Loudspeaker Crossover Upgrades - Are They Worth the Effort?

  Рет қаралды 20,998

Audioholics

Audioholics

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 376
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
7:45 High Power handling loudspeakers will typically utilize capacitors with > 100V rating. 8:39 Toroidal iron-core inductors offer very high power handling and a more compact design, often making them more practical than air-core equivalents. 10:48 Ferrite core inductors offer higher inductance in a smaller size, while steel laminate inductors reduce core losses but are larger and better suited for high-power loudspeaker crossovers.
@_Chev_Chelios
@_Chev_Chelios 2 күн бұрын
But I learned from Andrew Robinson, that if I don’t look at the components, and I don’t know what they do then they don’t matter.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
@@_Chev_Chelios I'm unsure of Andrew's view on the topic but maybe that resonates with his audience if that's his claim.
@_Chev_Chelios
@_Chev_Chelios Күн бұрын
@@AudioholicsI’m just goofing on him and his attempt to trash Danny. 😂
@robertj1701
@robertj1701 Күн бұрын
As the founder of two loudspeaker manufacturers in the early 2000s; I must say, excellent commentary!
@illogicman
@illogicman 2 күн бұрын
I dont have to much to say about crossovers, but I just want to give a compliment - Your experience and knowledge for all things audio and the way you verbalize and present it all to us all are just top notch! You have a way of saying the things and details I actually wonder about, that not all youtube creators within the audio world do. Also, i.m.o. the most trustworthy one out there. Love your work, Gene.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Thank you so much. Your compliment made my day in the face of this nasty hurricane about to wreck havoc on us. ✌️
@illogicman
@illogicman 2 күн бұрын
I see they are evacuating over there in Florida. Crazy hurricane. Be safe!
@Audiomainia2310
@Audiomainia2310 2 күн бұрын
​@@Audioholics Stay safe Gene.
@KristiWright
@KristiWright Күн бұрын
Gene, thank you for linking to our Fundraiser. Any opportunity to get more eyeballs on it to help people in need is appreciated! You and Berta stay safe.
@Artcore103
@Artcore103 2 күн бұрын
YES go deeper, get technical, bring on guests. This topic greatly interests me. I appreciate GR's channel and I think he has great products. Sometimes he redesigns a crossover, i.e. he uses different values, so in that case obviously it can make a huge difference. As for parts quality, I remain somewhat skeptical, but my assumption would be that it can make a small but noticeable difference up to a point... like, moderately good parts are better than super cheap crap... but exotic parts over moderately good ones? I'm not sure. I don't believe in cables like he does, or his tube connectors vs quality binding posts made of a good material, so I think I remain objective but am open to there being actual differences that perhaps we can explain and quantify.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
@@Artcore103 agreed, especially about cables. I will bring on actual design engineers to discuss this topic in further detail if the video response is good. Thanks
@Nightjar726
@Nightjar726 2 күн бұрын
@@Artcore103 yeah Danny obviously knows what he is doing. But he omits obvious details which more knowledgeable people know, such as parts tolerances and values. It’s not just about ‘ cheesy parts’ as he says. And from messing around making my own crossover , you can’t really hear some things even if they are visually bad in measurements. While other things we can hear, which we can see in measurements. Such as phase. Having the crossover areas be phase coherent is important. But not immediately apparent to an average listener. It’s more apparent while listening off axis and makes the sweet spot larger and more forgiving.
@azar3006
@azar3006 2 күн бұрын
This is not a question for me anymore. I upgraded my 30 year old cheap speakers crossover and terminals in one speaker first and played them together, the difference was astonishing. After upgrading both speakers my newly purchased speakers went back into their box !
@paulgyro
@paulgyro 2 күн бұрын
​@@azar3006can you share the details of your speaker and the upgrade?
@Audiomainia2310
@Audiomainia2310 2 күн бұрын
I've seen KEF Q Series speakers rated at 4 ohms but dipping to 1.9 ohms at 1800 kh - I've been informed these series from KEF are manufactured in China, whereas the Reference series are manufactured in the UK
@AmmoDude
@AmmoDude 2 күн бұрын
Good presentation. I rebuild a lot of vintage speaker crossovers. Yes, I remove the cheap/aging caps, low quality resistors and iron core inductors from and replace everything, usually going all poly caps, audio grade wire wound resistors and 18 ga. minimum air core inductors. Sometimes the customer wants a less expensive "fix" so I am not averse to using an electrolytic cap in parallel with the woofer or a good grade iron core inductor in parallel with the tweeter because that component is filtering out to ground, not going to the speaker. I also use the old JBL "trick" of adding a .01 uF bypass cap (connected in parallel) on the in series caps of the tweeter and mid range drivers. For example, if the circuit calls for a 5 uF cap, I connect the .01 uF bypass cap to the 5 uF cap in parallel, making the value of that filter 5.01uF. I think it helps with clarity and crispness of sound. Quality of parts also matters. I did a total mod/rebuilt on a pair of Klipsch RF7's for $300. He asked, when I gave him the estimate, "is that the highest quality parts you can get?" Um, no, so I gave him an estimate for the highest quality parts available and the rebuild for the caps alone was $500, for one speaker. He opted for the $300 rebuild and is extremely please with the results. Cheers!
@amghawgless
@amghawgless 2 күн бұрын
finally crossovers explained properly , what the different parts do and how the quality changes things, well done
@JR-ho5qm
@JR-ho5qm 2 күн бұрын
Danny helped me with my crossovers for my CerwinVega! Speakers. They are a modern model so they have quite a few parts in them. Not like the Vegas from the 70s. Mentioned in this video. lol! I just did point to point wired with higher quality level matched equal value parts and also eliminated the fuse path and the results are fantastic! I also have to say the project was extremely fun and really took my passion for audio to another level. I’m currently anxiously waiting for a new speaker to come to market so I can do it all over again. It’s so cool knowing you are getting the best out of your speakers. I’m looking forward to more of this content. Gene it would probably work best if you sent Danny a speaker he could measure and send you the parts to upgrade, and you could evaluate and give us your thoughts. 👍🏻🔈
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
The Cerwin Vega's I mentioned in this video where from the 1980s. The Model was the D-2. I should probably be more kind to them as I was in love with those woofers back in the day. They gave me a year or two of solid bass and decent sound until I got the upgrade bug and the rest was history ;)
@JR-ho5qm
@JR-ho5qm 2 күн бұрын
@@Audioholics right on! CerwinVega! Got me into audio in the 90s. That’s why I still have a pair and decided to make them as good as I could. It took good crossovers and lots of dampening. They responded well to the modifications and now are a really fun speaker. 👍🏻
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
@@JR-ho5qm As a teenager, I drooled over a pair of AT-12s. I would honestly love to get a set in and tweak them and give a good listen. I'd put some no-res in the cabinets, and work on those crossovers to replace the junk parts and control the woofer break up modes.
@JR-ho5qm
@JR-ho5qm 2 күн бұрын
@@Audioholics haha! I was going to say that would be great content for the channel. I would recommend either the At12 or VS120 or even the AT15 or VS150. They are much better bones to start with compared to your older 2 way horn jobbie. I think you should do it! For old time sakes! Find a really nice pair and go with it. The No-Rez helps lots along with some bracing. I also made granite slabs with Sorbothane for the speakers to sit on. The bass now is actually pretty good quality. Lots of fun! I hope you do it!
