improvement of loudspeaker

[mario53]

I have read many literature in the european sites on the way to improve speaker sound quality by making some changes like :

replace the standard cables connecting single loudspeaker (woofer, mid, tweeter) to the crossover unit by a better quality one

change resistance and condensors of crossover units with a better tolerance and quality range (but this modification implies some knowledge of soldering and practice with electronic board)

What do you think ?

Has anybody made an experience and find that the speakers sound better after the modification ?

[FLZapped]

I have read many literature in the european sites on the way to improve speaker sound quality by making some changes like :

replace the standard cables connecting single loudspeaker (woofer, mid, tweeter) to the crossover unit by a better quality one

We get this in the US too. No science to validate the claims.

change resistance and condensors of crossover units with a better tolerance and quality range (but this modification implies some knowledge of soldering and practice with electronic board)[/quote]

There was a capacitor test done by a group on another board(Madisound). The test they did could not show improvements were had.

What do you think ?

Has anybody made an experience and find that the speakers sound better after the modification ?

There are lots of anecdotal reports that say yes. Science has failed so far to confirm these reports.

-Bruce

[996turbo]

We get this in the US too. No science to validate the claims.

change resistance and condensors of crossover units with a better tolerance and quality range (but this modification implies some knowledge of soldering and practice with electronic board)

There was a capacitor test done by a group on another board(Madisound). The test they did could not show improvements were had.



There are lots of anecdotal reports that say yes. Science has failed so far to confirm these reports.

-Bruce[/QUOTE]

There are many out there that believe that any change in the signal path will make a difference. Give the modifications you propose a try and see for yourself. Only then will you know for yourself. If you spend alot of time on these and other boards you will find several differing opinions you need to learn for yourself.

Scientific proof of the existance of an occurence can not always be found.

[Geoffcin]

Has anybody made an experience and find that the speakers sound better after the modification ?

I have modified the connections in my Magnepan speaker's crossover to silver wiring. The're is a difference, and it can be easily heard, that is if you smart enough to trust your ears.

[Lensman]

I have read many literature in the european sites on the way to improve speaker sound quality by making some changes like :

replace the standard cables connecting single loudspeaker (woofer, mid, tweeter) to the crossover unit by a better quality one

change resistance and condensors of crossover units with a better tolerance and quality range (but this modification implies some knowledge of soldering and practice with electronic board)

What do you think ?

Has anybody made an experience and find that the speakers sound better after the modification ?

In my quest to maximize my audio on a minimal budget, I've tried a number of these sorts of tweaks. They're certainly enlightening and even fun to do, but feel I must warn you that they're not always beneficial. In fact, the better your speakers are to begin with, the higher the likelyhood that changing the internal parts can adversely affect the sound. The reason is, speaker designers are usually required to make numerous compromises when building a set of speakers and may walk a fine line to maximize the sound from the components they must work with. As a result, changing one small thing can upset a finely-tuned design.

Rewiring your speakers is one of the easiest things to do (and undo). So if you're curious, go for it. I need not tell you hordes of audiophiles will come out of the MDF to argue over whether you'll see any difference. Let your ears decide. In my experience those that do hear a change, will generally tell you that it's a subtle one. I tried rewiring once and couldn't tell any difference. That said, the gear I tried it with wasn't very good.

Changing the crossover parts is much more involved. It's easy to believe that replacing something like a cheap nonpolarized electrolytic capacitor with an audiophile-grade mylar or polypropylene one of the same rated value is better. The problem is, the actual values of both the cheap and expensive caps can be different from what they're labeled. So, if you're going to do this, you need to measure the capacitance of the original and replacement caps to insure their values are consistent.

Even then, the change isn't always positive. I had a friend who once changed out caps in a set of speakers. The result was an extension of both the high and low ends. But the midrange became more withdrawn. So while the speakers improved their range, they also lost some of their liveliness.

Likewise, changing the inductors for ones with larger diameter wire may seem like a good idea, but may not have the desired results. This is because the speaker designer may have factored in the resistance in the coil as an integral part of the crossover design.

Tweaking is a great way to learn more about how things works, and it can improve your sound. But in my experience the improvement becomes more pronounced the cheaper the speaker gets. As I said, rewiring is easy. But before you mess with crossovers, I'd recommend you read up on some electrical basics first, and I wouldn't start experimenting with your primary speakers. If you decide to proceed, also be aware that opening speakers may loosen or break seals around the drivers or terminal plate that help the cabinet stay properly pressurized. So you you may have to replace them (I've had to do this on more than once occassion and its very easy). Just be sure to pick some gasketing tape or caulk with the other parts you intend to try.