I use the Sonicap as a coupling cap in my DAC which is very similar to a PD DAC. My DAC supported USB before PD's DAC. I currently don't have a Tripath amp in my system.
Of topic.... The XXHighEnd makes a huge difference, bigger then a coupling cap change. I know it is hard to believe. It finally makes the PC an audiophile transport. I was sceptical as anyone until I tried it. I am still using it in demo mode where it plays for 15 mintues then stops. I just restart it each time it stops. I suggest you put down the caps and get XXHighEnd going first then come back to tweaking. You will then hear the difference of your tweaks like never before. You will want to kiss me for this advice. No kidding.
Cheers,
Brent
Of topic.... The XXHighEnd makes a huge difference, bigger then a coupling cap change. I know it is hard to believe. It finally makes the PC an audiophile transport. I was sceptical as anyone until I tried it. I am still using it in demo mode where it plays for 15 mintues then stops. I just restart it each time it stops. I suggest you put down the caps and get XXHighEnd going first then come back to tweaking. You will then hear the difference of your tweaks like never before. You will want to kiss me for this advice. No kidding.
Cheers,
Brent
Hi Keith,
Sorry this is way off topic to anyone here not using a computer as their source.....
XXHighEnd is a new Music Player for your PC. It is a replacement for other players like Foobar (which was the champ before XXHighEnd).
XXHighEnd is currently in beta stage. Meaning it is still under development and does not have the fit and finish most programs have.
If you google it you will find the site
Here is the link to download it http://www.phasure.com/index.php?board=1.0
Download the latest one (highest version number) usually the one on top.
The xxhighend site is really a forum. Which means there is a lot to read, but that also makes it hard to find the information you need in a hurry. I found it a little frustrating at first, mainly because at first it didn't work with Windows2008 server. The developer (PeterSt) added support for Windows2008 Server within a day of me asking for it.
It will run on Windows XP but to get the good sound you need to use the Engine #3 setting. This setting only works on VISTA and Windows2008 Server.
The XXHighEnd by default runs in demo mode, which sounds just as good as the paid/registered version but the downside is that it stops playing after 15 mintues. When that happens you just restart it. Which is fine, I have been running that way for days. It hasn't bugged me enough for me to pay $100 for it yet. Even with it stopping every 15 minutes I will not go back to FooBar2000 because it sounds so good.
I have no affilation with XXHighEnd. I only praise it because it is a break-through in computer as source/transport and so few people know of it.
Sorry this is way off topic to anyone here not using a computer as their source.....
XXHighEnd is a new Music Player for your PC. It is a replacement for other players like Foobar (which was the champ before XXHighEnd).
XXHighEnd is currently in beta stage. Meaning it is still under development and does not have the fit and finish most programs have.
If you google it you will find the site
Here is the link to download it http://www.phasure.com/index.php?board=1.0
Download the latest one (highest version number) usually the one on top.
The xxhighend site is really a forum. Which means there is a lot to read, but that also makes it hard to find the information you need in a hurry. I found it a little frustrating at first, mainly because at first it didn't work with Windows2008 server. The developer (PeterSt) added support for Windows2008 Server within a day of me asking for it.
It will run on Windows XP but to get the good sound you need to use the Engine #3 setting. This setting only works on VISTA and Windows2008 Server.
The XXHighEnd by default runs in demo mode, which sounds just as good as the paid/registered version but the downside is that it stops playing after 15 mintues. When that happens you just restart it. Which is fine, I have been running that way for days. It hasn't bugged me enough for me to pay $100 for it yet. Even with it stopping every 15 minutes I will not go back to FooBar2000 because it sounds so good.
I have no affilation with XXHighEnd. I only praise it because it is a break-through in computer as source/transport and so few people know of it.
Hi Brent,
I would like to try the Sikorels. Should I email you with my address? How did you find the sound in general, and compared to the Black Gates? Where are you buying B.G.'s, Michael Percy or in Canada?
