To twist or not to twist

[johnsonad]

That is my question

I'm going to recap the crossovers in my Altec Model 19's and use new wires to the drivers. Should the wire going to the drivers be twisted or seperate as they were factory, loose in the cabs?

Thanks,

Aaron

[bowtie427ss]

That is my question

I'm going to recap the crossovers in my Altec Model 19's and use new wires to the drivers. Should the wire going to the drivers be twisted or seperate as they were factory, loose in the cabs?

Thanks,

Aaron

Twisting pairs reduces EMI. The audible effects will be insignificant at the very most. But, twisted pairs look neater, and IMO, make the venture worthwhile on that basis alone.

[Old Guy]

Twisting pairs reduces EMI. The audible effects will be insignificant at the very most. But, twisted pairs look neater, and IMO, make the venture worthwhile on that basis alone.

Spot on. The only thing I could add is the longer the wire run, more chance of EMI. So a foot and a half run will not be noticeable. It MIGHT be noticeable on a very long run. Largest variable- is EMI an issue in tour area? If you live a block from a radio station...

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Spot on. The only thing I could add is the longer the wire run, more chance of EMI. So a foot and a half run will not be noticeable. It MIGHT be noticeable on a very long run. Largest variable- is EMI an issue in tour area? If you live a block from a radio station...

Hmmmm, I actually DO live very close to a radio station. I used to be able to hear it over my phone!

[voice of the theater]

Hmmmm, I actually DO live very close to a radio station. I used to be able to hear it over my phone!

That could come in handy--maybe if you listen closely to your speakers in between spinning vinyl you'll hear "Caller number 20 wins a pair of Altec Tar Filled 1803's!"

[voice of the theater]

That is my question

I'm going to recap the crossovers in my Altec Model 19's and use new wires to the drivers. Should the wire going to the drivers be twisted or seperate as they were factory, loose in the cabs?

Thanks,

Aaron

I've recapped my Model 19's but kept the original wiring. Maybe I should consider replacing that old wiring too in all of my Altecs that I've recapped. What kind of wire are you using and what kind of caps?

[johnsonad]

I've recapped my Model 19's but kept the original wiring. Maybe I should consider replacing that old wiring too in all of my Altecs that I've recapped. What kind of wire are you using and what kind of caps?

The choice of wire seems to be a very debated topic on this forum. I have a stash of Neotech 20g solid core wire which I'm planning to use. The caps are the new Jantzen Cross-Caps. So far they received good reviews and have values a little closer than other brands.

[voice of the theater]

The choice of wire seems to be a very debated topic on this forum. I have a stash of Neotech 20g solid core wire which I'm planning to use. The caps are the new Jantzen Cross-Caps. So far they received good reviews and have values a little closer than other brands.

I would not settle for values that are close. I used Solen "fast caps" (recommended by Bill @ GPA as well as others) and was able to find exact values. I'm not saying Solen are the best, but I think it's important to find exact values even if you have to wire multiple caps together to obtain the correct value. Altec Best is right about the "ground modification" too--that's important to do if your crossovers are from the 70's--from what I understand the very last Model 19's made in the 80's had the ground modification already done at the factory AFAIK......

[Altec Best]

Good luck with the recap.I think you will like the difference.If you have an early pair you may want to do the ground bypass mods as well.

[johnsonad]

Thanks everyone, I'll twist the wires. As of now I don't have any EMI issues but who knows after the next move.....