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I thought I would start a new thread just incase the update on the on the other thread got buried.
Here's my version of the Zilch Z19 Xover. It's still not the final version.
Follow Ups:
Maybe too nice? I would lose all the nickel plated terminal strips and directly connect all components. I would also make curved instead of square corners and avoid all the parallel leads, especially the one nearest the inductor.
The Audyn True Copper is an awesome cap.
Mundorf SIO is the best tweeter cap I have heard, even a small value in parallel with other larger value film caps.
All caps should be secured against the board.
Peace,
Tom E
to solder all leads to once I settle on the final components. So far everything is sound really nice.
The terminals in the pic are just for easy/fast replacements to try out different components.
Thanks for the feedback. :)
Finished!
I built a lightly modified Z19 and the MF, HF controls using 2 L-Pads. I used a 1st order low pass and 3rd order high pass and placed the MF/HF control circuits after the last capacitor in the high pass section.
I have been tweaking this 2 way system for a long time - years :-) Finding the Altec N1201-8a crossover schematic, your thread and the postings on the thread I started about the mid/high freq controls was a game changer for me.
I just applied it to my center channel speaker to see how it would work but I like how the speaker sounds better than before. The mid range control can be very effective; I was surprised how much mid it could cut.
I can't thank you enough, Zilch!!!!!
All the best :-)
"Ad Astra Per Alia Porci", - To the stars on the wings of a pig: John Steinbeck
Hi Synthsayer,
This is not my Design. I just built the circuit that Zilch (RIP) had designed for Altec 2 way systems like the Model 19 Xover. His work and countless hours of measurements gave us this really nice Xover before he had passed away that helps with extending the range/output of the Altec CD drivers like the Altec 902 or 802.
From what I have read he started this because some were using a tweeter horn to get some extension on the upper end. So Mr. Zilch wanted to look into this to see if he could do the same without an extra driver. He first had to see if the Altec drivers could support such a new design in the Model 19 xover. Once he confirmed that it could, he went to work on this design and came up with the Z19. I have been reading and finding alot info on this so I just thought I would share my version of Mr. Zilch's xover.
I found the xover layout over on the AK forum so I just wanted to try and build mine this way too. I still need to clean it up more and tweak it a little to make it look nicer and have the components a little closer/neater.
So far, I really love this Xover which to me still has that Altec magical sound but just better! I have been getting alot of compliments on the sound of my prototype speakers. Even my brother wants me to make him a pair once I'm finished with mine, that's how much he liked them.
I will post back once I start the real build.
I'm glad this thread has help you out! There are alot of members here with way more experience and better speakers systems that I have contributed to this helpful thread. That's what makes this forum so great!
I want to also say Thank You to all for their info, feedback and help! I really appreciate it! :)
I tried this too, during when I was so into audio. It was okay for me, and still have the parts of the XO somewhere, but went on trying line level XO instead of speaker level.
At present, I am running bi amp using mini DSP(802D, Azura Horn, 416-8B).
FWIW, are you the same "Cougar" who participated in the Teres forum way back?
Very Nice looking Xover!
I have been hearing a lot about Mini DSP's lately. How has it worked out for you?
Which Teres forum was that? I do have a Teres 255 Rosewood base table with the Lead shot acrylic platter. It has an ET-2 tonearm and Shelter 901 cartridge.
Hi Cougar,
Thanks!. I had been using the mini DSP for about a year now. It sounds fine to me but very hard to compare with traditional discrete circuits as the type of amp being use plays a big role to the sound of the HF and LF. With a type 2A3/45 amp on the top, and a type 300B for the LF using mini dsp 4th order, I find it fast, detailed and with a stout bass. The clarity of the vocals can be a blessing and a curse sometimes.
One thing I will recommend for you to try is to use copper plated silver on the HF or pure silver if budget is not a consideration if you are using speaker level XO. I have use it on Zilch, Markwarts, and other XO including OB arrangement and it made a difference for me.
Yes, you are the "Cougar" I remember from Audiogon. I too have a 255 in Rosewood using heavily modified OL Silver(Leadshot and Stabilizer tweaks from Thomas Lyons or TWL)).
