P3A Comparison table ( long .... )

P3A

Hi to all.
First steps in P3A.
 

Attachments

  • DSC06823.JPG
    DSC06823.JPG
    552.2 KB · Views: 1,189
  • DSC06825.JPG
    DSC06825.JPG
    490.7 KB · Views: 1,077
  • DSC06826.JPG
    DSC06826.JPG
    536.2 KB · Views: 1,064
  • DSC06828.JPG
    DSC06828.JPG
    555.3 KB · Views: 1,036
  • DSC06829.JPG
    DSC06829.JPG
    581.5 KB · Views: 970
  • DSC06830.JPG
    DSC06830.JPG
    592.4 KB · Views: 509
Member
Joined 2010
Paid Member
I assume you mean the green film caps which don't follow WIMA's current grade code (since 2005). WIMA
As you suggest, these will be old parts and markings. They are not all the same, but I take the "S" to mean Polyester as it has been a standard WIMA code for many years. U refers to voltage, I believe.

No doubt these work OK, like many film caps do but at 100 pF, genuine NPO/COG ceramic will be economical and likely better choices. The awful Y5 and similar ceramic grades used by a lot of DIYs though, are a complete disaster as Miller compensation caps and I can't understand why they are still used, when their data sheets show their unsuitability.

As Sakis points out, mica will be best, even if just because you can be fairly certain of the type by its physical form. Uncertainty is the enemy here.
 
In a way that is correct for me also Styroflex was very fine from sonic/ stability /value combinations but to your surprise i will have to add that in the repair business i have seen some of them fail especially if used as miller compensations and one of them used as compensation but in bias scheme .

Have seen them fail in some Rotel and also in the Alchemist Forsetti which is a company that moved the application to polyester type and a higher grade of voltage .

Styroflex though in input filter application never presented any issues .

After that i settled with mica to stay on the safe side .

Kind regards
Sakis
 
Jay, as someone who trys a lot of parts comparisons, what do you understand those green WIMA parts are? Looking at the size for only 100 pF, perhaps they are film/foil? :scratch:

Internet specifies them as FKP2 (foil). This is logical as the size is a bit bigger than MKP. FKP2 I think is the smallest of their FKP series.

I have used foil caps (many brands but not those teflon class) many times with unsatisfactory result, I think because they work better for power supply bypass instead of signal coupling/decoupling.
 
but to your surprise i will have to add that in the repair business i have seen some of them fail

Ah, that explains why such a cheap and good sounding part is not used more often. But usually price is the major concern in business. Some companies who knows how to make good sound from cheap part will often use them. Look at Rotel, some of their mid-fi amps use WIMA MKP10 at critical position (no other amp at that class level uses such an expensive cap).
 
Ah, that explains why such a cheap and good sounding part is not used more often. But usually price is the major concern in business. Some companies who knows how to make good sound from cheap part will often use them. Look at Rotel, some of their mid-fi amps use WIMA MKP10 at critical position (no other amp at that class level uses such an expensive cap).

very correct also the mica i use 2% grade are way too expensive if massive production is the target ...

Kind regards
Sakis
 
In a way that is correct for me also Styroflex was very fine from sonic/ stability /value combinations but to your surprise i will have to add that in the repair business i have seen some of them fail especially if used as miller compensations and one of them used as compensation but in bias scheme

Styroflex is very delicate part, it is possible to damage it during soldering.