so I need to repair a crossover and thought it would be an "improvement" if replace some other parts.
PS: Please assume the schematic is correct. It was derived from the PCB by tracing the connections between components using a multimeter.
- 15 + 22 + 100uF are all bipolar 100V caps. I'm thinking of replacing those polypros (assuming the equivalent ones will fit)
- replacing the 3.3 + 6.8uF 250V with something with "better" quality ones like maybe solen or wima. The ones currently used seems to be the cheapest you can find at aliexpress.
PS: Please assume the schematic is correct. It was derived from the PCB by tracing the connections between components using a multimeter.
What about a photograph of the physical crossover so we can judge the quality of the fitted components?
How old is this crossover?
In which loudspeaker is it employed?
How old is this crossover?
In which loudspeaker is it employed?
Well, not sure about your schematic, but given your thoughts, consider Axon for the biggest caps. I believe they are cheap Solens. I like Mundorf MKP a lot better than I like anything from Solen in the low end price point. They are cheap and you might want to experiment to decide for yourself. One of the biggest issues though is if this speaker is very old the electrolytic caps may have a high internal ESR, which was part of the original design. They should be measured and any lost ESR compensated for, especially if this is on a Zobel or even-order component. Dayton DATS can really help you. Not only can you measure each component but also you can measure the full speaker before/after which gives you a great idea of anything that might have gone wrong.
I would not spend a lot of money on any crossover upgrade without doing a full analysis first. Sometimes you discover that the original crossovers were severely sub-optimal either in frequency, impedance or both, and you end up polishing poop (apologies to the moderators for the language). It's also a good learning experience to do this anyway and sets you up for your first custom build.
Having Dayton DATS and XSim or VituixCAD is 90% of what's needed in a speaker analysis.
🙂
I would not spend a lot of money on any crossover upgrade without doing a full analysis first. Sometimes you discover that the original crossovers were severely sub-optimal either in frequency, impedance or both, and you end up polishing poop (apologies to the moderators for the language). It's also a good learning experience to do this anyway and sets you up for your first custom build.
Having Dayton DATS and XSim or VituixCAD is 90% of what's needed in a speaker analysis.
🙂
Some thoughts about tracing the schematic: It's hard for even experienced. Don't rely just on continuity as it can lie. Here's what I'd ask:
In the mid, the coil and cap are usually in series with the mid, not across the (+) and (-).
In the woofer, the coil is usually between the amp (speaker input terminals) and woofer, followed by caps going to the other terminal. It is unusual for a woofer's (+) to be connected to input (-) so worth double checking. Not impossible, just rare.
Use a 1.5V to 9V battery to determine polarity. When battery + is connected to speaker + the driver moves towards the listener.
In the mid, the coil and cap are usually in series with the mid, not across the (+) and (-).
In the woofer, the coil is usually between the amp (speaker input terminals) and woofer, followed by caps going to the other terminal. It is unusual for a woofer's (+) to be connected to input (-) so worth double checking. Not impossible, just rare.
Use a 1.5V to 9V battery to determine polarity. When battery + is connected to speaker + the driver moves towards the listener.
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Talking about doing an analysis before doing upgrades, I did not find your particular model, but here's an example from the V3 :
If this was my speaker, before doing anything I'd ask:
"Do I like the overall sound balance? Is it too bright? Do I like the detail at low volumes or do I feel like I can't turn it up because the treble gets too harsh?"
Those are personal values and I won't question them but if you did think maybe the treble is too much you are better off rethinking the entire high pass filter instead of looking for solutions in part swapping. Kind of related, in your schematic it looks like there's an EQ circuit adding some treble at the top octaves. An analysis will help you fully understand it and see what choices you have before you go buying parts.
If this was my speaker, before doing anything I'd ask:
"Do I like the overall sound balance? Is it too bright? Do I like the detail at low volumes or do I feel like I can't turn it up because the treble gets too harsh?"
Those are personal values and I won't question them but if you did think maybe the treble is too much you are better off rethinking the entire high pass filter instead of looking for solutions in part swapping. Kind of related, in your schematic it looks like there's an EQ circuit adding some treble at the top octaves. An analysis will help you fully understand it and see what choices you have before you go buying parts.
Details of crossover etc. are in the speaker specifications: https://www.paradigm.com/en/floorstanding/studio-100
3rd-order electro-acoustic at 2.0 kHz; 3rd-order electro-acoustic at 300 Hz (bass drivers).
3rd-order electro-acoustic at 2.0 kHz; 3rd-order electro-acoustic at 300 Hz (bass drivers).
The midrange/tweeter crossover of the Studio 100 V5 is on this board (along with the bass inductor it would appear):
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Here's the board which is fitted to the speaker terminal cup (which has bi-wire terminals):
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I wonder what was broken that required repair?
The crossover components look to be of good quality. The electrolytic capacitors will still be well within spec.
Be aware that you may make the speaker sound different by 'upgrading' components, but not necessarily sound better
Changing components without making the required measurements is likely to upset Paradigm's intended sound balance.
Apart from replacing an obviously damaged component with a like one, I would leave well enough alone.