Worth modding cheap speakers

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Here is a pic of the XO what is the white rectangle any ideas on caps i should replace the purple caps for i am lookinging into damping the speakers to
 

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I answered before that I wouldn't bother at this stage. The speakers aren't old enough and there's no guarantee they will sound better. Think about it, the cost for Wharfedale to use 'better' caps is miniscule. If the caps were going to make a noticeable improvement, don't you think they would do that?

We all want you to go a little further in your speaker exploring and learning but what I would do is go to a second hand store, grab a pair of old something-or-others and start messing around with them after doing a little reading. Your Wharfedales are likely good as they are.
 
TBH, I have shelves of speaker drivers, XO parts and whole speakers. I leave the premade ones as is unless they test poorly and someone wants to use them for something. Once you get comfortable messing around with second hand stuff, get your hands a little dirtier by building a kit. This means you are fully involved in the build but the tough design work is done for you. Step 3 is to build your own from the ground up.
My thoughts anyways.
 
I answered before that I wouldn't bother at this stage. The speakers aren't old enough and there's no guarantee they will sound better. Think about it, the cost for Wharfedale to use 'better' caps is miniscule. If the caps were going to make a noticeable improvement, don't you think they would do that?

We all want you to go a little further in your speaker exploring and learning but what I would do is go to a second hand store, grab a pair of old something-or-others and start messing around after doing a little reading.


Hello again you have said not to and other have said why not have a go,Im not expecting miracles its more something to do really as the bug as got me.When i modded my Xcans which was changing the caps the difference was night and day .I presume wharfdale build this speaker to a price so maybe modding them will do something maybe it wont so for the price of a few bits is like to try
 
+1 for Cal, we just say : you can go if you not believe us but if you go, don't spend too much money with caps !

You can find very cheap design which will drive you further : both to learn and play !

The changes you can do here will change 5 % max and maybe not for the best ! You could take photo to make your tweaks reversible and play on : change the internal wires, caps (same values, but better to measure them before as there are always variations; change the internal stuffing/damping, etc, etc ! ) Yes you can do some things but those paramaters are very littles : almost nothing... surely a worst result or not enough = frustration) !

You may buy instead for instance V. Dickason cooking book for designing a speaker ! look at some sites like Troels Gravsen one as a beginning !

Cal advice is a wise one : I will follow it ! All is said in the first 4 posts imho ! It should not discourage you to do something, but here people advise you to start in straight line instead turning in circle.... just because we did that already :)
 
+1 for Cal, we just say : you can go if you not believe us but if you go, don't spend too much money with caps !

You can find very cheap design which will drive you further : both to learn and play !

The changes you can do here will change 5 % max and maybe not for the best ! You could take photo to make your tweaks reversible and play on : change the internal wires, caps (same values, but better to measure them before as there are always variations; change the internal stuffing/damping, etc, etc ! ) Yes you can do some things but those paramaters are very littles : almost nothing... surely a worst result or not enough = frustration) !

You may buy instead for instance V. Dickason cooking book for designing a speaker ! look at some sites like Troels Gravsen one as a beginning !

Cal advice is a wise one : I will follow it ! All is said in the first 4 posts imho ! It should not discourage you to do something, but here people advise you to start in straight line instead turning in circle.... just because we did that already :)



Ok thank you,i wont bother
 
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Here is a pic of the XO

Probably maps out to look like this:

attachment.php


C1 = 8.2
C2 = 20

Changing out these elcos for polys (of almost any sort) should make a marked difference. Particularily in the small stuff.

It is possibly too that there will be side effects.

Get some cheapish poly caps and try it out and see for yourself.

For instance, i have lots of these laying around: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/surplus-capacitors/10.0-mfd-polypropylene-cap-10mfdp/tyee/. I'd parallel a couple of them for the big cap.

If you like what it does you are on a journey. Once started, you just can't have only 1 cookie.

dave
 

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Ok thank you do i change that while im about it.Im in uk and looking at caps with same parametres but really havent a clue which ones to go for

Why don't you go ahead and trace it all out, and create a schematic in XSim or some other tool to share with us?

Interesting. So it's probably a second order with a resistor on the tweeter.

The small (8.2uF) cap and resistor are probably the key tweeter components. To start, replace the small cap with this, $7, and resistor with something like this 2R7 Mills. $5.50.

The 20uF cap, replace with an Axon if you'd like such as this. $4. This is assuming it's in parallel with the woofer.

After that consider the large inductor IF AND ONLY IF you have a way of measuring it or finding out the right value. Each step along the way, stop and listen. This is the best way to learn. Then the small inductor. Best good quality inductor measurement is here. $99


but really, start with a schematic so when you replace a part, you can learn what your changes mean.

All of these parts are merely suggestions, but among the cheapest I think will have any effect at all. Refer to my original list for other cheap caps.

Best,

Erik
 
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for the understanding part of your project : (if not read or if theory is not known already) : http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/mult...designing-crossovers-without-measurement.html :key:

If you follow this path, it can be instructiv to keep the original caps and then the day you have a capacitor measurement tool checking them or visit an electronic shop! Both to see the real value (there is sometimes a 20% gap between the marking & the value), see if they have the same near value (which means : caps were sorted for the filter)....
 
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Stuffing the port and adding a sub would be a dramatic, non-destructive 'mod'.

I don't think anyone has mentioned box mods. The simplest would be putting something really heavy on the speakers (a pot plant, marble sculpture, whatever you've got).

An easy test to see whether you'd get any improvement from bracing or stiffening the sides - lie both speakers on their sides, put a towel on one, then stack weight onto it.

A-B compare the speakers (mono signal, both quiet and fairly loud) - if it sounds noticeably different, that would indicate the cabinet is contributing to the sound (distorting it), and structural mods might be in order.
 
The small (8.2uF) cap and resistor are probably the key tweeter components. To start, replace the small cap with this, $7, and

FYI, I believe I remember reading that some models of B&W are different in price point and identical in parts except one adds the Mundorf MKP cap. My point is, this is actually an underrated cap, especially when compared to electrolytics.
 
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