To get hold of these caps you would probably either have to eat raw fish or sleep with a geisha.
I am ok with that. Both of them.
I am ok with that. Both of them.
Thank God the allmighty that it is not the other way arround.
There's a lot of great sounding caps out there and the ones I have tested for linearity a-la Steve Bench, as well as with my ears have been all under $5.
Extremely low level (phono, microphone): Panasonic ECQ series polyprops, Most polystyrene (those ones you can scavenge from old cassette players) and the Epcos MKP pulse-rated caps.
Line level: Most MKP types from any manufacturer. PPS types. The USA made STK polypropylene are extremely linear under any DC bias (or lack thereof) and sound great AND have steel leads.
High level (power amp circuit coupling): Here's where the PTFE/PIO/MKP/MPP battle breaks down for me... can't hear the difference in comparably manufactured capacitors and nor can most people when I audition amps in public.
Cheers!
Extremely low level (phono, microphone): Panasonic ECQ series polyprops, Most polystyrene (those ones you can scavenge from old cassette players) and the Epcos MKP pulse-rated caps.
Line level: Most MKP types from any manufacturer. PPS types. The USA made STK polypropylene are extremely linear under any DC bias (or lack thereof) and sound great AND have steel leads.
High level (power amp circuit coupling): Here's where the PTFE/PIO/MKP/MPP battle breaks down for me... can't hear the difference in comparably manufactured capacitors and nor can most people when I audition amps in public.
Cheers!
The T-cap is a PP/copper foil cap. Compared to the Jensen copper foil caps with the same value, the price is approx the same.
I ordered some Obbligato Premiums some days ago. Being tense how they will beat against some Mundorf "white". I heard many good things about them.
By the way. Do you guys already know this page? Humble Homemade Hifi
By the way. Do you guys already know this page? Humble Homemade Hifi
Well!
I know this will provoce a lot of audioholics, audiophooles, DIYérs and other nice people, but I do regard the "super special, copper foil, wax impregnated, silver plated, gold dipped, grafite infected" components as second grade if not even third.
I´ve tried a lot of them out, and they do IMHO not have any walk on earth what so ever.
Some times though you get the value you´ve paid for precisely, but if precision of the values means anything to to you, forget about it. And precision in Xovers is almost everything and even more.
If the "special audio grade caps" rally need all this extra research, precission and materials, why don´t Evox, Wima, BC, Solen and others do so?
Believe me, they are far from stupid @ Evox, Wima, BC and others and they do know how to make a decent capacitor.
I know this will provoce a lot of audioholics, audiophooles, DIYérs and other nice people, but I do regard the "super special, copper foil, wax impregnated, silver plated, gold dipped, grafite infected" components as second grade if not even third.
I´ve tried a lot of them out, and they do IMHO not have any walk on earth what so ever.
Some times though you get the value you´ve paid for precisely, but if precision of the values means anything to to you, forget about it. And precision in Xovers is almost everything and even more.
If the "special audio grade caps" rally need all this extra research, precission and materials, why don´t Evox, Wima, BC, Solen and others do so?
Believe me, they are far from stupid @ Evox, Wima, BC and others and they do know how to make a decent capacitor.
Thank God (Il Pope?) for that post, now I can go on with my up-coming tube project with a good sense of relief, I already said to myself it would be Wima MKP without diving into some esoteric audioph**le discussions about "audio grade" capacitors, and the PPS.. which I didn't have a memory of having existed before(?).. looks promising too!
btw, I wonder why some people waste lot of money on "precision" capacitors, why not invest the money instead in a nice little LCR meter of a known brand for matching etc...
Cheers Michael
I see this thread has degenerated into the usual nonsense. We hear from the know-it-alls and tried-it-alls who have nothing new to offer other than their own bloated expert opinions. We hear from the "no cap" crowd, even though that contributes NOTHING to the discussion other than bolstering their own smug self-satisfaction that they know something they think we don't.
All I wanted to do was expose a product that many of you have probably never heard or even heard of. I have no affiliation with Madisound or Fostex. I have no interest in this other than to share my findings and possibly make you aware of an excellent cap I have not seen mentioned or reviewed anywhere else, and possibly generate some discussion about it.
