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B&W 802 D2 Capacitors Worth Upgrading?

After just getting a pair of 802D2’s in mint condition, after having to replace a blown tweeter, and succeeding (I know not a big deal), I started wondering about replacing the crossovers.  The speakers could be up to 12 years old so the capacitors in the crossovers should have another 12 years of life before they go out of spec.  I thought of just replacing the crossovers with new ones available on B&W’s site, now, just to reset the ~25y clock on the capacitor’s lifespan.  But then I watched a few YouTube’s of guys upgrading to crazy high-end caps.  Supposedly doing this can improve the speed or reduce the latency of the crossover.

I’ve not dug into this yet, but just wondering if anyone has any experience with this?  Questions:

-Is this worth doing?

-Why type of capacitors do I need?  And which brand/models are “the best”.

-Where do I get them?

-Any special tips when soldering for HiFi?  I know how to solder but have zero experience soldering for HiFi and wondering if I should be using a certain type of solder for Audiophile applications.  What am I thinking, of course there is such a thing as Audiophile solder, and it forms micro ultra low capacitance conductors, applies power correction and noise cancelation, improves the dialectics and it costs $5,000 a spool….  Ok got carried away there.

Also thinking about upgrading the internal crap wiring to something high end.

Thoughts, from anyone with experience doing these things?
 


 

 

 

 

nyev
erik_squires
15,772 posts
 

FYI,

The white caps are Mundorf MKP.  Their low end film caps.  Quite smooth and dark, most likely in the woofer low pass.  The others are some version of Mundorf Supreme.

B&W as well as Magico are among their big OEM customers. Some of the B&W bookshelf speaker lines were different ONLY by the cap quality.

I personally find Magico and their new new supreme line, the Supreme Evo, to sound splashy, with too much fake color and air.  You can find prices at Madisound or Parts Connexion. 

Personally I'm a bigger fan of Clarity and Jupiter for any top builds I consider.

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,174 posts
 

Good job Eric. 😁

allenf1963
273 posts
 

Erik,

 

Fantastic job taking the time and patience to explain your answers to Nyev's original and follow-up questions, and doing so without an INKLING of bravado, elitism, or any air of superiority.  Sadly, this consideration of using basic skills of humanity is a lost art on Social Media -- especially this site at times.  Thanks for the audio lesson.

 

Now my turn.  Maybe it is just the ads, audio sites, or Audiophile setups that I tend to notice, but why do the majority of gear setups utilizing separates tend to have a Tube Preamp paired with Solid State Amps?  To me, it seems that if you are wanting the "Tube Sound and Experience", you would utilize tubes both in your Preamp and your Amp (along with your Phono Preamp).  What am I missing or not understanding?  If you can make it as easy to understand as your response to Nyev, I should be golden!

 

Thanks.  Allen

 

boomerbillone
328 posts
 

Hello NYEV!  I have never failed to get a serious improvement by replacing crossover capacitors. I have tried many serious brands. I like the Mundorf KRP series. They sound better than Solens, Auricaps, and several others. Replace any electrolytics with "real" capacitors also. You can get a huge variety of parts from Parts Connexion in Canada (no sales tax). They are quick shippers. I get all my "fancy" parts from them. Be sure to use rosin core solder. Happy listening.

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,872 posts
 

Yes for sure a great speaker to upgrade , great drivers and cabinet.

Xovers a bit bright I helped rebuild a few years back, even when they went with upper mundorf capacitors they are a bit brigh5 by nature.

and cheap resistors , path audio resistors highly recommended, 

the new Mundorf ultra a npbit more detailed but neutral capacitors  depending on your budget.

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