I have an Audio Aero Capitole MkII. It's a really great player but sounds a little over cooked in the upper mids. I have read that replacing the 4 nasty yellow caps in the output stage (just before the xlr jacks) to Blackgate type n 10uf 50v non polar sorts out this problem. Thing is I can't find any BGs and have been searching for weeks. I would ideally like to try something even better like a film cap (Mundorf, Claritycap, Hovland) but the voltage rating on all of these are too high, (does this matter?). My electrical skills are basic, I'm good with a soldering iron to replace stuff - but my knowledge stops about there. Can anyone recommend something.
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
polarised must be inserted with the voltage the correct way round.
The opposite to polarised is non polar or bipolar.
Electrolytics tend to be referred to as bipolar and film tend to be non polar, but both can withstand AC and DC of either polarity.
MKT, MKS, Polycarbonate (rare now), Mylar are all fairly compact and fairly cheap @ 10uF size. Buy any with voltage rating >=50V.
MKP and all the film/foil are much more expensive and bigger. But generally reputed to give good sound.
All of these should sound better than any electrolytic, but some say the very best of the electrolytics sound better than the worst of the film type. Choose to fit your budget and space.
The opposite to polarised is non polar or bipolar.
Electrolytics tend to be referred to as bipolar and film tend to be non polar, but both can withstand AC and DC of either polarity.
MKT, MKS, Polycarbonate (rare now), Mylar are all fairly compact and fairly cheap @ 10uF size. Buy any with voltage rating >=50V.
MKP and all the film/foil are much more expensive and bigger. But generally reputed to give good sound.
All of these should sound better than any electrolytic, but some say the very best of the electrolytics sound better than the worst of the film type. Choose to fit your budget and space.
Reason for higher voltage used
Higher than needed voltage ratings are used because they perform better, though by a greater degree in electrolytic capacitors than film capacitors.
Measure the DC voltage accross the capacitors when playing music. If very small, copper wire will sound better than any capacitor. Electrolytic capacitors are at their worst in this situation and film capacitors, their best. In other words, electrolytics are less bad (loss, distortion) when they have a DC bias along with the AC signal. Film caps are still much better than electrolytics, but, even more so when they are not biased.
Higher than needed voltage ratings are used because they perform better, though by a greater degree in electrolytic capacitors than film capacitors.
Measure the DC voltage accross the capacitors when playing music. If very small, copper wire will sound better than any capacitor. Electrolytic capacitors are at their worst in this situation and film capacitors, their best. In other words, electrolytics are less bad (loss, distortion) when they have a DC bias along with the AC signal. Film caps are still much better than electrolytics, but, even more so when they are not biased.
That's good to know thanks, I have found a few more electrolytic caps I'd like to chop - they are 2 x Philips 470uf 25v and in-between these is a blue u15K100 (small rectangular cap)- and there are film equivalents - for the 470uf JSP Stacked-film 470uf 63v
the size looks like it's going to be fun (about 4 to 5 times larger than the original cap) but not impossible...
and for the 0.15uF 100v I am looking at this - Obbligato Premium Film 0.15v 630v
the size looks like it's going to be fun (about 4 to 5 times larger than the original cap) but not impossible...
and for the 0.15uF 100v I am looking at this - Obbligato Premium Film 0.15v 630v
Appologies for resurrecting this old thread.......
I too have the Audio Aero Capitole MKII. Those yellow BP elco's are only in circuit for the balanced out. My player has now recived the following mods.
Hovland 0.1uf on the tube stage have been replaced with Mudorf supreme. There are another couple of SMT 22uF elcos in the audio path that I will change with 22uF MKPs.
I've replaced the opamp after the tube stage with LME49720MA and bypassed the volume control circuit including the opamp after it.
I've replaced the summing opamps after the DAC with LME49720MA.
I have seperated the clock supply for the 24Mhz xtal and this is running from a dedicated low noise regulator with Oscon SEPC local decoupling.
DAC analogue has BG 220uF local decoupling and OsCon SEPC on the digital.
+/- analogue rails have BG 470uF decoupling on the input to the main pcb.
Most of the elcos in the PSU have been replaced with a mix of Audio Upgrades SI (mundorf) Panasonic FC pre reg and for post reg BG on analogue and Nichicon solid polymer on digital.
No work on the CD Pro just yet but I'm sure it will come.
I've also got replacement valves (JAN-Philips 6021w). The lifetime is quoted as 15,000-20,000hrs. As the valves are lit all the while the unit is powered, I think that should mean replacement every 2-2 1/2 years!!!!!!!
I'll post some pics with more details if there is any interest.
I too have the Audio Aero Capitole MKII. Those yellow BP elco's are only in circuit for the balanced out. My player has now recived the following mods.
Hovland 0.1uf on the tube stage have been replaced with Mudorf supreme. There are another couple of SMT 22uF elcos in the audio path that I will change with 22uF MKPs.
I've replaced the opamp after the tube stage with LME49720MA and bypassed the volume control circuit including the opamp after it.
I've replaced the summing opamps after the DAC with LME49720MA.
I have seperated the clock supply for the 24Mhz xtal and this is running from a dedicated low noise regulator with Oscon SEPC local decoupling.
DAC analogue has BG 220uF local decoupling and OsCon SEPC on the digital.
+/- analogue rails have BG 470uF decoupling on the input to the main pcb.
Most of the elcos in the PSU have been replaced with a mix of Audio Upgrades SI (mundorf) Panasonic FC pre reg and for post reg BG on analogue and Nichicon solid polymer on digital.
No work on the CD Pro just yet but I'm sure it will come.
I've also got replacement valves (JAN-Philips 6021w). The lifetime is quoted as 15,000-20,000hrs. As the valves are lit all the while the unit is powered, I think that should mean replacement every 2-2 1/2 years!!!!!!!
I'll post some pics with more details if there is any interest.
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