If they are doped soft-domes (the doping essentially makes them a composite), they will typically have dimples or creases after they are pulled back into dome shape. I once encountered this issue with a pair of Dynaudio speakers that I bought as demos from an authorized dealer. Both tweeters arrived with dimples so I knew they had been abused at some point. I contacted Dynaudio directly and they offered to send replacements for no cost. They told me that in theory, the dimples would have a negative effect on performance but, IIRC, they also said it’s likely not audible.
Soft-dome tweeter damage - NBD or permanently compromised?
I’d appreciate the community’s help untangling a tweeter damage question. I bought a used pair of floorstanding speakers produced by a boutique brand that is well known to the audiophile community. (I’ll keep the name to myself, I’m not trying to call them out.) During shipping, both soft‑dome tweeters were crushed. I used the tape‑and‑pull method to pop the domes back into shape, but I have always understood from others that a deformed tweeter can never perform the same after such damage.
The seller felt otherwise, leaving a voicemail claiming that the tweeters should perform identically once restored to their original shape. Of course, it would be in the seller’s interest to say that, so I resolved to find out from the manufacturer what tweeter was used so I could source replacements myself or ask the vendor to supply them. When I contacted the manufacturer, I heard back from the owner, who to my surprise said, "I don’t think that will affect the sound if you got them back to where they should be. It’s basically a dust cover anyway.... They’re soft domes. I’ve had it happen a few times over the years. I’ve never heard any problems with it myself." He offered no specs for a swap.
So I’m stuck. Are soft‑dome tweeters truly unaffected after being crushed and popped back out, or has their performance been permanently compromised? Should I keep listening or hunt down replacements (with almost no information on what to buy)?
Any first‑hand experience or technical insight would be greatly appreciated!