Does upgrading crossover parts improve speakers in general?

drphoto · « **on:** 18 Jul 2005, 06:06 pm »

Just wondering if doing a 1 for 1 parts swap in a crossover for higher quality pieces help, hurt or not much change?

It seems like it would help, but I know there is some 'alchemy' in crossover design, so maybe simply putting in a better brand cap or coil may do no good, or actually harm.

Robert C. Schult · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Jul 2005, 06:45 pm »

Hi dr.

you may get a lot of different answers on this but I say yes, if your speaker is pretty good to begin with, upgrading parts will usually give significant better performance. With lesser speakers, upgrading parts will most times reveal the crap drivers the manufacturer used or how poorly the crossover was designed. Not good.

In my experience, the hierarchy is this:

1.) Upgrade signal path Caps and Resistors in the Tweeter leg.

2. & 3.) Upgrade shunt caps in the woofer leg and upgrade coils. Care and probably some experimentation needs to be exercised with replacing the coils because the DC Resistance of the coil can effect the box tuning.

4.) All other Resistors

Replacing the wiring is a very good thing too if it's done right or if some really poor and inadequate wiring has been used.

Cheers!

Robert

markC · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Jul 2005, 09:16 pm »

I agree with Robert on 1 and half of 2. Upgrading the tweeter caps in a decent speaker should be an easily identifiable upgrade. The shunt to ground in the woofer portion not so much. And unless there are some really crappy looking plastic bobbin 30 ga. coils in there,(I'm exagerating here), then I'd leave the inductors be. I had great results changing out the caps in my Soliloquy 5.3's from what appeared to be Dayton standard caps to Sonicaps.For about $100 investment and 2 hours work, the improvement was substantial enough to show the weakness in the top end of my SS dual mono amplifier. So beware, because I ended up selling the amp and going to hybrid. The sound of a triode tube is much more pleasing to me than a transistor.

Rick Craig · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 06:51 pm »

Quote from: drphoto

Just wondering if doing a 1 for 1 parts swap in a crossover for higher quality pieces help, hurt or not much change?

It seems like it would help, but I know there is some 'alchemy' in crossover design, so maybe simply putting in a better brand cap or coil may do no good, or actually harm.

There are two instances where it can actually degrade the sound. If the caps are electrolytics with high ESR (series resistance) then the frequency response will be way off. I had this happen with a pair of B&W speakers I modified. Changing inductors can also have a negative effect. The transfer function will change and so will the frequency response, possibly in a negative way. The woofer tuning can also be affected but it depends on what the inductor's resistance is relative to the woofer's impedance and Qes.

Levi · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 07:01 pm »

You would not know until you have tried it.

In my case, the answer is YES!

I successfully upgraded the crossover on my old Klipsch's. See picture compared to original.

Marbles · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Jul 2005, 07:11 pm »

I can tell you for sure, based on other similar models of that brand, a complete redue of the XO to a second order XO by a XO guru will yield a truely GREAT speaker. Especially if you can releive that woofer of the lowest frequencies by using an active XO and a subwoofer.

It should be a pretty good speaker anyway...