Changing 20 years old Capacitors Improve Sound

Ricardo

So...does it or does it not improve sound the change of 20ish years old capacitors? If there is improvement..is it because the caps lost their properties, or is it because the change from stock to the Solen/Sonicaps and such is an improvement itself?

Would like to know what people that have made the change think. I've been debating on doing this or just leave them alone...they sound good as they are... but hey, any improvement opportunity sounds sweet to my ears

Stew

Can you provide an option that combines the first two? Electrolytic caps do age and degrade sound but IMO the sound can be better than new with good caps.

Ricardo

Stew wrote:

Can you provide an option that combines the first two? Electrolytic caps do age and degrade sound but IMO the sound can be better than new with good caps.

Sorry Stew...I don't think I can edit the poll... Why don't you just pick the one that you think makes the greatest difference??

F1nut

I'm with Stew.

ttrentt

I think i want to rebuild the xovers on my Monitor 10s. Can I buy the parts local? Are these Solen and such available online?

T

Ricardo

http://www.partexpress.com/

http://www.partsconnexion.com/

BobMcG

Can't click one as none fit me.

I rebuilt my 2.3s for two reasons.

1) I knew it would be a fun experience.
2) Due to the fact the stock caps were so old.

Did I derive any benfit from doing so? Yes and no.

YES) I'm now comfortable in knowing the crossover parts are fresh and of good quality.
NO) I swapped out the tweeters at the same time the crossovers were apart so any change in the sound quality I hear I'm going to have to attibute to this part of the project.

Have I jumped out and upgraded my other SDAs? No. Will I? Yes. For the same reasons I did the 2.3s.

djf

I have a question about xover upgrades. I am thinking of ordering the caps, are the resistors that critical?

Also, the crossover for the SRS is quite a beast. Rather than labeling and removeing the whole thing, I am thinking about cutting out the old caps, leaving the leads, and resoldering the new ones into place. Does this sound like a dumb thing to do?

Any and all suggestions appreciated!

BTW, I am ordering today 2 more RDO-194's, that will leave only one SL2000 per speaker in place.

BobMcG

djf wrote:

I have a question about xover upgrades. I am thinking of ordering the caps, are the resistors that critical?

You might just as well do them while you're at it. They aren't any younger than the caps and you'll be able to replace them with higher end units at that. I don't think anyone in here has gone to the bother of rebuilding without doing them too. No?

djf wrote:

Also, the crossover for the SRS is quite a beast. Rather than labeling and removeing the whole thing, I am thinking about cutting out the old caps, leaving the leads, and resoldering the new ones into place. Does this sound like a dumb thing to do?

Not the way to do it at all. You have two crossovers anyways so use one for a model. You won't forget where anything goes. If you were to just cut the leads and try to resolder to the stubs, I can all but guarantee the heat from tring to solder to the short remaining leads would actually desolder them from their spots on the board anyways. I think you'll be happier just desoldering the old parts and installing the new.

djf wrote:

Any and all suggestions appreciated!

There, you got my two cents worth, enjoy the project.

djf wrote:

BTW, I am ordering today 2 more RDO-194's, that will leave only one SL2000 per speaker in place.

IMO the tweeter swap will probably make much more of a change in the sound of your speakers than the crossover rebuild job.

djf

Anybody have a pointer to the excellent crossover rebuild (for the SRS's) thread?

danger boy

djf wrote:

I have a question about xover upgrades. I am thinking of ordering the caps, are the resistors that critical?

Also, the crossover for the SRS is quite a beast. Rather than labeling and removeing the whole thing, I am thinking about cutting out the old caps, leaving the leads, and resoldering the new ones into place. Does this sound like a dumb thing to do?

Any and all suggestions appreciated!

BTW, I am ordering today 2 more RDO-194's, that will leave only one SL2000 per speaker in place.

I feel your pain.. it's not easy replacing all 8 tweeters at once.. i've yet to save up enough mula for that task.

djf

Certainly, it is not that cheap for all eight at once. I have 2 per unit replaced, and I can say without doubt, it is well worth walking up and down the road to find aluminum cans to take to the recyclers.
The RDO's are fantastically better then the original SL2000's. Course now that I've replace the polyswitches, I think I am getting the xovers back into shape by being able to put some real power to them. (I mean over 200 WPC).

Currently: Tales From Topographic Oceans

halo

SCompRacer rebuilt the x-overs on my RTA11t's w/ Solen caps and Mills resistors. It took some burn in but I do notice a difference. I'm going to do the upgrade on my 15tl's soon. I wouldn't do it again if I didn't think it was worth it - besides - you aren't hurting anything by doing the upgrade. My $.02

djf

OK, I found the xover rebuild thread.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19053

I am still thinking I may simply cut out the old caps and solder the new ones in on the leads. I can put a heat clip/heat sink on the leads so they dont come offf the board, and heck, if they do come off the board, then I just do it the old fashioned way anyway!

