Modifying Crossovers


I just read a post about changing resistors and caps in the new Borresen X3 speakers. I am curious why there is interest in changing the components in a brand new speaker. I also am curious if it would make them better than why didn’t the designers put a better component in the first place. Just a thought and scratching my head. Have a great day.

falmgren

@carlsbad2, nice looking XO you put together, congratulations. Are those Path resistors you have there and did you compare with any others? There is also what appears to be maybe a Mundorf resistor mounted on a heatsink. If so I think it is a Vishay device and adopted by Mundorf. I found the same thing under the brand Powertron and is cheaper. I find it clean, very dynamic and open and use it always with it's heatsink to avoid thermal compression. Also are those 2 caps next to the low frequency inductor Duelund bypass caps?

Regarding your choice of Duelund in cotton for internal wiring may I suggest you consider solid OCC copper in PTFE insulation instead. It's more expensive but in keeping with the other components you have in the XO. I normally remove any push on connectors and solder, vastly and consistently better. Solid core wire needs to be anchored close to the terminal to prevent fatigue. Do not twist + and - just keep about 1" spacing between. To take it up a level avoid using the speaker terminals as a connection. I do this on my speakers' and amplifier terminals. I bring the wires from XO outside the box and terminate with pure copper FUREZ spades. I use identical spades on the speaker cables also terminated with FUREZ spades and place them back to back into the terminals that now merely act as a clamp. Ideally removing those huge lumps of dubious quality binding posts, finding that a non-metallic way of clamping is better still.

Next step would be to have the XOs outside the box.

The best crossover is no crossover. Just listen to a good full range driver in a well designed horn cabinet. Why distort the signal through all that mumbo jumbo of wires and circuits?

"Why distort the signal through all that mumbo jumbo of wires and circuits?"

@boxertwin12 

Why? Because full range drivers have their own shortcomings. Some people aren't bothered by them, others are. 

There is no perfect loudspeaker. In this instance you gotta decide if you want purity and soundstage or dynamics. 

@lemonhaze Good eye identifying the components.  Indeed those are Duelund bypass capacitors.  They are actually in the midrange circuits.  Didn't feel a bypass was necessary for the low frequencies.  The Path resistors are proven by friends that have done this mod so I'm not anticipating trying others.  The resistor in the heat sink is a 30W powertron. This is indeed the low frequency circuit.  I"ve had good luck with the duelund wire and have bought enough of it to rewire the speaker with it.  

Indeed, this is going to be an externnal crossover.  I started trying to put it back inside but there just isn't enough room.  I was going to have to put it on 4 boards mounted various places around the inside of the box.  So this panel that I have everything mounted on is about 12x12" and I'll be building a polished and oiled walnut box for it to go into.  I think I'll put a plexiglass top on it.

There currently are no push on connectors in the speaker.  Eveything is getting soldered up with Mundorf silver/gold solder.

thanks for the suggestions.

Jerry