Abe
Silver plated OFC copper interconnects and did like it at all. It sounds good at first good upper end with good bass then after after 50 hours it chances for the worst and never comes back to the first sonics I had when I first hook it up. I have never tried it of speaker cables or anything in the speaker chain. I still do have some of that Alpha Core Silver platted OFC 28 gauge wire that I can braid into some hook wire and try it out.
So far that Zilch Xover is sounding better and better as it breaks in.
Audiogon, was a long time ago! :)
BTW, tell me about that stabilizer you mentioned. Is that a Record stabilizer?
One thing that has worked best for me with my Teres is using unwaxed floss. Anything else I used had a slight edge to the sound. The Floss has been the best for me so far. I'm really happy with the sound of my Teres so far and don't have a need or want to chance. It's a good fit with my Tube gear. I just worry that if I ever need replacement parts Teres Audio will not be able to help now. So much for the lifetime warranty!
Hi,
Yes, Silver interconnects did not work for me either. So far, speaker cables with Silver plated copper sounds fine.No, not a record stabilizer. I still use the Teres Rosewood record clamp though. I was talking about the mod for the Origin Live RB250. See pics below. The lead weight on the first pic and with additional "stabilizer" made of wire on the 2nd pic. yes, Audiogon was ages ago, in an audio world of different dimension.
Regards!
Edits: 08/21/15
Hi,Very neat.
(1) Your wiring looks like its excessively high-loss to me.
(2) Oil caps to the tweeter circuit need multiple - smaller value bypassing, to maintain good high frequency response at the driver's voice coil.
Change it and try again.
Jeff Medwin
Edits: 08/20/15
Hi,
1.) I do not think so.
2.) Again, I do not think so.
Here is what I would do:(1) Crossover wiring is inadequate, Double UP all wiring with EXACTLY equal lengths of wire. I am talking about the 5 Red and 2 Green you show. Two EQUALLY long electron paths are better than one. UN-EQUAL lengths will "ghost" and be a degrade.
(2) Film capacitors, for best sonics, should not (a) touch each other or (b) other parts like inductors, or (c) the chassis if its a metallic chassis.
See my photo, above, of one no-touch solution.
(3) Wiring from the crossover to the woofer should be paralleled EQUAL length heavy wire, two conductors for the woofer positive, two conductors for the woofer negative.
I often use doubled-up Fulton Brown speaker wire ( about 10 AWG, each run, or 7 AWG equivalent ) or doubled up 12 AWG Mil Spec copper-silver wire ( 9 AWG equivalent ) from crossover to woofer terminals. Huge difference with SET amplification.
(4) I would think every film cap bank in there needs to be bypassed with somewhere between 2.2 to 10 nF of a HIGH quality film cap, as a minimum effort. Do that, only AFTER you ascertain correct operation, and the main caps break in.
Its going to BLOW your mind when you discover such a small value bypass film cap on the tweeter, will audibly improve the low end !! Ha, that will be cool for you to hear and discover.
Have fun.
Jeff Medwin
Edits: 08/15/15 08/15/15 08/15/15
Even for a prototype, that assembly is a bit messy, and it's probably audible. I wouldn't make any decisions based on the sound of that circuit in such a state. Simply twisting leads together would probably be a better strategy than globs of cold solder joints.
Smaller value caps in parallel with other film caps can be useful when the smaller cap is better quality. Otherwise, it just doesn't make much sense and only complicates the circuit. I don't understand why you advocate making every doubled wire exactly identical lengths, yet you run the delicate high frequencies through multiple capacitors of vastly different signal path lengths.
Caps should not be suspended in air by their leads. They should be securely fastened to a solid surface and damped to reduce vibration. Your o-ring idea is worthwhile but the caps still need to be secured.
Peace,
Tom E
Greetings,Russian Teflon Caps haven't worked for me, and I'm not a fan of dumping into landfills, when there's someone out there who can use a product.
I have 10 each of .056u (500B) & .22u (600B) Russian Teflon caps - a total of 20 caps. Many have been soldered into circuits while others have not, but they're all in fine shape.
The first offer in my inbox for these gets them for the price of a Medium Rate Priority mail box (Continental US Only).
Use the contact page on the Galibier Design website to reach me. Don't bother using this forum to reply as I rarely visit (this thread was pointed out to me).