(Off Topic) T-Head, I suspect it is either Foobar or a computer guy suggested interference from a nearby airport?
Brent/T-Head what type of PC's do you use. I would consider trying out XXHighend player if I can borrow a PC from my friend,with Windows Server 2008 ? Vista scares me, a client of my computer friend lost all his downloaded music because Vista deemed it illegal . Which brings us to another problem, it has copyright protection based on U.S. laws which are not illegal in Canada. Anyway you peaked my interest with the XXHP
Cheers !!!
Gary
I would like to try the Sikorels. Should I email you with my address? How did you find the sound in general, and compared to the Black Gates? Where are you buying B.G.'s, Michael Percy or in Canada?
(Off Topic) T-Head, I suspect it is either Foobar or a computer guy suggested interference from a nearby airport?
Brent/T-Head what type of PC's do you use. I would consider trying out XXHighend player if I can borrow a PC from my friend,with Windows Server 2008 ? Vista scares me, a client of my computer friend lost all his downloaded music because Vista deemed it illegal . Which brings us to another problem, it has copyright protection based on U.S. laws which are not illegal in Canada. Anyway you peaked my interest with the XXHP
Cheers !!!
Gary
Hi Garytr,
Yes sure email me your address.
The Sikorels... I liked them when I was running my Jordan JX92 full range. As soon I added the tweeter back into the speaker I didn't like the high end of the Sikorels... so they had to come out.
I just grabbed the Sikorels off the shelf and swapped them for the Sonicaps. The Sikorels lose information in the high end. For some people/system this maybe just what they need.
Black Gates... I purchase small quantities from Partsconnexion.ca.
Currently I use Sonicap 5uf with a Sonicap .22uf Gen II bypass for a coupling cap. I don't know if that is the best value yet. But it beats BG 4.7uf N.
The Sonicaps are very fluid, no graininess, the highs are where they really shine. In Canada you can get them from http://www.rawacoustics.com. I don't think he (Allan Wooley) advertises that he sells them but that is where I get mine. Email or call him if you want some. His price is as good as any you will find.
I bought my Sonicaps to build a published Jordan JS92/G2SI XO (that can be found at this forum) but the XO didn't sound good to me, is sucked all the life from my Jordan/G2SI speakers so I went back to a single cap and coil XO for my speaker. But now I use the Sonicaps from the XO as a coupling cap for my DAC and as the cap in in my simple cap/coil speaker XO. I use 3uf with .22uf bypass on my tweeter. The coil... I don't know the value. I have to measure it one day.
XXHighEnd on XP... right it doesn't sound like anything special on XP. I did try it on XP. VISTA... don't be scared of it. If all your music files are FLAC, APE or WAV files then there is no Digital Rights Management problems.
To get XXHighEnd's best sound you use the Engine #3 setting... Set the Q1 slider down as far as you can without losing the sound... V setting all the way up... Check the "unattended" checkbox. Unattended means the player will disappear when the music starts playing.
XXHighEnd only plays FLAC and WAV files. The trick to using it (don't forget it is beta so not always the most pleasant to work with) is to only load in a CDs worth of music into the playlist at a time. When you use the "unattended" setting (which you do for the good sound) and you press play it first goes and makes temp WAV files from the list of FLAC files before it starts playing. You don't want to have thousands of songs in your playlist when you hit the play button. If you are in demo mode (like me) then it plays for 15 minutes and stops, then you restart it, your playlist is still loaded, you just hit play button again and the music continues.
Once you get the hang of it, it isn't a bad way to go. The reason it is done this way is to get the best sound. In future versions it will likely change to be more user friendly.
Sorry to pump XXHighEnd. Many others report the same experience with it. For me it was one of those changes that are big enough that I go through my whole collection to see how it all sounds all over again. Lots of oohs and aaaws.
