Howdy folks,
Quick question...
I have an el cheapo Chinese made "Vox" 4 watt guitar amp and am adding a Mercury Magnetics I/O trans, choke and component/circuit mod upgrade.
Thinking of upgrading the electrolytic caps, to something that might be quieter and a bit more hifi, and also dry for long term lower maint.
Any thoughts on compounds i.e., tantalum, PTFE etc?
Thank you,
John
Quick question...
I have an el cheapo Chinese made "Vox" 4 watt guitar amp and am adding a Mercury Magnetics I/O trans, choke and component/circuit mod upgrade.
Thinking of upgrading the electrolytic caps, to something that might be quieter and a bit more hifi, and also dry for long term lower maint.
Any thoughts on compounds i.e., tantalum, PTFE etc?
Thank you,
John
any good quality electrolytics from a major western manufacturer will do. audiophile grade is just plain BS go for a 105 degree C . if you feel that you must.
either way a crappy unit is still a crappy unit you can only try to make it Less crappy. the critical parts are OPT´s and circuit topology.
V4lve
either way a crappy unit is still a crappy unit you can only try to make it Less crappy. the critical parts are OPT´s and circuit topology.
V4lve
any good quality electrolytics from a major western manufacturer will do. audiophile grade is just plain BS go for a 105 degree C . if you feel that you must.
either way a crappy unit is still a crappy unit you can only try to make it Less crappy. the critical parts are OPT´s and circuit topology.
V4lve
Agree !
I would always go for 105 degrees C over lower ratings. The spec is not just about the working temperature - it is to do with the ability of the part to operate over time at any elevated temperature. Thus a 105 degree part running at 50 degrees will have a much longer life than a 85 degree part run at 50 degrees. Major eastern (esp. Japanese) manufacturers are also good.
I would always go for 105 degrees C over lower ratings. The spec is not just about the working temperature - it is to do with the ability of the part to operate over time at any elevated temperature. Thus a 105 degree part running at 50 degrees will have a much longer life than a 85 degree part run at 50 degrees. Major eastern (esp. Japanese) manufacturers are also good.
Yep!! Nichicon makes good caps. I like their Muze KZ series for the (very few) electrolytics I use in the signal path. For lower value caps, I tend to stick with polypropylene caps.
Just buy the caps from a reputable supplier like Digikey, Newark, Farnell, etc. The eBay specials are usually not worth it.
~Tom
Thanks folks!
Those are the brands I typically use, as well as Hitichi in the past and I like WIMA in the microphones and mic pres etc.
I will check the ratings on the parts and the brand parts as well, they are certainly cheap enough.
Digikey are my main supplier, but that's where I got into trouble in the first place...
So many kinds of nice parts, like a candy store, lol *embarrassed*
thanks again,
John
Those are the brands I typically use, as well as Hitichi in the past and I like WIMA in the microphones and mic pres etc.
I will check the ratings on the parts and the brand parts as well, they are certainly cheap enough.
Digikey are my main supplier, but that's where I got into trouble in the first place...
So many kinds of nice parts, like a candy store, lol *embarrassed*
thanks again,
John
For those that think hi end caps are BS, well...you probably have never heard a decent cap (Mundorf or Jensen) from the sounds of it.....(talking power caps here)
To the OP question, if you are referring to power caps, seeing It's a guitar amp maybe F&T is worth a look in, these are not a so called "audiophile cap" just a very good cap.
For the signal path film/foil caps where possible, again you don't need to go crazy, the older type Hovland Musicaps are nice and don't cost a fortune, and the Obligatto MPK's are very affordable and have nice dynamics.
Edit:At the end of the day you want parts with sound signatures that complement each other, just like you match source > amps and speakers for best sound, It's a similar deal with component parts, doesn't matter if they are cheap or expensive, the same matching is needed for the sound you are looking for.
Bet I get flamed by some here for the above, but that's sweet
To the OP question, if you are referring to power caps, seeing It's a guitar amp maybe F&T is worth a look in, these are not a so called "audiophile cap" just a very good cap.
For the signal path film/foil caps where possible, again you don't need to go crazy, the older type Hovland Musicaps are nice and don't cost a fortune, and the Obligatto MPK's are very affordable and have nice dynamics.
Edit:At the end of the day you want parts with sound signatures that complement each other, just like you match source > amps and speakers for best sound, It's a similar deal with component parts, doesn't matter if they are cheap or expensive, the same matching is needed for the sound you are looking for.
Bet I get flamed by some here for the above, but that's sweet
Last edited:
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