[sts9fan]

I have decided to redo the crossovers in my GedLee Nathan speakers.
My main goal is to get them very accurate and precise between the pair.
While I am a skeptic on high dollar caps I will spend a bit of cash. Maybe $500 for the pair.
I figure I will put both the old one that is all cheap Solen caps and the new one in a single external enclosure and make them switchable.
Right now I am leaning towards SoniCaps because they seem to hit the price point I am looking for.  I do need a few larger values (30uF,18uF and 10uF) and the SoniCaps 30uF is <$50 where AuriCaps are in the $90 range.
I guess I could mix and match but might be better to stick to one brand. Any other recs in this range? How about similar inductors? Finally do you guys know of vendors that sell closely matched pairs? Or maybe someone that allows returns? I could order four or five of each and pick the best pair and return the rest.

[poseidonsvoice]

Kris,

Go to partsconnexion.com

They are having a 20% sale on all film caps this month. You can pick and choose based on your budget.

If you are going to replace inductors (not in the LCR tank circuits of the tweeter - but the main one on the woofer low pass), be very careful to match the dcr value.

After all this you are going to want to match the transfer functions of the old and new crossovers from an impedance and phase perspective - not just using your LCR meter to make sure the caps, resistors, and inductors measure the same. Get the the Smith and Larson woofer tester:http://woofertester.com/wt2product.htm
 
Best,
Anand.

[sts9fan]

Thank Anand, this seems like it will be more work then I thought.
I want to keep the original xover intact so I will need all new parts.
I guess I need to think this through step by step.
How would you approach it? Just do caps? The big laminated inductor in the low pass seems to have a low dcr compared to foil ones.
How would you guys tackle the problem?
Edit
After reading a bit more I think I may just get the same inductors. I know Earl does not match parts because they ship from Madisound if I remember correctly.
Good caps, good resistors and same coils. Safer plan?

[poseidonsvoice]

Thank Anand, this seems like it will be more work then I thought.
I want to keep the original xover intact so I will need all new parts.
I guess I need to think this through step by step.
How would you approach it? Just do caps? The big laminated inductor in the low pass seems to have a low dcr compared to foil ones.
How would you guys tackle the problem?
Edit
After reading a bit more I think I may just get the same inductors. I know Earl does not match parts because they ship from Madisound if I remember correctly.
Good caps, good resistors and same coils. Safer plan?

Indeed. That's a safer bet. You can change the resistors in the tweeter circuit and the T leg of the woofer circuit without problems. It's the inductor that needs care in the woofer circuit. Leave the LCR tank circuits in the tweeter crossover ALONE.

Best,
Anand.

PS Earl does match the parts. He just gets a boatload of them and sifts through. The matching of my Abbeys transfer functions was excellent with the parts he supplied. And then acoustically when measuring with the mic, each Abbey was extraordinarily similar.

[sts9fan]

Do you mean don't even change the caps in the tank circuit?
I may be wrong but I think my parts came directly from Madisound. I also know he had multiple circuits based on Madisounds stock availability. I know this to be true because he told me and the first two schematics he sent me did not match my parts.

You can test the transfer function with that woofer tester?
Is that just the slopes from sweeps?

For those interested I have been nothing but happy with my GedLee speakers. Dude knows what he is doing.
What I am unhappy with is the shitty finish I put on them. So I figured I would rip em apart and refinish them. Plus add more bracing and upgrade/match the xover.

[poseidonsvoice]

Do you mean don't even change the caps in the tank circuit?
I may be wrong but I think my parts came directly from Madisound. I also know he had multiple circuits based on Madisounds stock availability. I know this to be true because he told me and the first two schematics he sent me did not match my parts.

You can test the transfer function with that woofer tester?
Is that just the slopes from sweeps?

For those interested I have been nothing but happy with my GedLee speakers. Dude knows what he is doing.
What I am unhappy with is the shitty finish I put on them. So I figured I would rip em apart and refinish them. Plus add more bracing and upgrade/match the xover.

Sent you a pm my friend.

Best,
Anand.

[Folsom]

Obbligato Golds are pretty darn good. I used them in Hawthorne OB speakers. Solen's are fine, but nothing impressive by any means that I've experienced. The Obbligato's have been criticized for having a little bit of one note bass, but this hasn't been true when used as signal caps for me. But I never used any very large ones since I had stereo subs with the Hawthornes. Sonicaps look like a decent option.

Did you read through the sticky capacitor comparison thread in The Lab? Helpful, but outside reviews are nice. I landed on Obbligato Golds to try since the reviews were so good, and I could afford them. Sucks to need such large ones huh?

[brj]

Get the the Smith and Larson woofer tester:http://woofertester.com/wt2product.htm

I don't want to sidetrack the thread, but since it came up... it appears that the Dayton Audio WF2 was a rebranded Smith & Larson unit?  Which was then replaced by the WT3, and most recently by the DATS?

With the DATS on sale at the moment, I'm tempted to pick one up and was curious about personal experiences with the differing products in the progression.

Thanks!