efzauner Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 Lots of recommendations to replace 20 year old crossover caps because of both drifting capacitance and increased ESR. I can measure capacitance easily. ESR is more difficult. It is easy to measure the frequency response of the HP or Mid band pass section. If I measure no loss or a fraction of a dB would this not indicate a low ESR? A 0.1 ohm ESR in series with an 8 ohm driver is only 0.1dB down. Seems trivial to worry about? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 I like your way of thinking. WMcD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 " Seems trivial to worry about? " If you read the comments from the knowledgeable here (BEC, others), they point to an ESR of 0.5 as becoming audible. As a voltage divider 0.5Ω in series with a 6Ω tweeter is about -0.3476dB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 I still don't quite understand why someone would not replace old capacitors, when new (very good) capacitors are so inexpensive and easy to replace? I mean sure, you can spend bundles on some caps, but Dayton 1% Precision Audio Caps are terrific for the money....(and I'm not saying those are the only ones....) Why wait for the old caps to degrade and fail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 The old capacitors will eventually start leaking all over the board -- just bad news all the way around. The later axial mylars sound horrible -- they should also be replaced (regardless of how they measure). Using metalized polypropylenes will require knocking a little off of the midrange output (since the original capacitors were somewhat lossy). The Dayton capacitors are a good value, but there are better options (right Jim). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 10 minutes ago, Deang said: The Dayton capacitors are a good value, but there are better options (right Jim). Of course, but far be it from me to spend other people's money......oh...the horror...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 Well - their choice and their money. No one is holding a gun to their head. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efzauner Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 17 hours ago, jimjimbo said: Of course, but far be it from me to spend other people's money......oh...the horror...... and what are these other options? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 http://jupitercondenser.com/product/vt-round-aluminum-foil-wax-and-paper-capacitors/ http://jensencapacitors.com/products/speaker-capacitors/aluminium-foil---paper-in-oil---tinned-copper-leadout.aspx https://www.v-cap.com/oil-capacitors.php Some will tell you to not waste your money. I'll tell you that it was not a waste of mine. Depending on the setup, money might be better spent elsewhere first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Sounds just like any other Capacitors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 The Duelands are stupid expensive. When a cap costs as much as a new amp - buy the amp! AudioCap PPT Thetas sound nice. Modestly priced film and foil (as opposed to metallized). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 49 minutes ago, Schu said: Sounds just like any other Capacitors The Russian caps were great in the NBS preamp but it would have been hard to not hear the the difference between them and the Duelunds. That said, if I were to do it again I would have gone with Jupiter. Sorry that I digress... the OP was about speaker capacitors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 48 minutes ago, Deang said: The Duelands are stupid expensive. When a cap costs as much as a new amp - but the amp! AudioCap PPT Thetas sound nice. Modestly priced film and foil (as opposed to metallized). Certainly a lot more friendly prices! Dean has ears I have come to trust. https://www.parts-express.com/brand/audiocap/261 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 10 minutes ago, muel said: The Russian caps were great in the NBS preamp but it would have been hard to not hear the the difference between them and the Duelunds. That said, if I were to do it again I would have gone with Jupiter. Sorry that I digress... the OP was about speaker capacitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efzauner Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 LOL OK guys... consider my arms twisted... placed an order for the Dayton Caps at Solen... will pick them up as they are near me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efzauner Posted November 1, 2017 Author Share Posted November 1, 2017 On 10/30/2017 at 7:02 PM, Deang said: The old capacitors will eventually start leaking all over the board -- just bad news all the way around. The later axial mylars sound horrible -- they should also be replaced (regardless of how they measure). Using metalized polypropylenes will require knocking a little off of the midrange output (since the original capacitors were somewhat lossy). The Dayton capacitors are a good value, but there are better options (right Jim). I can understand electrolytics failing and leaking. But the KLFs have metal film in mid and high sections. What is the lifetime of these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted November 1, 2017 Share Posted November 1, 2017 " What is the lifetime of these? " Indeterminate. The leads on inexpensive film caps are just just smashed into the ends of the caps after coated with a tin paste. Better caps have soldered leads, and they last longer. The old oil-filled caps also fail over lead termination issues. 50 years ago, JBL used stacked-film caps with hand soldered teflon insulated copper wire leads, wax potted in sand-filled paper tubes. I have never seen one of those that has failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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