@richarddortch6122
@richarddortch6122 2 күн бұрын
YES! I'm Very Interested in a deeper dive. I think that if your speaker has good flat response with cheap crossover components then a like for like upgrade makes perfect sense. If the response is messed up then it really needs a better design. If the speaker sounds nice but you want more detail in the reproduction then upgrading parts makes total sense. I did a like for like upgrade on my 1978 Technics SB-X50's and it is absolutely amazing in the detail and imaging.
@JR-ho5qm
@JR-ho5qm 2 күн бұрын
Absolutely parts matter! and absolutely please make more content like this. This needs to be settled once and for all!
@LunarLightLtd1
@LunarLightLtd1 2 күн бұрын
My two cents: a properly designed crossover with cheap parts will far outweigh a poor design with great parts. But I will say a great design with great parts is really magical. I've AB tested plenty and I stand by my comment.
@rickg8015
@rickg8015 2 күн бұрын
@@LunarLightLtd1 💯 I agree..
@memcdm
@memcdm 2 күн бұрын
Yes indeed! The design must be great or nothing will sound right. Quality parts can made a good design a bit better. The problem is there are many design issues to resolve in any design and your "upgrade" might made things worse. You might change tonal balance, phase issues, time alignment and who knows what else. Then.... who can you trust thay actually knows what doing as well as what the original design engineer was trying to accomplish????
@paulgyro
@paulgyro 2 күн бұрын
@@LunarLightLtd1 I think you nailed it, and the order of priorities. Good engineering first, top tier parts second.
@LunarLightLtd1
@LunarLightLtd1 2 күн бұрын
@@memcdm I understand your skepticism but you're overthinking it. If you start with a great design then upgrade the parts you're not magically changing phase, tonal balance, or time alignment. If you disagree, back up your claim with measurements. I just haven't seen it. In my experience, better parts don't change the frequency response drastically (at worst it might be 0.5dB more efficient in some spots), but it improves distortion characteristics and impulse response. This translates to better transients and more naturalness that you'd expect from a Hi-Fi speaker. Once we can agree there, then we can talk about some real fun stuff that can't be measured like texture, imaging, and soundstage characteristics.
@BoRerunn
@BoRerunn 2 күн бұрын
How would you know
@brianaustin8136
@brianaustin8136 2 күн бұрын
Would love to see audioholics goto Dannny Richie's compound and check out some of his custom speakers!
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
That would be fun. But, I'd love to see Danny submit his products for 3rd party verification too ;)
@brucermarino
@brucermarino 2 күн бұрын
Thank you for another dose of audio sanity! The more technical the better. Great work!
@seanb3303
@seanb3303 Күн бұрын
It’s surprising that Andrew Robinson has double the subscribers. This was a much better explanation than what Andrew and his wife offered up on this topic.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics Күн бұрын
His video production is off the charts and hard to compete with.
@kevinroosa1315
@kevinroosa1315 2 күн бұрын
Been designing crossovers for the past decade or so (both 2- and 3-way designs). Parts absolutely do matter for squeezing out the best sound possible. However, those good parts won't fix poor execution. (The Tangent TM-1 comes to mind here.) Side note, impedance is very, very underrated in loudspeaker design. Poor impedance = poor phase control = poor linearity.
@Nightjar726
@Nightjar726 2 күн бұрын
For myself yeah it made a difference and was worth it. I love to learn and get hands on my audio gear. So I took out the factory crossover in my speakers and made a copy of it as an external xo so I don’t ruin the original xo. Mind you I measured all the parts to make sure the replacements I got were the exact same and also contacted the manufacturer to make sure the values were accurate. It made a difference but I think that is because I used better tolerance parts. The air core inductors did make a difference from the iron cores in the factory xo. I then re designed the crossover after I took months learning how to take quasi anechoic measurements. After a few iterations and help from pros, I made a phase coherent xo with 4th order crossovers which really made a difference. It’s all completely reversible and was some of the best fun I’ve ever had. I would like to see some more scientific experiments on if people can hear the differences in capacitors in crossovers. I did it myself with using clips in my xo and I could hear some diff. But I didn’t do it double blind. But it would be nice to see if , with all things being equal, the caps capacitance and resistance being equal if there is a diff in sound. By changing them out with clips. Cheers! Great vids. Mind you my speakers weren’t cheap! Lol
@AndrewB23
@AndrewB23 2 күн бұрын
Why did you keep the speaker instead of returning them if you didn't like them since you wanted something more from them
@Nightjar726
@Nightjar726 2 күн бұрын
@@AndrewB23 I did like them. Pardon I thought I explained that. The speakers I have I liked , but were also a means to learn and have fun. So that increased their value for me. If I just got another pair of speakers I wouldn’t have learned a thing and had fun. It also gave me a much better measuring and sounding pair of speakers. I could buy a better pair, but I want to build my own. Because once again that will offer me an awesome experience in both learning and the end result. Also, I think I mentioned that I can put these back to stock and sell them if I want. Nothing has been altered in a way to spoil the original xo. Hope that made more sense
@JR-ho5qm
@JR-ho5qm 2 күн бұрын
@@Nightjar726I couldn’t agree with you more! I also had a blast replacing my crossovers with higher quality parts equal value. It’s so nice bringing the best out of your speakers
@Nightjar726
@Nightjar726 2 күн бұрын
@@JR-ho5qm yeah, you just have to pay attention to the values and DCR and do some measurements to make sure things are good. A newly designed crossover take more work of course. But I started with just copying the existing crossover. Good deal man
@adamyelle4901
@adamyelle4901 2 күн бұрын
Danny crushed it with the upgrade for my Klipsch rp600m's - the first version. Bought them as the result of the youtube reviewer hype train and wasn't impressed. His upgrade was a game changer for those speakers in particular.
@sagi_tech_n_stuff
@sagi_tech_n_stuff 2 күн бұрын
What was the game changer though? 🤔
@crazydwarfer
@crazydwarfer 2 күн бұрын
Great to hear that. Of course, you will be able to identify those night and day differences in a double blind listening test? :)
@LunarLightLtd1
@LunarLightLtd1 2 күн бұрын
@@sagi_tech_n_stuff if you watched Danny's video (I'm guessing you didn't) correcting the phase integration between drivers alone will cause a drastic improvement. Klipsch's original design was abysmal and had a huge null at the crossover point. That alone is a game changer and that's just one aspect of the upgrade. It only gets better from there.
@BoredSilly666
@BoredSilly666 2 күн бұрын
Id love to see a video of Gene visiting GR Research and film his reactions to cables etc
@RennieAsh
@RennieAsh 2 күн бұрын
@@crazydwarfer Danny sells a revised crossover with real differences, then says that it's the parts quality that makes the difference, and people buy it. You could get most of the benefits with cheaper parts imo. But I guess that's not good for business
@IliyaOsnovikov
@IliyaOsnovikov 2 күн бұрын
I would like to see the numbers for a harmonic distortion before and after crossover upgrade with hight quality parts of the original values.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Agreed that would be a great comparison.
