nj pheonix
Lunatic Member
I don't know how fast you want to get it done or if he'd be interested but Sony6060 will be in Queens in Aug. You may want to reach out to him and see.
Help: Anybody in NYC Area To Cap Wharfedale W60s
- Thread starter jgannon
- Start date
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Hey, thanks...yes, I know Jim, but I'm pretty sure he's got a lot on his plate right now. I figured I'd spare him on the speakers...
PastTechFan
Super Member
As others have posted, you CAN do this! W60s were my first recap effort. There's just one cap. I replaced it with a GE motor run cap. When you open them up, you can expect something like this.
The biggest problem was the extremely short wire runs in those cabinets. I could barely get the backs off without tearing at the wires to the drivers. In fact I cut them and spliced in a little more wire.
While you're in there, I recommend that you buy a roll or two of some thin foam weather stripping. Place some at the back of the cabinet to seal it and, if you're feeling adventurous, remove the speakers and seal around the edge of the baskets.
(Careful removing the mid-tweet from it's little box. You must first free up the wires where they enter. Remove the tarry seal. Otherwise you risk tearing the wires from the speaker when pulling the box away.)
I also sealed the box edge, and the port tube flange. Maybe overkill.
You can't see it in this pic, but I ran the foam strip along the edge of the cabinet backing board. When re-attached, it contacts the old green felt.
Whether this all made a great improvement, I can't say. Certainly the treble was much better. Very satisfying beginner's project.
The biggest problem was the extremely short wire runs in those cabinets. I could barely get the backs off without tearing at the wires to the drivers. In fact I cut them and spliced in a little more wire.
While you're in there, I recommend that you buy a roll or two of some thin foam weather stripping. Place some at the back of the cabinet to seal it and, if you're feeling adventurous, remove the speakers and seal around the edge of the baskets.
(Careful removing the mid-tweet from it's little box. You must first free up the wires where they enter. Remove the tarry seal. Otherwise you risk tearing the wires from the speaker when pulling the box away.)
I also sealed the box edge, and the port tube flange. Maybe overkill.
You can't see it in this pic, but I ran the foam strip along the edge of the cabinet backing board. When re-attached, it contacts the old green felt.
Whether this all made a great improvement, I can't say. Certainly the treble was much better. Very satisfying beginner's project.
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Altec Best
Well-Known Member
When doing your first recap.I highly recommend that you take lots of close-up photos, and even draw a schematic of your crossover.. It will help you tremendously for referencing if you get snagged/confused on something.What else you should do for your first is don't take the whole thing apart at the same time..The best thing to do IMHO is to take out one component at a time and then replace that component with the new component.In this instance you should have no problem as you are just swapping in a new cap for an old cap,the same could be said for any resistors it may have if any...Good Luck !
I too am about 2 1/2 hours away one way.. I think NJcanuck is a little farther north of me so he is a little closer than I.
Again Take Lots of Photos.And try to draw yourself a schematic.. :thmbsp:
I too am about 2 1/2 hours away one way.. I think NJcanuck is a little farther north of me so he is a little closer than I.
Again Take Lots of Photos.And try to draw yourself a schematic.. :thmbsp:
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Thanks PastTechFan and Altec Best for your input here, but the cavalry in the name of cablephil212 did indeed come riding in on Saturday. He put the new caps in and I can hear a difference already. More pop, more life, more presence. And I've only been playing them a couple of days. Phil took some pics which he is going to send to me, and I'm going to add what he did to the thread here.
At this time I'd like to THANK YOU PHIL for coming in and putting on those caps. We had a great time swapping stories and talking audio. You are what makes Audiokarma such a great place.
I also want to thank AK members jgordon and njcanuck for offering to help. Jgordon and I just couldn't get our schedules together and Njcanuck's place would have been a real hike for me.
Thanks for your replies everyone. Give me a couple of days to get the pics up!
At this time I'd like to THANK YOU PHIL for coming in and putting on those caps. We had a great time swapping stories and talking audio. You are what makes Audiokarma such a great place.
I also want to thank AK members jgordon and njcanuck for offering to help. Jgordon and I just couldn't get our schedules together and Njcanuck's place would have been a real hike for me.
Thanks for your replies everyone. Give me a couple of days to get the pics up!
jgannon
Lunatic Member
I'll put up what I've got, but we didn't really take pics of the step-by-step process, as I remember. My pics are along the lines of what PastTechFan posted.
jgannon
Lunatic Member
As others have posted, you CAN do this! W60s were my first recap effort. There's just one cap. I replaced it with a GE motor run cap. When you open them up, you can expect something like this.
The biggest problem was the extremely short wire runs in those cabinets. I could barely get the backs off without tearing at the wires to the drivers. In fact I cut them and spliced in a little more wire.
While you're in there, I recommend that you buy a roll or two of some thin foam weather stripping. Place some at the back of the cabinet to seal it and, if you're feeling adventurous, remove the speakers and seal around the edge of the baskets.
