Tweaks & serial #'s

(I asked these questions last night, but we got into the issues about my tweeter diaphram replacement. BTW - thanks to subwoof & Rob H. for their help and suggestions.)

I've recently acquired a pair of 4412's (non-"A" series). I'm trying to determine:

Q1: According to the Library here, they were produced from approx. 1986-95. Can I tell the year of manufacture from the serial #'s? (468495 & 466270)

Q2: Have any of you ever successfully "modified" any of the Studio Monitor series, ie: any suggestions for replacing the internal wiring, binding posts, drivers or x-overs with "better' stuff?

Kudos,
Geek

Quote:

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Originally posted by AudioGeek
Q2: Have any of you ever successfully "modified" any of the Studio Monitor series, ie: any suggestions for replacing the internal wiring, binding posts, drivers or x-overs with "better' stuff?

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Hey...
I was looking at your Thread starter this morning, lol that the Thread went so quickly spiraling outa control on the tweeters, and left the rest, behind. Gotta love it...

Giskard has posted many times on the merits of heavier-gauge, "Monster" brand wiring inside cabinets, and he, as well, as added immensely to the understanding of adding bypass caps to stock networks. Use the Search function to explore the Forum a bit... ;)

Rebuilding the stock networks with "better" stuff can be fun and rewarding but usually the "better" stuff is physically larger so one would need to scale a new network board accordingly.

Be aware that JBL empirically tweeks their systems during extensive listening tests so one might need to do the same should they start replacing stock network components. Different dielectrics do sound different. Different chokes do sound different. In addition, JBL strategically employs the DCR of various chokes so using very low DCR chokes can be detrimental, but not always.

Replacing electrolytics can be beneficial. Replacing the stock 61098 0.01uF metallized polypropylene caps with the best film and foil polypropylene caps can make a difference. Adding in film and foil polystyrene caps can add greater depth and take the "edge" off certain cheaper caps.

Yeah bo - that was a fun thread! :thnkfast:

I had done a little searching before on 4412's, but not much useful came up. Apparently, most of you on this forum like horns/large cabs!

Giskard -

While I would have surmised that JBL does enough listening tests/R&D on their products in order to make them competitive, still, it's nearly a decade now since the non-A-series Studio Monitors were current. Which is why on another thread I mentioned that maybe the A-series x-overs would be an upgrade to the non-A's...nothwithstanding the different 052 tweeters on the A's.

But I was hoping that someone around here would have more specific mods that pertain to the 4412's, since they were a fairly common and well-regarded model.

I'm aware that many of the high-end caps, electrolytics, resistors, etc. like WIMA, Solen, Dale, Vishay are physically larger than probably what's stock in the 4412's. But again, I was hoping for more specific suggestions. I don't have the time to do alot of component switching/testing on just the network boards. Wish I did!

Guess I'll check the values and try to come up with a few ideas from past experience with x-over components.

As far as new internal wiring, if I do that I'll probably go with one of XLO Electric's models. I've tried many types, but I keep going back to XLO - I think they sound better in most applications than anything I've yet listened to.

Quote:

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Originally posted by AudioGeek
Yeah bo - that was a fun thread! :thnkfast:

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:rotfl:

Yup, there's some real doozies out here... ;)

As Earl once reminded, after Page 2, Threads go pretty much frayed...