LSI owners your speakers suck!

Shicks18

Ben -- any chance I could pay for the parts and your labor for my LSi9s? Excluding shipping, what cost would I be looking at?

Thanks

zingo

I read a review between a ton a caps including Sonicap; and it concluded that Sonicap and other premium brands did make a large difference in SQ over budget brands (as many members here would testify). He also mentioned though that the difference between the different levels of Sonicaps has high diminished return. The reviewer stated that two speakers built with different Sonicaps were distinguishable when being listened to side-by-side, but not with A/B listening; and the improvements were minor. Granted this is only one persons opinion, but it sounded pretty reasonable to me. Take Ben's advise and Gen Is are all you need if you want to go Sonicap.

ben62670

mmadden28 wrote: »

Thanks! What about the 260uf? What should I do about that-leave it as is or replace with big expensive poly? Another electro? I'm about to finish my partsexpress order.

I wouldn't bother with the 260uf. You can do it, but you would have to order 4 100uf's, and 2 60uf's from Dayton. If you did that you should also do the 18uf in the bass circuit. This would be 2 of these.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=027-434
Ben

ben62670

Shicks18 wrote: »

Ben -- any chance I could pay for the parts and your labor for my LSi9s? Excluding shipping, what cost would I be looking at?

Thanks

It would depend on the caps you wanted to use. I would definitely use the Sonicaps on the highs. For the lows you could order 2 10uf's, and 2 8uf's to make the 18uf on the upper mid bass. The 260uf you would have to go with another brand like Dayton. Like I said before the 260uf might be a very minimal performance upgrade. The mounting would be a real pain too. Hopefully Mmad can share the total price of the parts. I would charge $80 to do the upgrade. It took me about 4 hrs to do the upgrade. I have the silver solder, glue sticks, solder sucker, and desoldering braid covered. The hardest part is removing the old components. I can not stress enough that you need to be real careful removing them. I know I posted it before, but you need to clip all the leads that are soldered to the board before you even attempt to remove the components. I am not trying to scare anyone, but sometimes guys figure I can do it if I am careful. CLIP THE LEADS, take your time, and it will go just fine.
Ben

Face

Do they use more glue now than in the Monitor and SDA days?

ben62670

Face wrote: »

Do they use more glue now than in the Monitor and SDA days?

The stuff they use is like the stuff they used to glue the SDA cabs together. With SDA, and monitor XO's you could just apply heat to the solder, and pull the components off the board. I used an old soldering iron to clean the glue from around the components to remove them. The I cut the legs off the components, and then "pried/shaved" them off the board with a razor blade. I know you can handle it. You just have to take your time, and be careful. One thing I can almost promise is if you don't cut the leads on the caps, and resistors you will pull up a trace off the circuit board.
Ben

Face

Thanks for the heads up.

mmadden28

Minimum Parts: $135.50

Parts Express
Part # Description Price Qty Ext. Price
027-434 Dayton DMPC-18 µf Poly Cap $5.65 2 $11.30
005-3 Mills 3 Ohm 12W resistor $3.50 2 $7.00
Subtotal $18.30

Sonicap
-- Sonicap 1 µf (gen I) $5.80 2 $11.60
-- Sonicap 12 µf (gen I) $19.60 2 $39.20
-- Sonicap 8.2 µf (gen I) $15.60 2 $31.20
-- Sonicap 10 µf (gen I) $17.60 2 $35.20
Subtotal $117.20
Grand Sub $135.50

mmadden28

Optional parts: $115.82
Parts Express
Part # Description Price Qty Ext. Price
005-1 Mills 1 Ohm 12W resistor $3.50 2 $7.00
027-434 Dayton DMPC-18 µf Poly Cap $5.65 2 $11.30
027-447 Dayton DMPC-100 µf Cap $13.88 4 $55.52
027-444 Dayton DMPC-60 µf Cap $21.00 2 $42.00
Subtotal $115.82

ben62670

Did you brake out the big guns on those:eek:

mmadden28

Grand Grand subtotal with all parts:
$251.32
+ about $19 shipping combined

ben62670

Well now we have someone going full out!
The part numbers are off;)

mmadden28

ben62670 wrote: »

Did you brake out the big guns on those:eek:

Nah, just did the calculations-for a possible minimal return and almost doubling the cost. I'll pass for now.
I'm ordering just the basics (except I may tackle the 1ohm) :rolleyes:

mmadden28

ben62670 wrote: »

Well now we have someone going full out!
The part numbers are off;)

oopps-:eek: Just fixed it-still had a few seconds of edit time left :mad:

ben62670

JUSTIN!


