If you’ve already selected tweeters for your sound system, you next need to consider a capacitor to protect the tweeters. The job of the tweeters is to reproduce high frequencies and to achieve it is important to limit the amount of bass or eliminate other things that might affect the high-frequency performance.
Additionally, using a capacitor will protect your system from applications with excess power at low frequencies. What’s more, a capacitor helps create a balance between the response of the midrange and that of the tweeter.
Choosing the best capacitor for tweeter remains a pain, but fortunately, we have done all the hustle, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time comparing different products.
Let’s go!
Comparison Table of Best Capacitor for Tweeter
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1. PAC BB-6PR—Best overall
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PAC BB-6PR is one of the best capacitors for tweeter protection. It comes in a pair, and it is best for a wide range of tweeters including super tweeters and horn tweeters. The best thing about these bass blockers is that they are specific to their power rating. Additionally, they deliver clean highs without any bass vibration from the low end.
Key features
- PAC BB-6PR handles up to 50 watts, which enhances the power handling capacity of both the tweeters and speakers. This also means that the caps will let all the volume through and no bass at all.
- Another great feature of PAC BB-6PR is the black color-coded leads. This allows for easy identification and easy installation.
- PAC BB-6PR is designed to filter frequencies ranging from 0-5600 Hz @ 4 ohms and 0-2800 Hz @ 8 ohms. This is a huge time saver as it helps enhance the treble performance of your tweeters by blocking frequencies that surpass their capability. The pair also helps your tweeters deliver crisp and detailed highs, and they can take lots of volume.
- This pair of bass blockers comes enclosed in a heat shrink tube for a hassle-free installation. We confidently recommend these to anyone who loves to turn the volume up but just wants the vocals from the highs and not the bass.
Pros
- Excellent bass blockers
- Very easy to install
- Affordable—offers good value for money
- Keeps all your notes clean and crystal clear
- Great for limited spaces
Cons
- For beginners, the product might feel a little complex with sophisticated features
- Few users complained about harsh performance at high volume
Verdict
PAC BB-6PR is a great bass blocker for any set of tweeters. The capacitors work great and do not distort the volume at all. Additionally, they help to limit the bass frequencies so if you are looking to fine-tune your sound, go for PAC BB-6PR.
2. AUDIOPIPE BB-14—Best non-polar
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AUDIOPIPE is one of the oldest brands in the audio world. BB-14 comes with features that will make your tweeters come alive. It also helps prevent your tweeter from blowing up while allowing you to enjoy full volume without distorting your mids and highs. AUDIOPIPE BB-14 also offers outstanding features to help you determine the sound quality to expect.
Features
- AUDIOPIPE BB-14 is a pair of inline bass blockers, designed to ensure that higher and mid-range sounds come through splendidly. If you are a steadfast audiophile, and you love to crank up the volume, these capacitors will be able to accommodate the additional load.
- Another key feature that we like is that BB-14 is a non-polar capacitor. This tells you that they are designed for high-performance systems. While PAC BB-6PR comes in a more advanced design, we like the idea that this set is a bit smaller and highly efficient.
- AUDIOPIPE BB-14 comes in a decent size, but it is ideal for 3.5″ to 4″ Speakers. As far as installation goes, we like that these caps are compact and effortless to install, making them an ideal choice for those looking for ease of use and simplicity.
- It is also designed to filter bass frequencies below 2.8 kHz, which helps enhance the sound quality and improve the life of your tweeters. Another thing you’ll appreciate is their ability to bring out the musical detail without any annoying bass. This means you can enjoy much clearer sound at any volume level.
Pros
- Mounts easily
- It is beginner-friendly
- Robust construction
- Outstanding performance even at max volume
- They look pretty cool too
Cons
- There are complaints that the caps do not block all lower frequency sounds
- Average power handling
Verdict
As AUDIOPIPE BB-14 comes with a set of powerful features, it is ideal for advanced and high-fidelity sound systems. Also, it is best for small speakers and newbies looking for a perfect and clean sound.
