Crossover question.

[KenP]

Does it make as much difference to change capacitors in series or parallel, in my speakers there are capacitors in series with each driver (only on positve side) and some capacitors that go from positive to negative. Can the caps in series be more expensive film caps and the caps in parallel be electrolytic?

I was thinking that caps directly in the signal path would have more influence on sound than those that went from positive to negative. Would this be true or not?

 

[fpitas]

Caps in either position will be important. In the crossover region, the parallel caps have plenty of voltage across them, so they can add distortion, too. If you're on a budget, Nichicon and other companies make non-polarized audio electrolytics that are said to sound pretty good, although I haven't tried them.

http://www.nichicon.co.jp/english/products/alm_mini/pict_f.htm

Type DB.GB at the bottom of the page.

 

[KenP]

There's a big cap of 63uf in the midrange and a 74uf, in the bass section, pretty expensive for film so I'll probably get electrolytics and bypass them with film. Mundorf makes some large value bp caps for crossovers, has anyone tried those?

 

[allsmith]

Im thinking about using these alcaps.They will hand match them to 2% for you. Have low loss for the lower values,but they also have higher values too,although not in the low loss variety.
http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/alcap-claritycap-solen-audio-capacitors.html?capacitor_series=27