New Capacitors For The Cornwall 2's

[ka7niq]

WE replaced all the capacitors in my Cornwall II's today with new ERSE Poly Caps.

I used the 400 vdc and a 630 vdc rated caps for the md/tweeter circuit, and an ERSE bi polar electrolytic for the woofer crossover.

The difference is not subtle.

My Cornwalls had a tag inside with PWK's initials on, and were made in 1987.

They have the wooden board, not the PC Board,

we simply cut the leads to the old caps as close to the old caps body as possible, and twisted the leads together from those leads and the new caps leads, and soldered.

I know the "right" way would have been to completely remove the old caps leads from the terminals, and solder the new caps leads to the terminals, but I did it "my way".

Total time was about an hour for both speakers.

The speakers sound as if a blanket has been lifted off of them.

Image wander, that drove me nuts before is practically non existant now, and they sound a whole lot better.

I dont know if it is the ERSE Caps making them sound so good, or simply the fact ANY new, decent cap would have done the same ?

Frankly, I dont really care, the ERSE Poly caps are dirt cheap, 3 percent tolerance, and 400 to 600 VDC for very little money.

Honestly, I am not "nuts" about the Cornwalll 2 tweeter, even with the Titanium Diapraghms.

It is smooth, and the new diapraghms improved it, but I am used to better tweeters, I guess ?

Maybe a better tweeter for the Cornwall will be made availiable from BEC or Klipsch one day ?

Music, TV, and the one partial movie I watched sound better with the new caps.

I am very pleased with the difference the new capacitors made.

[ka7niq]

I just got back from listening to the re capped Cornwall 2's for another hour or two.

The speakers have really changed, from thee sound of the old, stock mylar caps.

The Cornwalls are much brighter now, more vivid.

Definately more revealing of source material then before.

Imaging is really improved, center images stay centered.

Don't know if the caps have to break in, or my ears need to get used to the new sound ?

With the old caps in the Cornwall 2's, nothing ever sounded bad, but nothing ever sounded really great either.

Now, bad stuff sounds , well, bad, and good stuff sounds really good, more like my B&W 801's.

I MAY have my Cornwalls out of phase with my subwoofers, have to check.

I think they may be, because I seem to hear less mid bass kick, I will check it tomorrow.

Just before I shut things down, I watched part of the TV News and weather,'

TV voice reproduction has really improved, lots more little things going on that I used to hear on my other speakers.

I will play my speakers almost constantly for the next month, to see if the caps "break in" or not.

I THINK I heard a difference between the very first, and then this listening session, but we all know how our minds can play tricks on us.

I think I will email ERSE, and see what their thoughts on capacitor break in are ?

Right now, I am going to go to sleep, and "worry" about it tomorrow!

[Deang]

I managed to get Richard Marsh on the phone once who told me that "anything a cap is going to do, it's done doing it within 20 hours."

There is a shift in the sonic signature within the first few days of listening -- the sound relaxes and opens up some. New caps, regardless of brand or make-up, sound a little strident at first.

The ear/brain mechanism is definitely a factor in the "break-in" phenom.

Any polypropylene cap would have brought improvement to what you had in there.