Electro Voice EV-16 Restoration Checklist

[Zeus12]

Hello Everyone,

Got a pair of EV-16s in good working condition. Cabinets in wonderful shape, no dings, knocks, scratches, etc. Grills are also in great shape.

One of the speakers "suffered" during shipping and the mid driver came out, practically was hanging by 2 screws, and the tweeter was completely silent. Checked the tweeter with an "ohm meter" and looks OK so most likely an internal cable (the female jack, I think) of the tweeter got lose and came off. All drivers work and look, from what I have seen online, to be original. I have opened only 1 speaker so far.

I would like to make some improvements/upgrades and since this is my first time changing capacitors, internal cables, etc. I would like to make sure I do it right from the beginning. I have followed various internet reviews/posts and especially the one here https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/electro-voice-evs-16b-a-review-of-sorts.152754/

Here is the plan I have so far:

1. Fix the screw chips and cracks made on the front baffle with some "wood putty". Got this product from amazon:

https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B001GUA5IU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2. Damping material. The only damping material that was inside was a "pinkish" fiber glass sheet. Nothing to the sides or bottom. Should I add more damping material? For example, 8-10 mm felt material on the sides and bottom and then over that 30 mm polyester foam (acoustilux brand)? I think 8-10 mm of felt will be too much for the sides. Maybe 20-40 mm? I would like to improve the bass and make it as tight, taut, clean and articulate as possible. This is where I got the idea from:
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/cabinet-damping.htm

3. Crossover: I understand that I should change the 2 capacitors (4.5 UF and 13 UF). I can´t find any with the exact specs of 4.5 and 13 UF. What about the internal cables? What gauge to use? I don´t see any resistors on the crossover board. Should I add any resistor(s) and what specs? Any brands recommendations. For example, would this one be OK for the 4.5 UF cap and 13 UF cap?
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/cond...kp/mundorf-mcap-capacitor-400v-47f-p-952.html
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/cond...kp/mundorf-mcap-capacitor-400v-15f-p-957.html

4. The drivers were not attached to any "gasket" so I would like to add some gasket for a good airtight fit. First, clean the bottom of the driver with alcohol and then apply the gasket to it, or apply the gasket to the "mdf wood" and then on top the driver? Would this size and brand be OK?
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/vent...13007.html?search_query=gasket&fast_search=fs

5. Glue. What type of glue to use to seal the crossover to the back panel again?

Anything else I should do?

Thank you and looking forward to expanding my new hobby.

Greetings from Spain!

 

[RS Steve]

Internal wiring looks plenty good enough, the capacitors can be made up by combining two or more in parallel such as a 3uf and 10uf to get 13, and a 4uf is close enough to the 4.5 that is original since most of those older capacitors were rated within 10%. That item is not a resistor you refer to, it is a choke or coil and will be fine. If the cabinets have a port built in for airflow, the drivers don't really need gaskets but wouldn't hurt. If the cabinets are sealed and have no ports, then gaskets or sealer for each driver or penetration is a must. Most higher quality speakers had hours of initial testing to determine just how to tune the drivers to the cabinet, thus the amount of dampening material added is usually correct already. We all like to think we can make speakers better, but sometimes improving one thing can hurt something else. Wood putty is not that great for patching areas that are to get screws put in, I tap in toothpick type wood into holes that are wallowed out along with a mix of sawdust and wood glue. Good luck with your project.

 

[homebrew]

Instead of substituting a 4.0 uFd cap for the 4.5 (that puts it out of the 10% tolerance range), parallel a 2.9 with a 1.5 uFd. And I would definitely use gaskets on the drivers. The cabinets may be ported, but air leakage anywhere else could mis-tune the enclosure. How badly depends on the amount of air that's leaking. But as long as the drivers are out, why not use a gasket?

As an aside, we were in Spain last February. What a beautiful country with friendly people and outrageously good food and wine. We particularly enjoyed Madrid, Barcelona, and Salamanca.

 

[Zeus12]

Big thanks for your advices, RS Steve and homebrew. From what I heard so far, they SOUND GREAT!!! Love that deep, clean bass that just really makes you "feel" the music. Twelve inches of “authority”! The “mids” are very clean and crisp, perhaps being a bit too forward sometimes. The “highs” I haven´t had a chance to fully test since one of the cable terminals got lose and one of the tweeters was completely silent. From what I heard on the one working, it is pretty smooth but I wouldn´t say silky. Overall, great tonal balance with a "room filling" sound that to my ears at least, sound 10 times better than the "Kef iq3s" I was using until now.


