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Minimus 7 Loudspeakers - Measurements

mikett said:
I used the surplus crossover from Apex Jr. that Pete had mentioned. Unwound a couple turns from the coil and then performed the mod.

Happy as ever that these are now listenable with a sound that my wife described as much more refined. She normally doesn't care about sound.

Thank you guys.
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Excellent! Good to hear that the Apex Jr. worked for you, did you use any other parts from the Apex?
 
The parts were glued in on the board pretty well. I already had a 4.7uF philips polycarbonate in there already and some 2uFs hanging around so I used those.

I wanted the easiest and fastest (and cheapest too) to go about this mod. So I just removed the single choke and went at them.

If I find another pair of 7s or maybe two pairs, I might do a 5.1 with them.
 
You could save about 6 bux total by using xicon resistors instead of Dayton, they look to be exactly the same to me.
 
M7's finished!

Got all my parts and started working.

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First of all, the back plate on one of mine was popped out at one time by the previous owner and fixed with duct tape.:nono: I chose Gorilla glue instead of the alternative and it worked great.:yes:

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I have yet another variation, bigger plate with three screws and larger coil.

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I didn't want to drill through the cab so I went the same route as Stuart Pedaso and made a plate out of some super stiff cardboard from an old binder.

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Pre-Arrangement

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Wired and soldered

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Just enough room.:thmbsp:

Sound in short? :banana::thmbsp::music::tresbon::rockon:

I compared first in mono by A/Bing with a stock version, and on first impression the stock "jumps" out at you, whereas the modded sounds much more mellow. After my ears adjusted and I would go back to the stock, I would almost immediately start getting a fatigued from the sound.:yuck:

I soon finished the second one and listened in stereo for a good hour or two; this is where they really shine.:yes: Very balanced, good imaging, not fatiguing at all like they were before to me.

I'm going to A/B these with my stock M77's for a bit and then try the mod on them, will update later on that.

Thanks Zilch, Pete, Ray, Skywave, and all the others that helped with this project.:thmbsp:

Zilch, since you seem to like crazy colors for grill cloth and things from some of your posts I've read, I would like you to choose what color I paint these in appreciation for your efforts.:D (The other contributors can make suggestions too if they would like.)
 
vanquishfist said:
Zilch, since you seem to like crazy colors for grill cloth and things from some of your posts I've read, I would like you to choose what color I paint these in appreciation for your efforts.:D (The other contributors can make suggestions too if they would like.)
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I've got black ones, white ones, and wood ones. I think they'd look cool stripped down to the bare metal, "au natural." Bead blast the grilles and let 'em rust, if that's what's gonna happen. :yes:

It's quite a thrill discovering whether the pre-assembled boards actually fit in those little guys. :tongue:

Then, the best part of all.... :music:
 
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Zilch said:
I've got black ones, white ones, and wood ones. I think they'd look cool stripped down to the bare metal, "au natural." Bead blast the grilles and let 'em rust, if that's what's gonna happen. :yes:
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That's actually what I was thinking about doing.:scratch2:
 
TNRabbit said:
Has anyone tried this kit from ebay?
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Read the thread. It's shown on Page 3 and throughly tested later on, along with nine other options.

With respect to the woofer, Pete discussed some alternatives here, as well.... :yes:
 
TNRabbit said:
Has anyone tried this kit from ebay? Looks like a pretty good unit:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Minimus-7-woofe...mQQptZSpeakers_Subwoofers?hash=item2eab37362f
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I had that sellers XO kit in my Minimus speaks. If you check my AK mod build posts, you will see where I pulled that XO out of the boxes. It was an improvement over the stock speaks, but the Zilch Lab mods put these little rascals at the head of the class and then some. Here is the link to that seller's XO kit. The Radio Shack OEM speakers are good quality. Spend your money and effort on the XOs.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Minimus-7-upgrade-kit-for-Optimus-Realistic-classics_W0QQitemZ200442606503QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eab4f73a7
 
First, sorry that I didn't read the entire 28 pages - I'm trying to follow alll of these M7 threads.
Are the "Zilch Labs" Xover mods available as a kit, or are these total DIY?
I just today picked up a second pair (Silver!) from GW to go with my original black set, and I'd like to try this mod to one of them.
Thanks!
 
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aeshultz said:
First, sorry that I didn't read the entire 28 pages - I'm trying to follow alll of these M7 threads.
Are the "Zilch Labs" Xover mods available as a kit, or are these total DIY?
I just today picked up a second pair (Silver!) from GW to go with my original black set, and I'd like to try this mod to one of them.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Zilch has provided a BOM, a layout diagram and schematic along with pics. Most difficult part of the build is working inside the speaker box as the space is quite tight. I did a pair of the XOs and the Minimus 77s that I have are much improved. Parts Express has all the necessary parts. I used wire nuts for most of the connections. HTH :thmbsp:
 
28 pages?

aeshultz said:
First, sorry that I didn't read the entire 28 pages - I'm trying to follow alll of these M7 threads.
Are the "Zilch Labs" Xover mods available as a kit, or are these total DIY?
I just today picked up a second pair (Silver!) from GW to go with my original black set, and I'd like to try this mod to one of them.
Thanks!
Click to expand...


28 pages is nothing, take a look at Ewave thread

It is DIY, but everything you need to know is in this thread. I have ordered the needed parts myself just waiting on the backordered 1mH inductors.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys.
I know it's counter to the DIY ethos, but in that case, would anyone entertain the possibility of funding a small part of their hobby by builting up a set for me, or doing the mod itself? I can do simple connections, but am not sure about what I'd be getting into here.
Just a thought.
 
Minimus 77 done

I finally got to this as it looks like 1MOR has beat me to it, but the mod does wonders for these too!:thmbsp:

Time for more pictures...

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First, another variation of the crossover. It comes through the back of the cab instead of inside.

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Another piece of cardboard to mount the parts on. BTW, bolting the terminal inversely on the back of the cab makes for very stable soldering.:yes:

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Parts layout.

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Since the terminal went through the back, I had to solder the last couple wires inside the cab. I used double sided tape to attach the board to the back of the cab.

These just had a single piece of foam to cover the back of the cab, no stuffing. So after I finished the crossover I stuffed them with fiberglass.

These are now being used for our main home computer that I am using now, and I know they can toast most of those overpriced computer speakers out there.:smoke:
 

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