@erik_squires lol, thanks and okay, sounds like it was a bad idea! You mentioned I might need to check the electrolytic capacitors in several years. Which caps are these, and how do I distinguish them from the film caps? How do I check them?
B&W 802 D2 Capacitors Worth Upgrading?
After just getting a pair of 802D2’s in mint condition, after having to replace a blown tweeter, and succeeding (I know not a big deal), I started wondering about replacing the crossovers. The speakers could be up to 12 years old so the capacitors in the crossovers should have another 12 years of life before they go out of spec. I thought of just replacing the crossovers with new ones available on B&W’s site, now, just to reset the ~25y clock on the capacitor’s lifespan. But then I watched a few YouTube’s of guys upgrading to crazy high-end caps. Supposedly doing this can improve the speed or reduce the latency of the crossover.
I’ve not dug into this yet, but just wondering if anyone has any experience with this? Questions:
-Is this worth doing?
-Why type of capacitors do I need? And which brand/models are “the best”.
-Where do I get them?
-Any special tips when soldering for HiFi? I know how to solder but have zero experience soldering for HiFi and wondering if I should be using a certain type of solder for Audiophile applications. What am I thinking, of course there is such a thing as Audiophile solder, and it forms micro ultra low capacitance conductors, applies power correction and noise cancelation, improves the dialectics and it costs $5,000 a spool…. Ok got carried away there.
Also thinking about upgrading the internal crap wiring to something high end.
Thoughts, from anyone with experience doing these things?
Showing 4 responses by nyev
@erik_squires , thanks for the explanation. The 802 D2's have two crossover boards - one for LF and one for HF/MF. The HF/MF board has 3 caps, and the LF board has 2 caps. All caps are VERY large. Can't read the values for all caps, but I can see that some are 4.7uF and others are 100uF. Here are links: Assuming the 100uF capacitors used by B&W are the electrolytic ones as you mentioned, is the advice to replace them with the exact same capacitors, or just caps with the equivalent values - after > 25 years? Thanks |
@erik_squires , thanks for confirming! Interesting stuff for sure. |
Yes, thanks @erik_squires and all for all the purely informative feedback. Despite the inevitable few who sour the tone, I’ve always found Audiogon to be a place to exchange information and experiences. While I have great relationships with sales staff at my local dealers, I find I rarely get good good info from them. And sometimes their advice is downright terrible! I always find that once I sense there is a consensus on these boards, it’s usually worth paying attention. I never would have thought to audition the Diablo 300 amp, if not for these boards, and I absolutely love my amp! I try to do my best to share my experiences as well.
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