3. Nippon BB4.7—Budget pick
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Nippon BB4.7 is one of the newest bass blockers and the best capacitor for midrange. The biggest advantage of this product is its affordable price, it is packed with everything you require to make your speakers sound better than ever before. What’s more, it is sold as a pair, so you don’t have to worry about getting an extra one for your speakers.
Features
- Nippon BB4.7 is designed for 1″ tweeters, but you can use it with bigger tweeters. It is one of the most powerful capacitors on the market that lets you enjoy great musical details at a generous volume.
- The caps are smaller than most car tweeter capacitors, which means they will actually help you save space. Installation is also pretty easy and provided that the tweeters are placed in the best spot, you’re bound to enjoy a vibrant soundstage.
- Another thing that we like about this capacitor is that it is made from sturdy and durable materials that won’t break down or even overheat. This also means that you can crank up your music and still enjoy crystal clear sound coming out of the tweeters.
- Overall, the capacitors are designed to withstand occasional abuse, meaning they won’t burn out even when pushed to the limit. Also, with their shallow mounting design, even inexperienced users can get these capacitors up and running within no time.
Pros
- Handles a considerable amount of power
- Great sound regardless of the type of music you play
- The sound is also smooth and clear
- Tough build
- Mounting is a lot easier
Cons
- They require some breaking in before you can enjoy the frequency range
- Slight buzzling may be noticed
Verdict
Overall, Nippon BB4.7 is a good affordable capacitor that lets you get the best sound possible. It is designed with efficiency in mind, and it is a perfect choice for those looking for sound improvement, but don’t want to spend a lot.
4. PAC BB-2PR—Best high end
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PAC BB-2PR is a cap specially made to bring out all details in your music, without interference from the lower frequencies. It stands apart from other caps because it delivers a natural and smooth sound, giving you the flexibility you need even under demanding environments.
Although it may not be necessarily the best solution for an audiophile, it delivers a smooth response that lets you enjoy the highs the way they are meant to be.
Features
- PAC BB-2P is a big brother to PAC BB-6PR, and they are both designed to filter selected lower frequencies from various audio sources. This helps stop the lower frequencies from distorting the sound while ensuring accurate and precise sound reproduction.
- Similar to PAC BB-6PR, PAC BB-2P safeguards your speakers against harmful frequencies. It also keeps all your high notes crystal clean, plus you can crank the volume up without worrying about your mids and highs clipping from deep bass frequencies.
- PAC BB-2PR is compatible with any speaker size, but the recommended speaker sizes are 6″ and 6-1/2″ speakers. Ideally, these speakers’ sizes provide a larger cone area than small speakers, which helps the speaker move more air. More cone area also makes the speaker more responsive to the frequency range.
- The capacitor is designed to block frequencies ranging from 0-600 Hz @ 4 ohms and 0-300 Hz @ 8 ohms. With this level of performance, you can rest assured that your tweeters will function exactly as they should as long as they are provided with a full-range signal.
Pros
- Fatigue-free highs
- They sound very clean even at high volume
- Wiring is high quality
- Best way to protect the speakers from damaging bass notes
- They are pretty durable
Cons
- Some reports that they still allow a little bass to pass through
- A little distortion at max volume
- Pricey
Verdict
Whether you’re looking to replace your burned-out tweeters or build a new audio system, PAC BB-2PR is up to the task. It responds more faithfully to the lower frequencies, which offers crisp details in your music, and vibrant performance.
5. Skar Audio SK600HZBB-PR—Premium choice
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Skar Audio is a force to reckon with in the audio equipment world, and these capacitors are a continuation of the company’s tradition. They remove all the lows and allow for the reproduction of the mids and highs to enhance your listening experience. Like the Nippon bass blockers above, these caps are ideal for those looking to upgrade their sound system without having to spend a lot on audio components.
Features
- These caps can comfortably handle up to 50 watts of RMS power, which enables the tweeters to reproduce those smooth and distort-free high frequencies that you crave. One feature that we really like is that you can manipulate the installation angle to bring the soundstage exactly where you need it.