I'll wait for you to remove the 3ohm and see what you think about taking that long sand cast 1 ohm off;) It'll come off.... in pieces.

mmadden28

ben62670 wrote: »

JUSTIN!


I'll wait for you to remove the 3ohm and see what you think about taking that long sand cast 1 ohm off;) It'll come off.... in pieces.

Yeah, well I figure I'll start with the 3 ohm, and if I decide to tackle it, at least I'll have the 1 ohm ready-Only $7, and I'm sure I can alwasy find a use for a 12w 1 ohm resistor around the house somewhere --Oh I know for speaker impedance-drop testing

mmadden28

mmadden28 wrote: »

Grand Grand subtotal with all parts:
$251.32
+ about $19 shipping combined

I couldn't edit the post---
Update on Shipping-Parts Esxpress has a USPS 1st class option thats about $3 instead of the UPS min of about $9.
So combined shhipping is about $13

DarqueKnight

ben62670 wrote: »

I wouldn't even touch the 10w1r stock resitor. It will be real hard to get that off the board. It's 10 watts, and not in the signal path. Trust me you will make a mess trying to get that off the board;)

I agree. I would leave the stock resistor in place, If you want to replace the stock resistor, just clip the leads as close as possible to the body of the 1 ohm resistor, desolder the leads from the board, then mount a 1 ohm Mills resistor on top of the stock resistor.

I don't know if the leads of the Mills resistor will be long enough to clear the body of the stock resistor, but, if not, lead extensions are easy to make.

ben62670

DarqueKnight wrote: »

....If you want to replace the stock resistor, just clip the leads as close as possible to the body of the 1 ohm resistor, desolder the leads from the board, then mount a 1 ohm Mills resistor on top of the stock resistor.

I don't know if the leads of the Mills resistor will be long enough to clear the body of the stock resistor, but, if not, lead extensions are easy to make.

Very good idea. The leads are plenty long enough. You have done stuff like this before haven't you;):D
Thanks
Ben

DarqueKnight

ben62670 wrote: »

You have done stuff like this before haven't you;):D

No. I just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.;):)

mmadden28

ben62670 wrote: »

Very good idea. The leads are plenty long enough. You have done stuff like this before haven't you;):D
Thanks
Ben

+1 Duh.

mmadden28

anonymouse wrote: »

Looks like you swapped to 100uF and 60uf prices, so your grand total should actually be higher.

...

Oh dammitalltoheck. That's why I should just go to bed when I've fallen asleep at the keyboard for the 8th time
zzzz. type a word zzzz copy zzzzzz pastezzzzz calculate zzz finish calculation zzz edit part # zzz zzzzzzzzzzzz :rolleyes:

mmadden28

DarqueKnight wrote: »

...then mount a 1 ohm Mills resistor on top of the stock resistor.
...

In that config, since the Mills is now resting on the old resistor, wouldn't the old resistor then help dissipate any heat generated?

DarqueKnight

I was assuming that the modder would put some type of vibration damping between the two resistors, in which case there would be no opportunity for heat dissipation.

Even if the Mills is laid directly on the stock resistor, the heat sinking effects would be minimal due to the Mills' cylindrical shape. Only a very thin line down the length of the Mills' resistor body would be in contact with the flat surface of the stock resistor. Sort of like the point of contact between a perfectly circular tire and a road.

Adding some form fitting thermally conductive mass to the body of the Mills might be a good idea.

Early B.

Hey Ben -- how about an A/B test at the next Polkfest?

ben62670

Early B. wrote: »

Hey Ben -- how about an A/B test at the next Polkfest?

Sure. I bet I can get Jerry to bring them back. We would just need some stock 15's. They are still here for now:)
You mean PF08? Or another local one?
Ben

jerryj12

Hey my speakers don't suck......:D

ben62670

Jerry you trouble maker! You should have never let me install your tweeters in my SDA's! Now look what you made me do!
http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=153&products_id=8402
A little better than the Polk models. The new Vifa ring radiator.
http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=153&products_id=8402

Face

You should have gotten these.
http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=45_229_270_324&products_id=1580

ben62670

Try to not concentrate on the nipples, and focus on the diaphragms(both tweeters). You see what I see?