Yes, here in Spain these are very difficult to find. Seems that everybody is on the "vintage" bandwagon and all audio gear, especially from the ´70s, -- from what I have seen on the online second hand market here -- are going up in price.

Will follow your point Steve on the damping material and internal cables. You got a great point on the damping material. If that´s all the fiberglass "Electro Voice" decided to put in there, then who am I to think that I know more than their sound engineers? About the internal cables, should I change the "terminal clamps" or just the one that broke off? I would need a crimper tool and a "4.8 female terminal"?

Glad you liked your visit to Spain homebrew! Yes, the going out part is always fun and the food is really great. You can still find good authentic food if you look around. The wine is a MUST of course! Salamanca is truly beautiful. It has the oldest university in the Spanish-speaking world and the third oldest university in the world.


"Quod natura non dat,
Salmantica non prestat."


What nature doesn´t give,
Salamanca will not lend (give either).


Thanks again!! I will order the capacitors this week and keep you posted on my project.

 

[RS Steve]

Big thanks for your advices, RS Steve and homebrew. From what I heard so far, they SOUND GREAT!!! Love that deep, clean bass that just really makes you "feel" the music. Twelve inches of “authority”! The “mids” are very clean and crisp, perhaps being a bit too forward sometimes. The “highs” I haven´t had a chance to fully test since one of the cable terminals got lose and one of the tweeters was completely silent. From what I heard on the one working, it is pretty smooth but I wouldn´t say silky. Overall, great tonal balance with a "room filling" sound that to my ears at least, sound 10 times better than the "Kef iq3s" I was using until now.


Yes, here in Spain these are very difficult to find. Seems that everybody is on the "vintage" bandwagon and all audio gear, especially from the ´70s, -- from what I have seen on the online second hand market here -- are going up in price.

Will follow your point Steve on the damping material and internal cables. You got a great point on the damping material. If that´s all the fiberglass "Electro Voice" decided to put in there, then who am I to think that I know more than their sound engineers? About the internal cables, should I change the "terminal clamps" or just the one that broke off? I would need a crimper tool and a "4.8 female terminal"?

Glad you liked your visit to Spain homebrew! Yes, the going out part is always fun and the food is really great. You can still find good authentic food if you look around. The wine is a MUST of course! Salamanca is truly beautiful and they have one of the oldest and best universities in the world.


"Quad natura nod dat,
Salamanca non prestat."


What nature doesn´t give,
Salamanca will not lend (give either).


Thanks again!! I will order the capacitors this week and keep you posted on my project.

One thing I like to do is solder my connections and do away with the connectors, just something I prefer.

 

[Zeus12]

Hi there Steve,

OK, will follow your advice on the direct solder to the speaker terminals. Why use a "middleman"? Makes perfect sense. I´m just scared I might mess up since I haven´t soldered anything since High School. Saw something about "tinning" the wires first. Don´t have to buy a "crimper tool" and terminals then. Thanks again for your great tips!

Love your sound system by the way. You got some ALL TIME classics. Would love to hear the sound of the "Klipsch Heresy" with the "Fisher X-1000".

All the best!

 

[Zeus12]

Hello,

Here is an update of my restoration project.

Did one speaker so far. Used the "Mundorf MCap 400VDC" which I decided to use because, 1) the only ones available at the closest UF matching I could find here in Europe (audiophonics.fr) and 2) because of this:
http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

"The Mundorf MCap is available in three different VDC ratings (250/400/630VDC). What seems to happen whith an increase in VDC rating, is the more you get regarding terms as seperation of the individual instruments (massed violins for example), the deeper the image size and there is also an increase in the amount of fine detail. The differences are very small and there is absolutely no change in tonal balance, they all have the same character. On some types of music I couldn't hear any differences at all but with high quality recordings on a high quality system the relative differences could be heard - nothing shocking, but noticable most of the time."

Now to be honest, I don´t hear much difference between the 2 speakers, perhaps the "highs" are more defined and more "brilliant". The "lows" and "mids" are the same. I am pairing them with a "Yamaha RX-440" receiver and using high quality digital files and streams through an "Asus Xonar U7" external sound card.

By the way, for the 2 caps that I had to use, I used a 2.2 UF (x2) for a total of 4.4 UF (original 4.5 Uf) for one, and 8.2 and 4.7 for the other cap for a total of 12.9 UF (original 13 UF). I am within 5 % tolerance and from what I understand that should have NO difference on the sound. Up to 10% variation is OK, correct?

Attaching a pic of my crude and "childish" solder of the caps.

 

[RS Steve]

Hello,

Here is an update of my restoration project.

