[jwalker]

Greetings,

I just acquired a pair of Super Tower IIa/R's with the five Morel MDT-29 tweeters per side.  I believe this is the "standard" version since it does not have the Focal tweeters. Anyways, I will need to have the woofers replaced or repaired on these since the surrounds are shot.

I think the only way to get to the passive radiator is to cut the top of the speaker off.  Or to cut a window in the top where no-one can see it.  Are there any tricks to this I should be aware of?  I obviously want to minimize damage to the speaker cabinet.  Are people using jig saws to cut?  Or circular type saws? Thanks.

JW

[Troy Logan]

Did you ever figure this out? I would imagine loosening the base of the speaker to expose the passive or am I missing something.

[Brian Cheney]

You can use circular or jig saws to cut the top off close to the baffles, and later reattach once the PR is replaced.  The factory stocks modern replacements for all drivers.

[jwalker]

Did you ever figure this out? I would imagine loosening the base of the speaker to expose the passive or am I missing something.

Troy,

The Super Tower IIa/R has the slot loaded passive radiator on the TOP of the speaker. The cabinet was built around it meaning cabinet surgery is necessary to replace/repair it.

I considered Brian's suggestion of simply cutting the top of the speaker off horizontally, but I was worried about the unsightly cut line and chipping of the visible veneer sides. 

Since these speaker are around 6.5 feet tall, I decided to cut a door in the top which includes some of the back panel of the cabinet so access can be easier in the future.  Unless you are 7 feet tall, it's hard to see the top of the speaker.   Chipping of the veneer was inevitable, so I will paint the top panel  semi-gloss black to match the back of the cabinet.

I am using non-mortise hinges and draw-clasps to "close up" the loose panel to the cabinet so access to the radiator for upgrades will be available at a later time.  This "door" will be sealed with either foam tape or mortite.

I will post pictures of what I did as soon as I finish the first one.

JW

[hifiguy]

jwalker:

Did you ever get pics of your PR trap door on line? Couldn't find 'em via my stumbling around.

Thanks -

HFG

[jwalker]

jwalker:

Did you ever get pics of your PR trap door on line? Couldn't find 'em via my stumbling around.

Thanks -

HFG

No I did not.  But here are pics that give you an idea of what I did.  I no longer have these speakers, but you can see that it is a very clean solution to what was a really annoying problem.  It makes tuning the radiators much easier too.  If you decide to do this make sure you seal the gaps so the slot loading is optimal. The passive radiator slot is pretty narrow as you can see in the picture. Tuning is hard unless you have tiny hands.   

The non-mortise hinges worked out great.  The "trap door" overlaps the back of the speaker so there is a surface to mount the clasps to hold the door down securely and to make it easier to open/close.  But I never added the clasps because the weight of the "door" and the sealing mortite made it pretty secure. 

I used a jig saw with a clamp on saw guide to cut the "door".  And since all the cutting was on the top and back of the speaker, it's invisible to the front.  Unless the back of the speaker and top are somehow visible of course.  Luckily, since the speakers are 6.5 feet high, not many people can see the cuts.