Help Identifying what is in this picture, please

[PTL-Pioneer]

Hi all
Have a set of speakers, Castle Conway Mk2.
Opened em up, as i have plans to recap them.
I just a bit of help identifying the components and values of the caps

Does MFD mean uf (micro farad)? I think it does, just looking to confirm, never seen it listed this way on anything before.
If so, why would the 8uf caps be larger than the 25uf caps? all caps are listed 50v so generally i would have thought that it is usually a cap with a higher voltage rating or UF rating that generally determines overall size
How do i identify what values the 2 resistors are, without taking them out and measuring them? Do they need to be replaced if they are in good nick?

And then finally, what caps would you recommend to do this job? Budget of less than 100 bucks.

As always thanks in advance for your help and advice

 

[mbz]

Suggest you have a moderator move this to the "Speakers" forum, they will provide you excellent crossover advice.

Certainly mfd=microfarad.
Generally, increasing the capacitance means bigger physical size, for the same breakdown voltage and dielectric.
Maybe the larger caps are low leakage types, need to check for additional markings.
You could try incircuit measurement of the resistors, there are some markings (5%??) should give some size info, eg, 6K8 = 6.8K = 6800 ohms.
Suspect that electrolytics are frowned upon in crossovers, the preferred choice being polyproplyene film, huge debate about best and best bang for your buck.
The Speakers forum specialize in this sort of thing.

 

[Goldie99]

You could try Falcon Acoustics in UK - they sell a cap range which are supposedly the direct equivalent of the original Elcap's in your photo, specifically for crossover repairs (I've used Falcon in the past, but otherwise have no connection):

http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/alcap-claritycap-solen-audio-capacitors.html?cat=229

 

[PTL-Pioneer]

Thanks for the replies, very much appreciated. How do I get the mods to move this thread?
All in all I reckon it's time to start discussing capacitors next, I don't know do I believe in boutique components, the replacements for the elcaps might be just the thing, i did not realize how expensive capacitors became if you go down that boutique route.
Surely its all about specifications in the end?

 

[Lavane]

@paultlaw How old are the speakers? The crossovers are already loaded with film capacitors. Most film caps will last for a very long time. There are some older brands that don't, but in many cases they do tend to last way longer than electrolytics. If I find film caps in a crossover they usually are left alone unless I find the brand or type used are known to age poorly. I would research the ELcaps that are already on the boards first.

 

[Blue Shadow]

I believe the elcaps as shown are ancient electrolytic caps ripe for replacement.

 

[avionic]

Looks like a cross-over to me.

 

[toxcrusadr]

I don't know much about Elcaps but I have read on AK before that they are a bit of a special beast in some way, as well as the recommendation to replace with comparable caps from Falcon. You would have to search the Speaker forum for "Elcap" to read more about that. I don't know what Falcon gets for its replacements, but I generally agree with you on the cost of boutique caps. My go-to (along with many AKers) is the Dayton metallized polyprop ones from Parts Express. The 5% tolerance line is not that expensive.

Having said all that, it is very likely these Elcaps nonpolar electrolytics (NPE) in order for them to be as small as they are in a 20 and 25 uf size. Replacement with film caps at that size would be pricey and the caps are huge. Look into those Falcons (which I assume are NPE as well). If not that, PE has a line of NPE's that you can use for the higher uf values. NPE's have a bit different ESR profile so if the speaker was originally voiced with them, that may be better anyway.

 

[slimecity]

These are poly caps.

These red and black Elcaps are not very favoured in the english speaker community. Its up to you if you want to replace them or not. These speakers would be "voiced" to poly caps, so should be replaced with poly caps if you were going to do this. Like Toxcrusadr says, the Dayton metallized polyprop ones from Parts Express would be a good pic.

 

[PTL-Pioneer]

Thanks for all the replies, i had a look at the dayton caps on parts express, but the shipping cost to Ireland is just a bit ridiculous to be honest almost 60 euro. I may yet have to jump for them, but then i am afraid the customs charge added to that then may take me well over the 200 dollars mark

Some of you have said the Elcaps are NPE and some say film caps, anyone know definitively which they are?

