People that actually know what there doing use the cap ESR when calculating the crossover and replacing the cap with a lower ESR one is a fools errand. Go for it.
Yeah, cbdb, you said it very well. I was also wondering just what 'time spaces" are.
There are a lot of problems over on the AudioCircle website. The GR Research Fan Boys Club it probably the biggest one. Dare to question whether tube connectors can possible make any difference and be prepared for an onslaught by just about everyone on that forum. But it doesn't stop there.
On some of the other manufacturer's forums you better not question whether expensive cables make a difference in the sound or not. Again you will be attacked by the masses. Particularly those who have already spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on their speaker cables. Confirmation bias is unescapable for them.
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I think you have to have a way to not be able to discern one speaker from the other based on the exterior. Have someone else move them and place them for you. Swap speakers spot for spot. I would do a blind test with nothing covering your eyes as sometimes the visual appeal of the speakers is part of the experience. Then I would do a blind test where you cannot see them.
It should be a fun experience. I hope you can find someone to cooperate with all of this. They have to not show bias or interest in the speakers so I suggest the significant other.
edit: I also make marks on the ground so I can reposition my speakers. I takes a long time to get them set. I use permanent marker on tile which can be wiped off with denatured alcohol. Do a test in a discrete spot first.
It should be a fun experience. I hope you can find someone to cooperate with all of this. They have to not show bias or interest in the speakers so I suggest the significant other.
edit: I also make marks on the ground so I can reposition my speakers. I takes a long time to get them set. I use permanent marker on tile which can be wiped off with denatured alcohol. Do a test in a discrete spot first.
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You will make a difference. What will you say is the reason?
It can be measured, we know the reason. Why would someone say it cannot be measured?
Oh good I am sure you will enjoy testing capacitor, 1 pc of advice buy a capacitance multimeter when you buy capacitors to make sure your capacitors are within specs. When testing make sure u r in a very quiet room and use a solid platinum contact relay to switch between capacitor...u don't want unnessary contact oxidation to mess with the tonality of the caps during test.
Solder the caps with silver based solder and not lead tin cheep solder as the resistance is easily many times that of platinum. Buy some nasty cheep capcitor to test as well preferbly removed from used rubbish . Just clean all leads properly and measure themto make sure the cap value is same as what u want.
Happy testing my friend n I can't wait to hear from your results.
Solder the caps with silver based solder and not lead tin cheep solder as the resistance is easily many times that of platinum. Buy some nasty cheep capcitor to test as well preferbly removed from used rubbish . Just clean all leads properly and measure themto make sure the cap value is same as what u want.
Happy testing my friend n I can't wait to hear from your results.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
This will help...$20 or so here.
Search for graphic capacitance meter.
Yeah I hope that one shows µF. OP could correct many unit writing errors and even an erroneous thread title.
I get a higher quality multimeter with capacitance and inductance reading if u were to play tweeking a crossover..it probably be cheaper than your super fi audiopiles caps n u can mess around with small values to get the cap values u need down to pf if u so desire. very useful for Mhz frequencies i am sure
On a side note u will be able to wind n unwind your inductor as well which is very useful to fine tune your xover settings
On a side note u will be able to wind n unwind your inductor as well which is very useful to fine tune your xover settings
Item Type: Transistor Tester
Product Material: ABS
Features: Used to detect NPN and PNP transistors, capacitors, resistors, diodes, triodes, N-channel and P-channel MOSFETs, IGBTs, JFETs, triodes and batteries.
It can also be used to detect infrared waving forms.
Display: 1.8 inch TFT screen
Diode Range: 4.5V
Zener Diode: Transistor Detection Area: 0.01-4.5V
Zener Diode Detection Area: 0.01-30V
Capacitance: 25pF-100mF
Resistance: 0.01-50MΩ
Inductance: 0.01mH-20H
Battery: 0.1-4.5V 4000mAh
Power Mode: Rechargeable lithium battery
Package List:
1 x Transistor Tester3 x Probe1 x Accessory Package (Data Cable + 3 Accessories)
From an Indonesian site. It is on aliexpress too, but I cannot access it.
