My MW19TXN-8 is flatter to >10khz than ALL my fullrangr drivers. Paired with TW29R-4 still sounds better.... (1st-order series XO 1.9khz, tweeter back 32mm per SBA spec.)
Jantzen blue/red/silver sound totally different: straight/with frissen-grip/liquid-metal smooth and fast. Cheap MKP sound bright/sharp. Jantzen aircore (or copper foil) inductors sound more transparent than cheap aircore.
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I'd like to know the difference in measurable values (with caps capacitance, ESR at say, crossover or notch frequency, with coils inductance and DCR, all measured to 2% or better) and how these correlate with the audiophile adjectives. I dare say the money spent on boutique components would be better spent on a good LCR meter.
Retail therapy is the best! Buy it while you can, I say. Long time dead.
Example: you wouldn't believe how much better my car is -night and day!- since I swapped my stock numberplate for AUD1 80Y. And my cheese is that much tastier since I swapped the tupperware container for a cryogenically treated single-crystal quartz crucible.
Example: you wouldn't believe how much better my car is -night and day!- since I swapped my stock numberplate for AUD1 80Y. And my cheese is that much tastier since I swapped the tupperware container for a cryogenically treated single-crystal quartz crucible.
I'd like to know too but not just steady state current/signal. I think the minimum test lab and expertise to quantitatively measure the real-time differences might cost a million times more.
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I use to develop crossovers with test leads and crocodile clips. When finished, I always build one soldered copy of the test crossover. Same components, same values. Each component teste to be within a few % tollerance. The coils adjusted by shortening the wire until they match. When I connect the second, final crossover to the second speaker, the A-B test always shows more dynamics, finer resolution and more direct bass.
When I see people raving about boutique parts, while using WAGO steel connectors, I have to scratch my head.
In general, I try to avoid steel and iron in audio cirquits. Nothing I can proof, but a strong feeling in the gut.
I may have the advantage that over a few decades, I have build many identical audio products which where tested against the sample when finished. This showed some very curious differences, just because of the way things where integrated, wires used, cabinet materials.
With crossover's there are definetly worse sounding parts, but many more different sounding ones.
It is hard to say which one sounds better, when two caps just do not not give exactly the same impression. It is in the human nature to choose the more expensive one and believe it is better. Just because the tweeter is a notch louder maybe.
With a woofer even very little differences in resistance can be audible. I always do some modifications on a woofer terminal, if it is not made for a soldered connection and feel better with it. Just to avoid any screwed plugged or pressed connection. (I know some crimped stuff can be perfect)
Usually, lower resistance makes better sound.
0.16 Ohm is quite a lot. If you want to stay objective, put some "high end resistor"
in front of your waxed virgin coil and repeat the test. Anything else is not worth mentioning. I know you will not like the result.
When I see people raving about boutique parts, while using WAGO steel connectors, I have to scratch my head.
In general, I try to avoid steel and iron in audio cirquits. Nothing I can proof, but a strong feeling in the gut.
I may have the advantage that over a few decades, I have build many identical audio products which where tested against the sample when finished. This showed some very curious differences, just because of the way things where integrated, wires used, cabinet materials.
With crossover's there are definetly worse sounding parts, but many more different sounding ones.
It is hard to say which one sounds better, when two caps just do not not give exactly the same impression. It is in the human nature to choose the more expensive one and believe it is better. Just because the tweeter is a notch louder maybe.
With a woofer even very little differences in resistance can be audible. I always do some modifications on a woofer terminal, if it is not made for a soldered connection and feel better with it. Just to avoid any screwed plugged or pressed connection. (I know some crimped stuff can be perfect)
Usually, lower resistance makes better sound.
0.16 Ohm is quite a lot. If you want to stay objective, put some "high end resistor"
in front of your waxed virgin coil and repeat the test. Anything else is not worth mentioning. I know you will not like the result.
I also experience some differences between different caps. Likewise between different resistances. Haven't tried different coils but trying to use coarse wire and without an iron core.
The important thing is that you are satisfied with the sound. When you have invested in expensive drivers, you want to get as much good sound as possible. Don't forget that you can reduce the treble by turning the speakers less toe in.
I prefer to use as few or no components in the signal path.
The important thing is that you are satisfied with the sound. When you have invested in expensive drivers, you want to get as much good sound as possible. Don't forget that you can reduce the treble by turning the speakers less toe in.
I prefer to use as few or no components in the signal path.
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This is a very critical point. Some iron the hell out of each driver, whatever the cost in parts is. Other's are able to produce a decent, linear frequency response with very basic filtering. Imo the selection of the driver and it's placement on the baffle, as well as the edges have a huge influence. If the baffle doesn't disturb the response, you don't need to bend it straight. Sure there are very interesting drivers that need a lot of parts. In this case, today, going active including an DSP, is cheaper and will (sorry!) in almost any case sound better than passive with a huge bag full of boutique crossover parts. Maybe not your opinion if you are sponsored by Jantzen or Mundorf, like many developer for the DIYS market.
I ask my self how stupid someone must be, to pay more money for the caps and coils than he spent for all chassis of a build. Which is a reality with all these silver in gold, tin foil in bees wax and whatever nonsense they come up with. For example, instead of lamenting about the vibration resistance of special coils you can simply move the crossover out of the speaker, just as I do with active speakers, by the way.
Of course, in an active speaker, the amp's have to be of equal high quality as the one you would use with a passive combination, so for Sure no Wondom or the like.
PS the largest sonic difference I found where when I compared bipolar to film caps. This can get really nasty. There are some ugly film caps, too, I think of the yellow BENIC ones. If you move away from these extremes, the differences get smaller and are not that much a matter of better or worse, but one of taste.
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That is my experience but I would like to mentioned when you have very transparent system than every changing in chain is audible.I use to develop crossovers with test leads and crocodile clips. When finished, I always build one soldered copy of the test crossover. Same components, same values. Each component teste to be within a few % tollerance. The coils adjusted by shortening the wire until they match. When I connect the second, final crossover to the second speaker, the A-B test always shows more dynamics, finer resolution and more direct bass.
When I see people raving about boutique parts, while using WAGO steel connectors, I have to scratch my head.
In general, I try to avoid steel and iron in audio cirquits. Nothing I can proof, but a strong feeling in the gut.
I may have the advantage that over a few decades, I have build many identical audio products which where tested against the sample when finished. This showed some very curious differences, just because of the way things where integrated, wires used, cabinet materials.
With crossover's there are definetly worse sounding parts, but many more different sounding ones.
It is hard to say which one sounds better, when two caps just do not not give exactly the same impression. It is in the human nature to choose the more expensive one and believe it is better. Just because the tweeter is a notch louder maybe.
With a woofer even very little differences in resistance can be audible. I always do some modifications on a woofer terminal, if it is not made for a soldered connection and feel better with it. Just to avoid any screwed plugged or pressed connection. (I know some crimped stuff can be perfect)
Usually, lower resistance makes better sound.
0.16 Ohm is quite a lot. If you want to stay objective, put some "high end resistor"