Serenity Super-7s back in my system

70.162.169.147

Posted on January 30, 2016 at 23:02:43

jeffreybehr
Audiophile

Posts: 5720
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Joined: December 10, 2004
Contributor
Since: December 13, 2004

Some of you will remember reading my blurbs about these a couple years ago.

photo 2014Nov11_musicroom_1500w_zpsc13eed7e.jpg

They've been in my system (and loved) and then been replaced by my older, much-improved Audio Physic Avanti IIIs, and then back in, and then back out. Had an audio-club meeting this week and took my Avanti IIIs, and decided to reinstall the S7s while the Avantis were out. I had done this a year or so ago and found the S7s to be distinctly unlively--as in almost dead--and couldn't figure out why, so I parked them on the 'storage wall' again...until yesterday.

Found out why they were dead sounding last year--the tweeters are 45" off the carpet which is much higher than my ears, and the vertical dispersion of treble is rather small. Hence the tops of the speakers needed to be tilted toward the listener for a relatively accurate frequency response. I did that and WOW what a difference, so in the system they'll stay.

Have decided to keep these and improve some crossover parts, which is really easy since each is parked right there in front of my face. Following is the original x-over.

A year ago or so I had ordered and received all parts I wanted to replace then, so yesterday I confirmed some parts-and-wiring-upgrade info and got more from my buddy Jeffrey Glowacki of Sonic Craft. Today I installed those parts I had, as follows.
1. The tweeter hi-pass filter is a 10uF series cap followed by a 0.39mH choke in shunt. Replaced the original SoniCap 'propylene plus tiny Teflon bypass cap with a combination of two SoniCap Platinums (a 6.8 and a 3) totaling 10uF.
2. The MR lo-pass filter is a 1.0mH series choke followed by a 15uF shunt cap. Replaced the choke with a Goertz/Bridgeport copper-foil inductor.
3. A midrange-compensation network (in shunt) includes a 3.0mH choke and a 56uF combo cap (Erse Pulses), and a 12w. Mills MRA wire-wound resistor which I'm not replacing. Replaced the cap with a 56uF combo of SoniCap 'propylenes and a 0.33uF SoniCap Platinum I had.
4. Will order replacements for the other two pairs of chokes.
5. Haven't decided what to buy for the 15uF MR-shunt cap...maybe a Mundorf Supreme.

Will rewire the panel and X-over with something excellent; just haven't yet decided what.

Here's the very-work-in-process x-over tonite.

Speaker rewiring will be continuous to the solid-silver-in-Teflon speakercable.

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Did more crossover work.

jeffreybehr

17:12:55 02/17/16

3

RE: Did more crossover work.

Satie

22:08:05 02/17/16

2

I don't understand your question--'microphonic noise'? (NT)

jeffreybehr

10:27:41 02/18/16

...

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Did more crossover work.

jeffreybehr

17:12:55 02/17/16

3

RE: Did more crossover work.

Satie

22:08:05 02/17/16

2

I don't understand your question--'microphonic noise'? (NT)

jeffreybehr

10:27:41 02/18/16

RE: I don't understand your question--'microphonic noise'? (NT)

Satie

11:19:13 02/18/16

RE: Serenity Super-7s back in my system

pictureguy

09:25:08 02/14/16

...and they're getting a little more 'Superer' sounding...

jeffreybehr

16:23:21 02/10/16

4

RE: ...and they're getting a little more 'Superer' sounding...

Satie

11:29:22 02/13/16

3

The granite tiles I found were very acoustically dead.

jeffreybehr

15:47:55 02/13/16

2

RE: The granite tiles I found were very acoustically dead.

Satie

21:31:41 02/13/16

I'd have to build ladders for me AND my dog. :-) (NT)

jeffreybehr

22:04:15 02/13/16

Replaced the 15uF MR-shunt cap with...

jeffreybehr

11:34:27 02/03/16

nice...I just want to know

Green Lantern

23:08:33 01/30/16

2

And would you ask a chef what brand of pots and pans he/she uses? :-)

jeffreybehr

11:01:08 01/31/16

grazie : ) nt

Green Lantern

13:05:33 01/31/16

nice...I just want to know, posted on January 30, 2016 at 23:08:33
Green Lantern Audiophile Posts: 16952 Location: San Diego, Ca Joined: November 12, 2002 Contributor Since: June 17, 2003	what the heck is the camera you're using, the pics look amazing..