As regard the fitment of the new caps, am i going to have issues trying to fit them, due to the much larger size of film caps?

 

[gadget73]

Those values at that physical size I'm thinking non-polar electrolytic. Thats what, about an inch long and 3/8" diameter? I'd expect a film cap to be considerably larger at those values, particularly if we're talking old gear.

I've been wrong before, but thats just what my eye tells me.

As for fitment of bigger stuff, you often have to get a little creative. I've used zip ties to strap capacitors in place before.

 

[Binkman]

would shipping from germany be cheaper?
eu.mouser.com/Passive-Components/Capacitors/_/N-5g7r/
or Farnell ireland?
http://ie.farnell.com/c/passive-components/capacitors
bink

 

[PTL-Pioneer]

I went with the falcon acoustics option, solen caps for all the values i could get and went to the bay for a couple of jantzen caps in the values i was missing.
All told i think i am out around 130 euro.
I hope its worth it, and i hope i can get them soldered in, given the size of the original caps.
Next job for me is to figure out what resistors are used in the crossover and get replacements for those also.

Any idea what wattage of resistor i should be replacing these with??

 

[Blue Shadow]

These are poly caps.

I'm still in the camp that these Elcaps are electrolytic. Most pics on the web that describe them say electrolytic. Additionally, they are labeled N.P. and electrolytic are the only caps I see that are regularly marked as NP. Seems these are highly desired to be Replaced. This is something that indicates they don't sound as good as something else. Whether this is because it is a tired electrolytic or a bad poly cap, IDK. But I'm moving more into the confirmed electrolytic cap camp.

Do you have any documentation to support the poly cap determination?

 

[Blue Shadow]

Any idea what wattage of resistor i should be replacing these with??

The resistors should be marked with their value and their power rating. Hard to see in the pics the exact numbers. Maybe you can tell us what is written on them. If they are good no reason to change unless you upgrade to a better sounding resistor and those get spendy. Mills are a nice one mentioned a lot.

 

[toxcrusadr]

I think you did good with the Alcaps from Falcon. Looking at their site, I was reminded that it's KEF that used them in their speakers and that they are a low-loss type specifically for audio.

Always wondered who makes the NPE's that PE sells. Their black and yellow Dayton branded film caps are made by someone else (a familiar brand). Probably the NPE's are too.

 

[PTL-Pioneer]

I meant I went with the solen caps, from the supplier falcon acoustics.
As far as I have read, replacing crossover caps, usually means replacement of all electrolytic caps with poly film caps. I hope I haven't done anything stupid here.
Can I install the new caps in any orientation?

 

[PTL-Pioneer]

Or should I have went specifically with the electrolytic option? Must confess, I'm somewhat confused now, apologies

 

[Blue Shadow]

the poly caps generally sound better but get very large for the values above 20 or so. The poly costs more but that is what is used in many more costly speakers today and what ADS used for the smaller values in their speakers. Those ads might have had an 80, 90 or 100µF cap for the woofer but that thing in a poly cap is the size of a can of beer (not Foster's, the 12 oz cans) and are hard to fit in, cost a lot and difficult to fasten to the cabinet to keep it from moving.
Overall getting the poly option, you did the best for your speakers.

 

[slimecity]

I'm still in the camp that these Elcaps are electrolytic

Hmm, I was convinced that the ones I found in Monitor Audio MA-9's were poly - however on thinking about it, they could have been electro's in a different type of casing. I cant find a definitive answer on the net.....

Overall however, it is recommended to replace them. Found this comment on this thread:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/what-kind-of-capacitors-are-these.507746/

FWIW0 if the electrolytic are at least 15~20 years old replace them. The black caps with the red end I have found to be nortorious for uF drift and leakage. Electrovoice used them a lot in their older designs, I always replaced them.