Dear, tell me if there will be an improvement in the sound if I replace the crossover components with these:
10w4ΩJ - Mills 4.5 Ohm 12W https://www.parts-express.com/Mills-4.5-Ohm-12W-Non-Inductive-Resistor-005-4.5?quantity=1
7.5 uf 100v - Dayton Audio DMPC-7.5 7.5uF 250V https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...0V-Polypropylene-Capacitor-027-429?quantity=1
0.2mH - Dayton Audio 0.20mH https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...AWG-Air-Core-Inductor-Coil-257-024?quantity=1
0.5mH - Dayton Audio 0.50mH https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...AWG-Air-Core-Inductor-Coil-257-036?quantity=1
10w10RJ - Jantzen Audio 10.00 Ohm 10 Watt https://www.parts-express.com/Jantz...dio-Grade-Superes-Resistor-255-954?quantity=1
1.3mH - Jantzen Audio 1.3mH https://www.parts-express.com/Jantzen-1048-1.3mH-18-AWG-Air-Core-Inductor-255-256?quantity=1
3,3 uf 100v - Dayton Audio PMPC-3.3 3.3uF 250V https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...-Precision-Audio-Capacitor-027-222?quantity=1
336j 100v - Dayton Audio DMPC-33 33uF 250V https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...0V-Polypropylene-Capacitor-027-441?quantity=1
Is it worth making a replacement? Or is it better to choose something else?(preferably a link)
Best Regards
10w4ΩJ - Mills 4.5 Ohm 12W https://www.parts-express.com/Mills-4.5-Ohm-12W-Non-Inductive-Resistor-005-4.5?quantity=1
7.5 uf 100v - Dayton Audio DMPC-7.5 7.5uF 250V https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...0V-Polypropylene-Capacitor-027-429?quantity=1
0.2mH - Dayton Audio 0.20mH https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...AWG-Air-Core-Inductor-Coil-257-024?quantity=1
0.5mH - Dayton Audio 0.50mH https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...AWG-Air-Core-Inductor-Coil-257-036?quantity=1
10w10RJ - Jantzen Audio 10.00 Ohm 10 Watt https://www.parts-express.com/Jantz...dio-Grade-Superes-Resistor-255-954?quantity=1
1.3mH - Jantzen Audio 1.3mH https://www.parts-express.com/Jantzen-1048-1.3mH-18-AWG-Air-Core-Inductor-255-256?quantity=1
3,3 uf 100v - Dayton Audio PMPC-3.3 3.3uF 250V https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...-Precision-Audio-Capacitor-027-222?quantity=1
336j 100v - Dayton Audio DMPC-33 33uF 250V https://www.parts-express.com/Dayto...0V-Polypropylene-Capacitor-027-441?quantity=1
Is it worth making a replacement? Or is it better to choose something else?(preferably a link)
Best Regards
Last edited by a moderator:
Welcome to the forum!
There will be a difference in the sound - perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse. How will you tell, by ear or by measurement?
What do you perceive is wrong with the present crossover components that warrants you replacing them?
It would be helpful if you should post photos showing the existing components.
Do you have a crossover schematic that you can share?
There will be a difference in the sound - perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse. How will you tell, by ear or by measurement?
What do you perceive is wrong with the present crossover components that warrants you replacing them?
It would be helpful if you should post photos showing the existing components.
Do you have a crossover schematic that you can share?
A few things comes to mind here.
First of all explain how you plan to connect the components (serial, parallel, low freq, high freq) and desires crossover frequency and order. A scheme or whatever. I’m not sure how you plan to use the resistors especially.
Secondly; the problem with the recent Klipsch consumer ranges in my opinion is that while they are sensitive and powerful and nice bass they totally lack midrange and are way too bright.
I am not sure whether it is possible to solve with a new crossover due to the fact that the compression horn driver is to small to cut lower and gain mids that way and the bass drivers most probably have ugly resonance breakups due to the ceramic cones to cut any higher (or in both case less steep order will not work either for the same reasons).
It’s a pitty Klipsch didn’t include a bigger HF driver and cut lower by original design like they did in previous series. The only way I could use them was with a -6dB eq at high frequency. I replaced my Klipsch with Tannoy and didn’t look back.
First of all explain how you plan to connect the components (serial, parallel, low freq, high freq) and desires crossover frequency and order. A scheme or whatever. I’m not sure how you plan to use the resistors especially.
Secondly; the problem with the recent Klipsch consumer ranges in my opinion is that while they are sensitive and powerful and nice bass they totally lack midrange and are way too bright.
I am not sure whether it is possible to solve with a new crossover due to the fact that the compression horn driver is to small to cut lower and gain mids that way and the bass drivers most probably have ugly resonance breakups due to the ceramic cones to cut any higher (or in both case less steep order will not work either for the same reasons).
It’s a pitty Klipsch didn’t include a bigger HF driver and cut lower by original design like they did in previous series. The only way I could use them was with a -6dB eq at high frequency. I replaced my Klipsch with Tannoy and didn’t look back.