When I put the Black Gates back in as coupling caps they come out pretty darn fast. I used 4.7uf N for years and before that I use 22Uf NX (not sure of the value anymore) for a year. The Sonicaps I have been using for a couple months after breaking them in on a silent jig for a couple months.
I am still big on using BG caps but not as a coupling cap anymore.
Cheers,
Brent
Yes sure email me your address.
The Sikorels... I liked them when I was running my Jordan JX92 full range. As soon I added the tweeter back into the speaker I didn't like the high end of the Sikorels... so they had to come out.
I just grabbed the Sikorels off the shelf and swapped them for the Sonicaps. The Sikorels lose information in the high end. For some people/system this maybe just what they need.
Black Gates... I purchase small quantities from Partsconnexion.ca.
Currently I use Sonicap 5uf with a Sonicap .22uf Gen II bypass for a coupling cap. I don't know if that is the best value yet. But it beats BG 4.7uf N.
The Sonicaps are very fluid, no graininess, the highs are where they really shine. In Canada you can get them from http://www.rawacoustics.com. I don't think he (Allan Wooley) advertises that he sells them but that is where I get mine. Email or call him if you want some. His price is as good as any you will find.
I bought my Sonicaps to build a published Jordan JS92/G2SI XO (that can be found at this forum) but the XO didn't sound good to me, is sucked all the life from my Jordan/G2SI speakers so I went back to a single cap and coil XO for my speaker. But now I use the Sonicaps from the XO as a coupling cap for my DAC and as the cap in in my simple cap/coil speaker XO. I use 3uf with .22uf bypass on my tweeter. The coil... I don't know the value. I have to measure it one day.
XXHighEnd on XP... right it doesn't sound like anything special on XP. I did try it on XP. VISTA... don't be scared of it. If all your music files are FLAC, APE or WAV files then there is no Digital Rights Management problems.
To get XXHighEnd's best sound you use the Engine #3 setting... Set the Q1 slider down as far as you can without losing the sound... V setting all the way up... Check the "unattended" checkbox. Unattended means the player will disappear when the music starts playing.
XXHighEnd only plays FLAC and WAV files. The trick to using it (don't forget it is beta so not always the most pleasant to work with) is to only load in a CDs worth of music into the playlist at a time. When you use the "unattended" setting (which you do for the good sound) and you press play it first goes and makes temp WAV files from the list of FLAC files before it starts playing. You don't want to have thousands of songs in your playlist when you hit the play button. If you are in demo mode (like me) then it plays for 15 minutes and stops, then you restart it, your playlist is still loaded, you just hit play button again and the music continues.
Once you get the hang of it, it isn't a bad way to go. The reason it is done this way is to get the best sound. In future versions it will likely change to be more user friendly.
Sorry to pump XXHighEnd. Many others report the same experience with it. For me it was one of those changes that are big enough that I go through my whole collection to see how it all sounds all over again. Lots of oohs and aaaws.
When I put the Black Gates back in as coupling caps they come out pretty darn fast. I used 4.7uf N for years and before that I use 22Uf NX (not sure of the value anymore) for a year. The Sonicaps I have been using for a couple months after breaking them in on a silent jig for a couple months.
I am still big on using BG caps but not as a coupling cap anymore.
Cheers,
Brent
Re: Sonicap
I remember when I was building my first prototype of the DAC that I had some ticks and pops, couldn't really figure out what was going on, untill I changed for another laptop (same brand, just configured differently) and the pops were gone. All the DACs I've built later did not produce any pops, including the one I've built today
Garytr said:
t-head said:
I remember when I was building my first prototype of the DAC that I had some ticks and pops, couldn't really figure out what was going on, untill I changed for another laptop (same brand, just configured differently) and the pops were gone. All the DACs I've built later did not produce any pops, including the one I've built today
Attachments
Ticks & Pops
Peter, greetings from Ancaster,
I am enjoying the USB dac you made me last year, except for the ticks and pops. If I recall you were using a T.P. T43? I think I need to change my desktop PC as nothing seems to stop T&P's.
