Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

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  • Psycoacoustics
    Seasoned Veteran
    • Apr 2012
    • 1035

    Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

    Hi Guys: I'm thinking about rebuilding the crossovers on a very old pair of RSe's. I replaced the surrounds a couple years ago which is what got me started with this speaker building stuff.

    Anyway, I've always hated the little spring loaded binding posts, so I'd replace those.

    The tweeter L-pads don't seem to work anymore, or my ears are too old to hear them work, and I worry the caps are so old that they're no longer what they claim to be.

    When I re-did the surrounds, I also bought a "By-Pass" cap the guy who sold me the surrounds recomended. It's a .1 uf Dayton that did seem to smooth out the tweeter some at the time. It's paralled with an 8.5 uf. cause that's what he told me to do. (good, bad, or indifferent?)

    The inductors I'd have to measure, but I wanted to hear what you all thought before I pull the crossovers apart.

    I would also brace the box a little, silicone the seems, add a better gasket to the woofer, along with adding some Sonic Barrier to the back.

    So, if you please, take a look at the pic and let me know if you think it would be worth while or not. Thanks Mark
    Attached Files
  • dcibel
    Seasoned Veteran
    • Jan 2010
    • 3749

    #2
    Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

    I'd replace both those old electrolytic caps, as well as the l-pad. You could try cleaning the l-pad with contact cleaner, but I've found a few in old speakers that are worn beyond repair, so putting a new part in there is the best bet. If you're turning the knob and can't hear any change in sound, the l-pad is likely responsible for any poor sound that you're getting out of these speakers.

    I didn't look up this particular model, but do any of the drivers have foam surround? I'd be more worried about that than anything else. Old foam surrounds turn to dust.
    I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening!

    Comment

    • PWR RYD
      Seasoned Veteran
      • Dec 2009
      • 4749

      #3
      Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

      I'd just replace the adjustable L-pad and the 2 silver electrolytic capacitors with poly film caps. The inductors, the existing 8.5 film cap, and resistors should be just fine and replacing them wouldn't really improve things.
      Craig

      I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

      Comment

      • Psycoacoustics
        Seasoned Veteran
        • Apr 2012
        • 1035

        #4
        Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

        Thanks guys! I replaced the surrounds a couple of years ago and they are still in fine shape.

        I guess I'll replace all the caps and the L-pad, along with the binding posts. I really hate those spring loaded jobies!

        So you really don't think replacing that huge inductor that looks like a transformer would do any good?

        Comment

        • dcibel
          Seasoned Veteran
          • Jan 2010
          • 3749

          #5
          Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

          Originally posted by Psycoacoustics
          So you really don't think replacing that huge inductor that looks like a transformer would do any good?
          Nope, that's a waste of time and money. Leave it as-is.
          I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening!

          Comment

          • Adam_G
            Senior Member
            • Jan 2012
            • 933

            #6
            Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

            I've got a pair of them too. I love their tweeter. Let me know how yours turns out, I may end up doing mine as well.

            Comment

            • dcibel
              Seasoned Veteran
              • Jan 2010
              • 3749

              #7
              Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

              Ok, so I looked up this model. Uses the same tweeter as the RSA's that I purchased locally. I did a DIY refoam on the woofers, and plan to reuse them in another project. However I'm still undecided on the tweeter. I don't have any immediate use for them, so if any of you gents would like my pair, I am willing to sell. I had them on the classifieds section a while back for I think $60 for the pair, but no biters. Make me an offer.

              My project that is in a yet-to-be-started phase, will be a 3-way using all recycled parts, in other words all speakers that were pulled from something else. 10" Infinity woofer from the RSA, 3" Tang-Band midrange from Logitech Z-560, and tweeters are ESS AMT, I don't recall the model they came from, but they're not the top-end model that everyone drools over.
              I'm not deaf, I'm just not listening!

              Comment

              • Psycoacoustics
                Seasoned Veteran
                • Apr 2012
                • 1035

                #8
                Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                Originally posted by Adam_G
                I've got a pair of them too. I love their tweeter. Let me know how yours turns out, I may end up doing mine as well.
                Will do buddy! I'll be ordering parts tomorrow and probably work on them next week.

                One more question. How close do I have to come to the cap values? Does a couple of points in either direction make any real difference?

                Comment

                • johnastockman
                  Seasoned Veteran
                  • Oct 2005
                  • 5833

                  #9
                  Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                  IIRC, within 10% is acceptable, so a few decimal points in either direction shouldn't matter too much. Probably not enough to be able to hear a difference. Unless you can do some measurements and would be willing to design a new XO from scratch, getting some new poly caps and a new L-pad is about the best you can do with the stock XO. Let us know how it turns out.


