Recapping my Monitor 7B speakers

I want to recap my Monitor 7B speakers. I hear everywhere that it will make them sound even better than they already do.

Is there a parts list somewhere? And maybe a how-to? I've never done this but I figured it can't be too hard since it's only a handful of parts.

Any help you can provide is appreciated!

Comments

  • Here's what it looked like after I did mine. Only 4 parts replaced, 2 resistors, 2 caps. I also upgraded my MW wires at this time because the large 34uf cap would block the attachment place on PC board.

    n2jrcrdc1l7j.jpg
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Crown D150 amp
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
  • I'm so sorry @pitdogg2 I hadn't thought about being able to use the search *slaps self in the face*. How dumb of me.

    I worked for Google for 5 years actually but somehow I forgot!

    Seriously, I was hoping someone would be so kind to show me what exact parts to get and where. I have absolutely zero experience with any of this and I would like to not ruin my nice speakers.
  • @Gardenstater was it a big improvement in sound quality?
    Would you mind listing the exact parts so I can order them?
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,711
    TheMarco wrote: »
    I worked for Google for 5 years

    That explains it.

    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,136
    edited September 2021
    TheMarco wrote: »
    @Gardenstater was it a big improvement in sound quality?
    Would you mind listing the exact parts so I can order them?

    Yes it was a huge improvement. The price of sonicaps I used has gone up considerably with the inflation that the Federal Reserve claims is "transitory" pfft. Anyway, I think you should show us some pics of your speakers with the grilles removed and the back of the binding post cup at least, so we can make sure you are getting the right parts. The proper way is to remove the screws for the binding post/XO assy and actually LOOK at it and, with luck, you can read the component values right off the components (YES!!). Unfortunately, the techs often rotated the components so the values are not visible. You will have to do this anyway when you do the work so you should take that first step now. If you have no little kids and you have a new amplifier with good protection circuits and you are basically certain you have abundant power and will not be experiencing clipping ever, you will want to remove the fuseblock if you have one, polyswitch if you have one. Depending upon which one you have, you will want to adjust the main tweeter resistor upwards in value a tad.
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Crown D150 amp
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
  • F1nut wrote: »
    TheMarco wrote: »
    I worked for Google for 5 years

    That explains it.

    What is this supposed to mean exactly?
    I'm just asking for some help/advice here.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,481
    edited September 2021
    TheMarco wrote: »
    I'm so sorry @pitdogg2 I hadn't thought about being able to use the search *slaps self in the face*. How dumb of me.

    I worked for Google for 5 years actually but somehow I forgot!

    Seriously, I was hoping someone would be so kind to show me what exact parts to get and where. I have absolutely zero experience with any of this and I would like to not ruin my nice speakers.

    Then send them to @westmassguy, he is wonderful to work with does excellent work!!

    http://www.dhsspeakerservice.com/


    Sometimes you need to open them up and get the values you need, it really is that easy. Many times Polk made changes on the fly what is in his parts may not be in yours, therefore you may NOT get the right parts.
    Better safe than sorry.

    If You have never held a soldering iron and actually put it to use then you may be in over your head no matter how much you google :D
  • Many of us do not have a high opinion of Google. F1Nut sounded like he was teasing.

    If you have a bit of knowledge and some tools and skills, the electrical piece of a recap for 7s is straightforward, replace caps and resistors with new ones having the same value and slightly higher voltage ratings. If you are modding, follow the schematic for the mod. you want. The mechanical side can be tricky finding ways to fit larger caps on one or two boards. I have a set of 5s I'm doing the TL mod. to. Soniccaps are much larger and I have a few extra components to include so space gets tight.

    I'm a bit nervous of all the weight hanging off the terminal cup even though V3R and others have successfully mounted loaded riser boards. Also, even with a riser board, it's tough to fit all the pieces. I'm dry fitting perf board and considering mounting it on the floor of the cab, only using the original board for the original inductor connection and the necessary travelers to the perf. This is a proof of concept for me before I TL mod a couple pair of 7s.

  • Kryten wrote: »

    I'm a bit nervous of all the weight hanging off the terminal cup even though V3R and others have successfully mounted loaded riser boards. Also, even with a riser board, it's tough to fit all the pieces. I'm dry fitting perf board and considering mounting it on the floor of the cab, only using the original board for the original inductor connection and the necessary travelers to the perf. This is a proof of concept for me before I TL mod a couple pair of 7s.

    I was concerned about the additional weight also when I did the SDA 1C crossovers. Went back and forth but and ended up mounting it to the floor.

    ajk2t6jcmvol.jpg

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,711
    Not teasing.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,711
    Joebass3, it's never a good idea to bend the lead out of a resistor right at the body.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • F1nut wrote: »
    Joebass3, it's never a good idea to bend the lead out of a resistor right at the body.

    Noted. It was the first crossover I recapped, and was copying what I had seen done by a long time member on the CP forum.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,481
    edited September 2021
    joebass3 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    Joebass3, it's never a good idea to bend the lead out of a resistor right at the body.

    Noted. It was the first crossover I recapped, and was copying what I had seen done by a long time member on the CP forum.

    It is better to use needle nose pliers to grab the lead next to the resistor body and then keep the pliers steady to bend the lead AFTER the pliers jaws.
    you are not using the pliers to bend the lead you use you fingers to bend the lead. The pliers keep the lead from bending AT the body so that portion stays straight.

    We've learned things along the way from the earlier days of rebuilding crossover components.

    Bending that close can affect the internals of the resistor or capacitor goes for both what I stated above.


    Even though some cap and resistor suppliers sometime do bend them like that to ship.
    Bugs me to no end to find them in the box that way.
  • pitdogg2 wrote: »
    TheMarco wrote: »
    I'm so sorry @pitdogg2 I hadn't thought about being able to use the search *slaps self in the face*. How dumb of me.

    I worked for Google for 5 years actually but somehow I forgot!

    Seriously, I was hoping someone would be so kind to show me what exact parts to get and where. I have absolutely zero experience with any of this and I would like to not ruin my nice speakers.

    Then send them to @westmassguy, he is wonderful to work with does excellent work!!

    http://www.dhsspeakerservice.com
    I just used David to do mine (7C’s) while I’ve been dealing with doctors and hospitals. Great guy to work with.
    May be doing my SRS2’s also … those are a lot more complicated than the monitors, and still dealing with doctors and hospitals 😔