May I also ask what your experience with coupling caps, for amps in particular, have been?
Gary
Peter, greetings from Ancaster,
I am enjoying the USB dac you made me last year, except for the ticks and pops. If I recall you were using a T.P. T43? I think I need to change my desktop PC as nothing seems to stop T&P's.
May I also ask what your experience with coupling caps, for amps in particular, have been?
Gary
EPCOS (B25834) Capacitor Review
My apologies for those that have been awaiting a capacitor review. The mechanics of getting bypass caps into the test bed is somewhat of a hassle and has dampened my zeal to conduct these test. I think I have reached a tolerable solution. So, I will press on.
Over the past few weeks I have been burning in caps and I have done a lot of listening. The following is a review of the EPCOS capacitor sent to me by Dweekie.
23 February 2008
I just put the EPCOS in the test bed about 2 minutes ago, and I really like what I hear. They seem to have that air of liveliness that I prefer. On Mark O'Connor's Tiger Rag, the violin sounds like a violin and the trumpet sounds like a trumpet. This is right out the chute. I have not compared it to anything else. This is just my initial impression. Excellent depth of soundstage and spacing from left to right. This is with no bypasses.
These caps have a relaxed presentation which just sounds so life like to me. Nothing seems to be pronounced or understated. They just sound right. This is just after 15 minutes of listening to them. Pianos have body and the reverberation of the strings makes the instrument sound as if it is right in my listening room. Just an outstanding presentation.
_________________________________________________
I have since had these cap burn in for more than 168 hours. I did not hear any variance in presentation from my initial listening to the present date. I listened to Auricaps, and Obbligatos. The EPCOS sounded most like the Auricaps. This was somewhat of a surprise to me, for I had not listened to the Auricaps in quite some time. The primary difference I heard was after 14 hours the bass in the EPCOS caps seemed to get a little fuller. This is a welcome contrast compared to the 60-200 hours it took for the Auricaps to settle down.
I then tried the Obbligatos. Overall the highs sounded muted compared to the EPCOS/Auricaps. I then added 10 picofarad silver mica caps to the Obbligatos and this pretty much replicated the sound of the EPCOS/Auricaps.
These caps did not sound as life like, in my opinion, as the BGs Flourinert/Wima/silver mica bypasses. At this point, I have not A/B'ed the foregoing to the Flourinert combo. The combo sounds to have the best localization of performers, as I recall. The sound of brushes on a riveted cymbal is something I have focused on, and seems to differentiate the highs of various caps/combos.
I have since burned in (168 + hours) N-series BG caps. These caps are to be used for subsequent bypass tests. These BGs without bypasses sound very much like the EPCOS/Auricaps.
I regret I have no purchase or source info for the EPCOS. They were 3.3 MFD caps as Dweekie described in post #327 (a great chevrolet V8 engine) of this thread. These EPCOS caps are large. They are approximately the same size as the Obbligatos. So, if you plan on incorporating these caps you will have to plan for quite a bit of space and a means to mount/support the caps.
My apologies for those that have been awaiting a capacitor review. The mechanics of getting bypass caps into the test bed is somewhat of a hassle and has dampened my zeal to conduct these test. I think I have reached a tolerable solution. So, I will press on.
Over the past few weeks I have been burning in caps and I have done a lot of listening. The following is a review of the EPCOS capacitor sent to me by Dweekie.
23 February 2008
I just put the EPCOS in the test bed about 2 minutes ago, and I really like what I hear. They seem to have that air of liveliness that I prefer. On Mark O'Connor's Tiger Rag, the violin sounds like a violin and the trumpet sounds like a trumpet. This is right out the chute. I have not compared it to anything else. This is just my initial impression. Excellent depth of soundstage and spacing from left to right. This is with no bypasses.