(Careful removing the mid-tweet from it's little box. You must first free up the wires where they enter. Remove the tarry seal. Otherwise you risk tearing the wires from the speaker when pulling the box away.)
I also sealed the box edge, and the port tube flange. Maybe overkill.
You can't see it in this pic, but I ran the foam strip along the edge of the cabinet backing board. When re-attached, it contacts the old green felt.
Whether this all made a great improvement, I can't say. Certainly the treble was much better. Very satisfying beginner's project.
PastTechFan, you're caps look almost exactly like mine. I've definitely noticed an improvement in the treble. I know what you mean about not being sure about a "great" improvement, in that my W60s were already sounding really good. But the caps took 'em up a notch, for sure. Also, the tweeters were probably played a long time without a recap, prior to my getting them. But as Gang-twanger has suggested, these drivers were very well built. They don't seem to have been damaged.
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Here are a few pics. We didn't take pictures in the manner of a tutorial or a "how to". I just want to show the cap that was in all three of the W60s and which one replaced it.
Here's the original cap:
Here's the new, much bigger oil cap (no PCBs!)...
Oops...wrong can!
All strapped in, glued, and connected...
Thanks again cablephil212 for all your hard work!!
Here's the original cap:
Here's the new, much bigger oil cap (no PCBs!)...
Oops...wrong can!
All strapped in, glued, and connected...
Thanks again cablephil212 for all your hard work!!
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PastTechFan
Super Member
Very nice install. Glad it worked out. Those caps will break in a bit over time. Just gets better.
One nice thing about the recap is, since the treble improves, you can afford to dial it back a bit with the L-pad, then add more volume (of course). This will increase the bass. Kind of counter-intuitive, but it seems to work.
One nice thing about the recap is, since the treble improves, you can afford to dial it back a bit with the L-pad, then add more volume (of course). This will increase the bass. Kind of counter-intuitive, but it seems to work.
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Thanks. Phil made it look easy. Looking forward to things as they break in.
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Just wanted to update on the sound of the speakers with the new caps.
The caps are really breaking in now and the sound of the W60's is REALLY beginning to bloom. I am getting mids that I NEVER got before.
I had some extras of these caps which I sent to Gang-twanger who will be installing these in his W60's, and am looking forward to hearing how he likes them too.
Thanks again to Sony6060 for recommending these caps and Cablephil212 for installing them.
The caps are really breaking in now and the sound of the W60's is REALLY beginning to bloom. I am getting mids that I NEVER got before.
I had some extras of these caps which I sent to Gang-twanger who will be installing these in his W60's, and am looking forward to hearing how he likes them too.
Thanks again to Sony6060 for recommending these caps and Cablephil212 for installing them.
cablephil212
Super Member
Hey Bud
Well, there you are.
Been waiting for the followup.
Glad to hear everything worked out. :yes: Still looking for a partner for your single W60?
I'm really surprised it took so long for those caps to open up, but then again I've never played with PIO's before. I'm sure GT will be very happy with his also. Can't wait to hear his impressions after they break in.
Enjoyed meeting you and the family. Had fun working on the speakers too. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything.
Phil
Well, there you are.
Been waiting for the followup.
Glad to hear everything worked out. :yes: Still looking for a partner for your single W60?
I'm really surprised it took so long for those caps to open up, but then again I've never played with PIO's before. I'm sure GT will be very happy with his also. Can't wait to hear his impressions after they break in.
Enjoyed meeting you and the family. Had fun working on the speakers too. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything.
Phil
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Well, there you are.
Been waiting for the followup.
Glad to hear everything worked out. :yes: Still looking for a partner for your single W60?
I'm really surprised it took so long for those caps to open up, but then again I've never played with PIO's before. I'm sure GT will be very happy with his also. Can't wait to hear his impressions after they break in.
Enjoyed meeting you and the family. Had fun working on the speakers too. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything.
Phil
Hi Phil-
Great to hear from you again. They've really started to blossom I'd say over the last couple of weeks. You can really hear the two different drivers doing their thing and like I say, the mids have REALLY opened up. Thanks again for all your help and expertise recapping these speakers.
You tackled this at the beginning of the summer. Hard to believe it's almost over...Anytime you want to hit the boardwalk, let me know!!
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Thanks for weighing in Brian. Glad to hear you are hearing improvements with your new caps. I'll be listening...
PastTechFan
Super Member
Thanks for the update! Glad those things are singing for you!
Those caps are very similar to mine, except mine have the flat sides (rounded edges).
Those caps are very similar to mine, except mine have the flat sides (rounded edges).
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Thanks PastTechFan. I kinda had the same feeling you did right after your recap. But it has really been in the last couple of weeks that they started opening up.
How about yours? Have you been noticing an improvement as you've been playing them?
jgannon
Lunatic Member
Yeah, all my thanks to Sony6060 and Cablephil212. These were NOS GE Dielektrol caps rated at 12 uF, 550 volts AC, 60 Hz purchased off ebay.
They just really started opening up the last couple of weeks, and after hearing them this way, I've realized what I was missing all along with my system.
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