Re-wiring your speakers

[realysm42]

Is this something anyone's dared to try?

If you have, was it for maintenance or upgrade purposes?

What did you use, how did it work for you?

[synsei]

Watching this too as I am considering rewiring and updating the crossovers on the DM2's sometime before Christmas ;)

[DSJR]

My Spendors from 1974 were wired with some very fine tinned copper bell wire as was normal for speakers and connecting cables back then. Around 14 strands I think but flexible for dressing to the drivers and terminals on the back panel.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/2371979f.jpg

I was unsure whether to keep these speakers original or not, but temptation gave way to curiosity. I bought some 50 strand instrument cables from Maplin which I remember Epos using similar in the ES11 and 14 -

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/5761209c.jpg

These crossovers are obviously not the later type which were physically slimmer and snuggled up beside the tweeters, having wires of around half the length to each driver, so I felt a fraction of an ohm difference wouldn't make a huge difference. it didn't, although I "imagined" the sound slightly beefier and clearer ;)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Nice trick with the marker pen arrow on the bass driver, Dave!

[Audiocom AV]

Is this something anyone's dared to try?

If you have, was it for maintenance or upgrade purposes?

What did you use, how did it work for you?

Hi Martin

I have upgraded several pairs of loudspeakers.

A very good internal wire to use is the Townshend Litz wire available direct from Townshend Audio.

Bybee purifiers is a great upgrade for loudspeakers, soldering at the crossover output or for best results at the loudspeaker transducers.

Best,
Mark

[YNWaN]

Is this something anyone's dared to try?

If you have, was it for maintenance or upgrade purposes?

What did you use, how did it work for you?

1. yes
2. upgrade
3. I used my chosen speaker cable which is really just a thick multi-strand copper

I specifically chose to use the same cable as I intended to wire the amp to speakers with. I ensured that all connections were (well) soldered.

[YNWaN]

Bybee purifiers is a great upgrade for loudspeakers,

Are they! I'm afraid I don't share your optimism/belief.

[Audiocom AV]

Are they! I'm afraid I don't share your optimism/belief.

Postive think helps, but has little effect on how the Bybee work.

Have you ever tried them?

[realysm42]

Cheers for the info chaps, keep it coming!

Mark(s), was it worth the effort?

You reckon you could use posh speaker cable, like Tellurium Q?

[Mr Kipling]

Hi Martin,

It's not quite the "death defying" feat you make it sound.

At the start of the '80s when the great Multi-strand v Solid-Core Cable War raged, I took up the mantle with Jimmy Hughes coming out in favour of solid-core - if only for the lack of high frequency hash. I experimented with the wire in my MK II Castle Richmonds and making interconnects.

Originally the wire was the type Dave R. mentioned with push-on connectors. This was replaced with 0.6 (I think) silver-plated kynar single strand twisted to the tweeters and some thicker silver-plated solid-core which I had on a role which had no insulation and which I covered with spiral-wrap.

Any difference? Well, as I said, the main difference I noted was the lack of hf hash. In another thread someone mentions litz cable sounding smoothe (too smoothe?) It was suggested the lack of hash with solid-core was due to the lack of contact with adjacent strands and so-called diodic contact.

As far as I can remember, other improvements centred around a cleaner, clearer bit more focused sound. I then split the crossovers and used the QED 79 strand for the bass and some enamel covered single strand to the tweeters. This had a bit of a strange effect. Again, there was the smoothing effect at the top-end, but also there was the sense of timing of things slowing down, which then seemed to aid focus. I remember thinking the effect seemed a bit unusual.

That's what I found with what I had.

Kind Regards,
Stephen

[The Grand Wazoo]

1. yes
2. upgrade
3. I used my chosen speaker cable

I specifically chose to use the same cable as I intended to wire the amp to speakers with. I ensured that all connections were (well) soldered.

Same 'ere guv'nor.
Word of warning, though - if you're soldering to drive units, you need to be quick. You don't want to be damaging a coil with all that heat.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Redoing the internal speaker wiring is not difficult. I would recommend 1.0mm pure silver with PTFE teflon tubing. It's a little expensive but sound for pound is better than pissing around with various types of copper wiring.

[realysm42]

Would you use posh solder too?

[brian2957]

I've rewired some speakers too and was pleased with the results. If you're going to go to the trouble of doing this remember to fit the best speaker posts you can afford . This was a major contributor to the improvements IMO.

[YNWaN]

Mark(s), was it worth the effort?

You reckon you could use posh speaker cable, like Tellurium Q?

It didn't sound worse, but in my case they were already quite 'puristly' wired - experience has shown that there are much bigger fish to fry.

I wouldn't use any 'fancy' cable unless you also intend to use it from the speakers to the amp. I certainly wouldn't use silver wire unless you intend to use similar speaker cable (personally, I wouldn't even then).

[walpurgis]

I've found that wiring speakers internally with multistrand does not give as good results as using solid core for some reason. There is a significant difference.

I have also found Nordost Flatline pared down to two conductors per side is superb for internal wiring. It needs a steady hand and patience to cut it down though. I may use this on my current Tannoy refurb.

[DSJR]

Redoing the internal speaker wiring is not difficult. I would recommend 1.0mm pure silver with PTFE teflon tubing. It's a little expensive but sound for pound is better than pissing around with various types of copper wiring.

