Modifying Crossovers

You can make a high end speaker sound better with better capacitors and resistors, but you have to experiment with different brand caps and resistors, before you figure out what brand will sound better than the ones the speakers came with.

@invalid Look at my photo above and there are some very good suggestions.

While many upgrade the capacitors, and resistors aren’t expensive to upgrade, inductors are often neglected, that is, not upgraded to a level consistent with the capacitors, where most put their money. I went with hand wound beeswax foil inductors.

I kept all the same values as the OEM designer, who is excellent.

Jerry

thanks for the feedback. I think it is interesting that an $11k speaker needs modification. 

@falmgren you really think they used the best crossover parts that the could have for $11k? Did they use all silver wire in them?  They may also use lower quality crossover parts because of availability.

@falmgren "needs modifications" is too strong, and you probably meant it that way.  But if an $11K speaker couldn't be improved, there would be no need for a $12K speaker, would there?

Crossovers are one of the areas where speaker manufacturers tend to save money.  Like I posted above, I am spending $2300+ on parts.   the improvements will be small.  They would be unnoticalbe if I was an average consumer with a relatively inexpensive but powerful amp driven by his computer and the onboard DAC.  Also, crossovers are invisible (except on high end speakers where they actually give you a great crossover, then sometimes they make them visible below plexiglass).  But if you want your $11K speaker to sound like a $50K speaker, ugrading he crossover will be necessary.  I guarantee that an $11k speaker doesn't use $2300 worth of parts in the crossover.

Most, or at least many, upgraders like me, do not feel the need to change the design of the crossover, just the quality of the parts.  I am using the exact same values that the OEM used, just MUCH MUCH higher quality components.  

Also, the wiring inside the speaker can usaualy be upgraded, I'm changing to Duelund Cotton oil insulated pure copper wire at least one gauge larger than the OEM used.

I know several people who have done this upgrade and I heard before-and-after on one of them.  Huge improvement to those of us who are dealing in portions of that last 2%.  Probably un-noticable to the average consumer.

Jerry