Monitor 10a crossover upgrade
NJPOLKER
Posts: 3,474
Since I will have a couple months off this winter I have decided to upgrade my Monitor 10 crossovers and probabley get around to re-finishing them sometime. If sucessful I'll do my SDA1a's sometime.
Current drivers are 4 MW6500 and 2 Passives which are all in great condition. I want to buy 2 new tweeters and not sure which ones will work with new set-up.
I replaced the crossovers a few years ago before I became firmiliar with Club Polk. After removing all speakers and crossovers things seem straight forward except which caps and resistors I need to order to replace the existing ones.
The newer crossover has a date of 3/14/83.
one 34uf cap one 12uf cap one 12j100v not sure what it is
one 2.5ohm 10% 5w resistor one 2.7 ohm 10%5w resistor
and one more thing wrapped in copper wire
I think I just need to order the correct replacements and I'll be all set for awhile. I know that the rdo-194 does not fit the original opening/recess but I can modify it with a router if needed.
Should I replace the internal wiring? It seems to be in good shape but probabley should while I am at it. If I replace it should I use the 16 guage speaker wire I have sitting around?
I have a feeling I will spend more than what they are worth but not doing it for the worth but enjoyment!!
Thanks in advance for your suggestionsand help,
Drew
Current drivers are 4 MW6500 and 2 Passives which are all in great condition. I want to buy 2 new tweeters and not sure which ones will work with new set-up.
I replaced the crossovers a few years ago before I became firmiliar with Club Polk. After removing all speakers and crossovers things seem straight forward except which caps and resistors I need to order to replace the existing ones.
The newer crossover has a date of 3/14/83.
one 34uf cap one 12uf cap one 12j100v not sure what it is
one 2.5ohm 10% 5w resistor one 2.7 ohm 10%5w resistor
and one more thing wrapped in copper wire
I think I just need to order the correct replacements and I'll be all set for awhile. I know that the rdo-194 does not fit the original opening/recess but I can modify it with a router if needed.
Should I replace the internal wiring? It seems to be in good shape but probabley should while I am at it. If I replace it should I use the 16 guage speaker wire I have sitting around?
I have a feeling I will spend more than what they are worth but not doing it for the worth but enjoyment!!
Thanks in advance for your suggestionsand help,
Drew
Post edited by NJPOLKER on
Comments
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http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38755
Everything you've asked should be here somewhere. The search feature works well on this site."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38755
Everything you've asked should be here somewhere. The search feature works well on this site.
I must have missed something it that thread because I saw nothing on what parts I need to order to replace original parts with upgrades. Being kinda new to all this I sure could have missed something.
Drew -
one 34uf cap one 12uf cap one 12j100v not sure what it is
one 2.5ohm 10% 5w resistor one 2.7 ohm 10%5w resistor
and one more thing wrapped in copper wire
The 12j 100V is a 12uF mylar cap.
Total needed for both crossovers:
(4) 12uF Sonicap is a good choice for these.
(2) 34uF Either Sonicap (you'll have to run two in parallel as the largest they sell is 30uF) or go with something like Solen, who should have a 34uF.
(2) 2.5 ohm 1% tolerance (5 or 12 watt, your choice) Mills Wire-wound.
(2) 2.7 ohm 1% tolerance (5 or 12 watt, your choice) Mills Wire-wound.
The thing wrapped in copper wire is the inductor. Leave it alone.
The film caps suggested above are far superior to the stock caps, but be forewarned, they are much larger than stock, so plan for that.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 -
The 12j 100V is a 12uF mylar cap.
Total needed for both crossovers:
(4) 12uF Sonicap is a good choice for these.
(2) 34uF Either Sonicap (you'll have to run two in parallel as the largest they sell is 30uF) or go with something like Solen, who should have a 34uF.
(2) 2.5 ohm 1% tolerance (5 or 12 watt, your choice) Mills Wire-wound.
(2) 2.7 ohm 1% tolerance (5 or 12 watt, your choice) Mills Wire-wound.
The thing wrapped in copper wire is the inductor. Leave it alone.
The film caps suggested above are far superior to the stock caps, but be forewarned, they are much larger than stock, so plan for that.
Thanks Jesse for the information.
I also need to purchase a set of tweeters, which will be the best bet?
Thanks again, Drew -
There's only one choice, the RD0194-1.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 -
+1 on that choice as I have bought 14 of them so far this year. 4 for my 1C's (which Texas42 has now), 4 for my SRS II's which are sounding better all the time, and 6 for my buddy's SRS 2.3's that I gave him last month. Very smooth sound.Richard? Who's your favorite Little Rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it........................Spanky?.................................Sinner.
