Monitor 10A Crossover Upgrade/Fix

Gardenstater

Good to hear. That's what I've got coming to me.

Jazzhead

I second F1nut's recommendation for the Cardas binding post replacement. Worth every penny if you want good sound. There are quite a few mods you can do with those speakers if you have the tinkering mojo that will take them to another level.

Gardenstater

Well I ordered the Chinese ones. Will return if not pure copper. If they can't be scratched by a piece of brass and/or if they scratch a copper penny they're going back!

I'm assuming the stock Polk binding posts are brass and plated with chromium or nickel? Hopefully not chromium.

westmassguy

Gardenstater wrote: »

Ha ha welcome to my nightmare as well lol! I love these speakers and get tremendous enjoyment from them though!

@F1nut Those cardas binding posts are beauties no doubt and I really do want to stick to copper base metal, whether plated or not. I found these obvious made in China deals on amazon. Whadya think? They are short and I like the set screw, in addition to being solderable and they are pure copper conductor. All of these mfg's are pretty vague on details, especially the high end ones which gets frustrating. I mean am I to *assume* because it's Cardas that it is something like 4N copper or better....they don't say. I could use my Silclear silver platelet grease on the copper ones and maintain them every so often with the De-oxit.

https://www.amazon.com/ZXHAO-Speaker-Amplifier-Terminal-Binding/dp/B07HYY1TQ1/ref=pd_sbs_23_2/140-6877126-1564253?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07HYY1TQ1&pd_rd_r=7c1bb6a6-b433-4955-9e9f-3ea09643f087&pd_rd_w=UB0Wn&pd_rd_wg=bLYX3&pf_rd_p=bdd201df-734f-454e-883c-73b0d8ccd4c3&pf_rd_r=07FJPX6SCBB7MZ357K34&psc=1&refRID=07FJPX6SCBB7MZ357K34

As Jeff Glowacki of Sonic Craft once told me, most likely "Copperish"

Gardenstater

hazyIPA wrote: »

hazyIPA wrote: »

Doh! Good catch! How's this list looking now?

I noticed a couple things I had overlooked...

1. 2.5 ohm resister - 2.5 Ohm Vishay Mills 12 watt MRA-12
2. 34 uF capacitor - Gen I Sonicap 34 uF 200VDC
3. 2.7 ohm resister – 2.7 Ohm Vishay Mills 12 watt MRA-12
4. Inductor – Keep Original
5. 12 uF capacitor – Gen I Sonicap 12 uF 200VDC
6. 34 12 uF capacitor – same as #2 same as #5

Oof! If that list is right, that's >$250 in parts for the 2 speakers.

Be careful. From your 3rd photo at the beginning of the thread, that Cap#6 is clearly marked as 34uF (not 12uF). I can't read the value on Cap #2 because it is hidden by one of the resistors (the 2.7 Ohm, #3).

If this is your schematic then you should be OK with what you ordered though, because the schematic shows (2) 12uF caps and (1) 34uF cap.

https://us.v-cdn.net/5021930/uploads/attachments/4/6/7/2/8/18775.pdf

Gardenstater

@westmassguy We'll see. Without access to lab instruments they know it's pretty hard for people to know. Even the *high end* mfg's are very vague on details.

I got these female quick disconnects from Autozone and on the package itself it makes NO MENTION of the base conductor composition, just hypes the fact that they are *gold plated*. Of course, that could be worth the mfg's expense to hide the true composition of the base material because you can sometimes visually tell the difference between *some* brass alloys (more yellow or gold) and copper (more reddish brown). The autozone website desc. DOES say copper conductor and so does the Dorman website, but they could always weasle out by saying.....well we did not say *pure* copper. Having said that, I have used these now and I will say that when you put them on a speaker tab and then remove them and reinsert, the insertion force and clamping power is noticeably less the 2nd time, which to me indicates that it is a softer metal than brass, ie. *maybe* pure copper.

pitdogg2

I had to enlarge some of their ring connectors holes and the dust from it was very red and not yellow. I then ground down a connector like those above and the dust was also very red like I had ground a copper plumbing fitting. I've had good results with them. I just wish there was a company that made a male gold plated copper spade connector to fit the female quick connector.

Gardenstater

pitdogg2 wrote: »

I had to enlarge some of their ring connectors holes and the dust from it was very red and not yellow. I then ground down a connector like those above and the dust was also very red like I had ground a copper plumbing fitting. I've had good results with them. I just wish there was a company that made a male gold plated copper spade connector to fit the female quick connector.