                  John A.
                  "Children play with b-a-l-l-s and sticks, men race, and real men race motorcycles"-John Surtees
                  Emotiva UPA-2, USP-1, ERC-1 CD
                  Yamaha KX-390 HX-Pro
                  Pioneer TX-9500 II
                  Yamaha YP-211 w/Grado GF3E+
                  Statement Monitors
                  Vintage system: Yamaha CR-420, Technics SL-PG100, Pioneer CT-F8282, Akai X-1800, Morel(T)/Vifa(W) DIY 2-way in .5 ft3
                  Photos: http://custom.smugmug.com/Electronic...#4114714_cGTBx
                  Blogs: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/blog.php?u=2003

                  Comment

                  • Psycoacoustics
                    Seasoned Veteran
                    • Apr 2012
                    • 1035

                    #10
                    Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                    Originally posted by johnastockman
                    IIRC, within 10% is acceptable, so a few decimal points in either direction shouldn't matter too much. Probably not enough to be able to hear a difference. Unless you can do some measurements and would be willing to design a new XO from scratch, getting some new poly caps and a new L-pad is about the best you can do with the stock XO. Let us know how it turns out.


                    John A.
                    So if one cap is 8.5uf and I buy a 8.2uf,,, that would be OK? The other one is 12.5, and I can only find a 12uf. Would that be OK too, or should I go up in value instead of down?

                    Or do I buy some smaller values to add them up to get to the same value I have?

                    I know I've read this before, but I'm old and dense, :o when trying to add up to the exact value do I series them or parallel them?

                    Comment

                    • PWR RYD
                      Seasoned Veteran
                      • Dec 2009
                      • 4749

                      #11
                      Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                      I bet I couldn't hear the difference between 8.5 and 8.2. But if you want to be dead nuts on you certainly can parallel caps that add up to the correct value.
                      Craig

                      I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

                      Comment

                      • Psycoacoustics
                        Seasoned Veteran
                        • Apr 2012
                        • 1035

                        #12
                        Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                        Originally posted by PWR RYD
                        I bet I couldn't hear the difference between 8.5 and 8.2. But if you want to be dead nuts on you certainly can parallel caps that add up to the correct value.
                        Thanks Buddy! Parallel it is. Can you refresh my memory? If I wire them in series what happens?

                        Comment

                        • Æ
                          Seasoned Veteran
                          • Dec 2005
                          • 6695

                          #13
                          Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                          Originally posted by Psycoacoustics
                          The tweeter L-pads don't seem to work anymore, or my ears are too old to hear them work, and I worry the caps are so old that they're no longer what they claim to be.
                          Looking at the picture, it doesn't appear to be an L-pad since only two of the three terminals are being used. I'd say that it's a wire wound potentiometer (pot) being utilized as a rheostat. I seriously doubt the potentiometer is worn out since it doesn't get turned very often. If you have, know how to use an ohmmeter/multimeter you can easily test the pot.

                          Comment

                          • Æ
                            Seasoned Veteran
                            • Dec 2005
                            • 6695

                            #14
                            Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                            Originally posted by johnastockman
                            IIRC, within 10% is acceptable, so a few decimal points in either direction shouldn't matter too much. Probably not enough to be able to hear a difference. Unless you can do some measurements and would be willing to design a new XO from scratch, getting some new poly caps and a new L-pad is about the best you can do with the stock XO. Let us know how it turns out.

                            John A.
                            Doesn't look like an L-pad to me.

                            Comment

                            • johnastockman
                              Seasoned Veteran
                              • Oct 2005
                              • 5833

                              #15
                              Re: Infinity RSe crossover rebuild?

                              I can't recall myself with a series hook-up. Coils in series add up for total inductance, but I think I'm a bit dense too regarding the caps. What I've done is get some of those small-value caps to get the exact value. I keep a few on hand, like .1uF, .47uF, .22uF, .33uF and .68uF. The Dayton poly caps in those values are under $1, so I've accumulated a nice selection over the years, just adding in a few with each order. That way you can match up really close to the spec value. Being slightly OCD about speaker things, I can get the right value. With these Statement Monitor tweeter XO's, I paralleled 3 caps to get the exact value; one regular 3.3uF poly and two small-value caps of .1uF and .22uF get the target 3.6uF.




                              With a commercial speaker, there are already many compromises in place, especially with the XO, so get as close as you can, like an 8.2uF for an 8.5uF, or vice-versa, and you'll be fine.


                              John A.
                              "Children play with b-a-l-l-s and sticks, men race, and real men race motorcycles"-John Surtees
                              Emotiva UPA-2, USP-1, ERC-1 CD
                              Yamaha KX-390 HX-Pro
                              Pioneer TX-9500 II
                              Yamaha YP-211 w/Grado GF3E+
                              Statement Monitors
                              Vintage system: Yamaha CR-420, Technics SL-PG100, Pioneer CT-F8282, Akai X-1800, Morel(T)/Vifa(W) DIY 2-way in .5 ft3
                              Photos: http://custom.smugmug.com/Electronic...#4114714_cGTBx
                              Blogs: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/blog.php?u=2003

                              Comment

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