Planar Speaker Asylum

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Planar Speaker Asylum

RE: Capacitors

71.67.188.239

In Reply to: RE: Capacitors posted by MWE on May 03, 2015 at 10:06:39

I like the REL polyStyrenes and found them better than the Sonicap Teflons (Platinum)

Best value I found are the Dayton brand foil caps from Parts Express. The value range is very limited but the price is phenomenal considering the sonic quality you get. I think they are near the REL PS caps in SQ.

What is your LP filter elbow freq. on the XM9?

Follow Ups:

RE: LP filter elbow - MWE 14:21:02 05/03/15 (11)
Hi Satie- right now it's 260 Hz. I tried 280 just for entertainment value, but things sounded too "thick", not unexpectedly. Will likely get resistors for 250 (stock) and 240, just to play around. The XM9 also has a crossover region damping adjustment and various settings of that makes a noticeable difference, too.
Certainly there's some experimentation to do. All in all, though, I'm tickled pink with how good these things sound now.

Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
- RE: LP filter elbow - tcnicholas 05:22:00 05/04/15 (10)
  MWE:
  I have a pair of 3.5R's and have been toying with biamping them for a while. I am a very visual person, can you post some detailed photos of the changes you made? I have been lurking on this forum for a number of years now and somewhat understand what modifications you performed, but not enough to charge down the path without many incorrect assumptions. I enjoyed reading your success and it sounds within reach for my system.
  Thank you in advance,
  Tom
  - RE: LP filter elbow - Davey 09:01:11 05/04/15 (0)
    The Marchand XM-9 crossover that MWE used creates symmetrical (same roll-off rate and 4th-order) high/low pass slopes. (It's not easily modifiable to alter this aspect.)
    Neither the stock outboard box or the Magnepan recommended bi-amping crossover slopes are symmetrical. What MWE did is create an asymmetrical electrical crossover by not using the high-pass outputs of his XM-9 crossover and creating a first-order passive "bypass" section around the Marchand XM-9 to drive the mid/tweet amplifier. The gist is that he's created an active bi-amping scheme but very close to the Magnepan-designed slopes for the 3.6 speaker.
    Since you're a visual guy, take a look at the design I posted many years ago here on the forum. Or take a look at Neolith's spreadsheet which shows the electrical slopes for all of the Magnepan speakers.
    http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/tweaks/davey/mg3.6xo.htm
    Hope that helps.
    Dave.
    
    Edits: 05/04/15 05/04/15
  - Tom-please refer to Roger's excellent reply. nt. - MWE 07:07:40 05/04/15 (0)
    nt.
    "The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
  - RE: LP filter elbow - Roger Gustavsson 06:38:31 05/04/15 (7)
    Nothing is done to the speakers themself, except removing the outbord passive crossover.
    
    The 3.5 is not as easy to convert as the 3.6.
    
    The 3.6 need an active low pass crossover, the first order high pass cut-off can be done at the input of the power amp feeding the mid/tweeter section, it is just a capacitor.
    
    The 3.5 need an active low pass and a second order high pass cut-off. Is not that easy to do that with a passive solution at line level.
    - RE: LP filter elbow - Satie 09:20:57 05/04/15 (6)
      He can still implement a 4th order active LP and 1st order HP combo like MWE has as the speaker drivers are not that different. Given a choice rather than using an active XO that was there anyways, I would have used a 3rd order 1st order combo.
      - Satie, I'm curious as to... - MWE 12:23:36 05/04/15 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: LP filter elbow posted by Satie on May 04, 2015 at 09:20:57
        
        your rationale for 3rd order LP for the 3.6. XM9 boards are only $70, (easily doable) and could be ordered as 3rd order; I know Magnepan rec's 3rd but the stock passive is 4th and wonder if it would be worthwhile trying the 3rd. Any illumination would be appreciated.
        "The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
        
        RE: Satie, I'm curious as to... - Satie 21:05:31 05/04/15 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Satie, I'm curious as to... posted by MWE on May 04, 2015 at 12:23:36
        
        If you go that way be prepared for trying out a wide variety of values for both the mid HP and bass LP in the 3rd +1 XOs.
        
        If you like what you are getting then stick with it and save yourself some trouble. The main thing is to have the mid HP filter be a high quality cap and have separate amps doing high power bass duties and refined performance for the mid/tweeter. So long as you already have the HP and LP matched you will not see that much improvement - if any.
        
        If you are designing from scratch then yes, the 3rd _ 1st is what I would do first.
        
        Thanks! nt. - MWE 05:04:43 05/05/15 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Satie, I'm curious as to... posted by Satie on May 04, 2015 at 21:05:31
        
        nt.
        "The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
      - RE: LP filter elbow - tcnicholas 11:55:38 05/04/15 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: LP filter elbow posted by Satie on May 04, 2015 at 09:20:57
        
        Thank you all for the information
        My intent was not to highjack the thread. Many apologies.
        
        Apologies not necessary, Tom. If you have the bucks,... - MWE 12:13:25 05/04/15 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: LP filter elbow posted by tcnicholas on May 04, 2015 at 11:55:38
        
        a Marchand XM44 will do what you need. They're $1K and nice units. Marchand used to offer kits but no longer, alas.
        
        Mark in NC
        "The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
        
        +1 on XM44 - Satie 12:21:09 05/04/15 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Apologies not necessary, Tom. If you have the bucks,... posted by MWE on May 04, 2015 at 12:13:25
        
        Used it for a decade

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