Mouser has a very complete selection of Nichicon Audio capacitors. They also carry the Muse KZ series, which I don't like as much. They sound mushy compared to the FGs. The KW and FW capacitors are miniature equivalents of the KZ and FG parts in bigger voltage and capacitance ratings for power supplies etc. When I cannot find a suitably large FG I turn to the FW series and they seem to be quite similar.
EDIT: Here's a link to Mouser's lineup http://www.mouser.com/new/nichicon/Nichicon-Audio-Caps/
Hi and thanks for the very valuable reply.
So Mouser can be a good source. I think it is quite convenient from here.
The shop for Norway must be located in Sweden i guess.
In general i hate miniature parts ... also because while i can understand that for digital maybe smd and the like can be benficial about RF noise i do not see the need for miniature parts in a preamp and even less in a power amp. I would even made much bigger op-amps easier to heatsink.
Caps in particular ... i like so much the big ones.
Then i would like to understand the rationale behind some layouts
I have checked sizes and FG are slightly bigger than the original ... problem is that even if there is plenty of free space on the pcb they have placed ps caps tightly one against the other.
And they are far from the utilizing circuits !!!!
This is stupid to me.
I understand that to save money (this preamp was not at all cheap at the origin) they save on sizes ... but please let space for an upgrade
The parts are very basic parts ... nothing top of the line.
I am sure that better parts in strategic places like the PS can make a difference. I am sure of that.
So now i have this size issue ... but i do not like the miniature ones.
Do you think that i could leave some length in the leads ???
the originals are
uF/V/diameter [mm]
1000/63/16
1000/35/13
slightly smaller than FG equivalents
I will proceed with Mouser then ... and FG if possible.
Thanks a lot again, gino
Last edited:
Hi it's me again ... i think i will have to go with the midget caps
I hate this miniature parts so much ...
All the better caps are usually so big ... ever
Size seems to matter a lot for quality
Thanks again, gino
Mouser now carry Nichicon's KG "Super Through" electrolytics, which their spec sheets say are a level up from "Gold Tune". Indicated on snap-ins by a "CK" at the end of the product description. Haven't heard them but am interested...just FYI. Example:
LKG1J152MESACK Nichicon | Mouser
LKG1J152MESACK Nichicon | Mouser
Last edited:
Hi and thanks and i am sure that they are excellent .. and actually they are bigger in size
My point is that ... i have here a preamp that was 2000 USD in 1999, and class B Stereophile ... i mean not a cheap unit
I would expect that such important caps like the PC caps should be bigger and above all with space to upgrade them with better parts.
Everyone in the world knows that the very good caps are big ... always this is the case
Why packing so close miniature caps ? for me this is indeed a design mistake because this prevent to use better parts for upgrade
They are afraid to build a too good preamp because then they cannot sell the most expensive ones ... that indeed have 50 USD more spent on better and bigger caps.
When i see the parts and pcb quality of some DIY designs i think that there is no comparison ... the same quality is available in commercial units only for very high price
I think that there is much than needed to start a completely DIY route
It is impossible to work on units limited by design ... because they wanted to do so. To make them impossible to upgrade with better parts.
I will try to build a Bride of Zen and live with that
I am sincerely disappointed
The next step is a commercial unit like the glasses in mission impossible
That will destroy itself after 10 seconds that i remove the lid
Unbelievable ...
Thanks a lot again, gino
Last edited:
They are not quite miniature, just miniature compared to the original series of parts they are based on. They are similar in size to general purpose capacitors of the same value. In fact they are a touch bigger in some values and voltages.
Hi and thanks again and sorry for the outburst.
But my lamentation was just based on the datasheet.
I see that for same uF/WV usually the better series are also bigger in size.
It seems to me a very general rule ... sizes do matter.
If i had to design a preamp power supply with some "ambition" of quality i would never consider miniature types ... never.
I could understand maybe in a dac where small sizes can be beneficial against noise and so on ...
I have here a preamp that is not big but still there is all the space needed to place much bigger caps that can have a very beneficial influence.
And actually a big portion of the pcb is not used ...
And i also understand the rationale behind this lay-out design.
Do you want bigger and better caps ? then go for the higher priced units.
It is a commercial decision. I am now sure of that.
And i have seen higher quality preamps ... they have huge caps in comparison ... much bigger and i believe also higher quality.
So i am more and more convinced that for very good performance at reasonable prices the quality DIY is the way.
Thanks a lot again, gino
Hi and thanks a lot Gajanan for confirming my feeling.
I have also noticed another thing in preamps at least.
Usually cheap units have 100-220 uF per voltage rail placed close to the op-amps on the pcb.
And many people say that this is more than enough
I have a more expensive preamp with 1000uF per rail locally.
I think there is no this issue like too much uF
The more the better. And to see that they design the pcbs in order to make not possible to increase uF it is very telling to me.
