To dampen it. Most likely, the origional tweeters needed to be replaced and the exact same ones couldn't be found. So they installed new tweeters that were close, but not identical to the origional. The felt pieces were probably used to tune the new tweeters in an attempt to make them sound more like the old ones. |
I found this from a Stereophile review: "with heavy felt around the tweeter"
Apparently the felt is factory original and part of the design. Leave it in place and enjoy those wonderful speakers...
-RW- |
Thanks guys! I love them but was not sure why they were different from all the other SC IV versions. |
The heavy wool felt surrounding tweeters and mids on John Dunlavy's speakers were intended to reduce refections and improve imaging. That was never attached to the drivers themselves.
So if the OP's tweeters have any felt attached to the domes then as Zd542 suggested, it was likely done on replacement tweeters rather than original. Four felt pads, even if very small, seem likely to damp/reduce HF response by a significant amount. |
"So if the OP's tweeters have any felt attached to the domes then as Zd542 suggested, it was likely done on replacement tweeters rather than original. Four felt pads, even if very small, seem likely to damp/reduce HF response by a significant amount.
Pryso (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"
Yes. That was exactly my point. When I looked at some pics of the OP's speakers, I couldn't find any that had diamond shape felt anywhere near the tweeters. Not to be confused with the wool perimeter for reducing reflections. They were all in place. Since the company is no longer in business, I thought the diamond felt pieces were used to mod a tweeter that wasn't exactly the same. |
You have some of the best designed speakers ever produced. I have a pair of the SC-IVs as the front speakers in our reference HT room with an SC-I for the center channel and a set of SC-IIIs for the back corners. Then using two ceiling mount Thiels for the last two channels. Running double SVS subs mounted on Mapleshade bases spiked to the floor to round out the system.
I have found that Dunlavy speakers do more things well than any other speaker line, short of spending 20K or more. Any tweak in the chain is immediately apparent. My guess is similar to what has already been expressed about the felt treatment. If you want to experiment a bit with the sound you might want to try some of the Marigo Dots. I have used these with a couple of applications to adapt the sound to the room acoustics. |
I had sc III's and the felt was present on my speakers as well. |
The felt help remove peaks in response that can happen because of cabinet design... We were doing this in the late 70's... Felt can make a serious improvement in cutting defraction... depends on the drive and cabinet. |
I wonder if there might be some confusion here about whether the thick wool felt was utilized to closely surround specific drivers or actually attached to the cones/domes of drivers?
Felt being "present" for example is pretty vague.
My assumption in my response was the OP saying four felt pieces were attached to (over?) the domes of his tweeters. If that was not the case then disregard my comments. |
I agree, there seems to be some confusion. Does the OP have the ability to post any pictures of his speakers? |
"03-12-15: Pryso
I wonder if there might be some confusion here about whether the thick wool felt was utilized to closely surround specific drivers or actually attached to the cones/domes of drivers?"
In this case, it was both. If you look at a pic of the speakers, you'll see the tweeter surrounded by a felt/cloth type of material. It doesn't touch the tweeter, it just surrounds it. The OP was talking about actual pieces of felt attached directly to the drivers themselves. |
Zd542 if that is the case then my scIII's had the felt only surrounding the driver and not actually attached to any part of it. |
The diamond shaped felt pieces are in the 4 corners where the "normal" felt ends. They do not cover the dome of the tweeter. I have never seen this on any other SC-IV (or a pair of III's I had).
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"03-12-15: Rleff
Zd542 if that is the case then my scIII's had the felt only surrounding the driver and not actually attached to any part of it."
My comments were just to try and make sense of the OP's speakers. I thought that since Dunlavy was no longer in business, people may have had a hard time getting replacement parts. Since no one can find an instance where felt was applied directly to the driver, it was my guess that someone would do this to "tune" a close match, that was not a direct placement. I could be wrong on this. It just seemed like the most likely explanation. |
