Swap out LE25s with 035Ti

[Rusnzha]

Is it possible to swap out an LE25 with an 035Ti using same screw holes and get a good seal, same phase, etc? If this is not workable, is there another more advanced tweeter that would work? Thanks!

[porschedpm]

I'm assuming, based on your avatar, that you're referring to installing the 035ti in an L100 cabinet. The screw holes on the 035Ti do not line up to the LE25 screw holes. And the 035ti will not fit into the L100 cabinet without first removing some of the cabinet baffle material. A portion of the 035Ti plastic face would also need to be trimmed so that it clears midrange driver. If you're starting with a good pair of L100's I would recommend against this modification because you'll end up with bastardized pair of speakers whose value will be worth less than what you started with. And no telling what they will sound like. Also, once you've trimmed away enough baffle material to get an 035Ti to fit, you'll not be able to reinstall the LE25 without some sort of trim ring.

[Rusnzha]

Thanks for the info. I could have sworn that I saw this recomended somewhere on this forum, but I sure can't find it now. Unfortunately, I already bought a set of 035Ti tweeters off of ePay to go with the 104H-2 mids that I already put in. They sound awesome in there. If I can't do anything with them, maybe someone wants to buy 'em? I love the 100s, but once I started tweaking them, I couldn't stop. If anyone has something that would fit in there and wants to trade.........

[porschedpm]

Thanks for the info. I could have sworn that I saw this recomended somewhere on this forum, but I sure can't find it now...

I wrote a thread well over a year ago describing without too much detail how I had taken a rehab pair of L100's and installed the following:

LF-128H
MF-104H-2
HF-035Ti
xover-from the L100t

Since then I did another pair using a similar driver set but instead used the 4412A crossovers. Both crossovers bypass the L100's L-pads completely, making them just decorations. The 4412A crossovers are definitely the way to go if you can find them because they're a better match for the drivers and the cabinet size. The L100t crossover sounded ok for a first attempt but the low end seemed to be a little accentuated. Going with the above drivers and the 4412A crossover essentially renders a speaker that at first glance looks like an L100 but, IMO, sounds much, much better (more extended highs, smoother low end). Still, because the modification to the tweeter cutout is irreversible, I don't recommend this for an L100 in good condition to begin with.

[Rusnzha]

I made charge coupled crossovers for my 100s (another tweak) and I really like the difference they made. I will try these things without hacking anything up just to see what happens, but I think I would prefer to sell them or trade them. I will post in marketplace after I check them out.

[Rusnzha]

porschedpm -- I suspect your right about swapping the crossover as well as the speakers. They work fine, but with the crossover that I want to use, the overall tone seems a bit better with the LE25s. They are lacking in the high end compared to the 035s, but I can make that up with a tweak on the treble slider, at least for these ears. It just aint worth tearing up a perfectly good set of JBLs to make them fit in there. They do fit the cutout alright, but after that, they would have to be butchered. I will go to marketplace instead. The 104h was a good change, They will be fine with that, I'm done screwing with them.

[JBLAddict]

I'm assuming, based on your avatar, that you're referring to installing the 035ti in an L100 cabinet. The screw holes on the 035Ti do not line up to the LE25 screw holes. And the 035ti will not fit into the L100 cabinet without first removing some of the cabinet baffle material. A portion of the 035Ti plastic face would also need to be trimmed so that it clears midrange driver. If you're starting with a good pair of L100's I would recommend against this modification because you'll end up with bastardized pair of speakers whose value will be worth less than what you started with. And no telling what they will sound like. Also, once you've trimmed away enough baffle material to get an 035Ti to fit, you'll not be able to reinstall the LE25 without some sort of trim ring.

About 10yrs ago I bought 035TIs to replace the LE25s is my L100A and never got around to it. I finally did this week and searched these threads for advice, just thought I'd update the thread with my experience in case anyone else wanted tried the same without the xover mods.

Without modifying the crossovers the effect is dramatically BAD!! I cannot define what's happening in response curve language, but can say that while the higher frequency capability is audible, there is an overabundance of treble to the point of harshness and annoyance...not just bright but distorted. The sound is quite unatural and I'd guess there's an frequency overlap between the LE5-2 and 035TI that loses any sense of articulation or driver separation

I also tried with and without the Zilch port plugs (always an improvement), on stands on on the tile floor, in all cases the LE25 was superior. The LE25 may be an inferior driver but is still a better match for the L100.

One thing I did note for those who didn't realize how directional their LE25 are, the >6KHz output of the 035 stays constant as you move from on to off axis, whereas the LE25 almost disappears once you move away from that perfect on axis sweet spot....I didn't appreciate the terms "soundstage" and "imaging" until making this comparison.