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Charge Coupled Crossover Capacitors [message #69625]

Tue, 27 September 2011 09:25

AudioFred
Messages: 377
Registered: May 2009
Location: Houston

Illuminati (1st Degree)

Anybody ever tried this? It seems easy enough to do, and not expensive unless you're using boutique brand caps: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/diy/0911/charge_coupled_crossovers.htm

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Re: Charge Coupled Crossover Capacitors [message #69627 is a reply to message #69625]

Tue, 27 September 2011 10:31

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18786
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

I used to do that (like in the 1980s), but have stopped. It's pretty important with electrolytic capacitors, even the non-polarized types.

Capacitors have really gotten so much better in the past couple decades, especially the ones we use in passive crossovers. Polypropylene dielectric caps are pretty good sounding to me these days. You can barely see any zero-crossing non-linearity in measurements of a modern poly cap.

But still, this procedure isn't smoke-and-mirrors, it's real. A couple decades ago, I don't think you could make a really good passive crossover without CC. Electrolytic capacitors simply have to be charged to be anywhere close to linear.

The Sound of Capacitors

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Re: Charge Coupled Crossover Capacitors [message #69629 is a reply to message #69627]

Tue, 27 September 2011 11:42

gofar99
Messages: 1949
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona

Illuminati (5th Degree)

Hi, Yes a bit out of my usual design area, but it is correct. One thing I would add is that in the article he used 9 volts to charge the caps and correctly indicated that you could handle 9 volt signals. True as far as it goes. I suspect that the 9 volts is peak not RMS. This is because you charged the cap with a very high resistance low current and the signal is from a low impedance high current source and could easily swamp the initial charge. 9 volts peak is only about 3 watts. As Wayne noted though, caps have become a lot better since then and many new designs eliminate the dreaded high value output cap altogether.

Good Listening
Bruce

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