Getting bored of your old MX5021 sound? Let's have some mod!
As you all know MX5021 is one of the hottest product from Altec Lansing. Other than Klipsch Promedia GMX A2.1, non of the other 2.1 PC Audio System can beat its performance and quality in this price range.
For you guys MX5021 might sound fantastic but the truth is that its sound is far from being Hi-Fi. To all modifications I made, had brought the sound quality to a whole new level. Audio is very subjective for personal so modify it in your own way to suit your taste.
Tools that you need:
Suction tool, soldering iron, solder lead, wet sponge, tweeter, test pen, multi-purposes knife, screw driver and wire cutter.
Components:
op-amps, capacitors, 8DIP socket and 16-14AWG audio cable.
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Remove the surrounding screws to get the amplifier out of subwoofer.
Becareful not to break the power supply wires(remove it with test pen or multi-purposes knife) and subwoofer cable(need to cut it).
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Remove the front glossy cover, silver frame and subwoofer will be into this.
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Major modifications are on the main PCB inside the MX5021 subwoofer. I had changed poor quality China made electrolytic capacitors (Samxon) with better quality ones.
Only replacing the capacitors will not be enough, replacement of op-amps to high quality audio grade ones is necessary, the Stock ST4558 op-amps are very old, has narrower sound stages and higher noise level.
Make sure you change the capacitors with a same value ones, unless you know what you are doing. For op-amps, make sure it is a dual op-amp and please get those are compatible with supplied voltage and current of your MX5021 main PCB. Suggest to use 8DIP gold plated pin socket so you can swap your op-amps easily later on.
In audiophiles field, electrolytic capacitors is a bad choice in signal path, film capacitors are highly recommended for signal path.
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Replace the power filter capacitors on the left hand side to better quality and higher capacitance capacitor.
You may change the small green film capacitors to Vishay MKP or WIMA MKS.
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CAUTION: Not to touch the SMD components and IC with naked hand.
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I also changed the thin subwoofer cable to a thicker ones.
For more pictures and further mods, please refer to my link below.
http://vc-junk.blogspot.com/2010/08/altec-...dification.html
This post has been edited by cent88: Jan 7 2011, 10:31 AM