SRSII Upper x-over upgrade

NJPOLKER

My mint condition SDA SRSII's now have RDO/BDO-194's and upgraded upper crossovers.
For the upper x-over I used 6 Mills MRA-12 2.7 ohm resistors @$3.50 each, 2 Mills MRA-12 3.5 ohm resistors @ $3.50 each, 2 Sonicap 4.4uF 200VDC (custom) caps @ $10.60 each and 2 Sonicap 12uF 200VDC caps @ $19.60 each. Total cost with freight ($7.45) was $95.85. What a bargin!!!
I will upgrade the lower crossover in a few months. I kinda like the idea of doing this step by step because it will seem like I have new speakers after each step. Also, I am looking forward to hearing what each upgrade does for the sound quality.
If my wife didn't break the digital camera I would have posted pictures. I will post pictures when I get a working digital camera, I am proud of my work and my speakers. I am going to Dynamat the drivers and PR next as well as replace the binding post.
After allowing the x-overs to sit for about half an hour between soldering the leads, which took all day and alot of patience I fired them up. Right off the bat they sound great. The sound stage is wonderful already and the detail of the highs are clear and crisp. I will give you an update next week after everything has a chance to burn in.
For anyone who is questioning if they should upgrade the crossovers PLEASE STOP thinking about it and just do it. My only regret is that I did not do the upgrades a few weeks ago.
I wish my wife and children were not home so I could crank them up all night. Oh well, since I work at a golf course and am off till March 1st I should be deaf by then.
Thanks for everyones help with this upgrade and the upgrade to my SDA2a's
Drew R. Crawford

jakelm

NJPOLKER wrote: »

My mint condition SDA SRSII's now have RDO/BDO-194's and upgraded upper crossovers.
For the upper x-over I used 6 Mills MRA-12 2.7 ohm resistors @$3.50 each, 2 Mills MRA-12 3.5 ohm resistors @ $3.50 each, 2 Sonicap 4.4uF 200VDC (custom) caps @ $10.60 each and 2 Sonicap 12uF 200VDC caps @ $19.60 each. Total cost with freight ($7.45) was $95.85. What a bargin!!!

Thanks for the tally, alot here wonder what the cost is.

I will upgrade the lower crossover in a few months. I kinda like the idea of doing this step by step because it will seem like I have new speakers after each step. Also, I am looking forward to hearing what each upgrade does for the sound quality.

Great idea..

If my wife didn't break the digital camera I would have posted pictures. I will post pictures when I get a working digital camera, I am proud of my work and my speakers. I am going to Dynamat the drivers and PR next as well as replace the binding post.

Looking foward to seeing the pics.

After allowing the x-overs to sit for about half an hour between soldering the leads,

Why a half hour?

Right off the bat they sound great. The sound stage is wonderful already and the detail of the highs are clear and crisp.

As they should.

Keep us informed Drew, and congrats

Neskahi

Drew. Can I ask how you decided on Sonicaps. I have to make a decision as to what brand
for my 2.3's.

NJPOLKER

Jakelm
Ken Swauger at Polk wrote a thread or responded to a thread/question on solder and in the thread said he waits about 60 minutes between soldering leads. That being said, if its the right thing to do thats what I did. Waiting was more difficult than soldering the caps and resistors.
Drew

BobMcG

Nice. Fun isn't it?

Yup, as a great and famous person once said it's a "labor of love".:)

Wait...they weren't really a great person... and come to think of it, they weren't really famous either.... oh yeah, that was me.........


Oh well, just forget about all that and enjoy your "new" SDAs!

NJPOLKER

Neskahi
I decided on Sonic Craft because they cost more than the Solens thus must be better!!!
Just joking, kinda.
The difference in cost between the caps and resistors by manufacture can be justified many ways you just have to do it for yourself. I bought Solens for my SDA2a's because they really don't mean much to me. My SDA SRSII mean alot to me and I decided to spend alittle extra money on what I am told should be a nicer sounding capacitor. I know I know the beauty is in the hearing of the listener but you have to trust the fellow Club Polk members. Just do the upgrade and I guarantee you will be thanking everyone later.
If you want me to help you justify the added expense just tell me about your favorite vice and I will help you cut back on that expense.
Drew

BobMcG

The days of me being able to hear something as subtle as the difference between new caps are far behind me. For me, the Solens work just mahvelous thank you. Making me feel good about knowing the components are just a couple of years old (now) as opposed to nearly twenty was the main drive to my project. Plus I knew it'd be fun.

schwarcw

Thanks for posting and congrats on your upgrade!

The tweeter section of the crossover is where the higher end caps will really shine. I'll bet even Bob could hear the difference. The tweeter caps will tame the harshness, shake the shrill, smooth the cymbals and still leave the airy decay of the high frequency notes. They will do all of that and still provide precise detail of the instruments. Solens tend to be a little harsh. Check out the DIY sites and the verdict on Solens caps on tweeters is almost universally acclaimed as harsh. The degree of harshness may be of some debate, but the Sonicaps, especially the Gen II are softer.

I haven't tried the Sonicap Platinums, the Mundorfs, Clarity caps or some others in any of my SDA projects. But I have heard these caps in some dipole and other high end speakers that sound grand!

I personally would like to learn more about the affect of a better inductor.

NJPOLKER

Let me see, I spent $500. on a mint pair of SDA SRSII's plus maybe $300. on upgrades and have speakers that compete with speakers that cost thousands more.
I guess I should be banned from Club Polk
Drew R. Crawford

geoff727

NJPOLKER wrote: »

For anyone who is questioning if they should upgrade the crossovers PLEASE STOP thinking about it and just do it. My only regret is that I did not do the upgrades a few weeks ago.

I wholeheartedly agree, 100%! I keep asking myself, why did I wait YEARS to learn about this and do it?

Anxious to see pics.
Geoff