I better get busy....

dorokusai

This is round 1 of about 6 Polk upgrades on the horizon. Ugh, I'm booked to say the least but it keeps me busy :redface:

There's about $500 worth of Sonicaps ready to roll into a new home and a complete set of drivers for a pair of SDA CRS+.

ViperZ

Doro, just out of curiosity, how and why did you pick Sonicaps? How are these compared, say to Mundorfs? Thanks!

dorokusai

I've personally had a long term relationship with Jeff based on an old referral by resident member F1Nut. Along with North Creek Music, I usually use them based on a number of factors but do try and mix it up intentionally since it's fun to hear new stuff.

As far as a direct comparison to Mundorf which is another wonderful choice, I only have limited experience with them as opposed to Sonicap. With what I've read and used from Mundorf, it's another option that mates well with Polk Audio. It also has a varied product line that hits a couple cost brackets for tweakers.

This is a sensitve and costly subject so I tend to go with what I know well by ear and Sonicap has always delivered. While I like to venture into new territory just to be differenty and raise eyebrows I always know what I'm getting from Jeff. His return policy is also solid and easily handled.

Vocals and top end are exactly where I want them to be in regards to accuracy and tone without being excessive. Mid-range is easy to do right and low end is easily tightened up although I attribute this to more than just a capacitor change, namely inductor replacement.

george daniel

are you upgrading speaker crossovers?

brgman

Alright quit screwin' off doro and get to work!!!!:biggrin:

dorokusai

george daniel wrote: »

are you upgrading speaker crossovers?

Yes.

Brgman - I know I know....I'll have it wrapped up by the weekend boss

scottyboy76

I swear to god i saw that same picture in the unabomber cabin, sorta wily coyote, but dangerous.

Doro, you have been reported, and i dont mean to the moderator, we are watching.

dorokusai

scottyboy76 wrote: »

I swear to god i saw that same picture in the unabomber cabin, sorta wily coyote, but dangerous.

Doro, you have been reported, and i dont mean to the moderator, we are watching.

Save me from myself PLEASE!

scottyboy76

6 underground?

When will you wake up america, THEY are right under our noses.

On3s&Z3r0s

So when rebuilding SDA crossovers you also swap out inductors with North Creeks? Isn't that, shall we say, exorbitant? Since I TL'd my studio 2B's with Sonics (in addition to dynamat on the PRs and MWs) the bass seems fatter/boomier. I pulled them out to 9" from the wall and that settled them down somewhat. I was wondering if it would be worth looking into an inductor upgrade.

dorokusai

On3s&Z3r0s wrote: »

So when rebuilding SDA crossovers you also swap out inductors with North Creeks? Isn't that, shall we say, exorbitant? Since I TL'd my studio 2B's with Sonics (in addition to dynamat on the PRs and MWs) the bass seems fatter/boomier. I pulled them out to 9" from the wall and that settled them down somewhat. I was wondering if it would be worth looking into an inductor upgrade.

Exorbitant? Of course, as is most of the rebuilding of perfectly good xover networks.

We all have hobbies and different positions on what needs to be replaced or the benefits of actual replacement. I find no need to Dynamat the baskets on drivers yet it's a common recommendation due to perceived "ringing" and subsequent data to support that position, on both sides. I've never actually heard a basket ring but from a physics standpoint, I'm sure that it happens and the tweak is cheap enough that the argument against it doesn't make much sense.

I guess you have to find your own level of upgrade comfort....pick your battles so to speak. As far as inductors, I've been replacing them for a long time as part of my personal upgrades but not everyone does. They usually have the most benefit on the low end which is unfortunately the more costly level of upgrade, and difficult to integrate into an existing xover network so most ppl don't do it. It's difficult enough to figure out how to place a capacitor 10x the size of the one you're replacing most of the time. I only do it for my own projects and side work I keep simple and subject to immediate buyer happiness of which caps and resistors show the most impact up front....and are also cost effectively done mild to wild.

Raife(DarqueKnight) has a very good conversation thread about inductors, amongst other things of course and I encourage you to check it out.

On3s&Z3r0s

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't challenging the reasonableness of replacing the inductors. I was just asking more along the lines of, "Is that as expensive as I think it is?" And, it sounds like it is. I'm pretty sure I did read DK's thread about doing the inductors as a follow-on to an earlier crossover upgrade. I just didn't glean enough to know if it would help in my particular case. Seems like maybe when DK did his upgrade it could be done for a few hundred. I think for me to do it in North Creeks now would run close to $1,000. Anyway, just something I was keeping in mind for down the line and was wondering if it could be expected to significantly tighten up the bass. I do appreciate the input, thanks.

dorokusai

I know you didn't and am just responding accordingly. Yes, it's expensive without a doubt but I only used North Creek as my example.

You can pick up very nice air-core inductors from Parts Express. I've used them with great success and from a cost standpoint, North Creek is an extreme and not needed for 99% of board work. As I said, this was personal project(s) work in which I wanted the very best and not run of the mill work. In that case I'd use PE on your LF side and not worry about it....so would I.

RuSsMaN

Sonicaps work.