MCM_Fan

Glad to see a possible compromise in the works. Too bad there isn't some sort of Option 2.5 between Options 2 and 3 where you both "share the pain". Option 2 is extremely generous. You're basically getting $80 worth of caps (plus labor) for free.

I'm an opportunistic buyer (aka: cheapskate). I may end up selling the Bryston and using the proceeds to get either a tube amp for the Fortes or a Rega Elex-R for the JBLs. The Bryston is more amp than I currently need. None of my current speakers need that kind of power, and my listening space isn't big enough to use it to it's full capability. Yes, the 4301B Control Monitors are little gems. Greg Timbers knew how to voice a speaker. I like the 4301Bs much better than the slightly older and bigger L36 Decades they replaced.

The Fortes basically fell into my lap. The price was low due to two fried tweeters and one woofer not working. I couldn't say no. I think I'd need a bigger space to do justice to a pair of Chorus. Even the Fortes are about as big as I want to go in my current space. I've been running a pair of restored JBL 4301B Control Monitors - these were the babies of the blue front professional series designed by Greg Timbers. They were intended to be control room monitors in smaller recording studios. So, a good match for my smallish listening area. I recently picked up a 300WPC Bryston amp and am now lusting after a pair of Magnepans. I've always wanted a pair, but have never had the right combination of space and power for them. Oh well, it never ends. Time to start looking for a new house with a bigger listening area...

Just doing some casual listening of some familiar albums (currently spinning a US first pressing of Steely Dan - Aja) and sounding pretty good so far. This is the first time I've heard the Fortes. I had some KG4s years ago, but have been running JBLs (gasp) and KEFs lately.

No, I did not, but I specifically requested titanium. I got EXACTLY what I asked for. Funny how that works.

Being the impatient sort, I went ahead and recapped one of the Forte Crossovers with the 100V Russian K73-16 military surplus caps (stock on the left, recapped on the right): I also moved the Fortes downstairs to my primary listening area. They will get much more use there and I want to give the caps and titanium diaphragms a chance to settle in for a couple weeks before I do a critical comparison of the stock and recapped speakers. I'll report back after I've done so. In the meantime, I'm still interested in the original question. I don't play my stereo at live music levels, and my listening space is on the small side of medium.

I see you edited your reply to my post before I could respond. You said this was a case of bait and switch. That is NOT the case. Bait and switch would have been if they'd charged you the Sonicap prices for the Dayton caps. That clearly did not happen.

In THEIR crossovers. You did not order one of THEIR crossovers. And you never mentioned any specific brand - just 8.2uF and 27uF polypropylene capacitors, and that's exactly what you got. And if that mechanic quoted you a total price (parts and labor) that was significantly less than the cost of genuine BMW parts alone, wouldn't you be suspicious? You should be. In the future, when you want specific parts used in a custom build, you need to specify EXACTLY what you want. I've built several custom crossovers for others. When doing so, and quoting a price, I always give them a spreadsheet with 2, or 3, different price points and what parts I recommend at those price points. I then let them decide how much they want to spend. That way, we both know exactly what I'm building and exactly what it's going to cost. I also know how much manual labor is involved in building custom crossovers (it's not difficult, but it is time consuming - to do it right). Knowing that, and the cost of the parts, there is absolutely no way you "got screwed". If anything, you got a good deal - two very well built, affordable, custom built crossover networks for $300. If they aren't what you want, take him up on his offer to replace the caps. The total cost won't be much more than if you'd ordered what you wanted in the first place, and you'll have the piece of mind knowing you have the more expensive Sonicaps.

The "spec" the buyer gave the builder called out 8.2uF and 27uF polypropylene capacitors, and that's exactly what he got. If he wanted more expensive caps, he should have said so, rather than expecting something for nothing (Sonicaps at Dayton prices). It's a bit like telling a car dealer you want a new car that has to have four tires and a four cylinder engine, getting a quote of $18,000 and then complaining when you ended up with a Kai Forte and not a BMW 330i. Based on the cost of the parts, the buyers expectations were completely unrealistic. Any disappointment is a direct result of those expectations.

Yes, I have used Sonicaps many times in the past. I was pleased with the results, and knowing someone I admire and whose judgement I trust (fanboy alert!) used and recommended them made me eager to give them a try when a pair of Klipsch Fortes unexpectedly followed me home. Then I checked the prices. Holy cow, they'd doubled in price since the last time I'd used them. So, I went with Russian military surplus K73-16 caps in my Fortes. Very inexpensive, and so far, I'm liking them.

No, you didn't get screwed, you got exactly what you asked for and at a very reasonable price. This is the "spec" you gave the builder: I don't see any brand names on that spec, only values. The four Sonicaps alone sell for $228.12. Add in the rest of the parts and you have a BOM cost of $377.88 (not including hook up wire, solder, mounting screws and other consumables). Do you really think you are entitled to custom built crossovers including nearly $400 in materials for $300? Seems very reasonable. $228.12 for the Sonicaps and $71.88 in labor.

Three weeks ago I acquired a lovely pair of Klipsch Forte speakers (date of manufacture = May, 1988). These are the first generation model with the crossovers on PCBs attached to a rectangular terminal cup. Both tweeters were fried (open circuit). So, I ordered, promptly received and installed a pair of the Crites titanium diaphragms. As my next upgrade, I'd like to replace the crossover caps. For convenience, here is the schematic diagram for the Forte crossovers: I had planned on using the Russian military surplus K73-16 capacitors in the 100V rating for the 1.0uF midrange and 1.5uF tweeter caps. I would like to use these caps for the following three reasons: They are inexpensive (all six caps delivered to my door will cost a total of $12.90) They are small enough to fit on the crossover PCB without difficulty or modification They are highly regarded The original caps in these positions have a voltage rating of 250V. Is the 100V rating of the K73-16 caps sufficient for these locations? I have read conflicting opinions in this, and other forums, with no clear consensus. For example, the original Heresy crossover, which is very similar, had 100V rated caps in these locations. Of course the Sonicaps that Crites sells are rated at 200V (and also much larger and more expensive). Intuitively, it seems like 100V should be more than enough for these caps, given the maximum input power rating of 100W for the speakers. So, will 100V caps be sufficient in these locations, or should I move up to something with a higher voltage rating? They also come in 160V and 250V versions, but grow considerably in size as the voltage rating increases, making installing them a bit more challenging. I have used the Sonicaps in several other recaps I've done in the past, but it looks like their prices have doubled since the last time I used them. Jantzen Standard Z-Caps are another option I considered. Like the Russian K73-16 caps, they are inexpensive and small enough to fit the crossover PCBs without modification, but aren't quite as highly regarded as the K73-16s.