Good for you! Do they happen to look like the one I posted? I've noticed some variation in components on these and even the tweeter, perhaps they've been replaced through its lifetime. Can't even get the actual specs on these, do you have em? I'd really like to know the port tuning so I can set the sub sonic filter on my DSP. i've read that the bass response on the D-9s drop a lot below 60Hz. Wondering if its the same for the 15EE with the slot instead of the ports on the D9. Did you get a chance to look/comment on my thread? Got my foam replacement kit yesterday, will probably work on it tonight. So the speakers should be ready this weekend.
Cerwin Vega D15EE crossover and eventual SQ upgrade
- Thread starter Billy Oxygen
- Start date
avguytx
Lunatic Member
Well, it was worth a try...you just never know till you ask.
Bam! (In my best Emeril Lagasse voice) Glad you found a pair so quickly.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
Will go look at your thread.
These look quite a bit different from yours. I will be post the specs that are available once I get these. Here is the picture:
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Billy Oxygen
Active Member
The picture of your crossover practically matches the crossover that came with my D15EE's. I was skeptical that they were original: glue looked new, air core inductor, vishay caps instead of Tecate, unclipped wires protruding from solder joints, sloppy joints, and the crossovers did not match the pictures of @Judas Priest crossovers, which looked like typical CV crossover design and components for that era. It cannot be coincidental that my originals matched yours. Makes me wonder if they may have contracted out some of the crossover work. Regardless mine had corrosion issues with the big 45 ohm resistors and the speakers would fatigue my ears after some time. I hope we can make comparisons and see if the crossover points are different.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
Running some PD3 Crossovers on these D15EE's. The PD3 being the pro version of this speaker design. They sound very nice. This is not the D Series sound whatsoever. I am a D series fan. I read somewhere a long time ago that these speakers had a European design influence not sure if that is true, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. The SQ is better out of the box here than for the D9.
The PD3 crossover design has the same natural roll off for the 152WR woofer as the 15DEE crossover had, and includes a heck of a robust mid circuit (full wave rectifier, relay, thermal protection), perhaps a higher tweeter crossover point, and a rheostat presence control rather than a toggle. Same cabinet design and drivers as PD3 minus the carpet and handles..
@Rayburned I do not believe you will be disappointed in the sound. Please do me a favor and check to see if either the tweeter or mid leads need to be inversed. Cerwin Vega did that a lot. I have pos to pos and neg to neg all the way.
I take it that the fatigue I experienced with the original crossovers had something to do with the corrosion or the sloppy crossover build quality.
Anyway these are going into the rig for awhile as is.
The PD3 crossover design has the same natural roll off for the 152WR woofer as the 15DEE crossover had, and includes a heck of a robust mid circuit (full wave rectifier, relay, thermal protection), perhaps a higher tweeter crossover point, and a rheostat presence control rather than a toggle. Same cabinet design and drivers as PD3 minus the carpet and handles..
@Rayburned I do not believe you will be disappointed in the sound. Please do me a favor and check to see if either the tweeter or mid leads need to be inversed. Cerwin Vega did that a lot. I have pos to pos and neg to neg all the way.
I take it that the fatigue I experienced with the original crossovers had something to do with the corrosion or the sloppy crossover build quality.
Anyway these are going into the rig for awhile as is.
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On one of my crossovers, the smaller cap on top of the stack is yellow unlike the rest (green), so it might have been replaced? Yeah when I was googling the Xovers for these I really couldn't find one that looked like mine because like you I really thought these were not the original components specially with the "sloppy" workmanship.
I answered your last post on my thread, lol. Maybe we should just consolidate these threads and call it the D15EE master thread!
Billy when you got your speakers were the mids reversed?
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
I cannot remember. I can tell you that once i took the PD3 crossovers out and put the D15EE crossovers in, it took me all of about 5 songs worth of listening, to make me reverse the polarity on the mids. Reversed is probably correct.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
'Emminence Front" The Who, is what finally made me reverse the mid polarity. It has come back around in the test rotation, and it sounds right now with reversed polarity mid.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
Will do. Feeling under the weather at the moment. Give me a day or two.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
SQ : They rank higher than the D-9 maybe not as high as the D-7. I love the D-7 and could be biased. Then again that may be due to this room however the big MX 400's do fine in the same room and seem to be the SQ king of the bunch.