@MechAdv
@MechAdv 2 күн бұрын
There have been a few speakers that Danny of GR research said that the crossovers were as well designed as they could be, and he was just going to upgrade the parts quality and add “tube connectors” for the owner. It would be amazing to see a Klippel spin on one of those. I was always confused why he would even offer an upgrade when he even admits that the speaker sounds amazing, but Man’s gonna make his bread, I guess.
@bbfoto7248
@bbfoto7248 2 күн бұрын
@@MechAdv It's a Profit Organization.
@paulb4661
@paulb4661 Күн бұрын
Speakers' inherent THD falls between 0.1 and tens of percent at the lower end of the spectrum, dense forest to start with, when looking for that twig.
@todd8155
@todd8155 Күн бұрын
I think it's a disservice to attribute Danny's work solely to profit. Ss he has mentioned, the speaker upgrade business is only a small part of their business, about 10%. I think Danny does good work, has good ethics, and has very good hearing skills. That being said, I need to see true double blind tests before buying into esoteric speaker cables, and I doubt the lifting of the cables off of the floors using tinker toys has an audible effect.
@PurpleDreki
@PurpleDreki 2 күн бұрын
Outstanding discussion, Gene! Yes, for more of these discussions! Understanding/designing a good crossover is not a simple undertaking.
@jadasuttle5183
@jadasuttle5183 Күн бұрын
I wasn't sure at first if better parts even mattered but, I was willing to try anything because my Cerwin Vega D9s sounded pretty muffled in the mids and highs. So, I removed and replaced the sand-cast resistors with "Mills" resistors, replaced inductors with thicker strands, replaced electrolytic caps with polypropylene, removed all ferromagnetic material except in the potentiometers, and replaced rear binding post with 5-way ofc post. The speakers are no longer muffled. The mids and highs became nicely detailed, and the sound stage is beautiful with increased stereo separation. I've done 5 sets of my other speakers since then, and haven't been disappointed on any of them...seriously!
@paulgyro
@paulgyro 2 күн бұрын
Gene crazy you brought up this topic as I was just reading your article on this yesterday. I'm currently debating modifying a speaker crossover that uses iron core inductors in the tweeter crossover.
@mpitogo1978
@mpitogo1978 2 күн бұрын
Good topic, if you’ve watched his videos, many are more than just crossover upgrades he actually fixes response and in some cases impedance and resonances. Crossovers are redesigned. Where speakers are designed very well, look at the Polk LSiM 703 video as an example, all he does is put in better replacement components without altering the design.
@IliyaOsnovikov
@IliyaOsnovikov 2 күн бұрын
Danny also uses iron core inductors for woofers in three way designs. As I recall, he said it's OK up to a few hundred Herz.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
@IliyaOsnovikov yea makes sense and torodial cores can be great options, too, w less DCR than air cores. I should have discussed it but I did add a caption text about it.
@JR-ho5qm
@JR-ho5qm 2 күн бұрын
Yes the really big iron core inductors he uses on some woofers are of a high quality. They are shielded or laminated in some way. I used them when I re did the crossovers on my CerwinVega! Speakers and they worked fantastic!
@Anders357
@Anders357 Күн бұрын
People should seriously consider active crossovers if they are building anything high end or expensive themselves. That will also present the opportunity to run DSP or Dirac Live. Cheap option is PA amps with built in X-overs, better option is miniDSP. Active digital crossovers give you full freedom, and removes most cost and snake oil effect from huge coils or esoteric condensators. Active crossovers also removes unwanted effects from passive components between amp and voice coil, with phase shift, loss of power to heat, out of spec components and so forth. If you are just copying others projects, try calculating cost of active vs passive, i think you will be amazed.
@Anthony-l3b1y
@Anthony-l3b1y Күн бұрын
Excellent information. I usually upgrade crossovers on most speakers It's just a passion and an obsession. I am a DIY and just started to upgrade the inductors. Keep adding more information on crossover parts and comment on brands
@getdealtwithquick
@getdealtwithquick 2 күн бұрын
Congrats on 25 years Gene and thanks for continuing to bring value to audio equipment consumers and enthusiats. Personally, I'm skeptical towards GR research but mostly because of the flaws in Danny's measurement process (this is discussed in detail on ASR), NOT because I'm sold that all audible differences are always visible in todays SOTA measurements (100% pure objectivist POV). Also, I do believe him when he says that the upgrades are only a very small part of his revenue. Where I am concerned is altering the voicing of a speaker with upgraded parts because the measurement process has gaps. Some of Danny's updated crossovers made some aspects of the measurements actually worse from what I remember so caution is advised when going down the mod path.
@troymcnett3019
@troymcnett3019 Күн бұрын
I just upgraded my Klipsch 504C center channel Speaker through GR and wow big differences. I have the 600m book shelf and 8000F tower speakers I bought for half price so am going to upgrade them to. They both have issues that Danny has fixed and I have heard the holes in the problems that he has said they have and I am confident that this fix will fix them.
@Lirekay
@Lirekay 2 күн бұрын
Nice video. I appreciate this kind of content. reminds me of the old factual videos you used to make. Feel free to go a little deeper in a series of videos. What do you think about material selection in speaker terminals, for example?
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
non ferrous metals should be used for all connections IMHO. I had to change out alligator clips on my AP test leads when measuring a very low distortion amplifier to get the most accurate results.
@HiFiMods
@HiFiMods Күн бұрын
I'm a DIY guy, bought a DIY kit from Amazon - HiVi Swans 2.2A - 2 way bookshelf speakers (w/ Dynaudio drivers) and holy molly do parts matter! Cheap parts like described in the video are there to get it out the door to customers and have it sound decent, but not amazing. Sandcast resistors sound shrill in comparison to Mills resistors and even swapping out air core inductors for thicker gauge air core inductors makes the drivers sound more dynamic, clean/tactile and obviously louder due to lower resistance. So using REW and a calibrated mic is a must. I learned that a flat frequency response (FR) does not always sound great. If a speaker is using cheap parts and has a flat FR +/- 1 dB, it will NEVER have the dynamics, clarity and drive/power as higher quality parts would make it. Just my observation on messing around with my DIY bookshelves for the past year and a half with a cal. mic. I'm finishing it up now, but in the process I wired the tweeter to 1 set of binding posts and the woofer to another and have an active passive crossover outside to try out and swap parts on the fly for testing and listening... that's how you can hear the changes and make changes quickly ;) Danny Richie is a great YT channel to check out, but still need to watch others that actually explain how to do it, if you want to DIY ;) I also ended up swapping out the silk dome tweeters for some High-Res ribbon tweeters and it's crazy clear and pin point accurate now. Some HiFi enthusiasts would be jealous of this $250 pair of bookshelves with $250 worth of high quality parts in it. I considered buying the new SVS Evolution center channel, until I saw what's inside, and I would rather just build one now. But that doesn't mean there's no place for those - just click buy and it's yours, no DIY. But is it HiFi? 🙃
@marclemieux9387
@marclemieux9387 2 күн бұрын
I really enjoyed this video as I watch Danny’s speaker mod videos all the time. One of the things that Danny talks about is that speakers can measure well, but not sound the great, due to the quality of parts in the crossover. He talks about the smear that using poor quality crossover parts can result in despite measuring well. Same for the impact on the soundstage. Better quality parts reduce smear and improve sound stage. Can you speak to that Gene?
