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DIY Altec Lansing MX5021 SQ Mods Guide, Just for sharing~

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TScent88
post Oct 27 2010, 06:52 PM, updated 14y ago

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Please do at your own risk as I won't give any responsibility.


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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
nikcavalera
post Oct 27 2010, 07:01 PM

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THANKS FOR SHARING
power911
post Oct 27 2010, 07:02 PM

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next step... speaker crossover XD

btw,is this mod for the new mx5021?

This post has been edited by power911: Oct 27 2010, 07:03 PM
TScent88
post Oct 27 2010, 07:09 PM

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QUOTE(power911 @ Oct 27 2010, 07:02 PM)
next step... speaker crossover XD

btw,is this mod for the new mx5021?
*
I guess so 2nd batch mx5021, 5 op-amps only.

mod the crossover not much difference may be cause of the inductor.
audible differences are electrolytic deeper bass and film brighter mids for mid-woofer same to tweeter.

power911
post Oct 27 2010, 08:01 PM

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QUOTE(cent88 @ Oct 27 2010, 07:09 PM)
I guess so 2nd batch mx5021, 5 op-amps only.

mod the crossover not much difference may be cause of the inductor.
audible differences are electrolytic deeper bass and film brighter mids for mid-woofer same to tweeter.
*
to differentiate new mx5021 or good mx5021
new ones are new smooth parabolic shaped speaker cone
old ones are the ones with a line on it
TScent88
post Oct 27 2010, 08:17 PM

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QUOTE(power911 @ Oct 27 2010, 08:01 PM)
to differentiate new mx5021 or good mx5021
new ones are new smooth parabolic shaped speaker cone
old ones are the ones with a line on it
*
ya. mine is new ones.
old ones is better.
Cosef
post Oct 27 2010, 09:22 PM

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Nice mod~
CoolBoy89
post Oct 27 2010, 09:46 PM

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Awesome. Thumbs up thumbup.gif
tncdatou
post Oct 28 2010, 06:55 PM

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RESPECT!
Sop.qiqi
post Oct 31 2010, 10:35 AM

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Where do you source for replacement parts?
TScent88
post Oct 31 2010, 11:53 AM

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QUOTE(Sop.qiqi @ Oct 31 2010, 10:35 AM)
Where do you source for replacement parts?
*
RS Components Malaysia
Farnell Malaysia

Replace only capacitors in signal path, opamps, power filter capacitors and crossover's highpass filter capacitor to film capacitor will do.
Other parts not worth to mod.

UPDATE: parallel 0.01uF film capacitor with high pass filter capacitor will have better dynamic for tweeter + some coloration.

This post has been edited by cent88: Jan 7 2011, 10:36 AM
SUSbeggarmaster2000
post Jan 7 2011, 11:46 AM

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uhuh, old stuff vincent... we have seen this at jimmy's junkyard
in the end, the upgrade parts cost more than buying the set itself
TScent88
post Jan 7 2011, 11:53 AM

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QUOTE(beggarmaster2000 @ Jan 7 2011, 11:46 AM)
uhuh, old stuff vincent... we have seen this at jimmy's junkyard
in the end, the upgrade parts cost more than buying the set itself
*
ya..I know, but some of his components are hard to find in our country. cry.gif
Total mod within rm100-200 only. some are not necessary.

by the way, you can try parallel 0.01uF with high pass filter.
I tried this on 3 of my speakers and it works.

female voice sexier and techno sound more electrical instead of leaking air.

I don't know why....

This post has been edited by cent88: Jan 7 2011, 12:00 PM
SUSbeggarmaster2000
post Jan 7 2011, 12:05 PM

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rm100-200 for your set only . but you have to be prepared to buy more because rs,farnell have minimum order

end result is not really gold anyway =)
the sats are too light and vibrates...
just lose the opamp sockets. it will vibrate till the contact loose
the sub design doesn't give a smooth bass

i've tried using audio grade parts and regular parts on this set . the difference is minimal if compared the price to sound ratio


good job anyway =)
TScent88
post Jan 7 2011, 12:34 PM

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QUOTE(beggarmaster2000 @ Jan 7 2011, 12:05 PM)
rm100-200 for your set only . but you have to be prepared to buy more because rs,farnell have minimum order

end result is not really gold anyway =)
the sats are too light and vibrates...
just lose the opamp sockets. it will vibrate till the contact loose
the sub design doesn't give a smooth bass

i've tried using audio grade parts and regular parts on this set . the difference is minimal if compared the price to sound ratio
good job anyway =)
*
you are right, "using audio grade parts and regular parts on this set . the difference is minimal if compared the price to sound ratio".
I'm not recomended to use audio grade parts in this mx5021, standard grade will do. change the input caps to film, huge difference.

sats too light and vibrates? u mean vibrate on table or sat enclosure vibrate and affect the sound?
I have two types of opamp socket, normal and gold plated. both working well and tight. need tweezer to remove the opamp.

about smooth bass, I guess it's the driver itself not responsive enough.
I didn't mod much on the sub, leave the filter capacitor as manufacturer value.
only stuffed a little bit more sponge into sub and swapped to opa2111 or opa2107 opamp.

