Hi Forum, I have the Altec N800-E XO's that are from 1964. I am sure that they are in need of a ReCap. The question I have is, How do you remove the balck tar inside with-out breaking a wire or damaging the circuit board? Is there a solution that disolves it or do I need to carefully scrape it out? Also, can you give me your opinion on brand that you have had the best results with? How about the resitors, should I look into replacing them as well? Thank you for any help in this matter.
David
I haven't tried this method myself, but if i ever do my N800F's this will be the method i try, ~180 degree oven and an old cookie sheet.
As for choosing capacitors, that's a lot like shopping for a woman. What really trips one person's trigger, often does nothing for the next fella.
I've tried a few, including some of the "boutique" brands and found that for the Altecs i've recapped that i prefer the "dayton" caps from PE. IMO, they seem to be closest in "sound" to the originals.
I'm a big fan of Solen for most re-capping, but, when i tried them in 9846's i thought the sound was a bit sterile. They did add a bit of sizzle on top, but seemed to lack something in the mids, the warmth and color was gone. When i swapped them out for the daytons, i was once again listening to the music and NOT the speakers.
So, my advice when cap shopping, buy what you can afford to dislike and swap out. Start with the daytons and listen listen listen.
Of course there's an evil underlying theme here. On occasion an Altec owner will end up putting the original caps back in place after having them tested for value and leakage only to find they offer the best sound for their circumstances.
Data is always valuable, testing the original caps, even if you are going to replace them anyway, can help you understand what you are hearing and why.
Just my .02.................................
Not all vegetables make good leaders.
Thank you Bowtie for the advise. Once I get the tar out, I will test out the old caps. Dayton was the ones I was going to try, but wasn't sure if they would change the sound too much. I will repost with the tar removal method I ended up using.
David
If you can afford it, you might want to leave the originals alone and build all new ones.
It won't be cheap, inductors are expensive these days (price of copper) - but it would teach you a lot and give you a direct comparison. Then keep the ones you like.
That's my 2 cents.
Second Bowtie's post on the Daytons...PE is almost local to me...about an hour.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
I had a good time at the P.E. Midwest Audio Fest. The tent sale is crazy!
You know, I just had another look at the crossover schematic (thanks J Henry). It's super simple. You should be able to build a pair out of nice parts for less than 1 Ben Franklin.
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