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I will be placing my orders on Monday for the resistors,caps and 2 RDO-194's.
I guess the final question for now is, what should I use to upgrade the internal wiring?
I am going to replace the binding post and I read in one of the posts I should use Vikings.
I also just purchased a new/used cdp a Arcam CD72 to replace my older Denon DCM-360.
Thanks Drew -
The 12j 100V is a 12uF mylar cap.
The thing wrapped in copper wire is the inductor. Leave it alone.
Amen to that,,brother,,,JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut) -
I guess the final question for now is, what should I use to upgrade the internal wiring?
I am going to replace the binding post and I read in one of the posts I should use Vikings.
It's not all that necessary to replace the internal wiring. If you feel you must, Sonic Craft has a nice selection. The Cardas chassis wire is great stuff, but you will need a solder pot to work with it. 99% of folks, including me, leave the Polk chassis wire stock.
As for binding posts, I believe you meant Vampire, which would be fine. Another choice is Cardas. Both offer difference grades to suit your wallet and purpose.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 -
It's not all that necessary to replace the internal wiring. If you feel you must, Sonic Craft has a nice selection. The Cardas chassis wire is great stuff, but you will need a solder pot to work with it. 99% of folks, including me, leave the Polk chassis wire stock.
As for binding posts, I believe you meant Vampire, which would be fine. Another choice is Cardas. Both offer difference grades to suit your wallet and purpose.
Well its Sunday afternoon and I am working on getting the first crossover ready for the resistors and caps. I have made notes so I know what goes where later and I can always look at the untouched crossover if need be.
Since I am in no hurry I think I will replace all internal wiring with solid brass 18 guage wiring. I hope that does not cause any problems! Everything will be resoldered and sealed.
Thanks Drew -
I would not recommend using solid brass wire or any form of brass wire. Stranded copper is a much better choice. Seriously, do not use brass wire.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 -
I would not recommend using solid brass wire or any form of brass wire. Stranded copper is a much better choice. Seriously, do not use brass wire.
My mistake. I meant to say solid copper wire that is 18 guage. Hopefully that my first and only mistake.
Is solid copper wire ok?
Thanks Drew -
Why don't more people use the same cable they're using from the amp to the speaker?"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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I am sure someone has a great answer for you it's just going to be me. I am learning alot and hope to some day help others here on Club Polk.
Drew -
The stock chassis wire in your speakers is tin plated stranded copper of sufficient grade. Stranded copper is the preferred choice in chassis wire.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 -
Ditto. I don't know if I've ever heard of internal wiring being solid core in any brand. Stay with the stranded variety.Richard? Who's your favorite Little Rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it........................Spanky?.................................Sinner.
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So far I have removed everything from the board but the thing I was told not to touch, the inductor. I soldered 16 guage stranded wire to the board for the tweeter and the drivers, all marked so no mistakes. It took some work getting the stranded wire through the tiny holes in the board but I thinned down the wire alittle and it worked fine. I used a rusty old steel dart as a rasp to file out the solder residue left behind in the holes.
Now just have to wait on the caps and resistors, which will be shipped so I will be able to finish next weekend. The RDO-194's too!
Thanks for everyones help,
Drew -
Good luck with your mod Drew! Jesse gave you very solid recommendations. He's helped me on several projects. Tell us how you like the sound after your tweeters and caps have burned in for about 200 hours. Good luck!Carl
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I will let eveyone know how they sound and maybe even pictures if anyone want to see them.
Drew -
I'm referencing this thread for my crossover upgrade... currently underway. I see that Solen was recommended for the 34uF Cap. It appears Solen has numerous types of capacitors. Can anyone recommend which type to use?
Thanks in advance.. -
Scratch that... found a hyperlink on another thread.
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I have owned my Polk Monitor 10a speakers for 25 or 30 years and am thinking it's time
to replace the caps. I ordered Solen metalized polypropylene 400V caps (two 33uf and four 12uf)
from Parts Express. I won't replace the resistors or the inductors unless I have to.
Before I get started, where in the speaker is the crossover located and what is the
best way to get to it (don't want to remove drivers that I don't have to).
I also need to make a more solid electrical connection to the fuse holder,
as sometimes it needs a wiggle to get full output from the tweeter.
Also, I "upgraded" to the newer tweeters about 15-20 years ago, but still have the old ones,
which apparently are now the preferred ones according to my readings here.
Should I go to the trouble of putting the original tweeters back in?cristo
NAD C 545BEE cd player, Philips AF877 turntable / Shure V15V-MR with JICO SAS stylus,
Tascam 122 mkIII cassette deck, Harman Kardon 3480 receiver, Terk FM-50 antenna in the attic,
Soundcraftsmen SE550 stereo equalizer, Polk Monitor 10a speakers
(with Sonicraft/Solen/Mills crossover rebuild) -
You do not want to use Solen caps for the 12uF, pick something else. You should use two 17uF caps wired in parallel to get the 34uF value.
