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Best Capacitors for Crossovers

I am now in the tweaking stage of trying different caps in my crossovers for my DIY homemade 2 way. I presently have and will soon try a 5.6uf 800 vdc +/- 2% Jantzen Audio Silver Z-cap.

I see that Mundorf, V Cap get a lot of accolades, and the Dueland are quite pricey.

Does anyone have a favorite?

I am trying to cross over at about 4500HZ at 6db.

ozzy
ozzy's avatar
ozzy OP
3,650 posts
 

barrysandy,

Thanks for reviving this thread.

Those Duelund caps are verrrryyy pricey!

I ended up installing Mundorf silver/gold/oil caps. And I switched to the Aurtum Cantus G1 tweeters.

There is about a 14 db.SPL difference between this tweeter and the mid/woofers I am using.

So, now my quest is to install resistors to pad down the tweeter. I will use a 6.2 and a 2 ohm resistors that are rated at 10 watt.

Question:

Most high end resistors are rated between 5-12 watts. This seems rather low to me, is that enough wattage?

erik_squires
5,268 posts
 
Hi Ozzy,

You should take these questions over to the DIYAudio forum where there are lots of speaker builders who would help you, or Parts Express Tech Talk.  Plus you can post pics and schematics and stuff there too so it's easier to share your problems and questions about speaker buiding. :)

As for power required for a resistor, I use XSim’s power charts.

It is also important to know where your resistor is going! :) Since power in music is weighted towards bass, your tweeter will never have the full music power. I assume only about 1/10 of the music power will ever go to the tweeter section. I then set XSim to that level of power, and then examine the resistors.

If in doubt, go bigger! :) Plus, bigger resistors have less thermal noise and are more stable.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/

Best,

Erik
gammag
10 posts
 

Hello Everyone! I was thinking on trying the Audyn Plus caps and also bypassing them with a .1uF Audyn copper foil cap. Do any of you think this would be a good match? I just can’t afford really expensive caps at the moment :( I did look at the Jupiter caps and they are a little pricey for me at this time. Has anyone here ever tried different coils such as the silver/gold foil caps from Mundorf? In my opinion it appears that caps do make a difference in the tweeter section, I wonder if the high end coils also make a noticeable difference in sound quality in the mid-bass/midrange area? I was also told that one couldn't notice a difference using caps in the shunt sections of a crossover. I know that you guys here would know, so what do y'all believe. Thanks in advanced!

John

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
4,637 posts
 
Most definitely in the mids. A must! Decent film caps is all that is needed on the bass. Resistors are every bit as important. If you have sand cast, then get Mills MRA series.
Caps in the shunt position do matter. I have heard the difference numerous times. 
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
4,637 posts
 
Don't forget Jupiter VT caps as they are great sounding and far more affordable. I used them in my last project. 
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