SCompRacer

djf wrote:

I am still thinking I may simply cut out the old caps and solder the new ones in on the leads.

My opinion is your better off to desolder and remove all components you are going to replace. Starting with a clean board makes layout of the larger components easier, and all the connections will be as good as you can solder.

djf

OK, I have decided to do it.
So does anyone know what I need EXACTLY? I can pull them apart again and see what's in there, but I don't like taking the drivers out, as the holders that you secure the hex screws into tend to become loose. I have questioned the best caps to go with, Jesse says if price is no issue, to go with the Sonicaps.

So that's where I will go. I'm renovating speakers that were 20 years old on Jan 2. So I need recommendations on parts distributors, and I might as well do the resistors at the same time.

Being an old mainframe computer junkie, I learned along time ago, if you're gonna do something, do it well.

Currently: Topographic Oceans (again). Silence of Seasons


BTW:

BIG BTW:

I tried something with the SL2000's that were left in my rigs, it seems the dome part of the tweeters are made of a very pliable soft rubber composite that didn't have the structural integrity of the silks.

So I took them out. And sprayed just the dome with a light coating of an acrylic enamel spray paint.

Enamel is hard, and it worked. They seem to have more structural integrity now, and seem to match the silks better. A sonic test with a tube shows they have better definition.

I love pretending to figure things out. Wish there was one thing I could really figure out.


Things are all in colours and the size of other’s shall send you forward
Arranged to sail you toward
A peace of mind
Will we reach
Winds allow
Other skylines
Other skylines to hold you

danger boy

djf, i'd be interested once you're done how difficult it was to upgrade your crossovers. your's are SDA SRS's?

But i'm thinking if say a pair of Monitor 7's sound as good as they do.. with original crossover parts.. they are the same age or older than the SRS's.. would it really make that much of a difference then replacing the caps and so forth? Just thinking out loud really.

djf

I've heard the degradation of the caps. I was listening to (And I'm a bit ashamed to admit) Mariah Carey the other night when I heard a burst of high end from the right channel. I switched the inputs and tried to replicate it and it didn't happen.

So I figure they are tempermental. Which ain't good enough. As far as I've heard, my SRS's are better than just about anything else I've ever heard. Except Pink Flloyd in concert at the Kingdome.

My recommendations: If you can solder and fit parts, do the upgrade. I have seen alot of discussion here about tube vs. ss, and I will go tube when I'm ready.

djf

But a big part is that I'm listening to something that was recorded before most were born. And modern music just does not make the same demands that Yes or Pink Floyd or Mahavishnu Orchestra did.

danger boy

yeah. but the new parts seem huge compared to the old ones.. and i'm not good at soldering. so i wish i knew someone I could trust here to do it for me. It's way over my head. I know people say it's not that tough. but I failed shop in high school. so that's about my level anything mechanical. ha ha ha.

djf

The new parts are MUCH bigger. And that's why I asked about soldering the leads. I know I can do it, either way, but the thing I worry about the most is shorting my amps.

BobMcG

Yes the new caps will be bigger. That's not a problem. They come with very generous leads and I only had to extend a couple of them in my project. It will be more of a problem if you leave a mess all over your board to start with.

You wanted opinions on the job and how to do it. You got some. I don't see anyone suggesting you leave the old leads on the board. There are many more people in here who've done the rebuilds than have responded to the post and I know of no one taking this route. Do it the way that suits you best but a clean board is a good way to start.

A look at my project to show the difference in cap size and layout.

Good luck with yours.

Ricardo

Thanks everyone for your input.

I guess I'm going to go ahead and upgrade the xovers of my 1.2TL's. I already took a peek and they seem easier than the SRS's anyway...at least these have the wires that go to drivers/tweeters with easily removable connectors, while the SRS has them soldered, which would make the removal process a bit cumbersome....

I'm gonna ask for the schematicas and polyswitches. Anyone has ever than one of these? I've been searching and there are examples and parts lists posted for other models, but not 1.2 TL's...It would be great to have a list..I'm not even sure I will be able to understand everything in the diagram :rolleyes:

Oh, and I am going to change the interconnect connectors for a binding post; I already have them and might do that this weekend...will post pictures if I do it.

halo

I don't think the TL's use polyswitches. My 15TL's don't and there aren't any on the shematic for the 15TL's or 11TL's either.