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
"Smear " should be measurable. I don't like making claims without quantification.
@todd8155
@todd8155 Күн бұрын
If you can show me the results with true double blind testing, I would accept that even without it being otherwise measurable with current test equipment and technologies
@JohnnyKinsman-ek8qw
@JohnnyKinsman-ek8qw 2 күн бұрын
I just wanted to weigh in here on upgrading speakers. I recently purchased an upgrade for my klipsch rp-280f, which uses the same crossover as the rp-8000, i believe. It was a lot of work, but after i finished them, it was mind-blowing how much better they sound. It was a gr research kit they really know their stuff! Now i want to do all my speakers.... eventually. Gene i just want to thank you for doing this video. Maybe we can have a breakthrough for some of these nay sayers and speaker companies should be taking notes. I didn't have a lot in my speakers the upgrade was about the same price and I'm very happy now.
@bekay3subs
@bekay3subs Күн бұрын
Definitely enjoyed this video and would like to see more like it. Please don't think we viewers are afraid of tech knowledge. It won't be too dry for us. I too join in praying you are safe from hurricane Milton.
@JulioCSolar
@JulioCSolar 2 күн бұрын
You are 100% right. For one I'm an electrical industrial tech. I had to face 3 professors when presenting my final paper, but that's not why I agree with you; it is because what you say it totally makes sense. All of it! Now.... I don't agree with you regarding cables. I can easily hear differences in my system. So much that I've sent speaker cables back to Amazon when I compared them to the cables I bought from GR Research. So, my friend: cables matter.... a lot! Thank you for your videos. I don't remember when I started to follow Audioholics. It is way back!
@richardelliott8352
@richardelliott8352 2 күн бұрын
While I agree that changing any part of a circuit, like the wires, can change the performance of the circuit , any consideration that doesn't factor in the extreme subjectivity of human hearing , will be flawed. people selling you stuff never bring that up, and some audiophiles don't know the science
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
I agree cables matter. It's why I use very low resistance and low inductance speaker cables. The non-sense surrounding the exotic cables and their claims are simply ridiculous. If a cable makes a difference sonically, it can easily be measured why that is the case. Cheers.
@Mikexception
@Mikexception 2 күн бұрын
@@Audioholics I think while deliberating speaker cables people do not notice the problems of amplifier output circuitry They treat it as connected "impedances" which they do not know how to analize. Speaker cables are part of this output I do not hesitate to call a mess. The less is resistance od cables the more significant is so called "quality" of that circuitry which is resulting in own electrical plus mechanical resonances because we have there all needed elements - RLC amd elestic supprted masses and of course reverse induction . To add to mess we need to incorporate in it "skin effect" I do not expect any sense to go much down with cables resistance, for sure avoiding skin effect is gain but I even would try deliberate more resistance - all depends on type of spaeaker - how complicated is crossover and speaker system
@memcdm
@memcdm 2 күн бұрын
Great info on design issues. I have heard much of this hear and there over the years but this puts a lot of information together in one place. Thanks!
@brucermarino
@brucermarino 2 күн бұрын
Advancing the understanding of psychology/sociology and perception would be interesting. Do you remember when we found out through blind listening tests that JBL 100s with the red grilles sounded much better than the ones with any other color. We are all so easily manipulated :) Thanks again for a great channel and great work!
@Mikexception
@Mikexception 2 күн бұрын
Two speakers covred in two colors must sound the same - but up to my experience in most cases they would always sound not the same - speakers which sound the same suppose to be tuned to sound equal - serial from factory are not fully equal.
@brucermarino
@brucermarino 2 күн бұрын
@@Mikexception Thanks Mike. I don't have the citation it must have been 35+ years ago. The point of the exercise was that people judge the sound by the color of the grill not the quality of the sound itself.
@todd8155
@todd8155 Күн бұрын
AudioScienceReview is good for this. I haven't seen them mentioned so far.
@brucermarino
@brucermarino Күн бұрын
@@todd8155 yes. They are great at this.
@brucermarino
@brucermarino Күн бұрын
@@Mikexception Agreed! The point of the test was that the visual cues overwhelmed the sonic ones. Our perception seems to be a complex process and is easily altered. I believe (let me know if I'm wrong here) that this is one reasons Canada's NRC typically does listening tests such that subjects can't see the speakers. ("Blind" testing :) Thanks!
@weduhpeople8504
@weduhpeople8504 Күн бұрын
Active xover through a dsp is better than passive. It seems car audio today is much more advanced than home.
@emmet7208
@emmet7208 2 күн бұрын
As a builder I know better parts equal better sound, the soundstage width and depth improve, subtle nuances become more clear, attack and decay improve, these things may not show up on a measurement though. Just a word to the wise, when upgrading parts for an existing cross-over. It may not yield the best results to just copy the parts straight up. When it comes to replacing an iron core inductor with an air core inductor of the same value, you have to consider the DCR of the inductor, it will be much lower on the iron core and will change the output of the driver it affects slightly, this may require resistors in the system to have to be adjusted to maintain the same response. Just don't stop at cross-over parts, be sure to remove all of the cheap garbage between the amp and drivers, for more info go watch something at GR research! When done right, it will be a larger difference than you were expecting!
@scottwheeler2679
@scottwheeler2679 2 күн бұрын
Being a builder does not make anyone an arbiter of facts. Human experience is a very unreliable source of objective information. You may think you know but I want to see objective data not self proclamations of objective knowledge
@LunarLightLtd1
@LunarLightLtd1 2 күн бұрын
@@scottwheeler2679 objectively, he's correct though. Iron core inductors across the board have lower DCR for the same gauge. If simply replacing the same value for an air core, it'll change the resistance in the signal path and therefore affect the frequency response. As far as his other claims, I can also confirm his experience. Skepticism is great! Always be skeptical of crazy claims especially in the audio world where bias can distort reality. But you've got to be willing to do the work and apply the scientific method. Otherwise, your skepticism is nothing but pessimism.
@scottwheeler2679
@scottwheeler2679 16 сағат бұрын
@@LunarLightLtd1 That isn't replacing parts with "better" parts. That's replacing parts with *different* parts that change the crossover. There is nothing controversial or debated about whether or not things that actually make a change.....actually make a change.
@vishS14
@vishS14 2 күн бұрын
Thanks for sticking up for Danny at GR. Some people just don't understand basic electronics. Yet the same people will pay a lot for snake oil cables.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
I won't defend the usage of exotic/snake oil cables IF the claim is "improved fidelity". I do like audio jewelry when the cables are designed properly and do no harm to the signal.
@carlitomelon4610
@carlitomelon4610 2 күн бұрын
Kimber
@bobkitchin8346
@bobkitchin8346 2 күн бұрын
You commented on using small tolerance parts. One thing that I keep wondering about is the tolerance of the drivers themselves. Electrically and mechanically, how consistent are they over a product's run and lifetime? Does it even make sense to worry about the crossover tolerances, when the drivers themselves have a wide tolerance?
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Yep tolerances matter in drivers too. It's why some companies make their own to ensure QC.
@bartbarelds8454
@bartbarelds8454 Күн бұрын
Great video! I’m a DIY guy and indeed, crossovers matter! You should have a talk with Danny, i’m pretty sure you’ll end up having great talk, great food and allot of fun!
