Hi There! I did a cap upgrade from StreetWires to NVX. I hope the project details and review are helpful!READ ENTIRE PROJECT POST OR SCROLL DOWN TO AREA OF INTERESTPROJECT GOAL/REQUIREMENT:Two NVX 1.0 farad caps replace two trusty but old (and possibly damaged) StreetWires ZN1 1.0 farad caps. The NVX caps are expected to eliminate parasitic draw on battery. Performance outcome must be as good or better after replacement.DETAILS of PROPOSED SYSTEM CHANGES: - One NVX 1.0 cap will support one Soundstream (2nd Gen, 2009) REF1.500 Class G amp driving an ImageDynamics IDQ12 D2 V.4 subwoofer. Note 1: ImageDynamics subwoofer is in overdamped sealed .9 cubic feet box with dual voice coil impedance of 1 ohm matched to amp impedance of 1 ohm. Note 2: Sub faces up and output is directed through package shelf and into cabin via a 12-inch diameter/6-inch high rubber collar. Think of this as a stubby bass or wave cannon. Note 3: Given that all sound system output has an energy cost, I capitalize on subwoofer output by directing all energy into the listening area which has vibration damping material throughout. - One NVX 1.0 cap will support two Soundstream (2nd Gen, 2009) REF2.370 Class A/B amps driving Boston Acoustics Pro50 SE front and rear speakers. Note: Four new ImageDynamics XS passive crossovers replaced the old Boston Acoustics crossovers. I configured the new ID XS crossovers for a wide distance between the midrange and tweeter, typically found in door mount (midrange) and front sail panel/rear deck mount (tweeter) system designs. Two of the XS crossovers are mounted on the sub box while the other two are tucked inside the front doors.ESSENTIAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS NOT BEING CHANGED: - Pioneer DEH-80PRS in Front/Rear/Sub mode, with six 6-inch Straight Wire flying RCA leads (from Schiit Audio) connected via AudioQuest RCA couplers to six 25-feet Monster Cable Interlink 250 RCA cables. - Optima Yellow Top D35 with gold plated brass clamps from Summit Racing. Note: StreetWires Power Ring/Inter-Lock lugs for battery clamp connections and all distribution blocks throughout the vehicle. Also, the stock battery negative and positive power cables have been replaced with StreetWires 4-gauge cables. - StreetWires ZN5 UltraCable 12-gauge speaker cables (twisted pair, 12-gauge conductors) from amps to subwoofer and custom speaker cable harness under back seat. - Monster Cable XLN16s 16-gauge speaker cables (twisted pair, 16-gauge conductors) from custom speaker cable harness to main speakers throughout car. - Custom speaker cable harness male and female spade connectors are heavy duty, gold plated, and have thick silicone sheaths. - Fastronix 500A Ultimate Duty battery disconnect switch placed near NVX caps and StreetWires power distribution blocks in trunk. - Stock alternator in my 2012 Ford Focus SE is good. All vehicle lights are incandescent or halogen. Exterior lights are always on when driving and jamming, and never dim or pulse.CASE for PROJECT (as if anyone needs to ask!):My StreetWires ZN1 caps were pushed relentlessly for years and worked flawlessly. But recent Optima battery depletions and Optima trickle charger quirkiness led me to believe one of the ZN1 caps went bad. Beyond that, time and that need to upgrade/replace something old with something new got hold of me and I soon found myself on that "hunt" people like us know all too well.RESEARCH:I looked for and came across the NVX 1.0 caps in a variety of videos and posts with titles like, "Let's learn how to charge NVX caps!" and "Let's saw an NVX cap in half and see what's inside!" In those searches, I encountered something very important: the NVX 1.0 cap is being taken seriously by people who are serious about caps. It was the real deal, as they say. Of course, way back in the day some of the same concerns (i.e., merits vs demerits) which accompanied caps back then are the same as now: "Who makes it, really... what's inside, really... what is the demographic being targeted by the marketing folks, really... etc."PURCHASE:I get most everything on Amazon anyway, and the NVX caps were available there for a very reasonable price. I was quite impressed with both the NVX Amazon site and the NVX public site. I ordered the two caps and they arrived safe, sound, and on-time.UNPACKING:When the caps arrived, I really appreciated the included charging circuit board, the hardware and other accessories, and the documentation... all good!HEFT and BUILD:I weighed the NVX 1.0 and StreetWires ZN1 caps on a food scale set to pounds+ounces, and their weights were very close. The NVX was a bit heavier but some of that extra weight - about 4 ounces - was probably attributed to the distribution blocks which, by the way, did NOT have the sleeve inserts or set screws on the cap when it was being weighed. In fact, after removing the sleeves and set screws, the distro block appeared to be mostly hollow - though NEVER appearing or seeming to be flimsy. All-in-all, I was very impres...
