JBL L46 HF Mod questions

[Desull]

Having a pair of these on the way I am curious about upgrading the tweeters to enable higher frquency capability. I do have a pair of 035 ti's i believe they are, and have the mechanical ability to refit, solder, etc. BUT, I realize that crossover mods may be needed to match the type tweeter I decide to use.(035 tia, 044, and maybe others). So, 2 questions" What might be a good tweeter replacement to gain in the upper frequencies? And, what crossover mods, cap changes and other considerations might I need to be prepared for? Thanks in advance, a newbe.:D

[rdgrimes]

The L46 is a near perfect example of 2-way design. It really doesn't need any improvement. Any "adjustment" you might desire can easily be accomplished with EQ. If you want to re-cap the XOs, that's a worthwhile option. But by all means spend some time with them as-is and see how you feel about them. The 034 tweeter, while not overly adept at handling high power or high SPL, is a great tweeter.

[midlife]

The L46's are known to be a very good system. I had two pair (sold 1 set, regret it). So if yours are not performing properly maybe something's wrong in your system or the speakers themselves. Perhaps the x-overs need new caps, maybe the tweeters or not up to par. Anywho sounds like you want to tinker...I put 033's in mine and the 33's are just slightly more efficient than the original 034's so the hf now is just a bit brighter. Could have gotten this with a pad adjustment but it was a "tinkering thing" and they do still sound very nice and I left them that way. The 033's are nicer looking than the 034's and they seemed to need no tweeking of the x-over. The choices you listed should be plug and play (without any complicated mods), I did put some 035 ti's in one pair and if I remember correctly I had to keep asking myself is this better or not and for some reason the ti's came out and the 34's went back in. Never had a chance to do 44's

[rdgrimes]

044s won't fit, in the baffle or the box. But they wouldn't offer anything other than increased power handling.

[Desull]

Thanks all for the good advice. True, wait and see how they sound and how they fit with my gear first. Good to know, too, that the 044 isnt a "plug-'n-play" option. 033 may be. Crossovers would be in my sights and I think my first upgrade -- think I have a game plan, thanks!:)