Up to date nobody has been able to detect any difference between two resistors in a blind test.
High quality inductors can measurably decrease distortion compared to saturation-prone iron core ones, but without a very high performing drivers (read Purifi or TAD) this difference (of questionable audibility anyway) will be lost in driver's own distortion.
About the only somewhat reliable capacitor blind test I know found very little difference between ordinary, if high quality, PET capacitor and audio-grade PP capacitor.
https://electroclub.info/articles/stati-punkt-2/capacitors1/
Some earlier testing by Dennis Murhy et al came to the same conclusion:
https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/capacitor-sound-blind-test-results.4948/
Klipsch RB 81 II themselves has no obvious flaws (see top trace) that can be easily fixed. They are thoroughly OK speakers. Their most distinctive featuare is the small horn which constrains treble radiation into appr. 90 degree angle, changing acoustic signature compared to typical cone-and-dome system. No XO fiddling is going to change that.
High quality inductors can measurably decrease distortion compared to saturation-prone iron core ones, but without a very high performing drivers (read Purifi or TAD) this difference (of questionable audibility anyway) will be lost in driver's own distortion.
About the only somewhat reliable capacitor blind test I know found very little difference between ordinary, if high quality, PET capacitor and audio-grade PP capacitor.
https://electroclub.info/articles/stati-punkt-2/capacitors1/
Some earlier testing by Dennis Murhy et al came to the same conclusion:
https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/capacitor-sound-blind-test-results.4948/
Klipsch RB 81 II themselves has no obvious flaws (see top trace) that can be easily fixed. They are thoroughly OK speakers. Their most distinctive featuare is the small horn which constrains treble radiation into appr. 90 degree angle, changing acoustic signature compared to typical cone-and-dome system. No XO fiddling is going to change that.
Have you considered acoustic treatment? 75..100 mm thick basalt wool at first reflection points, covered with a fabric of your choice, can be a good start.
Only one opinion, but the money would be better applied to a speaker higher up the line (maybe RB-75 of that time; unsure of current equivalent if you like Klipsch products but they always sell something similar for home theater). In my opinion, better parts would change it but not be worth the investment. Part of their sound is the 90x90 deg horn radiation which sounds different than typical cone+dome types. If that is your issue, different parts will not change that.
Have you checked the Klipsch community web site? maybe someone has already created a better cross over , and hopefully have an explanation of why they think it is better so you can make informed decision. The only other place I can think of gr-research.com here in the US. Do as much research as you can before spending money. Watch YouTube videos that's where I have learned the most. Good luck
The opinions stated above indicate that there would be little to gain, if anything, by simply substituting the crossover components.
The components on the board are already of good quality and, to answer your question, I do not think it is "worth making a replacement".
Such discussions are no longer permissable on the Klipsch forum (their forum, their rules). It's a pretty cool speaker as it is for the size it is and what it does. If you are strongly interested in changing parts just to change parts anyway, try the Klipsch subforum on AK, maybe. I wouldn't do it but that's just me. It's very easy to do worse (and spend a lot of money) than the pro engineers who created it. It's very much about personal preferences and what kind of material you use.
It may not be in fashion to post such a thing, but it's my opinion that Klipsch made a pretty good speaker to a size and a price for a lot of people's typical usage. Small, loud 2-ways are hard. OTOH, this place is full of geeks, so if you can say what you're trying to fix, you may get swamped with suggestions 🙂 Good luck and please keep us posted if you feel like it.
It may not be in fashion to post such a thing, but it's my opinion that Klipsch made a pretty good speaker to a size and a price for a lot of people's typical usage. Small, loud 2-ways are hard. OTOH, this place is full of geeks, so if you can say what you're trying to fix, you may get swamped with suggestions 🙂 Good luck and please keep us posted if you feel like it.
Thank you for your opinion.
So I leave everything as it is.
And so as not to create a separate topic, I'll ask here.
1. Is it worth changing the sherwood ax-5505 amplifier (bought as a temporary option) to these speakers or does it make no sense? (it is possible to purchase in the USA, the main voltage is 220V)
2. What network player should I buy for these speakers? Now I use Astell & Kern KANN Alpha. But it's not very convenient...
Thanks for understanding.
Sincerely, Serhii
So I leave everything as it is.
And so as not to create a separate topic, I'll ask here.
1. Is it worth changing the sherwood ax-5505 amplifier (bought as a temporary option) to these speakers or does it make no sense? (it is possible to purchase in the USA, the main voltage is 220V)
2. What network player should I buy for these speakers? Now I use Astell & Kern KANN Alpha. But it's not very convenient...
Thanks for understanding.
Sincerely, Serhii
Oops! - Serhii of course!
I had a look at the Sherwood amp - looks pretty good to me!
https://www.hifi-review.com/152524-sherwood-ax-5505.html
I had a look at the Sherwood amp - looks pretty good to me!
https://www.hifi-review.com/152524-sherwood-ax-5505.html