Any performance tweaks for Sony SS-B1000 speakers?

[nfafan]

Hello all,

I’m sure that there are a lot of us that have snagged a pair of these Amazon favorites to try, so I have to ask if anyone knows of any performance tweaks to do aside from adding acoustic fiber and reinforcing the enclosures?

Maybe a x-over mod to some degree vs. the lone capacitor they use after the woofer – if so, what did you use and did it help?

Anyone try to remove the “protective molding” cross sitting directly in front of the tweeter, help anything?

Thanks in advance!

 

[TheWarrior]

Ah, young padawan, you bought a pair of discontinued speakers hoping to 'hot rod' them without knowing where to begin.

Crossover changes would require knowing the T/S specs of each driver. And from the looks of it, you'd be building an entirely new speaker.

The 'protective molding' is common with less expensive tweeters, sometimes its there for protection, sometimes it can also serve to aid a lesser tweeter's dispersion.

My suggestion is to sit back and enjoy your value bookshelf as is, and consider a kit speaker in the future to experiment with!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

this might help:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/1439320-fun-speaker-project.html

 

[Swerd]

this might help:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/1439320-fun-speaker-project.html

I wouldn't take those suggested mods seriously. The OP didn't seem to know what he was doing. Unless you are unusually lucky, you can't throw in a crossover made for another speaker and hope for good results.

Someone else however did make some frequency response measurements of these speakers. And he didn't have much good to say about them:

"I bought this bookshelf about a month ago with the intent to test and compare it along with some other budget speakers (Dayton B652, Monoprice 8250, Infinity Primus P153). I wasn't really interested in posting anything in depth on it because after even a quick ABX against the Dayton, it was clear the Sony B1000 was not a very capable speaker."

"The hump between 80hz and 180hz has been common in all the speakers I've tested. I'm thinking its some sort of room resonance, or possibly characteristic of the cheap speakers…"

"In my original listening comparison I noticed that all the highs just seemed to vanish. When I began the frequency response test it became very obvious as to why. There is a 5-10db drop starting at ~1.25khz and continuing until 6khz.. That's huge! Now thankfully there aren't any huge peaks in higher registers that would make this speakers especially tiring to the ears."

It isn't clear from the FR curve where the crossover point is. It certainly is not at 16 kHz! But the graph does show that the tweeter is much less sensitive than the woofer. Also, the bass hump suggests that the bass output of the woofer is poor, and was deliberately exaggerated by choosing those dimensions for the cabinet and port. If anything, I think lowering the woofer output by 5-10 dB to match the tweeter will make that poor bass output even worse sounding.

http://averagejoeaudiophile.blogspot.com/2014/02/sony-ss-b1000-bookshelf-speaker.html

 

[zieglj01]

Maybe a x-over mod to some degree vs. the lone capacitor they use after the woofer – if so, what did you use and did it help?

Anyone try to remove the “protective molding” cross sitting directly in front of the tweeter, help anything?

Thanks in advance!

Poor speakers like that are not worth much time and effort >> I have owned
them, and because of their lack of detail they gave me a headache. They are
poor and really not worth much. The best mod is to return them or donate them.

If I was going to toy with them, this is what I would do, and it depends on
how much you want to put into them - and there is no guarantee that you
would like the results. However, it can be fun and get you interested in DIY.

Need to make sure that the drivers fit in the cut-out holes > after that you may
need to make new screw holes.

The biggest thing is to change that woofer - and it could/should be better than
the one in the box now. I would look at the GRS from Parts Express - mainly just
to toy since it is cheap. I have used the 6-1/2 GRS woofers and they were decent.
https://www.parts-express.com/grs-5pf-8-5-1-4-paper-cone-foam-surround-woofer--292-405

The other thing I would do is to change that tweeter - and I would look at the Audax
from Madisound. It is a little expensive - however, it is popular.
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/audax-soft-dome-tweeters/audax-tw010f1-10-mm-polymer-dome-tweeter/

If you want to go cheaper - then look at the Goldwood (need to check the total size)
https://www.parts-express.com/goldwood-gt-302-s-1-2-mylar-dome-tweeter-shielded--270-175

Then I would put a 12 db octave filter on the tweeter at 5khz - cheaper to buy a
pre-made one from Parts Express.
https://www.parts-express.com/5-khz-high-pass-8-ohm-crossover--266-474

I would at least put some cotton insulation in the box - I use this
http://www.amazon.com/Applegate-Cotton-Armor-Insulation-10-5007/dp/B00NARAGJU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438356910&sr=8-2&keywords=cotton+insulation

All in all for the best results, is to learn how to measure and build a crossover.

 

[nfafan]

Thanks all for the replies! Will look at these tips for some future fun.

Snagged these for $20.00 off of CL as they get such high marks on Amazon that I figured why not. I don't find them horrible, and they sure sound better than my "vintage" RS Minimus 8s. Just looking for some cheap tweaks.