A little more D Series sounding now with the spec crossover installed. Still distinct from that series however, and they do sound very good!. Tighter bass than the D-9 for sure.
Maybe just me, but I think a little open cell foam behind the mid, and some cut out dynamat pieces placed inside the cabinets in the spots where the most resonance can be felt, might just move these up the totum pole. Will eventually A/B with MX400's and maybe with the D-7s.
A little more D Series sounding now with the spec crossover installed. Still distinct from that series however, and they do sound very good!. Tighter bass than the D-9 for sure.
Maybe just me, but I think a little open cell foam behind the mid, and some cut out dynamat pieces placed inside the cabinets in the spots where the most resonance can be felt, might just move these up the totum pole. Will eventually A/B with MX400's and maybe with the D-7s.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
Just an update. I worked on the crossover diagram some more but want to proof it one last time before posting. One thing is for sure these speakers need to be off of the floor I am at about 10" right now and it is a marked improvement from the floor. My set up is about a foot from the wall. These will be able to compete with the MX400s. That is going to be interesting. Did not see that coming. Both offer better SQ than D-9 in my room and my ears.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
![20190803_134656[1].jpg](/forums/data/attachments/1454/1454458-d8f652efa289108b17942bc13fe815ab.jpg?hash=2PZS76KJEI "20190803_134656[1].jpg")
NAD80
Super Member
Thank you. Better understanding as to the crossover. Used to have a pair of R-10's, two way, 10 inch woofers. Bypassed the film cap with another film cap of much smaller value. It helped. Can't remember the value used. Also replaced the circuit breaker (intermittent sound) with a fuse of the same rating. All this 20 yrs ago.
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
Update. I ended up pulling out the old batting.
I placed some dynamat type material on the inside panels. I kinda drew a resonance map of the speakers before putting the dynamat in patches and strips etc tying most in with the internal bracing or corners. I tried not to use very much just a strategy to reduce resonance in the worst spots. The minimalism of dynamat material is out of respect for the speaker design where too much of a reduction in cabinet volume could create problems. Just parts and pieces, and obviously mirrored in both cabinets. The top, the side panels the front baffle on either side of the mids and in the corners below the woofer, the area around the crossover cutout, were primary targets. The top was pretty problematic with vibration before treatment, and probably got the most treatment per square inch. This process yielded clarity without inducing a cold clinical sound. Lots of practice doing this with other speakers guided my approach.
I put 1' nufoam poly fill panels top to bottom on both side panels and the back to replace the old batting. No follow up adjustments adding or subtracting material was needed; that was perfect. The 10"x 26" panels worked very nicely with a little overhang on the top and bottom.
Love the SQ!
Glad to have these up and running a great speaker that can sound top notch with a little work.
@Rayburned
I placed some dynamat type material on the inside panels. I kinda drew a resonance map of the speakers before putting the dynamat in patches and strips etc tying most in with the internal bracing or corners. I tried not to use very much just a strategy to reduce resonance in the worst spots. The minimalism of dynamat material is out of respect for the speaker design where too much of a reduction in cabinet volume could create problems. Just parts and pieces, and obviously mirrored in both cabinets. The top, the side panels the front baffle on either side of the mids and in the corners below the woofer, the area around the crossover cutout, were primary targets. The top was pretty problematic with vibration before treatment, and probably got the most treatment per square inch. This process yielded clarity without inducing a cold clinical sound. Lots of practice doing this with other speakers guided my approach.
I put 1' nufoam poly fill panels top to bottom on both side panels and the back to replace the old batting. No follow up adjustments adding or subtracting material was needed; that was perfect. The 10"x 26" panels worked very nicely with a little overhang on the top and bottom.
Love the SQ!
Glad to have these up and running a great speaker that can sound top notch with a little work.
@Rayburned
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Harvestor
Addicted Member
If you can post some pictures of them as they sit playing in the room, or better yet upload a YouTube video of them playing some of your favorite music!
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
Billy Oxygen
Active Member
The speaker is upside down on the interior pics. Not pictured is an important 2" thick dynamat strip that went across the back panel and tied into both side panels where they meet. That un-pictured strip is above the cutout for the crossover when the speaker is upright. Sorry no you tube.