These caps have a relaxed presentation which just sounds so life like to me. Nothing seems to be pronounced or understated. They just sound right. This is just after 15 minutes of listening to them. Pianos have body and the reverberation of the strings makes the instrument sound as if it is right in my listening room. Just an outstanding presentation.
_________________________________________________
I have since had these cap burn in for more than 168 hours. I did not hear any variance in presentation from my initial listening to the present date. I listened to Auricaps, and Obbligatos. The EPCOS sounded most like the Auricaps. This was somewhat of a surprise to me, for I had not listened to the Auricaps in quite some time. The primary difference I heard was after 14 hours the bass in the EPCOS caps seemed to get a little fuller. This is a welcome contrast compared to the 60-200 hours it took for the Auricaps to settle down.
I then tried the Obbligatos. Overall the highs sounded muted compared to the EPCOS/Auricaps. I then added 10 picofarad silver mica caps to the Obbligatos and this pretty much replicated the sound of the EPCOS/Auricaps.
These caps did not sound as life like, in my opinion, as the BGs Flourinert/Wima/silver mica bypasses. At this point, I have not A/B'ed the foregoing to the Flourinert combo. The combo sounds to have the best localization of performers, as I recall. The sound of brushes on a riveted cymbal is something I have focused on, and seems to differentiate the highs of various caps/combos.
I have since burned in (168 + hours) N-series BG caps. These caps are to be used for subsequent bypass tests. These BGs without bypasses sound very much like the EPCOS/Auricaps.
I regret I have no purchase or source info for the EPCOS. They were 3.3 MFD caps as Dweekie described in post #327 (a great chevrolet V8 engine) of this thread. These EPCOS caps are large. They are approximately the same size as the Obbligatos. So, if you plan on incorporating these caps you will have to plan for quite a bit of space and a means to mount/support the caps.
I find it very interesting that you found the Blackgate N and the Auricaps to sound very similar. It seems as if most people speak highly of the Auricaps in comparison to the Blackgate N caps. How do you think you would characterize the MKT1822 caps next to these?
This simple input cap thread is starting to get quite complicated 
This simple input cap thread is starting to get quite complicated
BGN-series
On the test bed I currently have" the BG N-series; Obbligatos with 10 PF silver-mica bypass; EBCOS; BG PK-series with MKT bypasses; MKP10; Vishay; DC coupled circuit without auxiliary power; and Auricaps. So, I am able to switch between these and try to detect differences.
The Auricaps seem to have the broadest soundstage and the greatest depth of stage with a nice full bass. The EPCOS are second in depth and breadth of soundstage. The Obbligatos have a little more bass than the BGs, but the soundstage for both seems to have collapsed somewhat compared to the foregoing. The Obbligattos have a little more bass than the others and soundstage wise they are most like the BGs.
The MKTs, Vishay, and MKPs sound virtually identical. They are very close to the Auricaps, but have just a little less presence. Most times, presence is a byproduct of bass.
The highs that I have focused on of late, sound much the same across all the caps and cap arrays.
Value wise I would say the BG N- series is a great value cost wise compared to the cost of the Auricaps. The BGs also will fit on the PCBs with no special modifications required for size or weight of the cap.
Bottom line the the PK/MKT bypass array holds its own. The difference is very subtle except in the area of the soundstage.
dweekie said:
On the test bed I currently have" the BG N-series; Obbligatos with 10 PF silver-mica bypass; EBCOS; BG PK-series with MKT bypasses; MKP10; Vishay; DC coupled circuit without auxiliary power; and Auricaps. So, I am able to switch between these and try to detect differences.
The Auricaps seem to have the broadest soundstage and the greatest depth of stage with a nice full bass. The EPCOS are second in depth and breadth of soundstage. The Obbligatos have a little more bass than the BGs, but the soundstage for both seems to have collapsed somewhat compared to the foregoing. The Obbligattos have a little more bass than the others and soundstage wise they are most like the BGs.
