Vandersteen 2ce crossover repair

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I'm trying to repair the crossovers in a pair of Vandersteen 2ce's. I'm trouble identifying the value of the resistor in the attached crossover photo. Does anyone have a working crossover for these speakers that they could look at and let me know what the resistor value is? Any help would be appreciated.

Of course I'll be replacing the capacitor. 2ceCrossover4.jpg
 
I talked to Mr Vandersteen, he didn't sound too happy that I had removed the crossovers. I asked about just sending the crossover in for repair and he said they would need the entire speaker and that I needed to put the crossover back like it was before they would work on it.

From that I didn't get the impression they were interested in helping me out with a DIY repair.
 
Someone on the Audiokarma forum posted a nice picture of the crossover, but they are doing some kind of maintenance at the moment, so I can't look at it :(

AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

I thought it was interesting that Mr. Vandersteen was angry about you looking at the crossover, so I've made this panel in his honor. That will have to tide you over until audiokarma comes back up.
 

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Hi, I have just seen your thread and had the same problem to some extent, although there with more resistors involved. I emailed Ray Vandersteen and told him my problem and because the cost of returning the speakers to the USA would be prohibitive I asked if I could be provided with some kind of resistor repair pack? His response was most helpful, he informed me that all their speakers are fine tuned by ear before completion and suggested that I start with10R and work from there. I found that 10R was OK. It would be good to know how you got on with yours.
 
3 way polycone speaker with an extra bass driver added. Ferrofluid 4.5" cone midrange. First order filters with impedance correction. Quite unusual. :)
2Ce Literature

Either you read between the lines of what Ray Vandersteen is saying and fit 10 ohms and hope, or trace the schematic where form follows function. Hard to say if this is 1 or 10 or 100 ohms since the multiplier on black-brown-?-brown is discoloured.

Certainly a 10 ohm-0.68uF would make sense as a tweeter Zobel shunt. Replacement with 7W wirewound would make sense too, unless this 1W resistor is designed to act as a fuse.
 

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I talked to Mr Vandersteen, he didn't sound too happy that I had removed the crossovers. I asked about just sending the crossover in for repair and he said they would need the entire speaker and that I needed to put the crossover back like it was before they would work on it.

From that I didn't get the impression they were interested in helping me out with a DIY repair.

A stated previously Each Vandy speaker is a unique product, voiced pretty well individually.
Parts values are unique to that speaker..for best result. Not a use this part and it will be OK approach.
Which a lesser /less concerned maker would have said and gotten you off their back.
They just want the thing back so that they can ..restore it.. to their standards.
Your choice :)
 
I talked to Mr Vandersteen, he didn't sound too happy that I had removed the crossovers. I asked about just sending the crossover in for repair and he said they would need the entire speaker and that I needed to put the crossover back like it was before they would work on it.

From that I didn't get the impression they were interested in helping me out with a DIY repair.


I can tell you from my meeting with MR. Vendersteen. He was very cocky about his speakers and said the Vendersteen speakers will live on and I am teaching and pass it on to my sons now so they can carry on the name. I number 1 will never like the guy. Number 2 he has the uglyest speakers I have ever seen and they are not a (wf) my wife told me no way with thoses 70's looking speakers. Also on the good note his wife was very nice and spilled the beans to much about the drivers and the crossovers and the cost of the model 1 speakers. Other then that he has told my friends the same thing. Saying send in the whole speaker for repair. I know someone who blu out their 10" cuplier drivers and called to replace them. Mr. Vendersteen wouldn't even replace them if my friend didn't send the speakers in. Then he told the man he didn't make the replacement 10 inch drivers anymore. Thats just wrong to treat your customers this way. Sorry for the rant just never thought comapanys could get so rude and money hungry today.
 
I ended up using a 10 Ohm resister on mine as well. Both crossovers had the same burned resister so I couldn't determine the original value from either.

I ended up prying the board that the crossover is glued to off of the back of the speaker. Then carefully pried the crossover off the board. That took a bit of force and time as it was really glued on there.

I'll post the circuit diagram later since I don't have it available right now.

Once I was able to trace out the circuit I discovered that the burned resister was not what was causing the speakers lack of bass.

The thermisters for both crossovers were activating at very low value levels and causing the bass to get attenuated and the LED's to flash. There weren't enough markings on the thermister to determine a replacement so I just bypassed it (eliminating the protection circuit). I also replaced all the caps with better quality but similar values and replaced the burned resister with a 10 Ohm one.

The results were quite a dramatic improvement in the sound quality of the speakers.
I'm very happy with the results.
 
Thermistor

Chriso1,
Thanks for the schematic of the Vandy 2Ci woofer circuit. Unfortunately we cannot see the whole thing, the photo cut off the top of the schematic. You mentioned a thermistor, is that the yellow round thing? I am also rebuilding the crossover and that is the only thing that I have not been able to identify.
Thanks,
Joe
 
Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing...

The photo in post #1 is of the crossover and not a schematic. Forgive me if I over describe it, the two silver round things with vents are the backs of the potentiometers that adjust the crossover frequencies, to the far left in the photo is a blue cylinder that is a resister, in the middle of the photo is a brown cylinder with a blank, brown, white and gold bands on it, that's another resister, the red rectangle to the right is a capacitor, the white cylinder with the words "Wonder Cap" on it is another capacitor, to the lower right is a white spool with red wire, that is a coil, bottom middle under the fuzzy insulation is a row of red rectangles that are all capacitors and bottom left is the white from the spool for another coil, and running through the middle is a wire that overheated. I don't see the yellow round thing you mentioned. The thermistor is not visible in the photo on post #1.
 
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