Using vintage speakers? read this...

[jon s]

Many people are using vintage speakers. what they don't know is that as the speakers age, the crossovers changes characteristics. the capacitors changes values which then alters the crossover point which then alters the overall sound. it may also force the drivers to work in a frequency range that it was not designed for. How old do speakers need to be before the crossovers fail to meet spec? Maybe 10-20 years, depending on the quality.

Some companies (like KEF) specifies tolerances as low as 1%. Some generic (as well as name brands) uses caps with a 20% tolerance range. Simple two- or three-way crossovers are usually easy to upgrade. Using higher grade components can make a startling difference in the sound quality.

As an example, I recently obtained a pair of Polk Monitor 10B speakers for $50. They were in decent condition but the sound left a bit to be desired. I replaced the crossover components with some Jantzens for about $100. After breaking in the crossover (40-100 hours), the sound had a lot better focus, the bass was tighter, and the image had better depth.

Now, the Jantzens are not expensive parts... some brands (Sonicaps, Auricaps) can get pretty expensive, running several hundred dollars total. You do not need to spend exorbitant amounts, but you shud realize that some brands do make a difference in the sound. Either way, all of these brands are a lot better than the generic caps that most manufacturers use. In any case, upgrading the caps on the speakers made a big difference and I would recommend anyone to do so on vintage speakers...