Octavia II Poor Sounding Stereo Fix

[Genoa1893]

BTW, does anybody have the correct specs for the capacitor?

:rofl:

LOL, what is "correct"? I wired Visaton MKP 3.3uF 250V (got a pair for 1 EUR) :D:D, and it does sound a bit better.

[chavdarlk]

Are you really sure? I agree that in an electrotechnical theoretically pure approach the resulting graph and equivalent function of transfer doesn't change a comma, but in all the schematics I've seen in years, the cap was wired to "+" connector, as electrons moves "towards" + pole...

Pretty sure, don't worry .

[Genoa1893]

Pretty sure, don't worry .

Wardth, bear with me but I thought of sharing some of the ideas shared within a group of audio-addicts I belong to . Here below a mail written by a german friend of mine, really deep inside audio things (both "technical" and "perceived", if you do follow me).

Probably you cannot detect significant change when placing the capacitor in the other line, but... it's a matter of choice!

--------------

Ciao Stefano

Wind noise whrn driving will mask it. But in a quiet room it can be audibly different to put an R in series with a C - even if the cap is called nonpolarized, it will behave different in either direction. A wound foil has some inductance and the inner foil winding has a different capacitance to inductance relation compared with the outer winding.

So the HF behaviour of the cap is different - and in practice a small audible difference remains.

I estimate that many people have better hearing capabilities than their technical understanding lets expect them.

Recently Eric pointed to the wideband character of noise and you cannot exclude such factors from signal behaviour of any component.

Ben Duncan measured the different behaviour when reversing the cables direction.

From a rhetoric point, call it simple logic: is it allowed to expect two differnt constellations giving exactly identic results?

I tested RCs parallel to tweeters both under bridge mode and single ended output conditions. The foil capacitors directional behaviour remained audible.

The human brain has a preference for positive transients, the amp and its ground relation may come in the second place only, if the bridge mode shows no different behaviour of the 2 components.

Tweeter capacitor or capacitor tweeter behaves different too. Once you found your personal preference in a quiet environment you will drive more relaxed in the future...

Recently I connected the speaker chassis to either signal pos or neg. I had a clear preference about the achieved result over the usual chassis floating.

Ciao HM

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[SamVRS]

Just thought id say I have just done this mod on my FL Octy with Columbus and i'm very happy with the sound improvement! Thanks!

[danrp]

Just thought id say I have just done this mod on my FL Octy with Columbus and i'm very happy with the sound improvement! Thanks!

Hi, this thread is lengthy and complex, could you detail in a few steps what you did including parts etc...

Cheers

Dan

[CharlieWhiskey]

I'm changing the head unit in mine (Stream MP3 to Pioneer AVH-3200BT) but I'll try this mod before and after and let you know the difference.

Nice to see a bit of 'tronics and a few audiophile considerations on this thread

[r6ymy]

This is a worthwhile mod, but don't bother with the high grade capacitors. I was suckered by the "Audio grade" ones as recommended by Genoa1893 (I've spent a load of time and money refining my hi-fi at home). The problem with them is the size, they're huge! They do fit behind the door card but it's a really tight fit.

Original spec cap was 7mm diameter x 11mm

Audio grade cap 33mm diameter x 35mm

Edited 27 November, 2010 by r6ymy

[lucy_t]

There is an elec component supplier near to me here that have 3 options - can someone advise what would be best?

3.3uf 100v capacitors

CA05929-- 31-1305

CAPACITOR, NP X-OVER 3.3UF 100V

Capacitance:3.3µF; Capacitance Tolerance:± 10%; Capacitor Application:Audio; Capacitor Case Style:Axial; Capacitor Dielectric Type:Aluminium Electrolytic; Voltage Rating:100VDC; Package /;

£1.02

CA04961 PANASONIC ECA2AHG3R3

CAPACITOR, 105C 3.3UF 100V

Capacitance:3.3µF; Capacitance Tolerance:± 20%; Capacitor Case Style:Radial; Capacitor Dielectric Type:Aluminium Electrolytic; Lead Spacing:2mm; Operating Temperature Range:-55°C to +125°C; Vo;

£0.48

CA05972-- NP100V335M6.3X11

CAPACITOR, N/P, 3.3UF, 100V

Capacitance:3.3µF; Capacitance Tolerance:± 20%; Capacitor Application:General Purpose; Capacitor Case Style:Radial; Capacitor Dielectric Type:Aluminium Electrolytic; Lead Spacing:2.5mm; Opera;

£0.036

[lucy_t]

The cheapest way of buying these was to buy 25 capacitors, I only need 4 so if you want some just ask and pay for the Package & Postage!!

CA05972-- NP100V335M6.3X11

CAPACITOR, N/P, 3.3UF, 100V

Capacitance:3.3µF; Capacitance Tolerance:± 20%; Capacitor Application:General Purpose; Capacitor Case Style:Radial; Capacitor Dielectric Type:Aluminium Electrolytic; Lead Spacing:2.5mm; Opera;

[lucy_t]

Ok, began fitting the first capacitor, went to the second one only to find that it is not working at all, does anyone have a spare standard tweeter I can have?

[kinega]

Have now done the capacitor mod. Found I had to fully remove rear door panels as could not access the door handle cable. No major problems, just the plastic retaining clips are mega tight & quite brittle. Broke a couple but had a few spare in the garage. Front ones very easy to get to.

Have been using for a week now after doing this & I would say it is only slightly better. I find the sound still too bright & harsh.

I'd like to consider new head unit but like how the std one integrates with the dash & the display shows temp, parking sensors etc. May look at changing tweeters as the next step. More research required.........

[wardth]

For crying out loud - the tweeters are crap and as for sticking a dirty great big audiophile cap on it is not going to work. The placement is all wrong and basically the only solution is to replace them with dash mounted high quality itmes.

[Penguin]

Blimey this thread still running after nearly 3 years !

Still got secondhand 3.3uF non-polarised electolytics fitted. Stereo dosn't annoy me now ...even after listening to it for the past 2-3 years. Did try an "audiophile" grade 3.3uF cap on on side & decided there was no benefit whatsoever (and it didn't fit in nicely either!)

[dainott]

Cracking read this and looking to sort the sounds in my octavia at the momment as doors are still stripped down. Like good quality music in the car so think i will get a nice set of front components and possibly do the mod on the rears for the time being. Will definately be dynamat going in the doors though and over the speaker housings unless i can get some mdf ones made up on the cheap as reckon they would make a vast improvement on the crappy plastic ones.

Edited 25 August, 2011 by dainott

[DbD]

Might as well link my thread in which imo is the next step if you aren't happy after fiddling around with tweater capacitors:

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/182498-replaced-speakers-in-octavia-fl-vrs/

[Fr0d]

Well having read this thread, I decided to swap out the caps in my OEM tweeters for a pair of 3.3uf units.

 

All i can say is that they have succeeded in making the sound worse, tbh. Probably not helped by the fact I have a uprated HU, though.

 

Ordered a pair of better quality tweeters, so hopefully things will improve.

[Lobogo]

i just did this "upgrade" and have to say its amazing so far, the sound is a lot cleaner and there is no weird sound comming out of tweeters anymore

for few minutes worth of work and some 4 euro for the capacitors its really good upgrade

[C30]

I've just removed the tweeter on the left door of my 2012 RS, I don't even have a capacitor in there?! Speaker s/n 3T0 035 411 M (5JA). So I guess I don't need the 3.3 capacitors at all.