It works...
Quality, it is Chinese. Don't tell me you had a problem.
It is in a housing, the insides I have posted above.
Product Material: ABS
Features: Used to detect NPN and PNP transistors, capacitors, resistors, diodes, triodes, N-channel and P-channel MOSFETs, IGBTs, JFETs, triodes and batteries.
It can also be used to detect infrared waving forms.
Display: 1.8 inch TFT screen
Diode Range: 4.5V
Zener Diode: Transistor Detection Area: 0.01-4.5V
Zener Diode Detection Area: 0.01-30V
Capacitance: 25pF-100mF
Resistance: 0.01-50MΩ
Inductance: 0.01mH-20H
Battery: 0.1-4.5V 4000mAh
Power Mode: Rechargeable lithium battery
Package List:
1 x Transistor Tester3 x Probe1 x Accessory Package (Data Cable + 3 Accessories)
From an Indonesian site. It is on aliexpress too, but I cannot access it.
It works...
Quality, it is Chinese. Don't tell me you had a problem.
It is in a housing, the insides I have posted above.
Capacitor uF matters the most, especially in amplifiers that are.... like "wires".
Basically what i have learned that paralleling different "manufacturers" is very bad idea lol😀
I paralleled mostly samwha, panasonic and nichicon. I did it for like 4 years and then i stopped, cuz i discovered it is better to stay only with 1 manufacturer per amplifier. If u want a specific "tune" and characteristic sound, u NEVER parallel capacitors from different manufactures lol😀
You either Use only 1 manufacturer and parallel it, or best is to use only 1 capacitor per rail.
Ufarad and voltage rating matters most, it imo determines the speed and influences loudness too.
Regulator outputs low 1u-10uF caps, 10uF and more on regs is okey, but not "professional".
What is most interesting is that, running capacitor near its rated voltage.
Electrolytics differ in sound from panasonic to whateverness... but there is a but... mostly, the effect will be the same if "technology of a capacitor is same". They use different insulation materials between foils and so on... that will be audiable.
Basically what i have learned that paralleling different "manufacturers" is very bad idea lol😀
I paralleled mostly samwha, panasonic and nichicon. I did it for like 4 years and then i stopped, cuz i discovered it is better to stay only with 1 manufacturer per amplifier. If u want a specific "tune" and characteristic sound, u NEVER parallel capacitors from different manufactures lol😀
You either Use only 1 manufacturer and parallel it, or best is to use only 1 capacitor per rail.
Ufarad and voltage rating matters most, it imo determines the speed and influences loudness too.
Regulator outputs low 1u-10uF caps, 10uF and more on regs is okey, but not "professional".
What is most interesting is that, running capacitor near its rated voltage.
Electrolytics differ in sound from panasonic to whateverness... but there is a but... mostly, the effect will be the same if "technology of a capacitor is same". They use different insulation materials between foils and so on... that will be audiable.
Get a UNI T china made multimeter. There r resonable price and of good quality Fluke is pretty good but very pricy compare to UNI T.
To be honest take it from me I make my own xover,tweek them to my disire n never bother what cap . I used to be critical of all this 20 years ago n my fav is sliver Mica n polystyrene for my amps n radios. Anyway its a hobby just don't waste too much of your cash and enjoy the frivolity of tinkering
To be honest take it from me I make my own xover,tweek them to my disire n never bother what cap . I used to be critical of all this 20 years ago n my fav is sliver Mica n polystyrene for my amps n radios. Anyway its a hobby just don't waste too much of your cash and enjoy the frivolity of tinkering
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I've only recapped a single pair of speakers. It was a Technics SB6000a and had a fairly involved crossover for being just a 2 way.
I sought advice, read what I could and couldn't justify buying high end caps for a speaker I had bought for $20. Looking at various caps, what was in the crossover and what I felt comfortable spending, I chose to use electrolytic caps from Nichicon, from a series that were indicated as being for crossover use. To be honest, I can't tell you what made them better suited, but they were the ones I chose. To add to this, I bought Vishay MKP1837 caps to bypass each electrolytic because I read a bunch of folk saying this made cheap caps sound better.
