| More Fun with Capacitors [message #64558] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 19:41  |
GarlandB
Messages: 27
Registered: July 2009
Location: Natick, Massachusetts
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Chancellor |
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I've been really enjoying my year old Pi 4s with JBL and B&C drivers. They are a distinct step up from my old Theater 4s, ( although I do sometimes miss the softer romanticism of the larger eminence driven Theater 4 Pis). Keeping with my nearly constant desire to experiment with my DIY gear I recently replaced the polypropylene capacitors in the hi-pass section of the 4 Pis' crossover with a combination of NOS Russian military caps purchased on E-bay. The .47uF by-pass is now FT-3 teflons and the 6.8uF series is a combination of paper in oil KBG (6uF) and FT-3 teflons. The results are worth posting since the improvement in clarity and refinement is significant. The improvement is as great as that going from the Eminence drivers to the JBL and B&C gear. The caps cost about $50, much of which is shipping from Lithuania. The usual descriptions of quality apply, ie. individual violins instead of a mass, individual voices in a chorale, etc. And the soundstage is holographic and easy to listen to. For some reason, even the bass seems more coherent. The speakers, dare I say, dissappear! In my small listening room that is really saying something! Live performances are to die for- so much hall ambience and live sound "pressure" if you know what I mean.
If you want to goose your Pis up a notch for not much mula try these russian caps readily available on the 'Bay.
Thanks as always to Wayne for making these great speaker designs available both as a commercial product but also as a most generous offering to the DIY community!
Regards,
Garland
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| Re: More Fun with Capacitors [message #64560 is a reply to message #64558] |
Tue, 02 November 2010 05:39  |
Bill Epstein
Messages: 1088
Registered: May 2009
Location: Smoky Mts. USA
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Illuminati (2nd Degree) |
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Since I got a Mt. Bike, and now, shudder, a TV, I don't do tweaking anymore. However, having some Russian Teflons and PIOs in my Aikido pre-amp, I know what Mr. Garland is talking about.
My 4Pi crossovers have Obbligato poly as well as oil and Aerovox motor runs for the big cap. I tried other motor runs like GEs and some no-names but Aerovox (they have to be oval and are getting rare) have a unique quality of added detail without being strident.
I haven't been inside the 4Pis since I fixed a loose connection last spring but when the weather gets too bad for riding I may try some of those Rooskie caps; I have some waiting in a box somewhere.
Good to hear from you, Garland. Hi, Wayne. Bye, Steve.
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| Re: More Fun with Our Kids [message #64566 is a reply to message #64565] |
Tue, 02 November 2010 19:02 |
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Wayne Parham
Messages: 18787
Registered: January 2001
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Illuminati (33rd Degree) |
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Jessica is adorable, Bill! I know you're super proud.
--- Sorry to digress from your capacitor thread, Garland. Bill and I are having a Proud Papa moment ---
Here's little Eddie, last Christmas:
And here is is with me, a month ago at the State fair:
In a fit of sentimentalism, I talked my older son Michael into getting into one of Eddie's little kiddie seats:
He was a good sport, but I don't think that seat was really working for him. They're 20 years apart. Eddie is 4, Michael is 24.
People that bought kits between around 2000 and 2006 or so may have gotten crossovers assembled by Michael. He did a great job at it, but has since moved on to a real job. 
Trying to get lil' Eddie trained on the soldering iron... 
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