Need help ordering components for NLA rebuild.

[DerekRI]

Hello all! I was recently gifted a pair of New Large Advents, in rough shape. Now, I can't let these speakers pass through my hands without attempting to repair them and hear their sound! I've recapped speakers before, so the technical application side is not where I need help, but more on the "reading electronic component sites and understanding what I'm getting" side of things...

Those electronics sites are just so confusing to me! I often have a hard time finding all the components I need (matching values, matching configuration) on the same site. So I figured, I'd ask the pros here!

As far as I can tell, I've got the Rev2 version of the NLA crossover, as described HERE!

Could someone please point me to a site which would provide the easiest means of acquiring the parts that I need? Again, I know what components (resistors, caps, etc) I need and at which values, my problem is trying to put that order together on a site. I don't need them to be super high quality, necessarily. Just want to get them up and running! Open to all suggestions!

Thanks for any help!

 

[northpaw]

I think the simplest site to navigate for you will be parts express (I won't give direct commercial links outside of $ and Cents forum it might not be allowed).

Go to the section in Crossover Components (within the drop down menu for Speaker Components), and you will find what you need there without having to figure out whether the items are suitable for crossovers. You can choose to go with NPE or polypropylene caps; the cheaper ones of the latter will not break the bank for your needs for the NLA. I used Audyn Q4 in my OLA, and was happy with the results, but any of the ones listed there should be at least decent.

You probably don't need to change the other components (resistors, inductors) unless you see problems with them.

One other thing: the leads on the inductors (at least in the OLA) are a really tiny gauge, which I found very difficult to work with, so be forewarned. In places where the leads for a cap, resistor and inductor come together and are wrapped on one solder post, I would now be inclined to clip the lead on the existing cap so as to leave a bit of tail on the post, and solder the new cap to that instead of trying to desolder and unwrap the leads on the solder post. Not as nice looking, but no one will see...

 

[DerekRI]

Okay, thank you! And what is the general rule of thumb when you can't find the exact value of the component you need? Aim high / low / closest available value?

 

[northpaw]

For crossover caps, closest value, IMO. I believe the tolerance in the original design was +/- 10%, so anything in that range should be fine.

I personally would not worry about even small additional deviations from the original value (would cause the crossover freq to shift slightly up or down, in the opposite direction to cap value changes), but others with more discerning ears than mine might feel differently. You could get a more exact match by paralleling two caps (paralleled values add), but IMO, not worth considering unless you can't get within 15% or so with a single cap. Again, others might feel differently.

 

[DerekRI]

Okay, awesome! Thanks for the help, I finally have an order together!

Do you do the soldering inside the speaker cabinet when you work on these?

 

[Blue Shadow]

Soldering inside the cabinet is done when you can't get the crossover out, so in this case, yes.

 

[northpaw]

The Blue Shadow knows.... and I don't.

Never had a NLA, only OLAs. On the latter I was able to partially remove the crossover (to the lip of the woofer cutout, because it was still tethered to the large inductor mounted separately to the cabinet) by undoing the external nuts on the terminal plate, although that opened up its own can of worms.

So get a good light for the inside, and try to set up the cabinet in a comfortable place.

Also remember that when you finish up your work and reinstall the woofers, make sure the woofer baskets are properly sealed to the cabinet opening.

 

[DerekRI]

Ok, thanks again!