@BobbyBass-x6i
@BobbyBass-x6i Күн бұрын
Gene thanks for the video. Pleas continue to go deep on this topic. It would be great to have you or James do a before the upgrade and after the upgrade review. I’ve seen Danny’s videos and some of the measurements aren’t that different after the upgrade. Would appreciate you sharing your feedback from listening to the changes vs. just measurements. How it sounds is more important to me than how it measures. Looking forward to your follow up.
@sumtingyum
@sumtingyum 2 күн бұрын
Yes please more discussion on crossover Gene. Video on this topic was excellent. I really do think that, one day Danny will be proven right
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
even a broken clock is right twice a day ;)
@cured808
@cured808 2 күн бұрын
Zu offers a cap upgrade on more expensive speaker packages. I upgraded the caps on my Klipsch RP5000f using Auricap XO and it made a significant difference. So much so that I upgraded that to Jantzen Z Superiors and got more of an improvement. Dynamic range and the low end improved. Was like I had new speakers. This was only the caps, not the resistors or inductors.
@ChipCoffey-o9t
@ChipCoffey-o9t 2 күн бұрын
Fantastic video Gene. Excellent presentation, truly informative and technically on point as we’d expect from Audioholics. Thank you!
@SwirlingDragonMist
@SwirlingDragonMist 2 күн бұрын
As a cobbler of speaker sets, I cobble together sets of towers from various used marketplaces. I use a multi color sticker sheet to label them so I can discern what pairs came along together. That way if one set was worn out or abused I can weed them out together, or pair them with their kin which have the same degree of use, hoping they mechanically loosened together at the same rate. Or that the manufacturer paired them based on their variance, like matched pairs of tubes. I’ve been meaning to get some kind of testing gear to help match pairs and detect discrepancies and bad-apples. When having many of the same speaker, and following the philosophy of pursuing identical timbral matching, one naturally thinks on upgrading all of their crossovers together to bring them into even closer tolerances. Cobbling sets together like this is easier with budget speakers, because there’s simply more of them in the marketplace. Lending them to upgrade potential, and a home hobby assembly line of soldering in a new capacitor. But dropping in a whole new board is rather appealing. I feel that the engineers finely tune crossovers to the resonant character of the drivers, so I’m skeptical of any mod being a net benefit, but I also feel that if the capacitor was lower resistance and the tweeter became louder, that the room correction software would account for that, while also having the benefits of lower resistance with crisper transients and micro dynamics. Sean Casey’s Zu speakers take a philosophy of having very high sensitivity and minimalistic crossovers with sometimes 1 or 2 parts. So a lower resistance crossover may play into that same philosophy in a way that some people prefer. But it’s hard to tell how much damping in the crossover is there to tame driver resonances. One benefit of the Infinity Primus, is they have anodized constrained layer damping CMD like the CMMD Beta series much like modern Revels and I suspect like RBH’s aluminum cones have too. So the cones themselves have allot of inherent damping of resonances, which maybe would lend themselves to running loose with a more permissive crossover. Exotic Material science has always been a fun consideration for me, but most companies have similar philosophies and engineering goals in respect to weight and damping, but still fun to think about, especially when a speaker pursues an alternative design philosophy or has something truly exceptional.
@edgewound
@edgewound 21 сағат бұрын
Great, lucid video, Gene. I think the best crossover mod with most mid+ market speakers is simply replacing the caps...especially if old... with better quality caps. Spending several hundred dollars on a new crossover for a $1000 system makes no sense to me. Just buy better speakers to begin with. Most speakers worth buying simply are not "a disaster". Same with thousands of dollars worth of cables.😉
@peternemeth4947
@peternemeth4947 2 күн бұрын
Would enjoy getting deeper into the crossover subject!!
@glenncurry3041
@glenncurry3041 Күн бұрын
Danny has an open invite best I remember for exactly that. He was welcoming anyone of interest to come by and go through such comparisons. I'm sure it depends on timing of speakers that came in.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics Күн бұрын
Yea it's a nice offer but I only travel when absolutely necessary due to schedule and taking care of family. The door is always open on my end for product sample submissions though.
@Rockit66
@Rockit66 Күн бұрын
I have not ventured into the land of measurements much yet, but I see that it can be useful when treating rooms. Anyway, I have done an upgrade for a pair of klipsch RP600 M MkI that Danny Richie engineered the crossover for. The my impression at first listen was that it sounded like the volume was lower. It might also be the case as the impedance was lower after the upgrade, but after some months of listening I can confirm that it was the correct choice for me. Many might say that the original sound of the speaker was demolished in the process and it does not sound like a klipsch anymore. Well, one thing is for sure: I can now listen to it at a high volume for more than 15 minutes. Before it felt like my ears had been at a concert, and I had listening fatigue. The sound overall sounded a lot more quiet. By that I mean there must have been a lot more distortion than what I initially thought before the upgrade. I essentially bought the upgrade cause reviews of them gave me the impression that the sound would cover the sound-spectre properly as the original sound from the speakers was not only overly bright, but guitars in my metal music always sounded like they were in the back row. I was correct, and now the speakers show me all the instruments and sounds in the correct space. (I base this on having used a headset a lot) Since then I have moved on to GR's own speakers, and it has just gotten better, and I have also treated my room and upgraded the stereo system, and the speakers just keep on giving. I acknowledge that speaker manufacturers often put their own signature sound in speakers, which can be fun, but can also be damaging to some music. I can at least confirm that no music on these speakers sound bad. They work with all recordings good and bad. After getting more listening sound and working more on placement and acoustics, I also noticed that these speakers have a lot more details and can make a wall of sound rather than just coming from the speakers. So it feels familiar with many of the things you mention in this video. All in all, I do think parts matter, but there is a point when you need a more trained ear to pick up on the differences. But there are also some things that you can hear instantly. Many say that sound is subjective, but I think it also has a lot to do with what you can hear and how trained your ears are. Some that care only about vocals might not notice guitars being further back for instance, and som may only listen to classical music, and therefore not ever notice what a speaker can not do as they are only playing things that sound good in a certain spectre of music. Anyway, I can keep going on and on with experiences and conclusions made over the years, but I fully support upgrades. I do admit that some speakers may not need it as the fun part about them might be gone after, but in GR's defence, it will undoubtedly not be bad, and you might get some extra features that you can only get with more expensive speakers. Just as long as you know what to listen for.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics Күн бұрын
Yep he traded sensitivity for a more balanced sound. Most Klipsch speakers tend to be on the brighter side in terms of tonality.
@samuellord8576
@samuellord8576 2 күн бұрын
Outstanding video covering all or nearly all aspects of loudspeakers. Nice work!
@genecase9464
@genecase9464 2 күн бұрын
I think upgading would depend on how much you paid for them, how long you intend to keep them and what they are worth to YOU. I bought a pair of Mordaunt-Short Aviano 6 small tower speakers for $100 off Craigslist a few years ago and they're one of the best sounding speakers I've heard as-is. And I plan on keeping them for many, many years and with the cost of just replacing the crossover parts (on the Aviano 5 center channel as well) with better quality items I'd still be way better off then spending $$$ trying to find something "off the shelf" that might sound as good or better. BTW, I enjoy watching GR Research video's, and Paul's from PS Audio. Don't agree with everything they say or do but i've learned a lot and like seeing whats inside these things and hearing their opinions on this stuff.