The MKTs, Vishay, and MKPs sound virtually identical. They are very close to the Auricaps, but have just a little less presence. Most times, presence is a byproduct of bass.
The highs that I have focused on of late, sound much the same across all the caps and cap arrays.
Value wise I would say the BG N- series is a great value cost wise compared to the cost of the Auricaps. The BGs also will fit on the PCBs with no special modifications required for size or weight of the cap.
Bottom line the the PK/MKT bypass array holds its own. The difference is very subtle except in the area of the soundstage.
Unpowered DC Circuit
The DC (direct coupled) circuit without power yielded a really surprising result. I had not planned on testing this circuit at all. It just happened to still be wired into the test bed.
After writing the response to Dweekie I paused to listen to the sound which was coming through the speakers from the unpowered DC circuit. I was surprised that the sound made my listening room sound twice as big. The depth and breadth of soundstage was was just awing. I was just starting to enjoy this; when the circuit started to oscillate.
This oscillating/motorboating started after about thirty seconds after the switch was turned to the DC circuit. This motorboating was in conjunction with the music. Shortly(5 or 10 seconds), thereafter, all you heard was the motorboating and no music.
Just an interesting happenstance I thought I would share. Possibly a low powered opamp could be used in the circuit without the need for external power.
The DC (direct coupled) circuit without power yielded a really surprising result. I had not planned on testing this circuit at all. It just happened to still be wired into the test bed.
After writing the response to Dweekie I paused to listen to the sound which was coming through the speakers from the unpowered DC circuit. I was surprised that the sound made my listening room sound twice as big. The depth and breadth of soundstage was was just awing. I was just starting to enjoy this; when the circuit started to oscillate.
This oscillating/motorboating started after about thirty seconds after the switch was turned to the DC circuit. This motorboating was in conjunction with the music. Shortly(5 or 10 seconds), thereafter, all you heard was the motorboating and no music.
Just an interesting happenstance I thought I would share. Possibly a low powered opamp could be used in the circuit without the need for external power.
Capacitor Source Page
I came across this link that had a list of caps and their prices. I thought this may be of value for those that have been following test in this thread.
Capacitor Source Page
The values specifiedd in the list may be used as coupling caps in the Tripath amplifiers.
I came across this link that had a list of caps and their prices. I thought this may be of value for those that have been following test in this thread.
Capacitor Source Page
The values specifiedd in the list may be used as coupling caps in the Tripath amplifiers.
PK Series FWM bypass
Undertaking this bypass testing has been really a daunting task. Having listened to so many capacitors over the past few months, I decided I had to calibrate "my ears". The sound that comes from the 2.2 μf Blackgate PK-Series capacitor bypassed by the 0.1 μf Flourinert and a 0.01 μf WIMA film caps yields a life like presentation. I listened to jazz, vocals, rock, and, classical performances through this bypass combination. This combination was what I recalled as being the most life like.
There was a certain amount of air around the performers. and the bass was fast and full.
I then added a 10 pf silver mica capacitor to the above and settled to listen again. The addition of the silver mica just seemed to make every thing more real. The bass sounded fuller and more percussive (faster). The soundstage deepened. The cymbals sounded much more life like and the performers sounded as if they had more air around them. It may well be physchoacoustic , but this is the combination I enjoy the most of everything I have tested thus far.
The addition of the 30-pf or the 10-pf silver mica caps seemed to make everything sound better. This was also true when it was added to the MKP combination and the Obbligato.
In the midst of this listening I had the opportunity to hear a live performance of approximately 10 musicians and vocalist(s). This gave me a chance to focus in on various aspects of the live performance. The FWM bypass combination is the closest I have heard to live replicated in my listening environment.
It is my intent to establish a base combination to which I will compare all other bypass combinations. I plan to state what this bypass combination is over the next couple of days.
Silver mica caps are really inexpensive and they cost only a few cents-USD (and that is a trifle in other currencies these days). These silver micas were ones I had on hand.