[edit] 2015-08-18: The caps have found a new home.
Cheers (and have fun experimenting!),
Thom
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Edits: 08/18/15
"Its going to BLOW your mind when you discover such a small value bypass film cap on the tweeter, will audibly improve the low end !! Ha, that will be cool for you to hear and discover."I have always wondered about bypassing with a high quality smaller cap and what effect it would have on the lower end that I could actually hear. If you noticed I bypassed the 20uf Solen with the 1uf Audyn copper foil cap on the lower end (what I had on hand). I think it has helped in that upper low end region up to the xover point of the Z19.
I want to use Audyn .1uf bypass caps on all the capacitor banks but didn't know if that would be wasting money. Also since these CDE caps are sounding so nice I haven't had the urge to try that yet.
Once everything is broken in I will give this a try.
Thanks again!
Edits: 08/15/15
Yes, you would be wasting money in my opinion on Audyn 0.1 uF bypass caps.
Solen film caps, BTW, are really bad, don't like them for audio use ...anywhere. You found this out.
Here is the deal on caps, different uF values play different parts of the spectrum, and NO cap alone can play the full musical expression, unbypassed, OPTIMALLY in ALL frequencies we wanna hear !!! Caps may measure wide band with a test instrument, but they play back NARROW BAND at the speaker voice coil. This is where we get into bypassing.
Usually, it requires multiple bypassing. Thorsten Loesch, in 1999-2000 was using SPECIFIC generic caps, that outperformed audiophile botique caps, and he typically used a minimum of FOUR cap values across a main film filter cap.
The values were really small. Not 0.1 as you were going to do....but his FIRST bypass was at 0.075 uF. His next three bypasses were at 0.0036, ( 3600 pf ) THEN 0.0027 uF ( 2700 pF ) AND THEN 0.0022 Uf ( 2,200 pF ). Holey smokes, that is 3.6 nF, 2.7 nF, and 2.2 nF, VERY HIGH UP !!! This last three-some was a trio of specific dielectric caps, developed long ago by Holger Stein in Germany ( Stein Music ).
In recent times, audio reviewer Jon L. has used 0.0022 uF as a single-value bypass cap, often a Russian FT-1 or FT-3 teflon. I use a K72P-6 2,200 pF teflon high voltage part in amps sometimes, with good result in certain audio areas.
What I want to point out to you is, a single-value high quality bypass - such as 6,400 pF ( 0.0064 uF ) to 2,200 pF WILL have profound effects all the way across the audio spectrum, and EASILY heard in the bass notes, particularly their leading edge attack, transient speed and perceived ability to go LOW !!
When I say high quality, I do NOT mean high dollar.
Your job as a DIYer, is to find High Quality caps, ( generic / industrial NOS, or Russian military) at the BEST uF values, for a dollar or less, that will "walk all over" the botique wallet-emptiers, when used in combinations. Isn't THAT a mind blower !!!
I would build the crossover on Cinch connectors, all Wonder-soldered, NONE of the bundled CDE caps touching each other. Do use the washer / cap / spacing technigue I photographed, ( Lowes, etc, Plumbing Supply Department for rubber O-Ring Washers, different sizes ).
Film cap bypass experiment CHEAPLY - only AFTER you get the system playing and stable. That is just icing on the cake.
I would be happy to share with you, some of my known-to-be-good bypass cap types and values, and information privately, and cost effective wire use / choices privately, so as not to create buying demand and price pressure on parts that are old stock and not in demand !! Knowledge of what works is powerful stuff. Great for DIY audio. My email is above.
Have fun, I do !!
Jeff Medwin
Thanks for the advice.1. This is not the final Xover layout but just a clean up of the prototype I have playing MUSIC now. I know it's not the best looking layout but it works for now and sounds great and allows me to change components fast to improve sound quality. I'm going to move the components in closer once I figure out a better layout with point to point soldering. What I really would like to do is use the Zilch PCB posted above but I would need to find the exact caps to fit and I really don't want to change them if I don't have to because I'm happy with the sound I have now.
2. All that advice about equal lengths of wire, doubling up wire, no parts touching can go right out the door with terrible soldering like that in the picture.