@westonsanaee8269
@westonsanaee8269 Күн бұрын
No mention of any blind A/B/X testing to see if people can ACTUALLY hear the difference.... probably because they can't. Would love to see a video of A/B/X testing with varying grades of crossover components!!
@Loki76888
@Loki76888 2 күн бұрын
71 years old ears need upgrading. 😊
@charlessailer4580
@charlessailer4580 2 күн бұрын
LOL. I have tinnitus, I don't know why I even bother upgrading the speakers.
@GeneA.69
@GeneA.69 2 сағат бұрын
Quality parts absolutely matter as Gene said, that’s really a no brainer but each person has to judge for themselves wether it’s cost effective to upgrade the guts or if you really don’t like the speakers enough that it’s time to sell them and move on. As for me, I ALWAYS go a lil extra on my budget as best as I can and then if I need to fine tune the sound I’ll make the adjustments in the EQ and find the sound that’s the most pleasing to me. A perfect example is I have the Klipsch RP 8000f v1 which is a great speaker but for me is a lil to bight and a lil light in the mids. Do I spend a bunch of money for the internal upgrades to fix my dilemma or EQ the sound I’m looking for? I’ll just EQ in the sound and save hundreds on the upgrades and still have the same awesome speakers I bought in the 1st place 😎🤘Another great video Gene, thank you for making it!
@abelabner
@abelabner 2 күн бұрын
Yes geek out on electronics on crossover parts videos please!!!
@bearclaw5115
@bearclaw5115 2 күн бұрын
You really couldn't upgrade this video, excellent presentation on the topic. Thanks!
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Very kind and I will plan on doing more with greater detail and focus in the near future.
@hifitommy
@hifitommy 2 күн бұрын
back in the 70s. my friend had thebig IMF Monitor IIIs, a four way tapered TL speaker that was flat to 16Hz with excellent staging and imaging. Bud Fried offered an upgrade xover card that when installed transformed the sound to near electrostatic speed. just wonderful. so, yes it is worth it.
@RobertCookcx
@RobertCookcx 19 сағат бұрын
Parts do matter. Since our audio memory is so short, you have to do an A/B blind test to confirm it. My son and I bought two pairs of the Sony SS SCS5 and upgraded one set with the GR Research kit (sonicaps) and left the other stock. The difference was night and day in A/B comparison. But even the stock Sony's sound good with their cheap parts. Bottom line is, audio is not like cars, or colors. We have limited ability to remember sound and if you are happy with your sand resistors and electrolytic caps, roll with it. But if you want the best your drivers have to offer, upgrade the parts and have fun doing it. Don't need to argue either vantage. That's the hobby man.
@Tsxtasy1
@Tsxtasy1 Күн бұрын
I would really appreciate a more in-depth series. I understand that part quality does not affect measurements but does improve soundstage and presentation. How does this work?
@robo2901
@robo2901 2 күн бұрын
I bought the GR research kits for my Klipsch 600m2s and RF7s and the difference is pretty profound.
@adrianegowski5012
@adrianegowski5012 Күн бұрын
Iron core makes sense with low pass filters. Especially when cutoff frq. is low. With air core resistance becomes issue. Obviously digital makes most sense ;)
@toddstewart4579
@toddstewart4579 Күн бұрын
I made this suggestion to Danny years ago. He was sitting behind a table full of components, insisting ancient parts are better than newer parts. I asked if you’d be willing to compare some stuff on an Oscope since he already had it all right in front of him. He was less than interested in testing his claims.
@bayard1332
@bayard1332 2 күн бұрын
I just made new crossovers for 2 speakers, an open baffle set I designed and built and a set of B&W 603 s3's. In both cases the improvements are pretty darned epic. Yes, parts matter. Once you get involved with high end capacitors you'll never want to go back. Iron core inductors are rubbish for sound.
@Mike-jm5wt
@Mike-jm5wt 2 күн бұрын
There's a company called VR3 mods selling a complete upgrade for my Polk LSi15s but the kit costs twice as much as what I paid for the speakers. I love these speakers but I don't see how the crossover components can make that much of a difference compared to the woofers, midrange drivers, tweeter, and cabinet.
@xavdeman
@xavdeman 2 күн бұрын
And don't forget the effect of the room itself (and a lack of room treatment), which dominate the bass. Or the effect of something as simple as a (partial) port plug to reduce the boomieness of the bass.
@leonsam12
@leonsam12 Күн бұрын
People bash Danny, but what he does makes total sense, major speaker companies come out with a new speaker, and then years later they put out the exact same speakers with upgraded crossovers and sell them at a higher price, or their next level speakers are still the same but with upgraded crossovers, just look at sonus faber Lumina and the Sonetto, same speakers, different crossovers 🤔
@christopherwilson6825
@christopherwilson6825 2 күн бұрын
Awesome video . This topic is a very interesting one. For me I have a pair of Polk audio monitor 70 series 2 and when it comes to upgrading or even putting in the same value parts, what I learned from Danny from Gene is that is it worth doing these type things.. for me it was a project to see if it was true to upgrade my parts or to leave it as is. With me I'm not saying I have a golden ear no. But when something does not sound right , I tend to figure out the problem. It's worth it to upgrade the speaker if I feel as though it's worth it. If I think it has more potential I will do the upgrade to the parts is only as the same values , And let me tell you it sounds amazing. With the tolerances it is tighter what is just right for me. There was a little bit of a change with the Tweeter. But with the tolerances of my ears it was perfect for me.
@robh9079
@robh9079 Күн бұрын
In upgrading parts modestly (ie swapping a few aging electrolytics to modest mpk's) I suspect the differences created by differing esr etc are compensated for by improved tolerances - particularly in having the advantage that both speakers will likely be giving a more similar response.
@tedbedwell6686
@tedbedwell6686 Күн бұрын
Please do some episodes that will drive us toward a good mental model for crossover function and component selection.
@bayard1332
@bayard1332 2 күн бұрын
A super high end bypass cap on the tweeter circuit is the cherry on top of a well done crossover.... and is a somewhat economically viable way to get some of the super high end capacitor magic.
@shaneb0422
@shaneb0422 2 күн бұрын
You can’t get too technical. Guests from the manufacturing side is also awesome idea. I’ve also always wondered why there are so many drivers for similarly sized speakers, what do companies hope to gain by designing their own drivers in house when some off the shelf parts have really good performance.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
QC can be one reason. The other, is to distinguish themselves from the competition. In many cases, manufacturers that claim they "design their own drivers" often use the major driver companies and request slight cosmetic or electrical mods to suite their purpose.
@louiesipes2257
@louiesipes2257 2 күн бұрын
Less parts needed the better. Better engineered drivers don’t need as many parts, 1st order being the least. B&W’s latest 805 uses one. SB Acoustics makes some very linear high quality but inexpensive drivers. When CO’s have to throw more parts in the crossover to tame unlinearity in the driver it sucks the life from a loudspeaker. JMO. Good video Gene.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Actually, 1st order crossovers topically aren't the best for loudspeakers to achieve high power handling. It's a good topic to further explore.
@louiesipes2257
@louiesipes2257 2 күн бұрын
@@Audioholics I don’t listen above 85db so….
