Difference between Alum & Silk Dome Tweets
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 10,455
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From: MI
Difference between Alum & Silk Dome Tweets
Looking at getting some Diamond Audio D661's for my vert. Salesman said you can have either Alum or Silk tweets, but he recommended Alum considering they will be in a vert and they will be a little more 'bright' for when the top is down.
Is there any quality or durability issues between the two materials for tweeters, and does what he is telling me make sense?
Thanks!
Is there any quality or durability issues between the two materials for tweeters, and does what he is telling me make sense?
Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
Aluminum definitely tends to produce a brighter sound but on better quality speakers it's not usually the cone itself (or dome) that is subject to decay, it's the surround. The surround is usually some form of rubber and like all the other rubber components on our cars slowly dries out, loses it's elasticity and finally gives up the ghost. So that's not really part of the equation.
I don't know that brighter is necessarily going to be better in a vert. I suppose the higher frequencies of a brighter tweet are more likley to get through the noise, but enough to make it the difference between them? I doubt it. Buy whichever one sounds better to you.
I don't know that brighter is necessarily going to be better in a vert. I suppose the higher frequencies of a brighter tweet are more likley to get through the noise, but enough to make it the difference between them? I doubt it. Buy whichever one sounds better to you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,201
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From: DP(oh you know where) IL
St. Jude Donor '06
get what sounds good to you. you can always make adjustments to the amp to power through the wind noise. this way you increase the power of the mid range speakers and not just the tweeter. you wanna be able to hear the full range and not just part of it
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2006
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Both materials have their place (JL Audio offers both as well) so you really can't say one is better than the other. A lot of high-end tweeters in car audio have metalic domes (aluminum and titanium being the most common). The advantage being high frequency extension, the dissadvantage being agressive break-up characteristics. Titanium can easily extend well beyond the range of human hearing, but its a very hard metal so they can make your ears implode if you over-drive them. Aluminum is a softer metal so the break-up characteristics are much smoother. The use of butyl rubber surrounds further damps any ringing that still may be there. Aluminum is also a lighter metal so it's easier to move (5000 - 20000 x's per second) so it's efficency is greater. Some manufacturers take advantage of this and use higher impedance and do not suffer any loss of output.
Silk does not really have any problems getting too agressive when over-driven, but they are not nearly as efficient as a metal dome tweeter. High frequency extension is also not as good, typically rolling off starting in the 14 -16K Hz range.
In home audio, both metallic and silk (and other soft domes) are used in products of every price range.
I don't know if I helped you any or not. Pick the tweeter that best suits your priorities.
Silk does not really have any problems getting too agressive when over-driven, but they are not nearly as efficient as a metal dome tweeter. High frequency extension is also not as good, typically rolling off starting in the 14 -16K Hz range.
In home audio, both metallic and silk (and other soft domes) are used in products of every price range.
I don't know if I helped you any or not. Pick the tweeter that best suits your priorities.
