[wongstein]

After doing the dead-simple tweeter upgrade with Chris (see my reply to this http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=5395&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=">post) I would like to get a show of who would like Chris, your most hospitable moderator, to upgrade other components inside his De Capos?  All in favour, say: Aye-uy-uy!

The first question is: can we replace the new capacitor with an even higher quality part of the same value?  Black Gate?  Auricap?

The second question I ask is:  How about that hookup-wire?  What if we replaced it with the our favorite heavier-gauge stuff that we use outside the speakers?  What's the best solder to use?

Nextly but not Lastly, is there extra dampening that can be done to the inside or around the speakers?  We've put lead in the stands, but how about half an inch of lead-shot just poured right into the bottom of the cabinet?  Thick wool felt around the tweeters to improve directionality and reduce diffraction?

Any other suggestions?

I don't think that there's much in the way of a warranty left on an original De Capo, and we now know exactly how much they want for a replacement for each pair of tweaters that we might destroy, so the only real liability is Chris' pristine piano-gloss black finish  

I'm going to invite people in the Lab circles to come and make some suggestions.

Chris is going to kill me ...
Anthony


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[wongstein]

Hey, there have been some great responses in The Lab circle including some educated and experienced replies in http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=5847">an unrelated post about capacitors onto which I piggy-backed part of my question, and in http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=6096">another post that I made to which the very well-respected Steve Nugent (I presume it's him) from the famed Emirical Audio, one of today's prominent modding and cable companies, has suggested a particular model of capacitor and type of wiring.

I'm still working on Chris to let me at his DCs with a soldering iron again, but we'll definitely wait until his system is sounding its best - probably next year if happens at all.  If you're interested, message me and I'll be sure to keep you posted.  I suggested that a nice set of Multicap RTX caps would make a good Christmas present for Chris, but was enlightened to the fact that that would really be a present to myself

Despite the lack of response on this topic, I have another question:  if Ref 3A offered a warrantied cap and wire upgrade like VMPS does, and they endorsed it as having sonic superiority in ways that would apeal to you, would you be inclined to go for it?

[bhiggins]

I don't think you're going to see any improvement from swapping the capacitor out.  That military-looking paper-in-oil unit is very good sounding.

[cyounkman]

I'm still working on Chris to let me at his DCs with a soldering iron again...

This is understantably an uphill battle... whatever my other traits I am first and always a lazy audiophile, and even just watching Mr. Wong mess around in the DC's makes me tired.

... but we'll definitely wait until his system is sounding its best - probably next year if happens at all.

This also makes me tired. A new integrated is in the works, most likely, but thinking about which one and when makes my head spin.

I suggested that a nice set of Multicap RTX caps would make a good Christmas present for Chris, but was enlightened to the fact that that would really be a present to myself

Funny. Along those lines, my wife is getting a pair of Acoustic Zen Matrix References for Christmas. If she complains about the colour, I'll tell her she can upgrade to the Silver Refs...

[cyounkman]

I don't think you're going to see any improvement from swapping the capacitor out.  That military-looking paper-in-oil unit is very good sounding.

Hi there, B.

Have you heard of/seen/heard this thing before? If you have any insight as to what it is and whence it came, I'm sure we're all ears...

As JohnR said in that other thread, differences are easy to come by when swapping caps and such; but 'improvements' are tough to quantify.

[bhiggins]

Same type of capacitor that is used in the the ASL amplifiers I believe.

~Ben

[moray james]

Wongstine: why don't you get some basic cabinet upgrades out of the way before you start down the expensive path? Install appropriate size machine screw inserts into the cabinet to mount both the tweeter and the woofer. The coupling interface of an insert and machine screw is vastly superior to the stock wood screws. You can also go to your local hardware store and in the electrical dept. buy a couple of pounds worth of Duct Seal. You Can install a thin layer to the back side of your tweeter face plate then cover that with a gasket of plastic film so the tweeter can be easily removed off the baffle if necessary at a later date. You can also pack a good large quantity around the tweeters magnet assembly as well as on the tweeters back plate. You can also use Duct Seal to great benefit packing it into all of the cabinets corners and along all the inside cabinet edges where panels meet use a good quantity here too to make 3/4 to 1 inch fillits. Install 1/4 inch felt pads to the iside if the woofer basket struts and pack Duct Seal on the outside of the struts and all around the magnet as well as on the magnet back plate just like the tweeter. The reduction in resonant distortion from your drivers using this technique will amaze you.  The Duct Seal packed into the inside edges and corners will help damp out all manner of internal resonances as edges and corners are where reflective standing waves meet and couple. These modifications while goopy to do are very much worth while and can be reversed if you decide you do not like them. I can say I have yet to hear of anyone doing these mods and then removing them! These mods simply remove unwanted structural resonances which should not be included in the first place. They do not add anything only remove. See what unwanted colourations you can remove to make your 3A's more neutral first so you can better appreciate the impact of new and expensive caps and internal wire and such. If you try these mods out I am sure you will post here for others to read about your findings. PS Duct Seal will not harden and fall off as rope caulk can and will over time. Best regards Moray James.

[Terry]

Okay! I took out all the screws around the woofer assembly to have a look inside. I was a little worried that the woofer would pop right out and that it would get damaged in the process. I needn't have worried. I could not remove the woofer at all and I had no luck with the tweeter either. What is the best way to get inside the DeCappos? Any and all advice appreciated. Thanks!

[he46570]

The slope of the cabinet, with gravity, is holding it in.  

My advice - remove the tweeter screws, then tilt the cabinet forward and the tweeter should fall into your hands.  You can then tilt the speaker back upright, remove the woofer screws and put it out in a controlled fashion via the tweeter hole.  

Hope this helps.

Robert

[cyounkman]

You can remove the back panel, where the binding posts are attached, to get decent but not great access to the woofer. There is a support post right in the middle of the speaker, and I believe the cap for the tweeteris attached to it, so it's a little crowded.

[Terry]

The slope of the cabinet, with gravity, is holding it in.

Well, now I feel real dumb. Of course, 'gravity' - I never would have guessed. Thanks, Robert, this makes perfect sense to me.

The suggestion for the duct seal is a good one that should be quite easy try out.