Crossover: The infamous CAPACITORS

Jump to Latest
#21
GeoffMillar said:
The first one would be hopeless for audio, but it's 120 microfarads: where would you use that anyway? I think it's for a flourescent tube fitting.

Please post the component values and schematic, then we can try to help you.

The Dayton would be fine for most purposes; note that Dayton has two types "DMPC" (basic) and "PMPC" (a bit better, for about 20% more money)

Geoff
Click to expand...
I took the first image as an example... I'm sorry
 
#24
Pedroga said:
I'm using simulators and I know the value of the capacitor I need lol, the problem is finding the ideal capacitor,
Click to expand...
Yes. I have used motor capacitors like you show and I have used electrolytic capacitors and many other types. They all do the same job. You are worrying too much.

In time, you will probably try many component values so you will need several of them, and you can find out for yourself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: benb
#30
All capacitors have their own imperfections. Just start with the cheapest ones such as in post #28,
and if the result is ok, stop there. You can always substitute more expensive parts later on.

I think you will find that the design of the crossover is a much bigger factor than the capacitor quality
that is used to realize it. A "perfect" part cannot fix theoretically bad performance. You would be shocked
at how badly many expensive commercial speaker systems measure (and sound).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Freedom666 and Moondog55
#31
Yes by people who want you to buy more expensive ones. At such large values very few people can afford PP or better and to be honest with myself I really cannot tell the difference and neither can my wife who had golden ears exception being in tweeter circuits. Also if it can't be measured it doesn't exist. High power through early 35V caps maybe / perhaps but modern electrolytics are rated for quite high voltages and any rating over 100V should be/ will be more than good enough.
Save the expensive caps for the tweeters circuit where they may make a difference or may not
Are you using drivers that cost a thousand dollars each? or a hundred or only $20- I'd not use a hundred dollar capacitor on a driver that cost a hundred dollars [ and I have those in my stash] and certainly not on a driver that cost $20-
 
#32
Reading what you said and in some research I did, I'm considering using Polypropylene (PP) capacitors in the tweeters as it is the driver that will give details and polish the sound and use the electrolytics even in the midranger or, I don't know, at most a capacitor. Polyester (Mylar, MKT)
 
#36
It's called 'marketing': is a Rolls Royce ten times better than a Camry? No, but people still want to buy them.

Apologies, I was talking rubbish about cap values in my earlier post I checked and two of my projects have 100 microfarads in the woofer shunt! I was thinking too much about tweeter circuits...

NB Speakerbug carry parts in all price ranges, and Nigel is great to deal with - I get almost all of my XO parts from him.

Geoff
 
#37
It does not matter how good your capacitor is, if the speakers you select are inferior or wrong crossover values are selected.

Crossover values should be selected on actual frequency response of each driver. In many cases first order is not adequate and steeper slopes are required to deal with breakups. In some cases even notch filters are used.

Brand, type and price of the capacitor you select should be the last thing, speaker design first. Generic textbook crossover? Not likely.
For a first speaker project its advised to build already verified project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom