Do Pro Passive Crossover Networks Sonically Degrade Over Time?

[Randy L]

I have a handful of professional passive crossover networks in my various home-built PA cabinets.
One pair is pushing 15 years old, and the rest at least 6 years old, but they all sound good to me, and I have never had complaints from the crowd.

I wonder though, if they degrade in sound quality over time.
Let's use a Peavey professional 3-way passive crossover network for example.
Do you think one that is 10 years old would sound noticeably different than the same model that is brand new?

I'd hate to spend around $100 for new crossovers, just to do A/B comparisons.

[billfitzmaurice]

Re: Do Pro Passive Crossover Networks Sonically Degrade Over Time?

Electrolytic caps will dry out and change value, but otherwise you should have no problems. As for spending $100 for pre-built crossovers, you should be making your own for half that, if not less. ;)

[Sydney]

Re: Do Pro Passive Crossover Networks Sonically Degrade Over Time?

FWIW: In repairing old PA cabs with passive elements : Those items that I've seen fail most often are Resistors and L-pads, very occasionally an old capacitor; not had to replace coils.

[kblackmore]

Re: Do Pro Passive Crossover Networks Sonically Degrade Over Time?

+1 to Bill. The caps can get old and get out of spec. Most of the older speakers I have seen use electrolytic or worse yet oil filled capacitors. If you have a high quality cap, they should last for a long time. If someone beat the snot out of the speaker, Sydney's advice should be well heeded as the resistors and L-Pads do burn up. Sometimes the ceramic covering comes off the resistor elements too, which makes replacing fun as you don't know the value of the resistor. Sometimes you get lucky and the ceramic cover will be laying in the bottom of the cabinet.

[4343]

Re: Do Pro Passive Crossover Networks Sonically Degrade Over Time?

+1 to Bill. The caps can get old and get out of spec. Most of the older speakers I have seen use electrolytic or worse yet oil filled capacitors. If you have a high quality cap, they should last for a long time. If someone beat the snot out of the speaker, Sydney's advice should be well heeded as the resistors and L-Pads do burn up. Sometimes the ceramic covering comes off the resistor elements too, which makes replacing fun as you don't know the value of the resistor. Sometimes you get lucky and the ceramic cover will be laying in the bottom of the cabinet.

You can send any oil-filled caps that you replace my way! I like the sound of them, and have found that even the old ones still work great as long as the voltage rating hasn't been exceeded. I'll take any and all 150V or above...

Found a box of 400V 10uF at a local surplus store, things are huge. Larger values are hard to find.

I'm running a JBL 2420 through oil caps, and it sounds very smooth compared to the Mylar that it had before.

For burned out resistors I always replace with a higher wattage. Sometimes the only way is to use four of the same wattage in series and parallel to equal the same resistance.