Modifications to the RTA 15TL

[charley95]

Initial impressions...Wow. Just wow.
I will do a full write up in a separate post but the upgrades have made a pretty significant difference.
Thanks Brian.

I just pulled my 15's out of the closet last week. Sold my 2.3's to SDA1C, house was too small for the big boys to get SDA effect. I forgot how good my 15's sounded after not listening to them for a few years. I have them backed by my Rogue Cronus Magnum. Might be getting the fever to upgrade. How much $$ do you have in upgrades to your 15's so far?

[decato]

Initial impressions...Wow. Just wow.
I will do a full write up in a separate post but the upgrades have made a pretty significant difference.
Thanks Brian.

Excellent! Glad to hear you like the modifications.

[ZLTFUL]

I have a little over the $200 Brian mentioned in his initial post. Prices have gone up a smidge since then but it is still ballpark.
I went with Solen caps, Madisound Sidewinder inductors and Mills resistors.
I didn't touch the stuffing at all.

My next step with them is to dynamat the baskets. But I have a bunch of dynamat left over from a friend's car so that cost is minimal. I am also seriously considering a set of rings for them. I already have hurricane nuts but am on the fence vs doing the rings.

[pitdogg2]

If it were me I'd get the Solens out of the high pass section. Never been a fan of those in that position.
just my .02

[ZLTFUL]

So far, I don't have any complaints. It is a huge imporvement over stock to my ears.
I am actually going to track down a second set of terminal cups and do foil inductors with Sonicaps. Then I can do A/B comparisons. Having the plug on there makes experimentation a snap.

[ZLTFUL]

I REALLY need to do up my review. Listening to some Miles Davis...oh hell yeah...

[cincycat13]

I look forward to your write up. And yes, I lay the small inductor over to avoid interference. Very fun speaker to tweek and easy to work on.

[ZLTFUL]

What do you think of the foil inductors cincy?

I plan on tracking down a couple more sets of terminal cups and making some variations. Foils inductors is one of the things I want to try.

[SDA1C]

Decato,

Is this still your preferred or current list of upgrade components for the 15tl?

2 x 13.5 uF (2 x 12 uF + 2 x 1.5 uF) caps
2 x 12 uF caps
2 x 10 uF caps
2 x 1.75 mH, 16 awg inductors
2 x 0.22 mH, 19 awg inductors
2 x 2.7 ohm resistors
2 x 0.5 ohm resistors


Thanks, 1c

[decato]

Decato,

Is this still your preferred or current list of upgrade components for the 15tl?

2 x 13.5 uF (2 x 12 uF + 2 x 1.5 uF) caps
2 x 12 uF caps
2 x 10 uF caps
2 x 1.75 mH, 16 awg inductors
2 x 0.22 mH, 19 awg inductors
2 x 2.7 ohm resistors
2 x 0.5 ohm resistors


Thanks, 1c

Yes, I still have the same parts in my 15TLs.

[SDA1C]

Thanks a bunch.

[robio_d]

Hi been reading and studying this page for almost 2 years and have taken the plunge and ordered the parts. I am a bit of a electronics noob, but I'm now confident I can wire up the crossovers (will probably end up squealing for help right here!).

My RTA's have even starred on these very pages, I bought them off RX7Rotary. Real awesome cabinet job on the sides but he had not performed any mods.

Quick question before I start. I intended on replacing the internal wiring at the same time as doing to xover/tweeters work and started to trace how these had been wired. Mark had obviously rewired as the clip connectors were not present and had been soldered direct to the drives. On tracing it looks like the woofers have been wired in parallel. All + connected and all - connected - with 8ohm drivers a 2ohm load. If I am reading the schematics uploaded for the RTA-15TL's from this site I read it as having the woofers connected in a series/parallel configuration, with 8ohm drivers an 8ohm load. Can anyone advise on the correct wiring?

thanks

Rob.

[F1nut]

The woofers connected in a series/parallel configuration is correct.

[robio_d]

Thanks F1nut, that means these have been wired wrong for quite some time! Erk. Be interesting to see how this alters the performance, particularly with amping. Time to pull them apart and start work. Might do this so I can reference what they should be like before modding.

Any tips on which way the factory connected the drivers, i.e. parallel the bottom pair, parallel the top pair and series connect top and bottom, or does it not matter as they are identical drivers?

As well as the xover rebuild, total rewiring, replacing binding posts (they are mistmatched at the mo) and fixing damage to the base of the cabinet so I can fit spikes, I've just noticed that 2 of the woofers have voice coil rubbing. Wish I had noticed that before I placed my order with Helen at polk :(. Shipping to NZ can start adding up. I can get them repaired locally by my local electronics shop who are excellent but a little slow, but might see how much new replacements might be. Then I can take time in getting the extras repaired and have some spares.

[F1nut]

robio_d, looking at my schematic, which is probably the same one you found here, it doesn't indicate the driver positions, but they are all the same MW6503 drivers.

[robio_d]

Thanks for checking, think I've worked out the wiring order from the LF wiring schematic, translated the loom to speakers and positions. Should be a parallel of the bottom pair and a parallel of the top pair with the two pairs in series. Very handy having the wiring loom schematics to work from.