RT16 upgrading, need a spec! Anybody?
CrazyHead
Posts: 63
Howdy guys!
I am a long-time owner of Polk RT16 tower speakers. I have recently upgraded to some valve amplifiers and am wanting to get more out of my speakers (as I love the musicality of these older Polks) than what I am presently.
So, I am upgrading all of the internal wiring (and perhaps will replace the binding posts with machined copper posts) and am looking at replacing the factory crossover with a higher-end unit and I find myself completely befuddled with what the crossover frequencies for the original RT16 are.
Long gone are my manuals for these speakers.
Can any of my fellow Polk-heads enlighten me as to what the crossover freqs were in the original RT16 factory unit?
Thanks a million!
-- Robert
I am a long-time owner of Polk RT16 tower speakers. I have recently upgraded to some valve amplifiers and am wanting to get more out of my speakers (as I love the musicality of these older Polks) than what I am presently.
So, I am upgrading all of the internal wiring (and perhaps will replace the binding posts with machined copper posts) and am looking at replacing the factory crossover with a higher-end unit and I find myself completely befuddled with what the crossover frequencies for the original RT16 are.
Long gone are my manuals for these speakers.
Can any of my fellow Polk-heads enlighten me as to what the crossover freqs were in the original RT16 factory unit?
Thanks a million!
-- Robert
Post edited by CrazyHead on
Comments
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Now that I think about it...
I've been bi-wiring my gear since I got it...
Couldn't I just bypass the crossover all together and run direct from the binding posts into the appropriate drivers?
-- Robert -
BTT... and...
I rewired my RT16's internals tonight from the crossover to the driver.
I used some hand-made perimeter geometry cable and silver-bearing lead-free solder.
I am going to let the speakers and wires get used to each other before I made too many claims, but I will say that I immediately noticed less of a blunt feel to the tweeter. Instead, it seems to extend nicer than before. Midrange may be a little tiny, tiny, tiny bit more forward (which is fine with me).
I soldered the wiring directly to the drivers' posts. I used some small locking crimps to make wide contact with the fresh copper and then soldered them in. I de-soldered the crossover connections and re-soldered them in a similar way.
I feel much better having high-performance wiring inside the cabinets instead of the 24-ga copper that was in there before.
For those that want to know, perimeter geometry cables are cables that have a solid central core with the +/- conductors woven around it. Perimeter geometry is better than twisted pair because twisted-pair has high amounts of high-frequency resistance due to the proximity effect. Perimeter has the conductors repeatedly cross each other at 90-degree angles, creating the same effect as the cables being infinitely apart -- thus no proximity. However, noise rejection isn't as good with these cables -- but that's really a non-issue in loudspeaker cable due to the voltage involved. Just a little FYI.
-- Robert