tin the Neo3 terminals, solder quickly just enough time to flow solder.
3. Tin the wire lead before it is connected to Neo3 terminal.
4. Hold wire to terminal. Apply heat to wire, its solder will melt first then as soon as solder on terminal melts remove iron holding wire still until solder cools and returns to solid.

The idea here is the wire will absorb heat readly, copper is a great heat conductor. So heat the wire first and let it transfer just enough heat to re-melt the solder on the terminal. One could certainly argue my pre-tin procedure heats the Neo3 terminals twice vs. just solder wire to terminal and be done heats terminal once. I do it with pre-tining and heat to wire because of the thermal mass difference terminal vs wire.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

The issue seems to be with the tweeters themselves and how they're manufactured. The connection between the connector and the diaphragm will come apart. In some cases the issue is intermittent, in others it come apart completely creating no connection at all.

And in some cases they will die between us measuring & pairing them, and when they arrive to the customer. So in most cases, it's likely not user error.

When the issue arrises, we send out a new matched pair of tweeters and have the bad ones returned.

[Norman Tracy]

Hobbs is such a asset to GR. Look at the time stamps of my question and his very detailed and complete answer, 23 minutes.

I wish Danny and Hobbs ran my cell phone plan. Might actually be able to find out what it costs.

[Digi-G]

Thank's so much for the info!  I'm pretty sure at this point it's my tweeter.  I'll still pull it apart and make sure there are no other issues.

I was pretty careful when soldering them, even used heat sinks just above where I soldered. So, pretty sure they didn't get too hot.

If I send the tweeter back, should I send both of them?  Hobbs, you mentioned they were "paired".

Thanks,

[Hobbsmeerkat]

Thank's so much for the info!  I'm pretty sure at this point it's my tweeter.  I'll still pull it apart and make sure there are no other issues.

I was pretty careful when soldering them, even used heat sinks just above where I soldered. So, pretty sure they didn't get too hot.

If I send the tweeter back, should I send both of them?  Hobbs, you mentioned they were "paired".

Thanks,

Yes, we do recommend sending them both back so you can get a new matching pair.

The ones we currently have on hand are a small number older units with the white felt barrier which also needs to have the yarn added to the outer rows.



We're still about 3 weeks out from getting the next batch of neo tweeters that have the yarn pre-installed.