3. These CDE caps give me the best sound so far and best bang for the buck! they sound way better than the Solen caps I had before which made the Xover a lot smaller with NO parts touching. Their sonics are right there if not better than the Auricaps that I mostly use. The CDE caps are a very good price and will surprise some. They are way less than Auricaps and just a little more than the Solens. I do not need to bypass with expensive caps in this circuit (Z19) with expensive parts. The sound is really nice so far and I hear no need to spend way more on caps!
Edits: 08/15/15 08/15/15
I've been dismissed !Sure I built that. That is simply a prototype.
There were THREE different sets of seven film bypass caps installed - in and out, over the last two months, that went across the original DC LINK main ( 30 uF ) film cap.
The DC LINK main film power supply cap had 12 AWG multistrand copper-silver wire across its terminals, so it doesn't look pretty when I attach other caps and doubled-up wire to it, but it works just fine.
Focus your attention Cougar on how NOT one film cap's body touches the other's bodies, and how it is suspended in space. THAT is audible, and has been documented by others previously on AA. Should I find the posts for you??
I would not opt for a PC board. It locks you into other's parts choices, and I would think, with a bit of thought and experimentation, you could hard wire and easily improve upon the PC board you depict.
As you have it wired now, it is pretty much high-loss and could be improved upon with some thought. Most in audio are unconcious on the need for wire optimization.
As for spending more money to high frequency bypass....( on ALL the cap bunches as I suggested ) - there is absolutely NO NEED to buy audiophile botique parts !! Generic industrial caps, carefully selected or, carefully selected Russian military caps, will get you where you should go, typically at under a buck a cap !!
You seem to want to dismiss and excuse yourself from all I say, but if you experiment and listen, you will find my comments to be worth while and valid. The ball is fully in your court.
Have fun experimenting and listening.
Jeff Medwin ( Altec 515B and 802D )
Edits: 08/15/15 08/15/15
I hear and take all advice into consideration. :) this is a forum for learning and sharing experiences that have work for us or others. I do appreciate all the advice and feedback. I will take heed of the components touching which I knew already.
This is why I built this Xover this way, to make any and all tweaks easier than soldering and desoldering because the high heat from excessive soldering does take a toll on components after a while.
yes, I'm looking and have found some terminals that I can solder point to point and clean this xover up. So hopefully after this has fully broken in (about 50 hours now) I can get to cleaning this up.
Now I can take Michael Samra up on his offer on some Russian caps to try out with this Xoverif I feel the need to tweak it.
I do have the speaker binding post for the Final build and I am making some speaker cable for these speakers. Hopefully when I'm finished, I will have something nice looking/sounding to show off here.
Thanks
Very NICE reply, thank you !!!
Cinch makes a complete line of high quality solderable terminal strips, with many useful combinations available, at reasonable costs. They get my vote, I love 'em. Available at Mouser, Digikey, Newark, etc etc, reasonable also !!
Pictured above are a couple of C-56U / C-54U Cinches.
Between this post and my previous one, I just bought 18 film caps for $18.00 shipped, HIGHEST quality vintage ( decades old , not metalized ) caps, 0.0064 at 1,200 VDC at 2% tolerance. Bet it EATs a botique audio cap of today for $50.00 or less, .....for a dollar !!!
Jeff Medwin
Terminals like the ones in the pic. These are for the final build.
My Goal is to use NO extra wire if possible, just use the component leads in a nice point to point layout. My Altec Model 14'a had the resistors directly soldered to the Lpads I will like to do this also. I still have some Vampire CCC solid core wire for these connections if I need to add any wire.
I also need to make a nice enclosure for my final build of the Z19.
Thanks
Certain crossover runs need to use wire.The single resistor leads are thin and rob dynamics.
I often use TWO resistors of double the desired value, well matched, in parallel, just to get extra dynamics, and a quieter background, a good tip !!!
On your CDE cap bundles, make them like spokes in a wheel when looking sideways, end-on at the group, equal wire lead lengths, bodies NOT touching, and a single termination point to attach appropriate wire and / or parts to.
Russian polystyrenes, K73-16 as I recall, would be a excellent superbly cost effective main crossover caps, in lieu of the CDEs. I just bought 50 pieces of 3.9 and 3.3 uF, 160 VDC, for $32 delivered. Polystyrene comes right after teflon as far as being way good - as a dielectric material
On a sensitive two-way high-efficiency speaker system, ( like yours, or my VOTT A7-800s ), we need to use DOUBLED-UP 12 AWG to each woofer terminal, from the crossover.
