XO Upgrade

salasg
salasg Posts: 172
edited August 2009 in Vintage Speakers
Wondering if anyone has any experience with these kits on ebay :confused:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Monitor-10-RTA-11T-Upgrade-Kit_W0QQitemZ260460165777QQcategoryZ3276QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3907.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D12%26po%3DLBI%26ps%3D54
Would like to upgrade my 10B's but not to sure if these are worth it or should I hold out for more expensive components, might be a while.
:)
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Comments

  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited August 2009
    Just my .02,, if it were me,I'd pick/choose my own.I like sonicaps,, others here have had very good luck with others,,clarity caps,IIRC,,should be a fun little project.Good luck.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • salasg
    salasg Posts: 172
    edited August 2009
    Any recommendations on components and what they might set me back.
    Just thinking about how many beer cans I have to drink, er recycle to purchase them.:D
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited August 2009
    Dayton caps and Mills resistors from Parts Express are a good bang for the buck.

    From there, Sonic Caps available from Sonic Craft would be the next step up.

    After that, the sky's the limit.
    "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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  • rallyshark
    rallyshark Posts: 417
    edited August 2009
    I'm definitely no expert, but I see two "problems" with the kit pictured. 1. electrolytic caps, 2. Inductors. I thought it was a bad idea to mess with the inductors? Please correct me if I'm wrong:) Oh, yeah and no resistors? Am I crazy, or wrong? Seems like I remember these things being bad:confused:
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited August 2009
    Yes, electrolytic caps suck.

    And yes, that's a coil, a coil of de-soldering wick. Not an inductor. ;)
    "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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  • Hamatym
    Hamatym Posts: 269
    edited August 2009
    I have used these kits on several of my Monitor models and really noticed a nice improvment from stock. His name is Ray, and may not have all the answers, but does offer a simple soldering gun for $5...I am very happy with my results, but I know there is better out there. Just a little beyond my knowledge. Kit of like buying a performance kit for a car, instead of getting each individual piece.....My 2 cents this time
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited August 2009
    These kits work slightly differently than upgrading the XO's. These don't really offer an upgrade, but more of a refreshing. The caps can get worn out over time and fall out of spec...replacing them with new caps is going to make them sound better, even if they're the same caps.

    They don't offer the kind of upgrade that you'd get by upgrading to some nicer film caps though.
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  • salasg
    salasg Posts: 172
    edited August 2009
    CC
    Thanks for the input. I am new to the whole upgrade scene. Do you have any suggestions which way I might go? And what it might set me back. I have a pair of Monitor 10B's, SDA CRS and RTA 15T. I would like to refresh all of them and have limited experience, ie 3 years of High School electronics back when cassette tapes were the hot thing.:eek: Most likely will start with the 10B's.
    Any advice is appreciated.
    :D
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited August 2009
    Call Sonicap,, you should be able to get the schematics on this website, however you should pull the crossover and verify the cap/resistor values first. Good luck.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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