I wish I could have measured before and after what if any changes the recap had on the frequency response etc. Did they sound good? Oh yeah! Better? That's a tough call. Since both were done at the same time, it was hard to AB from memory.
If I were OP, perhaps try just doing a cap upgrade on the tweeters? You mention detail lacking, and maybe you hear an improvement? Or just one tweeter?
I've been trying to learn things online and it can be overwhelming when there is no consensus on what to do. If anything it's caused me to be apprehensive about trying things I should just jump into. Learning something firsthand may outvalue the cost of any one or two parts, no?
I sought advice, read what I could and couldn't justify buying high end caps for a speaker I had bought for $20. Looking at various caps, what was in the crossover and what I felt comfortable spending, I chose to use electrolytic caps from Nichicon, from a series that were indicated as being for crossover use. To be honest, I can't tell you what made them better suited, but they were the ones I chose. To add to this, I bought Vishay MKP1837 caps to bypass each electrolytic because I read a bunch of folk saying this made cheap caps sound better.
I wish I could have measured before and after what if any changes the recap had on the frequency response etc. Did they sound good? Oh yeah! Better? That's a tough call. Since both were done at the same time, it was hard to AB from memory.
If I were OP, perhaps try just doing a cap upgrade on the tweeters? You mention detail lacking, and maybe you hear an improvement? Or just one tweeter?
I've been trying to learn things online and it can be overwhelming when there is no consensus on what to do. If anything it's caused me to be apprehensive about trying things I should just jump into. Learning something firsthand may outvalue the cost of any one or two parts, no?
He mentioned that the parts were already on the way. best caps on the tweeter, better caps on the mids, good caps on the woofers is what I have done in the past. If the crossover doesn't require large or many caps, I tend to go with better stuff. Simple but effective crossovers can be a really good thing in this regard.
We have a 30 year old pair of commercial 4" two way speakers, the crossover is only two parts - a very cheap electrolytic cap and a resistor on the tweeter. If they cost more than $0.50 I'd be astonished. The 4" runs full range.
I replaced them with a new, but cheap Cross Cap film cap and a Dayton resistor for a total cost of $5 and the sound was much clearer - as suggested above, I just replaced the XO in one and got my wife to swap them around so I didn't know which was which.
Geoff
I replaced them with a new, but cheap Cross Cap film cap and a Dayton resistor for a total cost of $5 and the sound was much clearer - as suggested above, I just replaced the XO in one and got my wife to swap them around so I didn't know which was which.
Geoff
Replacing a 30 year old electrolytic capacitor with a new one of any type is very likely to result in an improvement. Or at least a change in the sound. Electrolytics definitely change their characterizes over time as the electrolyte dries out.
But replacing newer capacitors of any type with a so called "better" type is a waste of time and money. I have seen no well controlled sound quality comparison tests to prove that there is any difference. Nor any measurements to show a difference. If someone can produce such a test it would be very interesting.
But short of a properly conducted valid test everything here is simply opinions, not facts. And those opinions are almost entirely driven by confirmation bias.
So I will say it here although I'm sure there will be lots of contrary comments, because confirmation bias is a very powerful thing.
"Replacing capacitors in crossovers with more expensive parts of the same value does not change sound from the speakers in any discernable way."
But replacing newer capacitors of any type with a so called "better" type is a waste of time and money. I have seen no well controlled sound quality comparison tests to prove that there is any difference. Nor any measurements to show a difference. If someone can produce such a test it would be very interesting.
But short of a properly conducted valid test everything here is simply opinions, not facts. And those opinions are almost entirely driven by confirmation bias.
So I will say it here although I'm sure there will be lots of contrary comments, because confirmation bias is a very powerful thing.
"Replacing capacitors in crossovers with more expensive parts of the same value does not change sound from the speakers in any discernable way."
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