So far I've added a couple loose handfuls of Polyfill fiber and small sheet of foam inside the box, but not having exacting measurements, was strictly seat of the pants as to results.

And I keep eyeing that silly "boom-box molding" over the front of the tweeter; can't help but wonder what they'd sound like once removed.

 

[zieglj01]

And I keep eyeing that silly "boom-box molding" over the front of the tweeter; can't help but wonder what they'd sound like once removed.

Well, you could always place a suitcase between the speakers, it might help them!

 

[Swerd]

And I keep eyeing that silly "boom-box molding" over the front of the tweeter; can't help but wonder what they'd sound like once removed.

That "boom-box molding" on the tweeter is called a phase shield. Soft dome fabric tweeters often have proper doping compounds added that dampen their response at higher frequencies. Metal domes don't, and instead have a phase shield installed in front of the dome center.

Read more about here: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?185037-Purpose-of-a-phase-shield

"The term phase shield comes from the fact that it is shielding the on-axis response from the output of the dome at and near the tip. The reason is because the speed of sound is far higher in the hard dome material, so it is emitted from the tip area and actually arrives at the reference (measurement or listening) point before the signal that is emitted from the rim area.

What this means is that the signals (rim vs. tip) are not in-phase at higher frequencies, so there is they start to combine destructively rather than constructively."

Someone measured a metal tweeter with and without the phase shield:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/190417-vifa-dq25-phase-shield-removal-surgery.html

These two graphs have different vertical scales, so it's difficult to compare them.

I don't know what will happen with your speakers if you cut off the phase shields. For that Vifa DQ25, the biggest changes were above 10 kHz, and your speakers have a big loss of response in the 2 to 6 kHz range. I doubt if removing the phase shields will affect that.

 

[Mark of Cenla]

After reading this yesterday, I got mine out of the box they came in and connected them to my music system. I am listening to them right now. Maybe I got a "good" pair, but mine sound pretty good if used with a subwoofer, which is the case with most bookshelf speakers. For the price and the size, they sound great. Peace and goodwill.

 

[nfafan]

No issues with mine. Added some polyfil so far, still sounded fine to me.
Haven't had the time to try and remove the "phaser shields". From the links I followed, I don't think it will hurt these if removed, at least for non-calibrated ears. And if so, glue them back on (if removed carefully.). The shields that is...

 

[zieglj01]

No issues with mine. Added some polyfil so far, still sounded fine to me.
Haven't had the time to try and remove the "phaser shields". From the links I followed, I don't think it will hurt these if removed, at least for non-calibrated ears. And if so, glue them back on (if removed carefully.). The shields that is...

I would not try to glue them back on - if you remove the phase lens

Also, removing the phase lens will not give you more detail and definition.
The tweeter is what it is - one that lacks good resolution.

The biggest problem with that speaker, it that it lacks a decent crossover.

However, if it floats your boat - then continue to sail with it

 

[nfafan]

I would not try to glue them back on - if you remove the phase lens

Also, removing the phase lens will not give you more detail and definition.
The tweeter is what it is - one that lacks good resolution.

The biggest problem with that speaker, it that it lacks a decent crossover.

However, if it floats your boat - then continue to sail with it

Would this alone (plus the polyfill) and nothing else have any positive effect after removing the stock, single cap "x-over" that came with it ?

"Then I would put a 12 db octave filter on the tweeter at 5khz - cheaper to buy a
pre-made one from Parts Express.
https://www.parts-express.com/5-khz-high-pass-8-ohm-crossover--266-474 "

Thanks!

 

[zieglj01]

Would this alone (plus the polyfill) and nothing else have any positive effect after removing the stock, single cap "x-over" that came with it ?

"Then I would put a 12 db octave filter on the tweeter at 5khz - cheaper to buy a
pre-made one from Parts Express.
https://www.parts-express.com/5-khz-high-pass-8-ohm-crossover--266-474 "

Thanks!

That woofer in the Sony is weak - and has a serious dip at 2 khz - I would only
try the tweeter filter with a better woofer.

 

[Chu Gai]

This is like buying a used summer sleeping bage that's got some wear and tear as well as some stains because little Johnie decided to rub a few out for $20 on CL. So you ask for some tips on cleaning it up and what you can do to the bag so you can use it for some cold weather outdoor camping. Sure you can try washing it and pretreating the stains. Some might even tell you that you can take out the polyfill and replace it with goose down then get it professionally stitched so the down doesn't slosh around.

Look, if you want a better speaker buy a better speaker. Your time is worth something and your efforts are better directed to making some money. If you're looking to score deals, try garage sales in upscale neighborhoods.

 

[nfafan]

And here I thought all I had to do was add some polyfill, maybe change the cap for one made of better materials, and boom-clap; LS3/5A monitor. Damn.