You should absolutely replace the resistors, use Mills.
Remove the PR to access the crossover board.
Clean the fuse holder and fuse ends with a good contact cleaner like De-Oxit.
The preferred tweeter for your speaker is the RD0194-1.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 -
You do not want to use Solen caps for the 12uF, pick something else. You should use two 17uF caps wired in parallel to get the 34uF value.
You should absolutely replace the resistors, use Mills.
Remove the PR to access the crossover board.
Clean the fuse holder and fuse ends with a good contact cleaner like De-Oxit.
The preferred tweeter for your speaker is the RD0194-1.
Thanks, F1nut,
1) What brand and type of 12uf cap do you recommend to replace the mylar one.
I'm guessing the replacement for the electrolytic is less critical.
2) Why two 17uf caps? Is a 33uf metalized pp too long to fit, or another reason?
Not concerned with the difference between 33uf and 34uf if the caps are
spec'd at +/- 10% to begin with, and I'll check the value with my Fluke anyway.
3) Might as well replace the resistors while I'm in there.
I just figured they don't die in a few decades like capacitors do.
4) Have already cleaned with De-Oxit. The problem seems to be
between the fuse holder and the wiring rather than between the fuse
and the fuse holder. Maybe it just needs to be re-soldered.
Thanks, again,
cristocristo
NAD C 545BEE cd player, Philips AF877 turntable / Shure V15V-MR with JICO SAS stylus,
Tascam 122 mkIII cassette deck, Harman Kardon 3480 receiver, Terk FM-50 antenna in the attic,
Soundcraftsmen SE550 stereo equalizer, Polk Monitor 10a speakers
(with Sonicraft/Solen/Mills crossover rebuild) -
1. Yeah, the high frequency circuit is more important. Sonicap is a good choice, but there are many others such as Clarity. Solen's are too grainy for high end.
2. The goal (at least my goal) is to get the values as close to spec as possible. 10% is too large.
3. True, but they do affect the sound.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 -
Looks like I can get the Sonicaps and the Mills Resistors at www.sonicraft.com ,
so I think I'll get two 12uf sonicaps to replace the mylar originals and use the Solens for
the electrolytic 12uf and 34uf caps, and two pairs of 5W Mills resistors in 2.5 and 2.7 ohms.
My original tweeters are black on the front with a hole in the dome and labeled 55141481
on the back which I believe are the USA Peerless.
They've been sitting for many years in the box that the newer ones came in, but I just
checked them with a signal generator and they still seem to work just fine.
The newer "upgraded" ones have a silver plate and a clear solid dome
(currently in the speakers and also working fine) and the box is labeled SL 1001.
Is there a good reason to switch back to the orignal tweeters, or is it much of a muchness?cristo
NAD C 545BEE cd player, Philips AF877 turntable / Shure V15V-MR with JICO SAS stylus,
Tascam 122 mkIII cassette deck, Harman Kardon 3480 receiver, Terk FM-50 antenna in the attic,
Soundcraftsmen SE550 stereo equalizer, Polk Monitor 10a speakers
(with Sonicraft/Solen/Mills crossover rebuild) -
The Peerless are better than the SL1000 and the RD0194-1 are better than the Peerless.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 -
Go back to the original ones. Everyone likes the Peerless better than the SL1000's. If you prefer the ones you have now, just put them back.
TheRDO's won't fit, so I would stay away from them._________________________________________________
***\\\\\........................... My Audio Journey ............................./////***
2008 & 2010 Football Pool WINNER
SOPAThank God for different opinions. Imagine the world if we all wanted the same woman -
That does it. I'll put the original Peerless tweeters back in when I redo the crossovers.
FYI, Sonicraft has the Sonicaps on sale for 25% off until 7/30/10 (better hurry), and 10-40% off most
everything else: http://www.soniccraft.com/specials.htmcristo
NAD C 545BEE cd player, Philips AF877 turntable / Shure V15V-MR with JICO SAS stylus,
Tascam 122 mkIII cassette deck, Harman Kardon 3480 receiver, Terk FM-50 antenna in the attic,
Soundcraftsmen SE550 stereo equalizer, Polk Monitor 10a speakers
(with Sonicraft/Solen/Mills crossover rebuild) -
TheRDO's won't fit, so I would stay away from them.
That's a bit misleading. The RD0194-1's will fit, but might require a little trimming. Regardless, they are far better than the Peerless.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