Did one speaker so far. Used the "Mundorf MCap 400VDC" which I decided to use because, 1) the only ones available at the closest UF matching I could find here in Europe (audiophonics.fr) and 2) because of this:
http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

"The Mundorf MCap is available in three different VDC ratings (250/400/630VDC). What seems to happen whith an increase in VDC rating, is the more you get regarding terms as seperation of the individual instruments (massed violins for example), the deeper the image size and there is also an increase in the amount of fine detail. The differences are very small and there is absolutely no change in tonal balance, they all have the same character. On some types of music I couldn't hear any differences at all but with high quality recordings on a high quality system the relative differences could be heard - nothing shocking, but noticable most of the time."

Now to be honest, I don´t hear much difference between the 2 speakers, perhaps the "highs" are more defined and more "brilliant". The "lows" and "mids" are the same. I am pairing them with a "Yamaha RX-440" receiver and using high quality digital files and streams through an "Asus Xonar U7" external sound card.

By the way, for the 2 caps that I had to use, I used a 2.2 UF (x2) for a total of 4.4 UF (original 4.5 Uf) for one, and 8.2 and 4.7 for the other cap for a total of 12.9 UF (original 13 UF). I am within 5 % tolerance and from what I understand that should have NO difference on the sound. Up to 10% variation is OK, correct?

Attaching a pic of my crude and "childish" solder of the caps.View attachment 1600819

Other than being able to test the old capacitors there is no way of knowing if they were out of spec or not, but at least now you know that that worry is no longer and you have better quality installed. The small amount of difference in your new capacitor ratings should not have any negative effect, but there might be a bit of break in time for them to settle in.

 

[Zeus12]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your response! Learning so many interesting things about crossovers, inductors, capacitors, resistors, impedance, frequency range, etc. I am a neophyte at this but I think it is a very interesting hobby.

Just so I understand, the "break-in" period for these capacitors would be hours, weeks, months? It depends on the brand as well? Regarding the "microfarads", the higher the UF number the higher the cutoff frequency?

Did some speaker test with some "Audiophile Test tones" and these speakers go down to about 30 Hz which from what I understand, is entering very good bass territory, and anything below that you would need to pay an arm and a leg for?

The next thing I would like to do is to map a "frequency response" curve, which will require an SPL microphone. Should I also start thinking about changing the amplifier? Heard that you need to find the "SYNERGY" between them.

Take Care!

 

[RS Steve]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your response! Learning so many interesting things about crossovers, inductors, capacitors, resistors, impedance, frequency range, etc. I am a neophyte at this but I think it is a very interesting hobby.

Just so I understand, the "break-in" period for these capacitors would be hours, weeks, months? It depends on the brand as well? Regarding the "microfarads", the higher the UF number the higher the cutoff frequency?

Did some speaker test with some "Audiophile Test tones" and these speakers go down to about 30 Hz which from what I understand, is entering very good bass territory, and anything below that you would need to pay an arm and a leg for?

The next thing I would like to do is to map a "frequency response" curve, which will require an SPL microphone. Should I also start thinking about changing the amplifier? Heard that you need to find the "SYNERGY" between them.

Take Care!

Break in of capacitors can be a subjective subject, but usually I have noticed some settling in after a few days of playing time. 30 Hz is pretty good, as long as speakers go below 35 Hz I'm happy. Finding synergy is part of the fun we have with all things audio, when you find it, it can be a goose bump moment!

 

[Zeus12]

RESTORATION FINISHED!!

Finally finished the 2nd speaker and I have to say that it has been a wonderful learning experience. This is technically the second speaker that I opened in my life.

Here is what I did to the second speaker:

1. Get workstation ready and organized. "Organization is the key."


2 and 3. Clean basket rim and apply gasket tape to all speakers. Used a product called "leukotape remover" and it worked great.


4. Solder wire leads to speaker terminals. Removed the original clips.


5. Change capacitors (original electrolytics, still working by the way) with "Mundorf MCap 400VDC". Saved myself the hassle this time and didn´t remove the crossover board. Practiced on the first speaker outside. "Practice makes the teacher."


6. Unfortunately, due to limited space, it is not possible to place these speakers on the ground or at ear level. They have to be on top of an antique wooden furniture that practically covers the entire wall. It is also full of glass ornaments, bottles, etc. that my wife will NOT remove, under any circumstances. So I placed the speaker on a "black rubber sheet used for sound insulation in cars" in order to absorb the vibrations from going through the furniture and on top of that a 20 mm "Acoustic Polyurethane foam" to really isolate it. Don´t know if I overdid it but I think it has taken quite a lot out of the "deep boom" of the low bass.