I would be interested in your opinion if you have actually taken the time and trouble and expense, as I have, to compare this cap with others. If you haven't, all your "my caps are better" claims are pointless. Everybody has their favorites, and that's fine. Does that mean one should stop looking for anything better? We all know there are lots of good and bad caps out there. I have read the reviews and then did the work and made some trials and comparisons myself. I know there are lots of big manufacturers that make caps of all types and configurations, and many people and equipment manufacturers have used them in lots of circuits. So what? I tried a few in this application and they're not as good as what I ended up with. They might be great elsewhere. They're decent and cheap, and that is why so many use them.
Other than post the same comments and observations of the obvious over and over about no caps and your cap is best, do you have anything valuable or relevant to the subject matter to contribute? I don't expect everyone or anyone to agree with me, but I would really appreciate some intelligent, informed discussion instead of hollow boasting and pointless posturing.
Thanks,
Tom E
All I wanted to do was expose a product that many of you have probably never heard or even heard of. I have no affiliation with Madisound or Fostex. I have no interest in this other than to share my findings and possibly make you aware of an excellent cap I have not seen mentioned or reviewed anywhere else, and possibly generate some discussion about it.
I would be interested in your opinion if you have actually taken the time and trouble and expense, as I have, to compare this cap with others. If you haven't, all your "my caps are better" claims are pointless. Everybody has their favorites, and that's fine. Does that mean one should stop looking for anything better? We all know there are lots of good and bad caps out there. I have read the reviews and then did the work and made some trials and comparisons myself. I know there are lots of big manufacturers that make caps of all types and configurations, and many people and equipment manufacturers have used them in lots of circuits. So what? I tried a few in this application and they're not as good as what I ended up with. They might be great elsewhere. They're decent and cheap, and that is why so many use them.
Other than post the same comments and observations of the obvious over and over about no caps and your cap is best, do you have anything valuable or relevant to the subject matter to contribute? I don't expect everyone or anyone to agree with me, but I would really appreciate some intelligent, informed discussion instead of hollow boasting and pointless posturing.
Thanks,
Tom E
So you're the absolute authority on caps around here? With great power comes great responsibility. Considering the way you started this thread, it was never possible for it to degenerate.
I whould of cause use a well constucted Teflon cap. There are many types of Teflon and foamed Teflon whould be interesting to try. The better the dialectric the bigger the cap and that brings layout problems sometime. A circuit does not life or dye on teflon but there is no doubt that Teflon gives the best resolution. That is not always transfering into the best sound because neather the program material nore the system is flawless.
Caps in the picture are quite good, polyesther caps
They are not incapsulated, thus you can see they are a bit different in size
Values does vary a bit
They are not all of same value
Well, actually the biggest looking is one of the smaller values
And the smalles looking isnt exactly the lowest value at all
And within the same closest value, they atually sound slightly different
On many caps you dont notice the size difference because they are incapsulated in standard "holster"
But I bet the difference is still there, just not visible
Attachments
Oh, might not be recommended fore tube amps
Those are fore crossovers and work quite well
Monacor caps
Out of many caps I do have a big one that failed because one lead getting loose, but was stricktly my own doing, thats all
I have handeled them quite a lot, in and out of curcuit maybe hundred times without failure
I measure them too
Unfortunately prices have gone up lately
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Yes. i know thoose. Can sound good but i had a lot of trouble with loose or breaking of wire. I do not know if shoping the the correct english word but it is the termination of the wire to the cap. it can be made in many ways. some say hand soldering is still the best way to do it. I whould say for audio that makes sense. Brings in a human quality.
Yeah, we always need to be very careful not to stress the point where lead leaves the cap
I always bend the lead over my finger, if possible, or use something smaller
I always try to bend with a smooth curve, not sharp
Its also very easy to straigthen again, no problem
I have done it that way hundreds of times, even with the same cap
Bending leads and straightening again, over and over again, without any problems
But NEVER bend by just pulling in the lead, then it fails easily
I always bend the lead over my finger, if possible, or use something smaller
I always try to bend with a smooth curve, not sharp
Its also very easy to straigthen again, no problem
I have done it that way hundreds of times, even with the same cap
Bending leads and straightening again, over and over again, without any problems
But NEVER bend by just pulling in the lead, then it fails easily
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