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View Full Version : Threaded 044ti in 250ti



kmanusa
02-24-2013, 08:18 AM
My (presumably original) 044ti in my 250tis are beginning to sound a bit hissy and edgy. A few years ago, I bought a beautiful pair of threaded 044ti off the web before I knew there was a difference. I'd like to try the threaded pair but face the issue of how best to adapt these to the 250ti. I am leaning towards using smaller diameter wood screws versus drilling out the threads on the replacement 044ti. I wonder what others have done here? If you have used smaller diameter wood screws, did you drill new holes? Is there enough clearance in there to get access with a cordless drill?

JuniorJBL
02-24-2013, 08:28 AM
I would just drill them out......

But what is most likely wrong with your 044's is probably wrong with your replacements as well. There is a piece of foam behind the dome that turns to goo.

Just like the foam around the woofer goes bad so does the foam behind the tweeter.
There are some threads here about it so try a search and then determine what you want to do.

kmanusa
02-24-2013, 08:43 AM
I would just drill them out......

But what is most likely wrong with your 044's is probably wrong with your replacements as well. There is a piece of foam behind the dome that turns to goo.

Just like the foam around the woofer goes bad so does the foam behind the tweeter.
There are some threads here about it so try a search and then determine what you want to do.


Yep I have read previous those threads but I'd like to try these newer (by a few years according to the dates on the back of the drivers) 044ti before trying the other options discussed- frankly, none of those other options seem to be all that desirable. I realize that the newer tweets may be just as bad or worse but I figure I have invested some $$ in them, I might as well give them a shot before having to consider more drastic surgery!

JuniorJBL
02-24-2013, 09:39 AM
Unless you think you would use the new 044Ti's in some of the other Ti series speakers then I would not worry about drilling them out. I drilled mine because quite frankly if I had to choose what speaker I was going to put them in, the 250's would always win over any of the other in the series.:)

Last thing I would want to see happen is to possibly split the wood ring around the 044. The wood does get dry so I would be very careful.

kmanusa
02-24-2013, 10:00 AM
Unless you think you would use the new 044Ti's in some of the other Ti series speakers then I would not worry about drilling them out. I drilled mine because quite frankly if I had to choose what speaker I was going to put them in, the 250's would always win over any of the other in the series.:)

Last thing I would want to see happen is to possibly split the wood ring around the 044. The wood does get dry so I would be very careful.

Sound reasoning, I'll drill them out. Any problem with drilling out the threaded holes on the 044ti? It appears to be fairly soft metal but I would lean towards using my AC powered Makita versus a cordless drill.

JuniorJBL
02-24-2013, 10:07 AM
I put mine on a piece of wood screwed it down and did one hole at a time, that way I had "more" to hold onto. I used my drill press but yes it was very soft.:)

kmanusa
02-24-2013, 10:20 AM
I put mine on a piece of wood screwed it down and did one hole at a time, that way I had "more" to hold onto. I used my drill press but yes it was very soft.:)


It keeps coming back to me that I should have never let my father's drill press go in the estate sale! The old hand drill will have to do.

rdgrimes
02-24-2013, 10:29 AM
If you want to avoid any potential disasters with the drill bit, easy enough to remove the magnet/diaphragm assembly from the aluminum basket first. But it does involve removing the screen and o-ring first.

You might also consider that the crossover is due for some rehab, and be sure to remove and polish the shorting bars too.

kmanusa
02-24-2013, 12:36 PM
Success! Drilling went easy. I took the advice from Junior JBL and screwed them down to plywood and drilled the holes out one at a time. I used Saran wrap to cover the driver screen at all times to keep dirt and metal filings from getting thru the screen. I tried prying off the screen to remove the driver from the housing but the o-ring looked like it might not survive that operation so I left them intact and drilled.

The 250Tis are presently undergoing testing with the replacement drivers and sounding good! So far the 044Tis seem cleaner than the originals, especially when playing back operatic tenor and soprano, a tough test! They don't seem to have that little tell tale buzz when the tenor lets loose. Hopefully they will stay that way until a better replacement option comes along! ;)

BTW, the bus bars were polished a while back and look good-- thanks all for the inputs!

JuniorJBL
02-24-2013, 12:45 PM
Nice job!

Do not get rid of your spares, unless of course you tell me first!!;)

That is still one of the speakers that is "Permanent" here at my house, I kept those instead of the 4430's.:)

kmanusa
02-24-2013, 01:05 PM
Nice job!

Do not get rid of your spares, unless of course you tell me first!!;)

That is still one of the speakers that is "Permanent" here at my house, I kept those instead of the 4430's.:)

Thanks and your help is much appreciated! Neither the spares nor the 250ti are going anywhere, at least not without me! They are "permanent" members of the family. :)

gferrell
02-24-2013, 02:37 PM
I searched around and don't see where anyone actually replaced the foam damper under a Ti dome. It looks to be fairly simple. I had an 035Ti that I thought had blown so I took it apart. In fact it was not blown. The voice coil lead from the bus bar going through the small groove in the plastic had corroded and opened.
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In fact it was open from corrosion on both sides. I was only able to repair one side. I don't know how to solder those tiny coil wires but its almost impossible. If I had known I could have prevented it with a drop of oil placed in the groove. While I had it out I dented the dome just to see how easy it is to push back out.

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And it did just pop back in to place.

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I did this several times.

So I checked my 035Tia's and they seem to have a coating of glue over the voice coil leads but just to be sure I put a drop of oil in the groove, without taking it apart just to be sure. Did the same for my 044's. The corrosion may have to do with the magnet structure being so close to the coil lead and some humidity getting in there.

As you can see in the first picture the foam damper seems to touch the dome while sitting on the magnet pole. I think this could easily be repaired when they start sounding bad.

kmanusa
03-02-2013, 04:32 PM
Postscript: After turning on the system one evening this past week, I was stunned to hear that one of my replacement 044ti tweeters was apparently not working, only a few days after the successful installation. To make a long story short, it turned out to be a loose push-on connector. Bottom line: make sure your push-on connectors are tight and don't have any play in them, otherwise you might get an unwelcome surprise like I did.