crossover upgrades

[Fritz]

I own B&W CDM 9nt front left and right mains. Will replacing the Caps and resistors in the crossovers improve the SQ of the speakers?

 

[Swerd]

In a word, no.

Achieving improved sound quality by simply replacing speaker crossover capacitors and resistors is one of those audio myths. It may be widely repeated on the internet, but there are no facts to back up any claims. Its fiction.

Speaker drivers are quite important to sound quality. So are the designs of crossover networks and speaker cabinets. But changing the crossover component materials, as long as they perform as intended, have no demonstrated effect on sound quality.

 

[TLS Guy]

I own B&W CDM 9nt front left and right mains. Will replacing the Caps and resistors in the crossovers improve the SQ of the speakers?

There is not much daylight between the exotic cap and resistor fad than the 'funny wire" fad. No, what you propose will not increase the SQ of your system.

 

[Fritz]

Then why do company's such as B&W use certain so called exotic cap and resistors in their Hi end much more expensive models?
Also have you ever tried doing it and let your ears tell you?
Or is this just another regurgitation of info that someone has read and is now the authority on the topic?

 

[Fritz]

Swerd
Are you aware of the fact that your Salks employ higher grade Caps and resistors in their xcross overs?
Change them to electrolitics like lower grade ones do.

 

[everettT]

I'm sure he is aware more than you can ever know lol...

 

[Pogre]

I would say that if you came here to ask a question and you didn't like the answer, then by all means replace them all. You could probably do it yourself.

 

[ATLAudio]

My advice is always buy whatever mod that strikes your fancy from a retailer with a friendly return policy, and you can decide for yourself.

That said, although not on your specific models, I've seen replaced caps improve sq, no question, but it shouldn't cost an exotic premium. I'm also familiar with it not doing anything.

 

[KEW]

Replacing caps on my 1980 Amplifier made a difference!
But it might have something to do with the old ones being corroded by a glue that turned acidic with age and heat!

 

[Speedskater]

Improve the sound ? Doubtful.
Change the sound? Maybe. Some designers take into account the imperfections in the R, L & C when designing the x-over. Swap parts and the crossover changes.

 

[KEW]

My advice is always buy whatever mod that strikes your fancy from a retailer with a friendly return policy, and you can decide for yourself.

That said, although not on your specific models, I've seen replaced caps improve sq, no question, but it shouldn't cost an exotic premium. I'm also familiar with it not doing anything.

Don't be so mysterious about it!
Provide some details!

 

[KEW]

Improve the sound ? Doubtful.
Change the sound? Maybe. Some designers take into account the imperfections in the R, L & C when designing the x-over. Swap parts and the crossover changes.

I think we are talking about replacing caps with new ones of the same rated values, but using more expensive materials.

 

[ATLAudio]

Don't be so mysterious about it!
Provide some details!

Correct, as you eluded to, this was due to old ones being old, and likely degraded in some way.

 

[Beave]

Then why do company's such as B&W use certain so called exotic cap and resistors in their Hi end much more expensive models?

Ever heard the term "marketing?"

Years ago I was working on a consumer electronics product at work. Marketing wanted engineering to use a couple of "exotic" parts. Engineering investigated and reported back to marketing that said "exotic" parts offered no benefit but cost x dollars more. Marketing responded that even though they would make the product cost x dollars more, if we used them, marketing would then be able to advertise the product had these parts, and then sell the product at x + y dollars more.

 

[TLS Guy]

Then why do company's such as B&W use certain so called exotic cap and resistors in their Hi end much more expensive models?
Also have you ever tried doing it and let your ears tell you?
Or is this just another regurgitation of info that someone has read and is now the authority on the topic?

Are you sure that B & W speakers have electrolytic caps. I personally don't like electrolytic caps in passive crossovers. I use Solen caps which do not cost a fortune. But I don't waste money on Mudorf caps.

The problem with recapping it is that if they are electrolytics, Polypropylene caps will physically be much bigger. The other issues the losses of the components specked are accounted for in the crossover design software. I would leave well enough alone.

If you really want to get experience, then design and build your own speakers and use whatever grade of components takes your fancy. That is what I do and I'm so glad I do. I would imagine speaker shopping these days is an absolute nightmare!

 

[yepimonfire]

The only speakers that would benefit from a crossover upgrade are ultra cheap speakers with rudimentary crossovers, ie a Dayton b652, which has nothing more than a 1st order high pass on the tweeter. Well designed speakers should already have an excellent crossover design, and the engineer who designed probably knows better than you, since there is data on the particular speakers drivers that aren’t released to the public.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[slipperybidness]

Are you sure that B & W speakers have electrolytic caps. I personally don't like electrolytic caps in passive crossovers. I use Solen caps which do not cost a fortune. But I don't waste money on Mudorf caps.

The problem with recapping it is that if they are electrolytics, Polypropylene caps will physically be much bigger. The other issues the losses of the components specked are accounted for in the crossover design software. I would leave well enough alone.

If you really want to get experience, then design and build your own speakers and use whatever grade of components takes your fancy. That is what I do and I'm so glad I do. I would imagine speaker shopping these days is an absolute nightmare!

Have you ever used the Dayton Audio Caps (Parts Express house brand). From what I can tell (no measurements), those "seem" to be of fairly high quality!

 

[agarwalro]

Entirely replacing a poorly designed crossover, a la Dennis Murphy, definitely helps. His Affordable Accuracy Monitor line uses this philosophy.

Replacing select electronic components, even when swapping in boutique branded ones, not so much. If anything, a less knowledgeable and experienced person risks doing more harm than good.

 

[Swerd]

I should have recognized the OP as a troll. His question about tweaking the crossover parts seemed odd because I don't know any B&W speaker owner who doesn't revere his speakers, down to worshiping the dust on top of the cabinet. I think they would be among the last people to dismantle the crossover board. (I don't share that opinion about most B&W speakers, but that's another topic for another time.)

The OP's subsequent posts made his intentions abundantly clear.

Lesson: Don't reply to posts from strangers late at night just because you can't sleep.

Thanks to everyone here who followed up on this thread. It gave me a smile .

 

[Verdinut]

If B & W used electrolytic capacitors in the crossover, as KEF have in the past done for some of their expensive 3-way speakers, then the OP should have a big improvement in the SQ of his speakers should he replace them with polypropylene units. Over the years, electrolytic cap values change with resulting obviously decreased crossover performance and resulting uneven frequency response.
I know for a fact, as I once replaced cheap electrolytic caps on a pair of KEF speakers, with polypropylene ones. It was day and night between the performance of the modified filters and that with the original caps.