£2,000 Speaker, what’s inside the Proac Response 1SC?

Comments · 918

• VI

  @vincentrobinette1507 · 6 years ago

  If you look closely, you will find, that that electrolytic capacitor is in series with that other "blue thing". That "blue thing is actually an inductor! The inductor is in series, with that 10Ω 'sand box' resistor. Being that you have a resistor in series with the inductor and a cheap electrolytic capacitor, the inductance of the resistor is meaningless, because it just adds a tiny amount of inductance to an inductor already in the circuit. The ESR of the capacitor adds only a tiny bit more resistance to the resistance of the inductor, and the resistor. That whole circuit is a band pass filter, used to dampen LC resonance in the high pass filter for the tweeter, and the low pass filter for the woofer. All it is, is a damper, to keep the 'hot spots" out of the crossover points of both those filters. They really don't affect the signal path too much. The large white inductors and the PolyPropylene capacitors ARE in the signal path, and are indeed premium quality components. Since the values of the damping circuit are not ultra critical, you have a lot of tolerance there. Premium quality is not necessary for those components. the band width of the band pass filter is wide enough, that it just doesn't matter.

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• HW

  @hwrk777 · 1 year ago

  This man is my #1 favorite reviewer of audio gear! I love his in depth reviews.

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• SN

  @sn7108 · 4 years ago

  My goodness I may learn something here, this man invites great discussion with learned people. I'm very impressed.

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• JO

  @joyojoyo8 · 5 years ago

  I am not a technical guy; but let me tell you this. The 1SC were the first speakers I listened to and opened my eyes (or ears I should say) to British mini monitors heaven. I clearly remembered these babies were on display at my local audio shop back in 1995-1996 if not mistaken. They used some KRELL amplifier to drive them, and boy.... they just put some magical spells on me!! Ever since then, I 've been into "British" sound and no turning back (ended up buying a pair of Harbeths). Great video and keep on rockin'... thanks

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• BR

  @brucermarino · 6 years ago

  I think the interior damping pads are probably descendants of the old bituminous felt damping pads found on many, particularly UK, speakers. The intent, and result, was to change the physical vibrations of the box panels at resonance into heat in the low viscosity of the tar like bitumin that impregnated the felt. The energy would be released at a much lower and less objectionable frequency. The felt was there to keep the vibration "absorbing" goo from becoming mobile and collecting at the bottom of the cabinet. If memory serves they were an essential part of the LS3/5A's. I think there were also issues with them drying out as well as concerns, perhaps unfounded, about toxicity. I'm sure the newer versions have addressed all of these. As always, a wonderful presentation!

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• MA

  @mattbonaccio3522 · 6 years ago

  That other &quot;capacitor&quot; looks to actually be some sort of iron-core inductor. I don&apos;t know enough about crossover design to speak with authority, but it seems to be part of a notch filter or impedance correction for the woofer. Since these parts aren&apos;t in series with the audio signal, it is frequently a place where cheaper components can be used.<br><br><br>Also, ESR stands for &quot;equivalent series resistance,&quot; by the way. Great video, I love seeing what&apos;s inside great-sounding gear!

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• EN

  @entertherealmofchaos · 6 years ago

  Built my own Transmission Line speakers a couple of years ago with a posh driver and crossover kit. Cost about £900 all in. Haven&apos;t &nbsp;had the urge to replace them since and I have gone through lots of brand name speakers in the past. Room treatment is more important than any hi-fi components though. Nice channel by the way.

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• PH

  @philbarone4603 · 4 years ago

  I love my Proac Response 3’s. Thanks for your above board reviews.

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• RO

  @robertm8518 · 5 years ago (edited)

  ESR = Equivalent Series Resistance<br>Great review, very informative!<br>Another major benefit of film caps over other types is a lower DA - dielectric absorption, which is a distortion characteristic where the cap builds a charge after being discharged.

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• TH

  @TheAudionauts · 3 years ago

  The 1 SC represented the pinnacle of my hi-fi journey. I reached it while overseas many years ago and ended up selling the entire system upon returning to the US. I am now slowly building back my system with all the knowledge I&apos;ve gained over the 40 years in Hi-Fi. My envisioned final system may include the 1SC or DB1 if it&apos;s the same. For a 2 way mini-monitor design these are the best I&apos;ve heard. The Harbeth&apos;s are good, but as this video indicates, the ProAcs seemed to be better designed inside. Thanks BA.

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• CO

  @Conservator. · 6 years ago (edited)

  About the electrolytic capacitors: they have a much higher volumetric capacitance than PP capacitors. In amplifiers they tend to fail over time and certainly the cheap Chinese ones. Their life expectancy is also highly dependent on operating temperatures. The higher the temperture the shorter their lifespan. <br><br>In filters one needs non-polar or bi-polar electrolytic capacitors. These need more volume than normal polarised caps for the same capacitance. Non-polar electrolytic capacitors are also much more expensive and much less widely available than regular caps. <br><br>When a high capacitance is needed it’s sometimes almost unavoidable to use electrolytic caps.

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• DA

  @davids4795 · 5 years ago

  Always a cogent and appreciated presentation. &nbsp; Don’t change a thing Brother.

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