1.6 XO WOW! (long) - s.hum - Planar Speaker Asylum

1.6 XO WOW! (long)

Posted by s.hum (A) on August 30, 2001 at 22:40:31

Firstly, much thanks to Ed, Mike and Paco for all the info they shared on this forum regarding the 1.6 XO upgrade. I just have to share this as I am indebted to their explorations.

It was a patient project, first with a few inquiries and searches on this site. Then correspondence with Hans Jensen to work out what I needed - eventually decided on their Alu paper in oil caps, 12+10 uF values, and their 25 uF metallized paper cap for the shunt plus a copper foil in paper air coil inductor wound to spec. All components factory matched for a small 5% surcharge. Several weeks later (earlier this summer) I had those parts.

Then I collected some other parts: British 5-way binding posts (used by PartsConnection for their pre-amps - their sale on Cardas posts always being sold out it seems!); Cardas litz wire; smoked acryllic pieces cut to measure for a custom external XO box and speaker plate (for the XO cutaway at the back of the speaker).

Weeks seemed to pass... too busy with work but eventually I drilled the binding post holes and simply put the boxes together which turned out incredibly well (visual aesthetics being part of my listening room enjoyment). A zillion plastic straws cut up formed the damping/isolation bed for the XO in the boxes with small sheet of paper under the components to float the pieces above the straws. Does this make a difference? Dunno but I took Ed's comments to heart with his experiences.

The Litz wires were a pain but over a couple of evenings, I had the enamel stripped away from the complexly counterwound strands of copper. I tried vapourizing the enamel (as I didn't have a solder pot) with a high temp solder gun but eventuall abandoned that as this stiffened the wire considerably, making it rigid in fact - perhaps from the enamel in the strands binding together under the teflon casing.

I went for mechanical connections using marrettes for the wire connects and a simple brass washer and nut compression for the air coil foil - so I can further play with the XO (eg cap orientation), until satisfied - ProGold applied to all connects. At least that is the plan...

Despite Mike's encouraging reply to an old post I made regarding access to the speaker tabs, I was skeptical. As I couldn't see the connects through the speaker cloth, eventually I committed myself and cut a slit in the cloth. Still hard to see, I stapled around the opening and then made an oval cut in the center of the XO - you don't need to open up the whole area as access is quite good actually to the speaker tabs. There it was and yes it was very EASILY accessible - recommend curved needle nose pliers to grasp the female tab connectors, but smallish fingers could reach to do the task.

Wires in place, threaded through the matching acryllic face plate into the XO box and then completing the wiring, I was ready to test. First w/o any source signal a gentle nudge on the volume with no alarm bells. Then a CD with the volume gingerly increased.

Voila! Seconds into the music and I knew already that this upgrade (hardly a tweak) was everthing that everyone has posted about on this board. I won't repeat their words.

In earlier posts I commented on the Symposium RollerBlocks and ESP power cables - about how significant these very simple additions were to my system. If they ranked 10's and 8's, this upgrade is a 10+++ (= 30). As my comments are on the cumulative effects, it's difficult to say how much one would be w/o the other. Definitely though, working on the downstream components and issues is advised first. AND if you've addressed those parts of your system, then I can't recommend highly enough the XO upgrade (see "Tweaks" link). Absolutely phenomenal if you want your 1.6's to perform what they are capable of. Visceral, emotional, incredible resolving devices...

So this is thanks to Ed, Mike and Paco... and everyone else sharing their ideas. Can't thank you guys enough! And the caps ain't even broken in yet!

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Topic - 1.6 XO WOW! (long) - s.hum 22:40:31 08/30/01 (25)

what's with the paper? - Mart 02:02:11 09/02/01 (3)

Re: what's with the paper? - s.hum 07:18:39 09/02/01 (2)

what's with the PIO caps? - Mart 10:16:45 09/02/01 (1)

Re: what's with the PIO caps? - Arbelos 14:25:54 09/11/01 (0)

Hie shum..... - nEx 06:22:54 08/31/01 (5)

Depends on which caps types you choose - s.hum 07:39:41 08/31/01 (4)

Re: Depends on which caps types you choose - nEx 09:15:16 08/31/01 (1)

Re: Depends on which caps types you choose - s.hum 10:59:11 08/31/01 (0)

Congrats on your upgrade! - MikeCh 08:05:42 08/31/01 (1)

Oops... - s.hum 08:50:33 08/31/01 (0)

you've done an excellent job, just give us some pics -> to Mart - EAR 05:29:27 08/31/01 (0)

I like the straws ! - Ed Hsu 04:14:53 08/31/01 (1)

Seems to work... - s.hum 07:14:42 08/31/01 (0)

Re: Congratulations - Ozzy 03:02:59 08/31/01 (1)

Agreed - s.hum 07:03:34 08/31/01 (0)

couldnt resist - rewt_gr 02:36:11 08/31/01 (1)

Re: couldnt resist - rewt_gr 05:52:26 08/31/01 (0)

since you have a full Jensen path, do you wish to post yours? - Mart 02:02:35 08/31/01 (1)

As soon as I can borrow my sis' digicam - s.hum 07:44:32 08/31/01 (0)

maggies 1.6 xo through the full Jensen path!!! - paco 23:25:11 08/30/01 (5)

But from the rear?... - s.hum 06:56:57 08/31/01 (4)

take the socks off... - paco 07:21:24 08/31/01 (3)

cool spikes ... brother has the gold ones <nt> - Mart 07:53:15 08/31/01 (0)

That was the one thing I was trying to avoid... - s.hum 07:52:56 08/31/01 (1)

Re: That was the one thing I was trying to avoid... - barry_mcinnes 10:58:36 08/31/01 (0)

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