Ebay Russian teflon caps

[tiroth]

Anyone have any comments on these caps? There is a guy who seems to have an endless supply.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1732225929

[Brett]

Gintaras is a good tube and component dealer, really reliable and honest, which is not all that common for eBay tube dealers, esp (some of) those from HK. I've had maybe a dozen transactions with him and never had any problems with the tubes, caps or delivery.

I have some of the teflon caps he sells, but in 0.1u/200V. They are very well made, but have two limitations. Some values are only 200V and the leads are silver plated steel. They're also solid enough to be used as an effective projectile weapon with their Al cases. Gintaras was up front about them being magnetic when I emailled and asked. I was one of his earliest customers for them.

I try to keep any magnetic components out of the signal path, so aren't using mine, but there are several people posting on audioasylum that they're happy with them sonically (do a search). They're cheap enough to try a couple, and even with their limitations, probably better then some other types/grades of caps on some situations, and you might just like their flavour. You can also buy them directly from his website,
http://kwtubes.s5.com/

HTH

[cocolino]

I also bought some of those mentioned Teflon Caps from Gintaras
( really a nice guy) but haven`t used them too up to now, therefore cannot tell about sonics.
To me it seems that not only the leads are magnetic but the
case as well (steel!?), though it looks a bit similar to Al because they`re painted silvercolored.
I wonder if it is possible to remove the case and eventually replace it for example with a piece of Al tube or whatever nonmagnetic and wether this would make any difference sonically.

Christoph

[tiroth]

I appreciate the replies-thanks.

[dice45]

Tiroth,

i really hat to say what i have to say as i do not want to spoil Gintaras' business; several folks i have correpsondence with second he is a nice and honest guy.

But i am afraid the cap in question has a magnetic housing, Gintaras is so kind as to thouroughly decribe his cap.
He sez the cap is hermeticized and from the pixes i would say that housing constriuction is the same as with the American Teflon caps i had from Allen Wright for test. Those Teflon caps killed the music when used as a couling cap, i sensed the sound as an attack, my solarplexus was trying to cramp together, they made me escape and run after 10-20 minutes whereas with the MKVs i had to put a force-stop after 40 hours of listenings.

Hermeticized housing means magnetic housing in 99 out of 100 cases, and caps with magnetic housings sound like crap to my ears. So my hint: ask Gintaras if the caps are magnetic or order a test sample from him. If the cap is magnetic, stay away from it, no matter if it is Teflon.
Another hint, scan this forum board for my posts concerning MKV caps, might have some useful info for you.

[arnach]

dice45, they ARE magnetic. The seller is upfront about that. However, people over at AA are having good experiences with them. They're cheap enough to try, especially compared to RelCAP Teflon, etc.

[HarryHaller]

I hope nobody ever holds a magnet next to a vacuum tube........

[dice45]

Harry and all,

no i'm not doing this, atleast not while the filaments are under current and heated.
Did you know directly heated tubes are to be oriented if not mounted vertically?
There is logic in it, the filament = cathode must not touch the grid, else .. fffpoumpp!

Anyway, let me have my pleasure and avoid any stuff magnetic and avoidable, and, to keep the thread short, do not pester me with transformers too being magnetic i love them, but my warning comes not form idoelogy, it comes from listening exoerience with capacitors, with capacitors of a very similar construction as the ones tiroth was asking for.

YMMV, of course