I'm sorry to hear that there are no male ones. I was just about to start searching for that, so that I could cut my tweeter wires close to the tabs and put on a quick disconnect. It turns out the Peerless tweeter tabs are supposed to accept a 1/8" female faston. Not sure if I could find those in pure copper even if I were brave enough, and successful in desoldering the wires and cleaning the tabs of solder without destroying the tweeter.

mhardy6647

. . . ne'ermind.

Gardenstater

mkay,,,,

Gardenstater

Correction....the Peerless tweeter tabs are about 0.112in. so they will accept a 7/64in. faston. Turns out Autozone does have the female disconnects in gold plated copper (allegedly) that will fit the Peerless tweeter tabs, should you be fortunate enough to have them safely in unsoldered condition:

https://www.autozone.com/stereo-speakers-and-audio/audio-terminal-and-connector/dorman-conduct-tite-female-quick-slide-terminal/421804_0

Gardenstater

Here's a perfect example of how ya gotta be careful with the BS they pull with these binding posts. This one is made in China and clearly is trying to market as a high end audiophile one, being plated in silver and all, yet the eBay entry says "best quality copper body" whereas the companies website says "high quality brass" lol. Ya can't make this s**t up.

Gardenstater

Here's an alternative to the Cardas that is being claimed to be copper plating on pure copper body, both on eBay and the companies website, but it comes from Hong Kong and you have to wait over a month for delivery lol. Not sure what the *idea* is behind plating copper on copper but they do have silver plated copper and gold plated copper also:

pitdogg2

FWIW I have not had a tweeter, mw or larger driver I could not get quick connector for at Advanced Auto/ Autozone. All made by Dorman

Gardenstater

@pitdogg2 Yep I found the size for my tweeters

Gardenstater

@westmassguy Well if it turns out to be "copperish" (and I can determine that by scratch testing), then it's most definitely fraud because the amazon description clearly says "the conductor is pure copper core, without magnetic (lol)". Also it is Fulfilled by Amazon so returns shouldn't be a problem.

westmassguy

Gardenstater wrote: »

@westmassguy Well if it turns out to be "copperish" (and I can determine that by scratch testing), then it's most definitely fraud because the amazon description clearly says "the conductor is pure copper core, without magnetic (lol)". Also it is Fulfilled by Amazon so returns shouldn't be a problem.

You don't want that pesky "Magnetic" in there.

Gardenstater

pitdogg2 wrote: »

I had to enlarge some of their ring connectors holes and the dust from it was very red and not yellow. I then ground down a connector like those above and the dust was also very red like I had ground a copper plumbing fitting. I've had good results with them. I just wish there was a company that made a male gold plated copper spade connector to fit the female quick connector.

I can't find them either! What a PIA to have to make my own from some .003" thick, 4N copper foil that I have. You have to fold in half, 4 pieces .110" W (for tweeter tab compatibility) x ~ 1" L and then tin the very tip at the folds in a solder pot while they are clamped together tightly, then drill a hole in the other end and you solder that to your wire with some heat shrink. PIA. That gives you the ability to swap out either tweeters that have a bare tab or ones you put the male faston on the stub wire you have remaining when you cut as close to the tab as possible.

pitdogg2

picked them up at the same place....
Your's do not carry the rings?

Gardenstater

Well actually I'm just about to make the rounds again and see what I can get........Autozone......Pep Dudes.......Advance.

Gardenstater

@pitdogg2 My stores are terrible. Almost no audio rings in stock and don't stock any but the 3/8 in. large gage. So I see that this is available as special order (jeezus!) and I'm wondering if you have tried grinding these down to make the male quick disconnects that seem to be unobtainium. I have no idea how thick they are which may be a problem. Have you done this?

pitdogg2

No i have not.

Gardenstater

I don't know if you call this a labor of love or insanity. 4N Copper laminated foil male fastons in process for the Peerless tweeters. 0.129" wide x 0.024" thick. Just need to drill the holes for the wires to be soldered. The other one is a ground down tin plated brass one from the store, needed to spring the female connector properly before attempting to insert the soft copper ones.

pitdogg2

now that is dedication

Gardenstater

Next thing I need to do is grind on one of these Dorman female fastons and see if it looks like they are really copper. Gold plating hides everything. They seem to keep their *spring* suspiciously well.