Also, for UTMOST quality, doubled-up silver wire, Kimber Kable AGSS, etc., from the crossover to the high frequency driver, with precise EQUAL lengths to avoid wire-ghosting !! I had drummerwill in Saint Louis wire-convert his GPA 604 MLTLS, early in 2015, and he positively LOVES the result with all of his DHT SET amps !!
Another great optimization is to use multiples and / or divisors of Bob Fulton's favorite audio length, 57 1/8th inches. Forty years later, some Japanese audiophiles in 2015 have "discovered" that three Fulton multiples, 14 feet, sounds "great" for a speaker lead length. Ha !! Only they are off about a 1/4 of a foot !!! Bob KNEW, discovered in the 1970s what was optimum.
Intelligent, conservative use of Cinch terminal strips rings my bell. Glad you ordered some Cougar.
Jeff Medwin
Edits: 08/16/15
It runs between the two caps that appear parallel part of the bass unit.
Of course hard to read/picture, but seems to shunt the paired caps.
The orange wire would be the woofer + and the green wire would be the woofer - but it needs to be connected to the - from the amplifier.The other end of the coil needs to be connected to the + from the amplifier.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Edits: 08/14/15
Tre, you are correct. I still need to add some more terminals for the amp and driver components, plus I still need to connect to the L-pads once I finish the enclosure for the Xover.Here's the layout I followed.
Edits: 08/14/15
Thank you, Cougar!!!
This is an amazing thread :-)
Your parts layout diagram is great!
I have been attempting to build a 2 way crossover modeled after the Altec Model 19's crossover for my 2 way system that uses HF horns ; EV DH1012A 8 ohm and Faital LHT142 elliptical tractrix style lens.
Using standard 2 way crossovers it appears I have encountered the same problem of 'apparent' excessive output in the 1k-3k region and 'shouty' sound. I, too sought to fix the problem with Contour of Notch filters but was not pleased with the results.
After finding some of the online schematics for Klipsch K horns and Cornwall, or Altec models like VOT I noticed the mid compensation circuit in the Model 19 crossover.
I posted a thread about the mid compensation circuit here: http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=hug&m=173895
How the circuit functions electrically is still puzzling for me but my main interest is how I can incorporate into my 2 way system, that filter using variable L-Pads like these from Parts Express: http://www.parts-express.com/parts-express-speaker-l-pad-attenuator-100w-mono-3-8-shaft-8-ohm--260-262
The system I am working on will be main front speakers as part of a home theater setup. I would use your crossover Z19 but I am not sure it would give the system proper phase to match my center and rear speakers.
My Denon AVR3000 only has 120W per channel so I am experimenting with 1st and 3rd order filters. I will likely go back to a 3rd order HP but right now the 2 way front system has only 1st order LP and HP with a Zobel for the woofer. The HP is only a 10uf 250W metalized cap! This is partly in homage to Jim Thiel and his use of 1st order filters with notch filters and Zobel circuits.
I don't have any way to test the EV horn to see if it needs a series notch filter at it's Fs, which I 'assume :-(' to be somwhere around 400Hz. If anybody has any info on that I would love to hear it.
I am going to try to use a couple of L-Pads to make the HF control section of your Z19 crossover but I am confused about the wiring.
My schematic reading skills are weak in general but the way the L-Pads are wired across the 1, 2, and 3 pins is confusing for me. The parts layout diagram is great. I am going to study it for a while but I may still ask you for some help.
Thanks again for the great thread!!!
"Ad Astra Per Alia Porci", - To the stars on the wings of a pig: John Steinbeck
Does the level matching for the horn seem to function alright for your system?
Does the horn blend well with the MCM woofer?
Are you adjusting by ear or with some form of RTA?
as far as I can tell it matches well. I will need to measure it but the MCM woofer is about the same sensitivity as the GPA 416 of 97-98 dbs
The horn and woofer blend nicely.
The Z19 might work alright with the 414-8B woofer as well.
Since it is a well developed crossover, that might be the way to go if I want to go full range with one amp.
nt.
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