I am upgrading the original Bennic electrolytic capacitors to Solen/SCR polypropylene capacitors on my speaker crossovers.
The Solen/SCR capacitors with 5% tolerance are available in the value I am after and there is also a tolerance option of 2% for just a little bit more.
Is it worth paying a little bit more for a tighter tolerance 2% or just stick to the standard 5% for speaker crossover?
Is there in any difference with tighter tolerance capacitors in terms of audio sound quality and performance ?
The Solen/SCR capacitors with 5% tolerance are available in the value I am after and there is also a tolerance option of 2% for just a little bit more.
Is it worth paying a little bit more for a tighter tolerance 2% or just stick to the standard 5% for speaker crossover?
Is there in any difference with tighter tolerance capacitors in terms of audio sound quality and performance ?
I measured a half dozen various 1uF to 10uF 5% polypropylenes this afternoon and they were all 5% high. That would be a meter error I reckon, due to a tired old battery.
I would expect it's actually quite easy to get foil capacitors accurate. Once you've wound and measured the first few of the batch, the rest will be almost exact with whatever adjustment in number of turns is required.
And anyway, 5% error is just 2.5% overall change in crossover. Root 1/LC an' all that. Because the coils play a part too. And they are quite easy to get exact too. In other words, 5% is a tiny error in the sound.
I would expect it's actually quite easy to get foil capacitors accurate. Once you've wound and measured the first few of the batch, the rest will be almost exact with whatever adjustment in number of turns is required.
And anyway, 5% error is just 2.5% overall change in crossover. Root 1/LC an' all that. Because the coils play a part too. And they are quite easy to get exact too. In other words, 5% is a tiny error in the sound.
Modern winding equipment is very precise.
Most modern cap manufacturers aim for -5% to save material (which makes adding a bypass cap easier).
Most modern cap manufacturers aim for -5% to save material (which makes adding a bypass cap easier).
The main reason to have tightly matched caps in my oppinion is for left to right consistency, the overall value is less important having both the same is probably more critical.
The one area this may be less true is with notch filters, in which case you might well want a quite accurate value.
Parts connexion offer a matching service, basically add $1 per pair of matched caps. I think they may also offer matching to a particular value (at an additional cost).
Tony.
The one area this may be less true is with notch filters, in which case you might well want a quite accurate value.
Parts connexion offer a matching service, basically add $1 per pair of matched caps. I think they may also offer matching to a particular value (at an additional cost).
Tony.
Problem is that your drivers aren't matched that well, and if the temperature changes, this gets even worse.
True, unless you spend big bucks on matched drivers (for example high end morel tweeters)...
But I tend to go with the idea that if something doesn't cost much extra to do (like $1 extra per cap pair for matching) then just do it and eliminate it as an issue 🙂
This is diy so overkill is the norm 😀
Tony.
But I tend to go with the idea that if something doesn't cost much extra to do (like $1 extra per cap pair for matching) then just do it and eliminate it as an issue 🙂
This is diy so overkill is the norm 😀
Tony.
no doubt that being tight tolerance is good (i also do that whenever possible), but imho mainly beneficial to measured response and basically no help with much more perceivable qualities like clarity, details etc..
Within a manufacturer or brand-name, I've found that a majority all adhere to the same shift relative to label value. This could be high, low, or really-close-to-on labeled value. IE- Audyn measure slightly low, though minimal.
I tend to measure my parts myself, all of LCR to make sure I'm using what is required, or adjust my sim to reflect the actual real values.
Later,
Wolf
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