Just think if a cheaper unit with a nice caps upgrade would sound better than a more expensive model same brand ?
It is the end of the game of course.
Caps are very fundamental for sound quality. Very.
They can make a solid state amp to sound like a tube one.
Thanks again, gino
Last edited:
Hi and yes you are right, but i would not call precisely "mass product" a 2000 USD in the 1999 line preamp.
But obviously it has been designed as a mass product
Just for comparison this is the new TOTL ... with much bigger PS caps
Maybe 30-40 USD more of caps, but that can be very beneficial
Still no fancy ps diodes ...
Kind regards, gino
The design is still at the heart of the issue. I agree that size matters, and that manufacturers using cheap parts for cost/space savings is purely a commercial decision. For this reason I have always admired the way RF and microwave equipment is built, with attention to design, construction method, and layout above all else. If Agilent made audio equipment it would sound exceptional. Placing huge parts (of different values, that is) into some existing designs may cause instability. When modifying I often increase main/filter capacitance, but watch the amount so as not to damp the oscillation of the regulators. In a custom design you can build the supply to support a big reservoir of caps- and of course it will be better. Compromises for cheap production and small weight/size for shipping concerns are a shame and today are the rule not the exception.
I hope everyone knows DIY is the best, and luckily we have an excellent place to gather online.
I hope everyone knows DIY is the best, and luckily we have an excellent place to gather online.
Hi and i agree with this of course.
Maybe with power amps where the PS caps are directly connected to the output stage the impact is bigger
I read that for some equipment like DAC miniature circuits are less prone to catch RF noise .. but i am not interested in digital circuit .. or better no chance to built anything.
Only interested in analog equipment.
I agree with this as well. They must have a huge know how.
But also Companies like TI, AD, BB, Linear Technology ... i am sure their evaluation board can be a good base for a high level preamp for instance ...
Yes ,,, but even with same values the best parts are bigger ... usually.
The best parts you kindly recommended to me do not fit in the available space. They are bigger than the original for the same size ...
I am trying to rescue parts of an old power amp also
In particular i like the power supply.
Than i will look for some boards ... a simple class AB design should be enough
I have already something in mind ... if voltages will be ok.
Thanks a lot again, gino
My best advice for finding the correct power supply is never to throw away a good transformer. They are my least favorite electrical appliance. Big, heavy, noisy, expensive, custom for every single job... I try to avoid buying them for any reason with so many sitting around in old equipment.
Hi but how do you know if a transformer is a good one or not ?
How do you check if it is still ok ? i see many of them in 2nd market ... and also for very nice prices
Thanks a lot, gino
Hi Gino, another source for nichicon caps is partsconnexion. They don't have quite the range that mouser has, but their prices are generally competitive (some are more than mouser a lot are less). here is a link to the FG's available there Nichicon Capacitor Series FG
You need to look at the datasheet for the size of the caps though to work out which models they are because they do not have the full model numbers (just series, value and voltage).
If you are buying a small quantity then I suspect you will get much cheaper than $50 for shipping. Last time I purchased from them my parcel was under 250 grams and it only cost I think $9.95 for postage. That was a couple of years ago though.
Tony.
You need to look at the datasheet for the size of the caps though to work out which models they are because they do not have the full model numbers (just series, value and voltage).
If you are buying a small quantity then I suspect you will get much cheaper than $50 for shipping. Last time I purchased from them my parcel was under 250 grams and it only cost I think $9.95 for postage. That was a couple of years ago though.
Tony.
Hi and Thanks a lot for the very valuable advice.
Actually i understand that on ebay.com fakes are all around.
I will check there for sure.
Kind regards, gino
Pana fc f&t and nichincon gold. elna , and was amazed that my denon dj-mixer the elna muse as part of the power pcb. They don't use them if it wouldn't , since most brands, incl overrated pioneer uses normal or even chinese caps in it. Brands like vestax and denon are the only brands which uses stand quality caps. Bit when it comes to recapping i doubt the use of the expensive once, and it's also value depended. The chamge on the market goed quite fast and it's about time for a new research under the used caps, since pioneer also has brcome chinese , but panasonic and nichicon and rubycon are ok. The main problen with the fc serie is that they get fat and never fit the often smaller cheaper capspace. But there are more types from one brand which are suited for the brand, and they like to change the name of series......anooying. But i don't hear a lot of differnce between caps to be honost.
Digikey shippingcost for small orders is a little less then Mouser (~half). But prices exclude local salestax I believe. They do stock 123 different Fine Golds and many others And I like their way of selecting search options far better then Mouser's, somehow Mouser doesn't show what I want to select on top, maybe they stored the way I searched befor and only offer those options???
And I like their way of selecting search options far better then Mouser's, somehow Mouser doesn't show what I want to select on top, maybe they stored the way I searched befor and only offer those options???- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.