If I had a flux capacitor do you think I'd blab on the interweb about it ?!
If I had a flux capacitor do you think I'd blab on the interweb about it ?!
These speakers were like $80 pair, Cerwin-Vega XD3 desktop monitors. They have served me very well. However, recently I noticed that above a certain volume, I got skipping/distortion - very very odd. I first fucked around with drivers and investigated interrupted/delayed procedure calls, essentially, blaming some Win10 update for doing the usual and breaking functionality. No dice. So I broke them open, and found 3 capacitors bulged out - failed.
I ordered the replacements - used Panasonic and Nichicon instead of the cheapo brand inside - and got to work:
As usual, I forgot to take photos until a little into the project, but here was what I was dealing with (pic8.co). The caps were downcircuit of the transformer, and likely formed a simple amplifier circuit for signals to main 4" cones and another circuit for the 1" tweeters. If only one of the caps had failed (they were in series), then you'd likely get a good sound up to a certain incoming signal amplitude OR volume knob (potentiometer) setting, which would need capacitance above the value provided. I think the small pair were functioning to a certain extent, now that I analyze/think about it. No harm replacing, it was like 50 caps for $8 at that size!
Top-down view of where the small caps went (pic8.co)
Bottom view of where the small caps went; desoldered (pic8.co). The solder on the board was some odd, "heavy" hard to melt stuff and didn't play well with my rosin-core nice stuff.
Soldered (pic8.co) - doesn't hold a candle to @sporkulon's work, I am but a humble hack!
New caps in place (pic8.co); they were taller than old ones.
Putting things back together (pic8.co) - luckily, this speaker was designed with reparability in mind: push-fittings instead of soldered joints, accessible screws, logical wire lengths.
The speaker back together - don't doxx my screwdriver! (pic8.co)
Tested it out blasting music yesterday... coughLauraBranigancough and we're in business, no distortion or skipping!
These speakers were like $80 pair, Cerwin-Vega XD3 desktop monitors. They have served me very well. However, recently I noticed that above a certain volume, I got skipping/distortion - very very odd. I first fucked around with drivers and investigated interrupted/delayed procedure calls, essentially, blaming some Win10 update for doing the usual and breaking functionality. No dice. So I broke them open, and found 3 capacitors bulged out - failed.
I ordered the replacements - used Panasonic and Nichicon instead of the cheapo brand inside - and got to work:
[As usual, I forgot to take photos until a little into the project, but here was what I was dealing with](https://pic8.co/sh/39y3Aa.jpg). The caps were downcircuit of the transformer, and likely formed a simple amplifier circuit for signals to main 4" cones and another circuit for the 1" tweeters. If only one of the caps had failed (they were in series), then you'd likely get a good sound up to a certain incoming signal amplitude OR volume knob (potentiometer) setting, which would need capacitance above the value provided. I think the small pair were functioning to a certain extent, now that I analyze/think about it. No harm replacing, it was like 50 caps for $8 at that size!
[Top-down view of where the small caps went](https://pic8.co/sh/J2B5D6.jpg)
[Bottom view of where the small caps went; desoldered](https://pic8.co/sh/CEF8xu.jpg). The solder on the board was some odd, "heavy" hard to melt stuff and didn't play well with my rosin-core nice stuff.
[Soldered](https://pic8.co/sh/QVMlpi.jpg) - doesn't hold a candle to @sporkulon's work, I am but a humble hack!
[New caps in place](https://pic8.co/sh/PcA5ZQ.jpg); they were taller than old ones.
[Putting things back together](https://pic8.co/sh/McY7k1.jpg) - luckily, this speaker was designed with reparability in mind: push-fittings instead of soldered joints, accessible screws, logical wire lengths.
[Heat sink and transformer - a 115v single-coil primary, 28v dual-coil secondary with center tap (14v/0v/14v)](https://pic8.co/sh/NyyZcd.jpg)
[The speaker back together - don't doxx my screwdriver!](https://pic8.co/sh/EXNijE.jpg)
Tested it out blasting music yesterday... *cough*LauraBranigan*cough* and we're in business, no distortion or skipping!
(post is archived)