Undertaking this bypass testing has been really a daunting task. Having listened to so many capacitors over the past few months, I decided I had to calibrate "my ears". The sound that comes from the 2.2 μf Blackgate PK-Series capacitor bypassed by the 0.1 μf Flourinert and a 0.01 μf WIMA film caps yields a life like presentation. I listened to jazz, vocals, rock, and, classical performances through this bypass combination. This combination was what I recalled as being the most life like.
There was a certain amount of air around the performers. and the bass was fast and full.
I then added a 10 pf silver mica capacitor to the above and settled to listen again. The addition of the silver mica just seemed to make every thing more real. The bass sounded fuller and more percussive (faster). The soundstage deepened. The cymbals sounded much more life like and the performers sounded as if they had more air around them. It may well be physchoacoustic , but this is the combination I enjoy the most of everything I have tested thus far.
The addition of the 30-pf or the 10-pf silver mica caps seemed to make everything sound better. This was also true when it was added to the MKP combination and the Obbligato.
In the midst of this listening I had the opportunity to hear a live performance of approximately 10 musicians and vocalist(s). This gave me a chance to focus in on various aspects of the live performance. The FWM bypass combination is the closest I have heard to live replicated in my listening environment.
It is my intent to establish a base combination to which I will compare all other bypass combinations. I plan to state what this bypass combination is over the next couple of days.
Silver mica caps are really inexpensive and they cost only a few cents-USD (and that is a trifle in other currencies these days). These silver micas were ones I had on hand.
Searching for a Baseline Bypass Combination
I want to facilitate as many people as possible with the ability to replicate my test in their environment. I decided I would use readily accessible capacitors. The primary cap will be the paralleled 1μf Radio Shack film capacitors . These caps impressed me in the first series of test.
To this I have added the Russian 0.1 μf Teflon cap. The addition of this cap immediately added depth and breadth to the soundstage, and more impact to the bass. The bass had more feeling. Pianos have heft/body.
To this I added a 0.01 μf WIMA film capacitor. Everything sounded somewhat better. The bass sounded faster. There is definitely more weight to the bass. Tom-toms sounded like tom-toms. Cymbals started to have that ring that sounded live. There just sounds as if there is more air around the performers. After adding this capacitor the acoustics of the recording venue seemed to kick in.
Each bypass capacitor seems to remove a layer of curtain/insulation from between me and the performance. I would equate each added bypass capacitor to focusing a camera or microscope. Each bypass seems to bring things into better focus.
This is my first foray into trying to establish a baseline. Less the silver mica cap the foregoing sounds very much like the PK-Series FWM bypass combination. Once I establish the baseline it will give me a point of departure for all subsequent test.
Davet said:
I want to facilitate as many people as possible with the ability to replicate my test in their environment. I decided I would use readily accessible capacitors. The primary cap will be the paralleled 1μf Radio Shack film capacitors . These caps impressed me in the first series of test.
To this I have added the Russian 0.1 μf Teflon cap. The addition of this cap immediately added depth and breadth to the soundstage, and more impact to the bass. The bass had more feeling. Pianos have heft/body.
To this I added a 0.01 μf WIMA film capacitor. Everything sounded somewhat better. The bass sounded faster. There is definitely more weight to the bass. Tom-toms sounded like tom-toms. Cymbals started to have that ring that sounded live. There just sounds as if there is more air around the performers. After adding this capacitor the acoustics of the recording venue seemed to kick in.
Each bypass capacitor seems to remove a layer of curtain/insulation from between me and the performance. I would equate each added bypass capacitor to focusing a camera or microscope. Each bypass seems to bring things into better focus.
This is my first foray into trying to establish a baseline. Less the silver mica cap the foregoing sounds very much like the PK-Series FWM bypass combination. Once I establish the baseline it will give me a point of departure for all subsequent test.
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