And would you ask a chef what brand of pots and pans he/she uses? :-), posted on January 31, 2016 at 11:01:08

jeffreybehr
Audiophile

Posts: 5720
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Joined: December 10, 2004
Contributor
Since: December 13, 2004

But I don't mind, even if the quality or lack thereof is due about 95% to the fotografer and not the equipment, just as music you enjoy is 95% the musician and 5% the instrument. :-)

Sony a7R2 (that's the 42MP version of the never-ending and always-confusing a7 line), a 20-year-old Zeiss/Contax-N 24-85/3.5-4.5, and a fringer-brand fully-auto lens adapter. Illumination by 5K-color-temp fluorescent floods including one clamped to the rear of the front panel about three feet directly above the x-over. Handheld and using the camera's in-body image stabilization.

grazie : ) nt, posted on January 31, 2016 at 13:05:33
Green Lantern Audiophile Posts: 16952 Location: San Diego, Ca Joined: November 12, 2002 Contributor Since: June 17, 2003

Replaced the 15uF MR-shunt cap with..., posted on February 3, 2016 at 11:34:27

jeffreybehr
Audiophile

Posts: 5720
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Joined: December 10, 2004
Contributor
Since: December 13, 2004

...a 13uF SoniCap-1 and two SoniCap 1uF Platinums, all of which I had.

photo 2016Feb03_15uF replaced_1500w_zpsy2x1z5rk.jpg

Have decided not to spend another thou$and or so on 99/01 silver/gold wire. (DAMN that stuff's expensive!) I'll use, for the MR, 18g. Neotec UPOCC-copper paralleled with 24g. UPOCC-silver, and 23g. UPOCC-silver for the tweeter. I already have the 18- and 23g. wire.

And it sounds better already. (I'm breaking in these systems 24/7 with full-band pink noise. Good thing the music room has a solid door.) The sounds of massed violins are already smoother and...sweeter. I LOVE it!

The last-two chokes are on the way; I'll then rewire the entire thing (MR and treble only, of course).

...and they're getting a little more 'Superer' sounding..., posted on February 10, 2016 at 16:23:21
jeffreybehr Audiophile Posts: 5720 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Joined: December 10, 2004 Contributor Since: December 13, 2004	...as the caps break-in* and I tweak very slightly the positioning. Last WE I angled them 5 degrees (from 3 degrees) towards the listener... ...and increased the toe-in slightly; they sound even-more focused. Finally selected some granite floortile upon which to build the crossovers. Should go fairly easily. * The panels are driven with full-band pinknoise about 22/7.

RE: ...and they're getting a little more 'Superer' sounding..., posted on February 13, 2016 at 11:29:22
Satie Audiophile Posts: 5426 Joined: July 6, 2002	I suggest you avoid granite tile as it tends to ring . If you "must" use it then damp it with car panel damping material on one side.r better yet sandwich it between two tiles. To adjust for height I raised my seat so that I could keep the line source vertical.and retain the height cues correctly.

The granite tiles I found were very acoustically dead., posted on February 13, 2016 at 15:47:55
jeffreybehr Audiophile Posts: 5720 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Joined: December 10, 2004 Contributor Since: December 13, 2004	The tweeter in the S7s are over a foot above my ears; I'm NOT raising my couch 15". :-)

RE: The granite tiles I found were very acoustically dead., posted on February 13, 2016 at 21:31:41
Satie Audiophile Posts: 5426 Joined: July 6, 2002	A platform for your throne?

I'd have to build ladders for me AND my dog. :-) (NT), posted on February 13, 2016 at 22:04:15
jeffreybehr Audiophile Posts: 5720 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Joined: December 10, 2004 Contributor Since: December 13, 2004	.

RE: Serenity Super-7s back in my system, posted on February 14, 2016 at 09:25:08
pictureguy Audiophile Posts: 22597 Location: SoCal Joined: October 19, 2008	All inductors should be at Right Angles to one another. this avoids cross-coupling. Too much is never enough

Did more crossover work., posted on February 17, 2016 at 17:12:55

jeffreybehr
Audiophile

Posts: 5720
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Joined: December 10, 2004
Contributor
Since: December 13, 2004

.

Granite tiles and Dynamat

RE: Did more crossover work., posted on February 17, 2016 at 22:08:05
Satie Audiophile Posts: 5426 Joined: July 6, 2002	I see that you went for lots of damping anyway. So there was microphonic noise or did you just do a thwack test to hear how it decays? I like using slate tiles - I thwack them to pick out those with the least ring and fastest damping.

I don't understand your question--'microphonic noise'? (NT), posted on February 18, 2016 at 10:27:41
jeffreybehr Audiophile Posts: 5720 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Joined: December 10, 2004 Contributor Since: December 13, 2004	.

RE: I don't understand your question--'microphonic noise'? (NT), posted on February 18, 2016 at 11:19:13
Satie Audiophile Posts: 5426 Joined: July 6, 2002	You didn't note explicitly (or I missed it) what the stimulus is in your "thump" test - Whether you put the components on your damped granite and played a test signal or directly thwacked the granite tiles. If the electronic signal played through the speakers then the noise you are talking about would be a result of microphonics, and coming out of the speakers right?

Planar Speaker Asylum

Serenity Super-7s back in my system

70.162.169.147