Spatial M3 Turbo S, missing link?

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ric

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Spatial M3 Turbo S, missing link?
« on: 18 Apr 2019, 02:07 pm »
Since purchasing the M3 Turbo S' two years ago I have been adding various cables, fuses, tubes, and other items designed to improve the sound and they do greatly. But still, I found myself wanting a bit more air and detail to complement the Spatial's openness, directness, authority and fantastic soundstaging.
     So I started looking into the capacitors used in the crossover, which uses Dayton audio parts, specifically a 6.8uf for the upper and 68uf for the bass (correct me if I am wrong, as I am ignorant of electronics). After doing some research I emailed then talked to Chris Young at Jupiter Condenser. He suggested that I replace the 6.8uf cap and also suggested that the best bang for my buck would be the less expensive VT round (which costs about $114 each). He also said he thought I'd be very pleased with the change in sound, and THAT, at this point, is an understatement.
     They say that when it comes to power cables the first few feet from the amp to the outlet is important, and while that is true, many do not refer to the "last" area in the chain before the sound hits your speakers, namely the sound being filtered through the crossover. It makes sense to me that if you want to improve the sound of your speakers it is important to consider upgrading part(s) in the crossover.
    Unfortunately, from an aesthetics perspective as well as a cost perspective it is preferable to use smaller, cheaper parts in the crossover, that fit inside the inch and a half or so depth at the bottom of the speaker. But for me the sound is more important, so due to the size of these new parts the crossover now sits on the outside of the speaker (Horror, no, it can't be!)
   At any rate, back to the sound. Wow. For the first time I am hearing the detail I was missing. We are talking cymbal strikes and high notes that have depth. Strings that before sounded good, now I am hearing vertically as they would sound at a concert. The Spatial's have a great openness, but now the sense of the soundstage height and also DEPTH is much more apparent. In the past I have put on Buena Vista Social Club, but now hear the depth of the imaging, the recording space, in a way I have not heard before.
    If any of you are going to keep the M3's as I am, I highly recommend buying the best cap(s) you can afford. The amount of detail that emerges and the soundstage height, depth, realness, compared in before and after is well worth the money, at least it is for me.

musicdre

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Re: Spatial M3 Turbo S, missing link?
« Reply #1 on: 18 Apr 2019, 02:36 pm »
thanks for the good report and suggestion.  did you do the cap installation or have a tech do it?

-andre


jtwrace

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Re: Spatial M3 Turbo S, missing link?
« Reply #2 on: 18 Apr 2019, 02:38 pm »
Please post a picture

Wind Chaser

Re: Spatial M3 Turbo S, missing link?
« Reply #3 on: 18 Apr 2019, 03:16 pm »
Please post a picture

+1  :D

Tempting as it may be, I am reluctant to take mine apart / open them up modify them as such. I was never very good with a soldering iron and the probability of me making a regrettable mess out of the situation is far too high. So even though curiosity and envy might rage within, the sensible thing for me to do is watch from the sidelines.

For those who dare, Verastarr also offers a variety of crossover upgrades for the M3ts.

ric

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Re: Spatial M3 Turbo S, missing link?
« Reply #4 on: 19 Apr 2019, 02:08 pm »
I am more of a beginner, but have SOME experience when it comes to soldering, but thanks to YouTube, you can find out how to do anything, pretty much. So, yes, I did this myself, but with a lot of fear that I would do something wrong, so I took pictures and wrote down what went where. I re-did one side which took (me) a long time, partly because I made little blocks to attach the modified crossover.
   I will probably upgrade the bass capacitor, and while I'm at it, upgrade the wire from the speakers to the crossover and run them on the OUTSIDE of the speaker enclosure. I'm not sure that putting the crossover and speaker wires inside something that vibrates with sound is that good for sound quality, so why not make it all accessible?
     I would post a picture, but it's kind of embarrassing to show mediocre work and would not necessarily be an example to follow. When I do upgrade the 66uf cap, I will need to make the box even larger, so it is not a finished project.
   If anyone is serious about doing this, send me a private message and I can supply pics and more details, thanks!