- SK600HZBB-PR is under Skar Audio’s Elite frequency filters, which are designed to minimize audible bass frequencies that might otherwise damage your tweeters. They are also designed to improve the sound quality and general performance of your speakers.
- Skar Audio SK600HZBB-PR fits a range of speaker sizes but they are preferred for use with 6″ – 6.75″ Speakers. They block excessive bass between 0-600 Hz at 4Ω and 0-300 Hz at 8Ω from reaching your tweeters and consequently the speakers.
- Skar Audio SK600HZBB-PR comes with a green 16 AWG wire with spliced ends for ease of use and installation. A 16 AWG wire is generally cheaper and thinner than a 14 AWG wire, but it offers the much-needed connection between various components in your audio system.
Pros
- Provides decent sound
- It comes at a cheaper cost than PAC BB-2PR above
- Build quality is unmatched
- They are also easy to install
- Exceptionally clean and detailed highs
Cons
- The sound might still feel distorted, especially when playing tracks with heavy bass
- It is not suited to every budget
Verdict
Skar Audio SK600HZBB-PR is best for newbies looking for entry-level caps that will present great value for money. They are reasonably priced to give your audio system a boost thanks to their extremely high build quality.
How to choose a capacitor for tweeter
If you are planning to connect your tweeter(s) directly to the car stereo, it is recommended to add a tweeter capacitor as soon as possible. This will protect the tweeters from blowing out at high volume levels or reproducing harsh-sounding treble that might damage your ears.
Now that you have an idea of what a tweeter capacitor does, you need to make sure that the capacitor you choose has the following important features.
Tweeter capacitor value
The tweeter capacitor value is also referred to as capacitance. Different capacitors offer different capacitance which represents the capacitor’s ability to block bass frequencies. They use Farad (F) as the unit of measurement, but capacitors used in tweeters are usually in micro-Farad written as UF. For instance, a 20 micro Farad capacitor is denoted as a 20 UF. Ideally, the cap rating should match the frequency range you need to block out.
Design and construction
Capacitors are designed using different materials including, aluminum, ceramic, and film to suit the unique needs of your tweeters. Film capacitors are the number one choice for capacitors due to their superior properties. Additionally, these capacitors are cheap and stable, and they offer a longer service life.
On the other hand, ceramic capacitors are mainly used due to their compact design but they offer very small capacitance values, which makes them unpopular for tweeter capacitors. Aluminum capacitors are also widely in audio applications but they have a high dissipation factor, which can cause extreme overheating. As such it is important to consider the material used when choosing a capacitor for your tweeter.
Polar vs. non-polar capacitor
A polarized capacitor is a capacitor type that is designed with implicit polarity i.e., with both positive and negative leads, and it can be connected one way only. Generally, polarized capacitors are electrolytic and they bear a little (+) sign on one of the positive lead and (-) on the negative lead.
On the other hand, non-polarized capacitors, also referred to as bipolar capacitors do not have implicit polarity, which means they can be connected in either way.
Final Words
There you go, We’ve given you the five best capacitors for tweeters, and we believe that you are now in a better position to choose what will work for you and what won’t.
These capacitors are reliable, reasonably priced, and will all benefit your audio system by limiting the amount of low-end sounds that find their way to the tweeter.
In addition, they focus on optimizing the performance of the tweeter by shaping the frequency response which protects the tweeter in the long run.
While a capacitor does not directly improve the sound quality, it makes it easier for the tweeter to perform at its best.
The primary purpose of this review post is not to recommend a specific capacitor but to guide you through the benefits and downsides of the five products.
Let us know what you choose in the comments section.
Michael Evanchuk is a San Francisco-based sound engineer with 20 years’ experience installing, troubleshooting, and repairing commercial, automotive, and household sound equipment. Evanchuk owns an auto stereo center, where he offers highly competitive car audio installation and repair services. He has written dozens of articles on different sound engineering topics, all of which have been published in leading journals, blogs, and websites.
