Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

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flump
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 6:59 am

Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by flump »

Hi I'm resurrecting some very old, but very lovely PG Tantrum 6.5C Coaxial Speakers which have been hiding in the back of a cupboard for years.

There's 3 connectors, the normal + & - but also a 3rd "tweeter" connector (No polarity indicated)

I can't for the life of me remember how I had these originally wired.

I'm assuming if I want to use as standard, with the mid and tweeter coming direct from the amp, I just connect the + and - respectively to the AMP as normal?
However I've also some PG External Crossovers (not originally used with these speakers) that I'd like to try.
The speaker box says that there was an external 24db/octave competition crossover available, so I'm presuming the speaker can support an external crossover, given it has the additional connector.

Questions.

If I just want to set up with the basic connection (including using the attached tweeter) do I just connect the + and - , and ignore the tweeter connection? or do I need to connect to that? if so how?

If I want to use the external crossover, how to I wire up the tweeter part of the speaker? with only 1 connector. I presume I connect the other tweeter cable to the + or - but which ?

Pictures included .. any help really appreciated.
Attachments
Speaker Connector Detail 2
Speaker Connector Detail 2
Crossover
Crossover
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker Terminal Detail
Speaker Terminal Detail
ttocs
the Floor Sweeping Hack with Golden Ears
Posts: 14783
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:53 pm

Re: Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by ttocs »

I am confused as well
what else can I say I am a grumpy asshole most of the time.
ttocs
the Floor Sweeping Hack with Golden Ears
Posts: 14783
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:53 pm

Re: Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by ttocs »

both on how to hook them up as well as what series of speaker they are. they don't look like the tantrums in the manual.

http://download.phoenixphorum.com/Manuals/Speakers/
what else can I say I am a grumpy asshole most of the time.
Silverhorse
Posts: 159
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:18 am

Re: Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by Silverhorse »

Hi
this is not so difficult, see PDF file
setup.pdf
(135.55 KiB) Downloaded 198 times
if your amp has a build in x-over than you can use both setups.
If you your amp has no x-over than you can use the setup wit your x-over.
The capacitor is just there to cut off all the low frequencies to the tweeter. That is why the capacitor is located in the + wire (in line)
You should use always the x-overs that are coming with the speakers because they are special designed for it. If this is not the case I should also use them because this would be better than no x-over at all.
ttocs
the Floor Sweeping Hack with Golden Ears
Posts: 14783
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:53 pm

Re: Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by ttocs »

I understand what the cap is there for but the common ground wiring for the speakers, not so much.
what else can I say I am a grumpy asshole most of the time.
flump
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2020 6:59 am

Re: Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by flump »

Thanks for the diagram, makes sense.

The speakers are of the Tantrum line 6.5C. circa 2000-2010? ish. Unfortunately the manuals on this site for the Tantrums don't show the wiring detail, though i notice some of the newer model also have the same setup looking at the pictures on various web sites. but again when you download the manuals it doesn't show the wiring using an optional external crossover. (unlike the full component units, which do)

The amp doesn't have a built in crossover (again a very old PG model) so i'll either have to use the Cap as wired or and external crossover.
If I use an external crossover do I need to cut into the lines (connect directly) or is there a way to use the existing terminals (as wired) ? it's the shared earth that's confusing.

Not the end of the world to wire direct (easy job) I'm just curious.

Re the crossover not matching, yep totally agree, a matched unit would be preference.

Again I'm curious to see what difference to sound quality using an external crossover will have over the inbuilt cap, and as I had a couple hanging around from a PG 6.5 component set that I don't have any more thought it would worth a go, as driver sizes are the same etc. so frequencies may be similar if not identical.

If I could find the actual frequencies It might be a bit of fun to make up a set that exactly match the units or get hold of a variable unit.
Attachments
Speaker Specification
Speaker Specification
Phoenix Gold Tantrum 6.5C
Phoenix Gold Tantrum 6.5C
Silverhorse
Posts: 159
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:18 am

Re: Wiring Help. PG Tantrum 6.5C Speakers and Crossovers

Post by Silverhorse »

With the products you have the best option is to connect the mid range and tweeter to the X - over but therefore you need to desolder / cut it from the speaker connection + you have 4 wires that go to the speaker, don't know how far your skills go. You can also try to use the X-over only for the mid range and leave the capacitor where it is now. The x- over will cut the low frequencies for the mid and the capacitor will cut it for the tweeter. This is not a setup that is the best but in the end the most important is to cut off the lower frequencies to mid and tweeter than feed them full range. There is always a better option but if you use what you have in the best way and enjoy it is better than be a perfectionist that is never happy and spends a lot. :D
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