@TheodoreBreaux
@TheodoreBreaux 2 күн бұрын
Duplicating the OE crossovers from scratch using a reasonable grade of parts (e.g. air cores, Jantzen Superior Z caps, etc.) can easily exceed the purchase price of the speakers. Having performed this exercise with 3-way towers I really like, the results were even better than expected and proved money well spent. I could never go back. I was fortunate enough to have an OE design with even response curve and devoid of obvious flaws, but the real value in the service Danny provides isn't as much in the parts as it is the time and expertise invested to address what are sometimes glaring design shortcomings in OE crossovers.
@NotSure723
@NotSure723 Күн бұрын
Danny does use iron core inductors sometimes, like on the Klipsch RP-8000F's bass driver. He says it's okay when the crossover point is
@NotSure723
@NotSure723 12 сағат бұрын
Yes, please do more objective/evidence based videos on each component; caps, inductors, resistors. Thank you.
@rrd1975
@rrd1975 2 күн бұрын
I've got a pair of Infinity Quantum 4 speakers that I purchased way back in 1978, over 46 years ago. These speakers provided me with many years of listening pleasure, and in 1996 I had the Watkins dual-drive woofers refoamed. The EMIT tweeters and dome midrange drivers are in good shape, but now I'm concerned about the 46 year old crossover parts. Several years ago, I contacted Watkins Engineering to inquire about the crossover and get some advice concerning replacement or repair. The good folks at Watkins Engineering told me that the elderly crossover should still be good, but I'm skeptical. I'm pretty sure that the parts used for the Infinity Quantum 4 crossovers are not top self', but what do you think? Thank you for this excellent presentation.
@andyreichert499
@andyreichert499 2 күн бұрын
I would love to try before and after upgrades. I don't think I'd do it on my main system, but maybe for my office system, where everything's a bit cheaper and not quite as much at risk.
@adsph
@adsph 2 күн бұрын
Gene you bring up valid points as usual. More in depth would be welcomed. Thank you.
@TMERUNNR
@TMERUNNR Күн бұрын
It would be fun to have Gene come to Texas and do a collaboration with Danny at GR Research. I believe Gene would be impressed with Danny and his staff plus he'd get to eat some damn good Texas BBQ!!!
@Cakebattered
@Cakebattered Күн бұрын
Designed and built a pair of speakers during the pandemics and A/B tested the same crossover schemstic but different quality of parts and couldnt tell the difference. The key was making sure even the cheap components were matched well. cheap caps have low tolerances.
@norbac
@norbac 2 күн бұрын
Thank you so much Gene! This is exactly the one burning question I've had for a long time! I've been watching Danny's videos too, but quite frankly I wasn't that convinced. However, thanks to your video and explanation now I have a better idea of the real value of a good crossover network design. I own quite a few Klipsch speakers at home, but I'm still debating whether or not to upgrade them given their price point. Would it be worth spending upwards of $600 upgrade for a pair of Klipsch RF 800 II? Not sure, but then again, thank you so much for the valuable info!
@Kami84
@Kami84 2 күн бұрын
Can you list some speaker companies that tend to use quality parts relative to the price of the speaker? Is it true that a lot of expensive speaker companies use cheap parts?
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
RBH Sound, Perlisten, Philharmonic, Dali, Focal, Legacy Audio, Arendal, Sonus Faber, etc. Yes some of the big brands can use cheap parts in mass produced designs. Sometimes to their determent and other times, not so much.
@Olk940
@Olk940 Күн бұрын
JTR, PSA use good parts.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics Күн бұрын
@@Olk940 definitely JTR crossovers and drivers are top notch.
@davidani1997
@davidani1997 Күн бұрын
Thank you. Loved this video. I’d like to see more like this
@WillyLax24
@WillyLax24 2 күн бұрын
One of the things that I believe is often missed when people talk about upgrading speakers is the fact that there are many people, like myself, that just enjoy doing these type of upgrades ourselves. Just like I also enjoy modifying my car. Sure, I could’ve bought a more expensive car, but I like the process of making something mine. I also fully understand that a lot of people don’t want to be bothered with doing it themselves, in which case it would clearly make sense to simply buy the better speaker or better car in the first place. Just don’t discount the fact that there are a lot of people that actually like the modification process. In the Car world there is a. saying, “better built than bought”.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Great point! Reminds me when I used to play Star Trek Legacy, and I'd modified the old era ahips and took them up against the new ones.
@kevindeem7174
@kevindeem7174 Күн бұрын
A old pair of Jenson 3 way speakers had a Potentialmeter and 2 Electrolytic caps that was it for a 3 way design
@Avayahs_vids
@Avayahs_vids 2 күн бұрын
Yes do more please
@BostonMike68
@BostonMike68 2 күн бұрын
Gr research does use a iron core inductor on the woofer on the brute. In his defense he said under 200 hz it doesn't make a difference and I have seen other designers say the same thing. I myself spend the money on big air Cole on my diy just because I just don't want to take a chance but they are expensive especially when you use 14 gauge iron core inductors . I have been designing and building my own speakers and I use good components, including,wire and silver lead free solder. A 4 ohm tweeter with an 8 ohm mid doesn't matter you just need to attenuate with an L pad so it matches spl even 8 ohm tweeters usually have an higher spl than a mid woofer.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
There's nothing wrong with using an iron core on a bass driver. In fact, if you get a torodial inductor, you can often get higher value, less DCR parts than the air core equivalent in a smaller package. I probably should have made that point more clearly in my video.
@BostonMike68
@BostonMike68 2 күн бұрын
@@Audioholics it's a lot of information to cover in a short video, but you did a good job. I think everyone learned something and that's what counts.
@ccdccd8615
@ccdccd8615 2 күн бұрын
My speakers have a passive crossover between the tweeter and midrange. There are 4 parts per channel and is composed of a Goertz Copper Foil 14 gauge inductor, a Mundorf Evo Oil capacitor and 2 Mundorf 10W MOX resistors. There is an electronic crossover to the woofers which is done by a MiniDSP SHD. The crossover was professionally designed as I had more sense than to try it on my own. My sense is that these are good quality parts. The speaker is a modification of a professional design which was entirely passive.
@NosEL34
@NosEL34 Күн бұрын
I cant speak for crossovers but I've done quite a few "upgrades" in parts with stereo electrical components... mostly tube amps/preamps. First off there are good proper spec components & then boutique type stuff. What I've noticed is that the better the original circuit topology the less i notice when trying a $150 cap/$15 resistor vs say a quality Cornel Dubilier/CF Vishay. You can spend over a grand quick in parts & leave yourself wondering was it even worth it? With a basic or simple circuit, electrolytic heavy, no name parts type component you can put a few V-caps & basic good quality parts & notice a lower noise floor, better bass, less grain. I assume speakers are probably close to the same. I definitely feel parts can better your SQ...but be smart about it. Sometimes its better to sell what you have & put that $ with your upgrade money & buy something else. Just my opinion
@empoweryou1
@empoweryou1 2 күн бұрын
Love me some Dennis Murphy products!!
