Why is everyone so against electrolytic caps in crossovers?

[Dr. Morbius]

Possibly, although you and myself should hate stock DCM's, but we, or at least I don't, and that's what they used from the factory.

Not everywhere. They used polyester film caps for smaller values (1.5uF through 6.8uF that I'm aware of) and in the time delay circuits. I've seen them use electrolytic caps with 15uF, 47uF and 100uF values. There may be others, but those are the only ones I'm aware of.

My brother is driving up from Georgia tomorrow for about a week's visit and he's bringing my TW-3s with him. I arranged for him to meet with a guy down south in order to buy them for a very good price and save shipping. I've been like this .. .. for about a week!

And in about a week, I'm supposed to meet with a fellow forum member to buy his TF-1000s. I AM a DCM fanboy. :thmbsp:

I've been trying to find some upper end NHTs locally too, but am having no luck at all.

 

[89grand]

I think you'll really like the TW3. It's an awesome speaker.

 

[taineasy]

I mean there is thread after thread after thread of people saying to ditch the electrolytic caps and replace them with expensive alternatives. I understand that the electrolytic caps can dry out some over time, but it seems to take many many years. I can even understand replacing them, sure why not if you're already in the speakers and can solder, but why not just replace them with similar caps that were there in the first place?

I mean if the speakers sounded good when they were new, it makes more sense to me to try and keep them the same, using the same caps, electrolytic caps. For one, they are WAY cheaper, so if you need more than two, and many speakers do, other, non-electrolytic caps can get very expensive, and number two, so many of us here swap out speakers, sell some, get other ones, that most will probably never need to replace the caps again anyway, or even if you do, what 10-20 years down the line?

I'm considering swapping out the caps on my newly purchased Time Window 3's, and it's a fraction of the cost to use the original type electrolytics vs say Dayton metalized caps, and I'd be more closely following the original design to boot. I was listening to my Time Window 1's last night, and they're incredible, and yet they have original caps in the them, they're too hard to get into to bother, plus they sound great, and they're 30+ years old.

I know there are some rational thoughts on replacing the "lytics" but it seems to be more of a sheep thing, where everyone just keeps doing it because everyone keeps saying it without much if any data to back up the benefit.

Discuss

Sometimes changing out electrolytic caps for film caps will for lack of a better word "harden" the sound.

 

[GChief]

Been a few zombie threads the last few days. Thanks to those bringing them back, some have been entertaining reading.