Ferrous materials around the magnetic structure (other than the pole piece} will interfere with the lines of flux.The difference I heard when I subsituted the brass machine screws was a smoother,quieter sound, less apparent hash, lower distotion,with more focus to the individual sound stage.The crossover is mounted with steel screws,and the back plate has an adhesive gasket.This assembly can be slid out of the back for inspection.Aaron, the back plate for the input terminal can be removed and a new one can be made to replace it.If you do so then you can change to the Cardas copper connectors and use any cables you want.Brass hardware can be found more easily at mom and pop hardware stores than at the big boys.Again you can buy many of the caps and resistors and inductors from North Creek Music Systems.Remember I changed the inductor wire gauge so this made the inductor much larger in size.This much, much larger size required me to mount the crossover external to the cabinet which allowed me to use any and all types of spkr. wire as well as to remove the components from the turbulence inside the cabinet.When you add up all of the minor to small to large changes that I made to these speakers over the last few years the difference I feel and to others that have witnessed them, is Huge. As time went on I became bolder and more confident in the changes I made .Some times I thought to myself "Tom don't screw up these great and expensive speskers".Remember I never changed the value of the components, only their physcial quality. I would not recomMend changing drivers.Thanks for listening ,Tom
