UUUMMM New Caps

[goraman]

Humm,

I have a set of new well matched caps for my X overs.
Should I wait to do it till the week end or tear into it tonight?

[MartinT]

Wait until you have a clear head and time on your hands, Jeff. These things always take longer than expected.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I'm surprised you're doing something like this so soon after getting your speakers Jeff - I hardly think you can really know what they properly sound like yet.

[goraman]

As far as time go's I've run them in every day,The caps inside are a pretty cheap date.
So better caps should give them a little more of just about everything.

It's going to be really hard because the x over is a very thin piece mica board hot glued to the internal brace and from the binding posts to the board the internal cabling runs through a small hole and has gold soldered lugs that won't pull through.
The x over was not built to be removed.
But with a little time, possibly this week end I am going to recap and use better cabling some 14 awg. Italian stuff from Audison.
I'm pretty sure it can all be done in 4 hours or a little more if all go's well and I don't need any unforseen parts.

[goraman]

I just picked up 15 ft. Audison Sonus 14 awg.
http://www.connection.eu/index.php?category=3&family=9&tipo=20&prodotto=271&submit=Go&link=accessories

I like Audison wire for internal speaker cabling because it has 0 micro-phonics even under heavy vibration and shock, it also has very low resistance I have used it before and it works perfectly.

[goraman]

6 hours later my work is finished.
It was really hard because the super thin piece of mica board hot glued to the internal brace was the foundation for the x over.

After some clever positioning of caps that dwarfed the stock ones I started tinning the new wires after cutting them all to the right size, and everthing got soldered and copper crimp sleeves over the joints.
After hot gluing it all back in and reconnecting the binding posts and reinstalling the drivers I fired up the Manley Amp and I am blown away right from the start.
The biggest improvement so far with out question is in the tweeter,far more shimmer and it fills the room,it is also way smoother and more like listening to an L.P. than digital files.

If it gets better than this I'll go mad as the hatter!

[Alex_UK]

Nice work Jeff! Did you take any pictures?

[MartinT]

Well done, Jeff.

[goraman]

Nice work Jeff! Did you take any pictures?

I did take a couple of pictures,but I promised Eric I would not post pictures of the X over because a lot of DYI guys would be trying to copy his speakers or worse.
He did take the time to answer some questions.And was supportive of the upgrade.I think he would rather be building speakers than suing a possably Chinese rival in court for copying and marketing his design,thats the price of innovation I guess?

I am impressed at the build design but I am going to recommend to him an upgrade from the caps he is using,there was so much more just waiting to be heard,the sound stage by the end of the night was so wide and the top end so much more pleasant and involving.

[Ali Tait]

Might be worth rebuilding the crossovers outside the speakers.

[goraman]

Thanks Martin,
If you haven't worked with WBT solder it flows so much better than anything I have ever used. Even the old lead stuff I have rat holed is far harder to work with as the lead needs alot of flux and it is not as clean.
I have used Johnson silver solder on my last speaker project good stuff but the WBT flows much better with a 25 watt iron.

[goraman]

Might be worth rebuilding the crossovers outside the speakers.

Mabey when I am retired and my son is over 2 years old, it was a real challenge to keep him occupied for 6 hours so I could do a clean neat job.

Internal cabnet pressures and vibration has very little affect on a cross over the real issues are inside capacitors ESR vibration with in the capacitor it's self and I used some pretty good stuff in this rebuild and so far I couldn't be happier.

Maybe several years from now I'll need another project and build them in an out side box and add a second set of posts.
But to be honest as i'm typing this I doubt it,sometimes it's ok to quit while your ahead.

[Rare Bird]

I refuse to use anything but wonder solder

[goraman]

I refuse to use anything but wonder solder

I have talked with techs that have used both, WBT and Wonder, WBT has the edge as it melts at lower temps,has more silver 4%.

[Canetoad]

I use WBT as well and it is easy to work with. :)

[MartinT]

I use Shark 5.5% silver solder. Seems good.

[Reid Malenfant]

Give me Sn/Pb 60/40 any day of the week :eyebrows:

[goraman]

I use Shark 5.5% silver solder. Seems good.

This one?
http://www.surplustronics.co.nz/shop/product-SP0222.html

What is the melting point?

[MartinT]

Sorry Jeff, even their website doesn't say. Works well for me with my temperature controlled Antex soldering iron.

http://www.sharkwire.com.tw/onweb.jsp?webno=3333333367#S0-06

[Ant]

Mundorf MSolder Silver (http://www.mundorf.com/english%201.1/Broschuere%20Einzelseiten/MSolder%20Loetzinn.pdf) for me - love the smell

[goraman]

Sorry Jeff, even their website doesn't say. Works well for me with my temperature controlled Antex soldering iron.

http://www.sharkwire.com.tw/onweb.jsp?webno=3333333367#S0-06

It looks like good stuff,I may try it some day but I have never seen it till you mentioned it and I goggled it.

[goraman]

Break in is going nicely close to 40 hours now.