@memcdm
@memcdm 2 күн бұрын
Yes sir! Great sounding with priced not in outer space. I am not impressed by speakers thay sound good at 16k. 32k, 100000k or more. Making a good speaker with cost no object is far easier that building something that sounds very good at a cost working stiffs can actually afford. Remember! There are no perfect aoeakers.
@empoweryou1
@empoweryou1 2 күн бұрын
@@memcdm I've been eyeing his BMR floorstanders. I currently have Salk SC Songtowers and I think Dennis designed the crossovers in those.
@jstpsgthru
@jstpsgthru Күн бұрын
I really think you should have shown us examples of well-built speakers in several price ranges.
@vicg5323
@vicg5323 2 күн бұрын
I was hoping the discussion would cover how a cap or inductor or resistor would improve the audio and if the improvement is identifiable.
@donjaun540
@donjaun540 2 күн бұрын
Gene unless the speakers you are trying to mod are a family treasure, I feel it's a waste of money. Sell your speakers and buy speakers you've heard and like that of course you can afford. 👍
@petertreyde3212
@petertreyde3212 2 күн бұрын
It would be interesting to have a discussion comparing the performance of electronic crossovers v passive crossovers. I think a lot of people are using electronic crossovers in active speaker systems. I cant see any advantages from using/upgrading passive crossovers, but perhaps I am missing something.
@johnlipp4936
@johnlipp4936 2 күн бұрын
I bought the C-NOTE kit from PE. The stock cross over did not measure like the advertisement. It let the mid play too close to its breakup, so it sounded very harsh in the upper mid-range. I ended up lowering the crossover point and increased the order (steeper slopes). Sounded much better (did some A/B testing). This was during COVID, so ended up with an iron core inductor in the mid-range circuit :-( The new cross over was more expensive than the kit...
@VonMagXL
@VonMagXL Күн бұрын
I thought crossover upgrades would mean a discussion on moving a speaker to active crossovers, not electronic parts. I went active with my Carver AL-III ribbons in 1998 and never looked back. No electrolytic caps to replace, double "effective" efficiency and with two amps, essentially quadruple the power I had before. Other than tightening the ribbons a couple of times and replacing one woofer a couple ofyyears ago, they're still going strong 29 years after I bought them in 1995. Fantastic dipole ribbon "in the room with you" imaging and sound with only 10" bass drivers and 48" ribbons handling 26Hz to 20kHz. Bass in my current house is +/- 2.5dB with no correction, only passive room treatments. It's a fully analog path for the turntable with a Carver C5 Sonic Holography preamp with remote motor volume control. I've recently added a Lexicon DC-1 surround controller and Klipsch surrounds and rears for Logic 7 operation and now music can play 360 with a fully natural sound. Duran Duran's Danse Macabre Atmos version sounds amazing with Logic 7 DD playback. It's not quite the experience as my 11.1.8 home theater downstairs, but still sounds amazing.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics Күн бұрын
Active is a topic I'm very fond of as I own 2 sets of fully active DSP speakers and they are the absolute best performers in the house. I did a video about active speakers prior and it didn't do too well. Perhaps we need to keep covering that topic to help people understand the true potential.
@BostonMike68
@BostonMike68 2 күн бұрын
, I have been designing my own speakers and crossovers but I use calibrated microphones , crossover simulators winisd for speaker cabinets, I use 14 and 16 gauge air Coil indicators and I have been using jantzen superior caps for the high pass and the blue jantzen for the low pass. Also a well braced dampened cabinet can be just as important for a well designed speaker. I have my own multiple layer cabinet technique that I am not going to get into but it makes a huge difference in sound quality. So look for a well dampened, braced cabinet.
@Jimsathome
@Jimsathome 2 күн бұрын
Well done Gene. Glad to hear you talk about the in room environment folks should look at first before speaker mods. I posted on Audioholics quite a while ago about getting a GR modified speaker in for your team to analyze, and even had a member volunteer to provide one; but the concept died when no one on your side responded. Some of Danny's engineering makes good sense, but others like Power Cables having a dramatic imp[act, and tube connectors for speakers just make me cringe.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
Danny hasn't been open about sending out his products or his modified designs for 3rd party measurements but we are open to it.
@emmet7208
@emmet7208 2 күн бұрын
Seeing as some people think Danny only does the upgrades to make money, maybe you might want to hear this from some one who doesn't do this for money. If you have a high quality pair of speakers, upgraded with good parts, a well treated room, and some good gear to run it with. You will start to hear the difference between cables and even binding posts, however if you shop at best buy and your couch is your room treatment, you will likely think this is all hog wash! It really does tell people allot about what type of system you have when you think it doesn't, not trying to be rude about it. And at this point some convince themselves of this and leave thinking cables and cross-over parts don't matter, but that is like going from walking to launching a rocket to the moon, there were many steps taken between those two extremes , and if you don't take any steps to better your system, you will not hear the difference!
@Jimsathome
@Jimsathome 2 күн бұрын
@@Audioholics Gene, that's why I found a member who already had his speakers modified by Danny, and was willing to send one to you for testing. As I remember, you'd already done a recent review of the "stock" version.
@Audioholics
@Audioholics 2 күн бұрын
@@emmet7208 i never said Danny only makes money on modding speakers. It doesn't take more than a few dollars/ft to get sonically transparent cables that are sonically indistinguishable in controlled listening tests to the expensive stuff in even the best rooms and best gear.
@cmiddlemiss7656
@cmiddlemiss7656 Күн бұрын
Everyone who follows audio channels wants this more then anything!! Stock vs GR Research. This will get you views and subscribers like the Acolyte did for Star Wars movie reviews!
@grizzly6699
@grizzly6699 2 күн бұрын
More knowledge and discussion on the topic. Yes please. Sounds interesting
@marc-andregagne6826
@marc-andregagne6826 2 күн бұрын
As a fellow E.E., I approve of this video.
MAKING THE CHANGE
50:56
Andrew Robinson
Рет қаралды 2 М.
Best Affordable Vintage Amplifier: DYNACO ST70!
15:30
Steve Guttenberg Audiophiliac
Рет қаралды 896
Kluster Duo #настольныеигры #boardgames #игры #games #настолки #настольные_игры
00:47
Кәсіпқой бокс | Жәнібек Әлімханұлы - Андрей Михайлович
48:57
Зу-зу Күлпаш 2. Бригадир.
43:03
ASTANATV Movie
Рет қаралды 550 М.
Network Acoustics eno2 Streaming System network filtering
12:40
The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel
Рет қаралды 748
Denon AVR-A10H 13.4CH 8K AV Receiver First Look!
8:00
Audioholics
Рет қаралды 10 М.
Single ended or RCA to XLR converter?
4:20
Paul McGowan, PS Audio
Рет қаралды 4,2 М.
Marantz Model 10, SACD 10 & Link 10 Hi-Fi Products Overview
34:28
Buying DIRECT vs. Buying from a DEALER
2:26
Darko Audio
Рет қаралды 1,9 М.
Cello Pallett
20:29
SkyFi Audio
Рет қаралды 436
Arendal Sound 1528 New Loudspeaker Series Details!
27:48
Audioholics
Рет қаралды 12 М.
BREAKING: Trump gets nightmare news from his OWN party
10:17
Brian Tyler Cohen
Рет қаралды 743 М.
Kluster Duo #настольныеигры #boardgames #игры #games #настолки #настольные_игры
00:47