7. How does it sound to my ears? AMAZING!! I´m in love with that 12 inch woofer! The new capacitors at the beginning sounded a bit "harsh" but I think now they have toned down a bit. They definitely sound "crispier" than before. They would sound even more amazing if I could place them at ear level but I have to work with what I have. They are very close to the ceiling but at least they have some "breathing space" to the sides and back wall.



Big thank you for all the good advice I received from all the "audiokarma" members!!

 

[RS Steve]

RESTORATION FINISHED!!

Finally finished the 2nd speaker and I have to say that it has been a wonderful learning experience. This is technically the second speaker that I opened in my life.

Here is what I did to the second speaker:

1. Get workstation ready and organized. "Organization is the key."
View attachment 1621006

2 and 3. Clean basket rim and apply gasket tape to all speakers. Used a product called "leukotape remover" and it worked great.
View attachment 1621007

4. Solder wire leads to speaker terminals. Removed the original clips.
View attachment 1621009

5. Change capacitors (original electrolytics, still working by the way) with "Mundorf MCap 400VDC". Saved myself the hassle this time and didn´t remove the crossover board. Practiced on the first speaker outside. "Practice makes the teacher."
View attachment 1621011

6. Unfortunately, due to limited space, it is not possible to place these speakers on the ground or at ear level. They have to be on top of an antique wooden furniture that practically covers the entire wall. It is also full of glass ornaments, bottles, etc. that my wife will NOT remove, under any circumstances. So I placed the speaker on a "black rubber sheet used for sound insulation in cars" in order to absorb the vibrations from going through the furniture and on top of that a 20 mm "Acoustic Polyurethane foam" to really isolate it. Don´t know if I overdid it but I think it has taken quite a lot out of the "deep boom" of the low bass.
View attachment 1621012

7. How does it sound to my ears? AMAZING!! I´m in love with that 12 inch woofer! The new capacitors at the beginning sounded a bit "harsh" but I think now they have toned down a bit. They definitely sound "crispier" than before. They would sound even more amazing if I could place them at ear level but I have to work with what I have. They are very close to the ceiling but at least they have some "breathing space" to the sides and back wall.

View attachment 1621021

Big thank you for all the good advice I received from all the "audiokarma" members!!

Greetings from Madrid, Spain!

Great job! I bet they sound great and should do so for many years to come.

 

[mitchalee]

Thanks so much for all this great practical info! Just picked up a pair of Electro-Voice E-V Sixteen form Goodwill for $96.99. Look good, but probably require the tweeter pots cleaned and definitely need woofer re-foamed. Will probably pop in a pair of GW-12PC-8 woofers and play at low volume to see how the tweeters and midrange are doing and the state of the crossover before taking the time to replace the original woofer surrounds. So far, they look a lot like Royal 6A and Fisher 66B and dozens of other closed boxes about this size including ARs and many others. The great thing about all these is that they have what it takes to reproduce the whole musical frequency from about 20 Hz to 20k Hz. Not to say that they all actually do it, but this is about the smallest speaker tyhat can do it. About 14" x 14" x 24". Now there are ways to get smaller, but they all involve a lot of sonic compromise other that really fancy enclosures and passive radiators such as Design Acoustics, Polk, and all their copy-cats. And if you can afford to get larger like Klipsch, Pioneer, and JBL, then there is no problem making a kick-ass speaker. Size does matter! BUT the EV16 is the epitome of a practical, affordable, reasonable, moveable box that can rock out and almost immitate a big organ or orchestra at close to live volume.

 

[Zeus12]

Hi @mitchalee

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and spec sheet on these speakers!

Some great all-around speakers that will do the job, like you say, in practically all situations.

Their simplicity overall is amazing. No more, no less. Did you notice also how little padding they have inside? Mine only had one sheet of "pink" fiberglass.

I´ve noticed that yours have a different tweeter. Looks like a paper cone, which should make it even smoother on the highs.

Cheers!!

 

[mitchalee]

Hi @mitchalee

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and spec sheet on these speakers!

Some great all-around speakers that will do the job, like you say, in practically all situations.

Their simplicity overall is amazing. No more, no less. Did you notice also how little padding they have inside? Mine only had one sheet of "pink" fiberglass.

I´ve noticed that yours have a different tweeter. Looks like a paper cone, which should make it even smoother on the highs.

Cheers!!

Mine had two rather thick layers of nasty pink fiberglass just flat against the back panel. But they did not seem to need more. Perhaps the acoustic suspension requires more air volume than is compatible with being stuffed full? Just a thought. Yes, very simple and not at all highend looking components but the sound is quite good!