This post has been edited by cent88: Jan 7 2011, 12:39 PM
SUSbeggarmaster2000
post Jan 7 2011, 02:02 PM

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hmmn the sats will topple over if you don't stick it to the table... i guess

changing opamps on that set doesn't do much noticable difference if you don't change all the cables including the internal ones
and the speakers are unable to maximize performance of your nice opamps especially on the newer ones with plastic cones

i'm just relating my personal experience =)
TScent88
post Jan 7 2011, 04:04 PM

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QUOTE(beggarmaster2000 @ Jan 7 2011, 02:02 PM)
hmmn the sats will topple over if you don't stick it to the table... i guess

changing opamps on that set doesn't do much noticable difference if you don't change all the cables including the internal ones
and the speakers are unable to maximize performance of your nice opamps especially on the newer ones with plastic cones

i'm just relating my personal experience =)
*
I stick my mx5021 sat on the wall. laugh.gif

changing opamps, the noise reduction not much noticable but obviously changed the sound characteristic.

nvm lar.. I'm not using this speaker any more, just sharing for those who want to do "something" to their mx5021. brows.gif

This post has been edited by cent88: Jan 7 2011, 04:04 PM
SUSbeggarmaster2000
post Jan 7 2011, 06:22 PM

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heh, thx i enjoyed chatting up altecs with ya =)


oh, i just noticed you killed your set with test pen?
which part did you shorted?
what is the problem? cannot on? can on but no sound?
distorted sound?

This post has been edited by beggarmaster2000: Jan 7 2011, 08:31 PM
andrekua
post Jan 8 2011, 02:31 AM

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QUOTE(cent88 @ Jan 7 2011, 11:53 AM)
ya..I know, but some of his components are hard to find in our country.  cry.gif
Total mod within rm100-200 only. some are not necessary.

by the way, you can try parallel 0.01uF with high pass filter.
I tried this on 3 of my speakers and it works.

female voice sexier and techno sound more electrical instead of leaking air.

I don't know why....
*
Honestly, in stock, I already felt its quite sweet already. Even more sexy? Hmm... I wonder if the male voice would sucks even more...
One thing I hate about this speaker is how womanly a man voice sounds...

QUOTE(beggarmaster2000 @ Jan 7 2011, 12:05 PM)
rm100-200 for your set only . but you have to be prepared to buy more because rs,farnell have minimum order

end result is not really gold anyway =)
the sats are too light and vibrates...
just lose the opamp sockets. it will vibrate till the contact loose
the sub design doesn't give a smooth bass

i've tried using audio grade parts and regular parts on this set . the difference is minimal if compared the price to sound ratio
good job anyway =)
*
I like this sub the best among all altec speaker...
TScent88
post Jan 8 2011, 02:38 AM

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QUOTE(andrekua @ Jan 8 2011, 02:31 AM)
Honestly, in stock, I already felt its quite sweet already. Even more sexy? Hmm... I wonder if the male voice would sucks even more...
One thing I hate about this speaker is how womanly a man voice sounds...
I like this sub the best among all altec speaker...
*
male voice clearer and less airy than previous.

I like mx5021 sub too, smoother bass compare to my vs4121.
SUSbeggarmaster2000
post Jan 8 2011, 08:10 PM

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QUOTE(andrekua @ Jan 8 2011, 02:31 AM)
Honestly, in stock, I already felt its quite sweet already. Even more sexy? Hmm... I wonder if the male voice would sucks even more...
One thing I hate about this speaker is how womanly a man voice sounds...
I like this sub the best among all altec speaker...
*
hmmn this set uses plastic cones speaker thats why sounds out.
maybe you haven't hear the older models with paper cones speaker.
werepika
post Jan 10 2011, 11:09 AM

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hi to all,

need some help.
do you know where this model avail?. . .
i checked they replaced it with the MX6021.

TScent88
post Jan 10 2011, 12:33 PM

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QUOTE(werepika @ Jan 10 2011, 11:09 AM)
hi to all,

need some help.
do you know where this model avail?. . .
i checked they replaced it with the MX6021.
*
mx5021 discontinued. you can try some old shop or very big 1.
may be they have some stock left.

I have tried all the new altec model(alien/trapezium shape) except for mx6021, all not really satisfying.
my friend told me the mx6021 sound much better than mx5021, especially the bass. rolleyes.gif
werepika
post Jan 10 2011, 02:18 PM

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yup. . . any specific place that u can think of in LYP
mx6021 might be better in bass while less in other specs..
currently using VS4121 and want to move to MX5021 after check all the review. smile.gif
kaoru
post Mar 28 2011, 02:03 AM

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can someone tell me where can i still find an MX 5021 speaker around?

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