VOTT recommended mods for home use

[robertbartsch]

There was a post here recently that included excerpts from an old article that provided a list of modifications for VOTT improvements for systems used in a home setting.

Anyway, the mods included:

1. Removing protective screens from compression drivers
2. Removing HF diaphram caps and using felt covered covers
3. Replacing "cheap" factory capacitors in crossovers
4. Increasing cab strength using additional wood bracing


Are these worth considering?

[gearfreak]

RE:

1.
2.
3. See perhaps:

http://www.hostboard.com/forums/alte...hlight=N-500-c

4.

[lowpoke]

2. Altec Compression Driver Rear Loading Caps

[SD-50]

I've done 2,3, and 4, very worthwhile mods. Been reluctant to do 1 as it's permanent.
Cheers

[drummerwill]

The most usefull mod I did to my 828 caninets was to fill in the the mid horn cavities.
I used expanable foam in cans.
You must be very careful and work very slowly for the first layer. You can damage the cabinet with the foam expanding in cracks in the horn curves. ( The secret is try not to put foam in a joint). Try to bridge the joint with the foam for the first application, let that layer semi dry. Then build layers on that.

When I did my cabinets after they dried, I noticed an increase in mid-low bass performance.

Have fun
Willie

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

I don't think I've ever seen #1 recommended by any of the old hands here.

[oface1]

AbG,

I remember there was a post here here not too long ago about option 1. I was left with impression that the general consensus was that you would hear an improvement when you removed the protective screens.

I haven't tried it yet, so I do no have an opinion.


-chris

[robertbartsch]

I thought the screen removal suggestion in the old article said that it allowed better UHF response above 10K and a flatter overall curve.

After inspecting some old traffic application drivers (077s) recently that contained hair, dirt, sand, feathers, dead spiders, and other insect junk, I would have some reservation about this unless the horm mouth was well covered, I suppose.

One other popular suggestion mentioned in the article was insulating the cast horns which I did not include above. On this note, I owned a VOTT pair for 30 years and never heard any horn ringing but the horns were loaded inside a wood box.

Apparently, the horn insulation mod is very popular, however.

[gearfreak]

As well, the 511b 'ringing' has been well threaded over on the forums.klipsch.com If interested. :-)

Commonly offered solutions here there everywhere:
-cutting fin welds, inserting (silicon?) rubber into kerf
- gobs of plumbers putty or rope caulk on the bells
- painting outsides with latex paint, layers of sand. (ending up similar to the Aquaplas coating we suspect)

I found interestingly, if struck with (e.g. the neoprene handle of some cheap pliers) that I could get the bells to ring. If struck in the middle, then you damp the bell 1/2 way to the edge of one of the sides (e.g. put your finger on it) the pitch will raise accordingly (an octave we assume, though not measured nor remembered). The inference, that there might be a natural resonance that could be damped more precisley, with a particular pattern, thus saving on materials (and possibly making any damping type mod more easilly reversible)