Crossover Capacitor help

[Tom Loizeaux]

I've followed the discussions here about crossover capacitors for some time. When I rehabed my 4343s, I put in .01 bypass caps along side all the 4, 1.5 and 1 uf caps, and bypassed the 20uf with .22s and 13.5s with .1ufs, as well as put .47s along with the72uf and (as suggested by JBL) a 4uf (3.9 +.1) along side the 52uf.
When deciding on which brand and type of bypass caps to use, I listened to many opinions, and decided to go with the Daytons, since they were only going to be bypass caps. The larger caps were all original from JBL.
Since then I've heard some negative things about Daytons. I was going to use some Solens, but heard that they were "harsh". I know of the high-end caps (MusiCap, Axon, AudioCap, Infini Cap, Multicap, etc.) and have looked at many charts and types.
My question is, can we get a consensus on what caps provide good performance in passive crossovers without being "overly expensive"? If one cap cost $2.00 while another of the same value costs $20., can we find a reasonable compromise to upgrade our vintage JBL crossovers? I also have to consider physical size, as I'm going to stay with the stock JBL crossover boxes. Now I'm looking at Auricap, which seem very reasonably priced, but are these a significant upgrade over vintage stock caps? Which caps should I use to replace vintage caps, and which caps should I use to bypass with in JBL studio monitors?
Can I get some help here?
Thanks,

Tom

[Earl K]

Hi Tom

Why not set up a poll to see which cap types have contributed the most bang for the buck - as far as being regarded as an upgrade over stock 43xx caps.


regards < Earl K :)

[4313B]

"My question is, can we get a consensus on what caps provide good performance in passive crossovers without being "overly expensive"?"

I think that's kind of like asking for a consensus on what amplifier to use.

G.T. has stated on several occasions that one should use the best poly caps they can find and then bias them. That's a very expensive proposition. I like the very cheap Dayton metallized polypropylene bypassed with the expensive AudioCap polypropylene and foil. I am still waiting for my polystyrene and foil caps to show up so I can add them into the mix. The slightly more expensive Solen is simply too bright, too forward, and too two-dimensional for my tastes.

Did you happen to see the links I posted in another thread concerning capacitors?

What is wrong with your current stock JBL caps bypassed with Daytons?

"Since then I've heard some negative things about Daytons."

What was said?

"I was going to use some Solens, but heard that they were "harsh". "

Try them anyway, they might work fine with your other electronics.

Have you tried the AUDIOCAP PPT THETA .010uF-600V FILM/FOIL CAPACITOR (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&User_ID=16124137&St=1778&St2=-66700545&St3=-33009407&DS_ID=3&Product_ID=16018&DID=7)? If you can't hear a night and day difference with these things then the rest of your system, or dare I say, your hearing, isn't up to the task.

[Tom Loizeaux]

I'm not unhappy with the Dayton .01s in my 4343s, I'm just trying to decide if I can improve things! A certain amount of this "persuing audio perfection" has to do with the peace of mind that comes from knowing what you're listening to and that it is closing in on perfection. I know that my system isn't "the best", but I want to know that there isn't something small I could do to noticably improve things. Knowing I'm getting the most from my vintage JBLs, and possibly improving on the perfomance over the stock version, is satisfying.
Opening up my 4343s and pulling the crossovers out is a pain, so I want to know what I'm going to accomplish before I start. If I feel further upgrading caps will be worth it, I expect I will order some and install them.
Thanks for the suggestion of the AudioCap .01s, I may try them.

Tom

[4313B]

"I'm not unhappy with the Dayton .01s in my 4343s, I'm just trying to decide if I can improve things! Opening up my 4343s and pulling the crossovers out is a pain, so I want to know what I'm going to accomplish before I start."

Yeah, pulling drivers and networks can be a pain. You might want to consider mounting the networks on the outside temporarily to give yourself easier access. I think knowing what you will accomplish will be pretty difficult without hearing it. I can sit here typing about how great a certain capacitor is until the cows come home but what does that have to do with you, your system, and your preferences. You might think the Solen sound is the greatest thing since sliced bread or you might find that an Auricap is just the ticket. My "ranting" about the AudioCaps are based on my particular environment and my personal perception. Someone else might think they suck. As for the people saying bad things about the Dayton 0.01's, maybe their electronics aren't "compatible" with the Daytons. Alot of people have posted what types of capacitors they like and I'm sure they've tried a bunch before making their decision. I see no easier solution to simply trying out a whole bunch of different capacitors and selecting the ones you prefer most.

When this topic first broke in the very first forum I stated that I thought people might simply want to get the stock JBL 0.01 uF polypropylene capacitors and the 0.005 uF polystyrene capacitors since they were "tried and true". They aren't "the best" but they are considerably better than just a plain old mylar.