KEF Q300 Crossover Modification

[jagermonsta]

I recently found a pic of the stock crossover and was a little disappointed to find some pretty standard/cheap components in there (pic attached).

On the plus side, there's only one inductor, a 4.3uf cap, and a 0R68 resistor. Very simple.

Any consensus as to whether it'd be worth my time/money to invest in some fancy pants caps and resistors? I found a thread on DIY Audio claiming big improvements with expensive replacement parts, but I always take that with a grain of salt...

 

[dumptruck]

That's a metallized polypropylene cap, a fairly heavy gauge air core inductor, an appropriate resistor, looks like good stuff to me.

 

[prighello]

Looks fine. I wouldn't mess with it. Changing the cap and resistor will likely net no audible improvement. Coil looks solid.

 

[jagermonsta]

That's the best possible news! Thanks guys.

 

[Adda]

Yeah very nice coil indeed, looks like a decent cap too.

 

[jagermonsta]

Yeah, the inductor struck me as pretty high quality but the generic looks of the other passives prompted me to wonder.

 

[lukslp22]

I have a Q300 and I changed the caps and resistor, my next step is change the wire for a silver plated cooper

 

[lukslp22]

Better cables now!!! Superb sound!

 

[hnash53]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I've been considering these very speakers as a possible upgrade.

Any idea how these would stack up against Polk TSi200s or Monitor 40s? Thanks....

 

[NAD80]

Hi lukslp22, may I ask what cables you put in the speakers?

 

[lukslp22]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I've been considering these very speakers as a possible upgrade.

Any idea how these would stack up against Polk TSi200s or Monitor 40s? Thanks....

For me is a good upgrade, kef sounds more neutral or natural, and the concentric driver is a beast, and with the mods the sound improve a lot

 

[lukslp22]

Hi lukslp22, may I ask what cables you put in the speakers?

Yes, for the tweeter I use Norstone Silver plated cooper sv150 and the LF Monster cooper cable, (nothing expensive) the stock cables are veeery low cost

 

[NAD80]

Thank you lukslp22 . Was wondering what you used. Just recapped my Mission 737R's. The Mission wires are super short in the speakers.

 

[jagermonsta]

I have a Q300 and I changed the caps and resistor, my next step is change the wire for a silver plated cooper

Wow didnt really expect to ever see a reply to this thread two years later haha

What value did you go with for the bypass cap? 0.01uf?

Standard value for the resistor? 0.68 ohm?

 

[pete_mac]

One point to bear in mind with the inductor upgrade is that the DCR of the new inductor matches the original one.

If you install a new larger-gauge inductor which has lower DCR than the original (but exactly the same inductance), you will alter the crossover response, thus hearing a difference. Whether or not it is an actual improvement can only be gauged by measuring the speakers.

 

[unfairlane]

You could upgrade the 5W resistor to lets say a 20W but the biggest Upgrade you can do is to upgrade your speakercables. Did I hear anyone say 9awg solid?
(do I know what I`m talkin about) Enjoy the Music!

 

[lukslp22]

You could upgrade the 5W resistor to lets say a 20W but the biggest Upgrade you can do is to upgrade your speakercables. Did I hear anyone say 9awg solid?
(do I know what I`m talkin about) Enjoy the Music!

Hi! no the stock resistor is a normal bennic 5w and this is a Mundorf MOX 5w, the speaker cable is a norstone silver plate cooper... nothing fancy, now I have a LS50 with mundorf Supreme oil and Aluminium EVO Gold oil, with MOX resistors and the internal wiring is Discovery brand

 

[lukslp22]