Most speaker coils have tens of feet of pissy coated copper wiring! What you talking about man? :lol:

[Wakefield Turntables]

I agree especially around the inductor coils! I've rewired my Ditton 15XR's with silver, I loved the sound. For me intrinsic silver re-wiring is the way forward. I respect other peoples views but to my old lug 'oles it sounds better. I have no explanation for this but it just does, so there :ner:

[DSJR]

I was thinking about the coils and coils of copper wire in the drive units - loads and loads and LOADS of it :lol: Whatever suits you though, but i thought I ought to mention it (ducks for cover)

[Mr Kipling]

Well silver is the best conductor followed by copper, 9% worse, then gold and then alluminium.

A Jimmy Hughes "Top Tip" of the '80s - Get your ears syringed!


Eddy Current.
Did you hear the one about the bloke that died when he stood on a teacake? Aye. The currant shot-up his leg!

Information AND quality humour. Bet you don't get this on other forums!

[istari_knight]

As others have said it may or may not bring an improvement in SQ but unless you are competent at soldering I wouldn't bother... I have bought several pairs of speakers s/h that previous owners had "upgraded" with heavy duty cable but the solder joints looked like bird shite with only a tiny fraction of the cable actually making contact with the solder tag :lol:

[walpurgis]

Hi Martin

I have upgraded several pairs of loudspeakers.

A very good internal wire to use is the Townshend Litz wire available direct from Townshend Audio.

Bybee purifiers is a great upgrade for loudspeakers, soldering at the crossover output or for best results at the loudspeaker transducers.

Best,
Mark

What are "Bybee Purifiers" really. No proper spec, design info or operation info available from the manufacturer, its all a bit vague. Seems as many people give negative comment as positive. The prices are steep too, for what is to all intents an unknown quantity.

[Audiocom AV]

What are "Bybee Purifiers" really. No proper spec, design info or operation info available from the manufacturer, its all a bit vague. Seems as many people give negative comment as positive. The prices are steep too, for what is to all intents an unknown quantity.

There is plenty of information available on the Bybee Purifiers, if not the precise details of construction.

Negative comments are usually from people who have never tried them, whereas the positive comments are from satisfied customers or reviewers.

I personally was sceptical, and did not use them for some years. It was only while carrying out a DAC modification for a customer who specifically asked for the Bybee Purifiers that I took to trying them out...nothing to lose.

I installed the Bybee in a Friday afternoon lash up that left me scratching my head...the improvements surprised me.

[realysm42]

God, they'd want to do something at the prices they fetch!

I must admit I'm curious to see what effect they might have.

[Audiocom AV]

God, they'd want to do something at the prices they fetch!

I must admit I'm curious to see what effect they might have.

I had a customer last year who wanted to try a set of the Bybee internal speaker bullets but was very sceptical. I offered him a sale or return providing he did not cut the lead-wires.

His response;

Hi Mark - About 100 hours now - the sound quality is extraordinary and has improved substantially (that is really an understatement) since they were installed. OK the Bybee's were expensive but this is one of the most fundamental upgrades I have heard. I could not consider owning any serious HIFI system in future without them. I have mentioned them to a number of other serious audiophile friends and none of them take them seriously. They must be really difficult to sell.

[walpurgis]

There is plenty of information available on the Bybee Purifiers, if not the precise details of construction.

Negative comments are usually from people who have never tried them, whereas the positive comments are from satisfied customers or reviewers.

I personally was sceptical, and did not use them for some years. It was only while carrying out a DAC modification for a customer who specifically asked for the Bybee Purifiers that I took to trying them out...nothing to lose.

I installed the Bybee in a Friday afternoon lash up that left me scratching my head...the improvements surprised me.


I'm still none the wiser. I have had a scout around the net and nowhere can I find proper design data or a specific technical description of what they do. Just manufacturer's rather obtuse blurb and other people's comments!

[DSJR]

Nice trick with the marker pen arrow on the bass driver, Dave!

That was Spendor's Terry Miles, who very kindly cannibalised some unwanted SA2's for the bass units, which were later and refined? versions of the original BC2 drivers

[Beobloke]

Is this something anyone's dared to try?

If you have, was it for maintenance or upgrade purposes?

What did you use, how did it work for you?

I'm sure I've told this story before but what the heck...

When I bought my first pair of Leak 2075s, I was living with my (very tolerant!) parents who also used to look after my baby niece during the day, three days a week.

When my niece went for her afternoon nap, her travel cot was put in my room, as it had the most space (yes, even with Leak 2075s in it...) and I used to play a tape of "womb music" which is white noise with a heartbeat underneath - it relaxes young babies and helps them to sleep (and, incidentally, works like a charm!)

When the Leaks arrived, many jokes were made about how the heartbeat through the 15" bass driver would deafen the baby but when I first fired up the womb music tape through them, I was astounded - white noise present and correct but virtually NO heartbeat - how could this be?

I duly stripped the Leaks down and found the bass units connected with the skinniest cable you have ever seen and plenty of those vile push-on tags. I duly replaced the wiring with 1.5mm mains cable and hard soldered everything. Result? Much better sound and the heartbeat on the tape nearly blew my niece across the room the first time I played it!

Consequently - yes, it makes a difference. Sometimes a big one!