http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html
The better Clarity Cap did pretty well.. and at least in the US it could be considered a "bargain" relative to other competitors.
http://www.e-speakers.com/products/claritycap.htm
The better Clarity Cap did pretty well.. and at least in the US it could be considered a "bargain" relative to other competitors.
http://www.e-speakers.com/products/claritycap.htm
No offence to Tony (I think his website is one of the best DIY site around) but I have the impression that the cap test page is a little "too much" for me.
I understand that these caps were tested in different designs and in different crossover configurations etc etc... and during a vast period of time (I am regular reader of this site since maybe 3 years)
So I wonder if the rating means something really. How can you give 8.5/10 to a cap, on a specific speaker, and three months later, give 7.5/10 to another cap on another speaker. "well this one is sound more closed in. Less definition. Recessed in the midrange"
I don't know. When I listen to my own system at home, in the same environment, It seems that the sound change from day to day, depending on the material I listen to, depending on my mood, etc. I clearly could not compare fairly a cap I listened last year to another one I listen now.
Now again, I DONT want to be misunderstood. Tony is doing a great job with his site and there is loads of useful information there, and I can admit that a Mundorf silver can sound better than a Solen, but I just feel that these ratings may be somewhat optimistic. And I know that these may be only guidelines and are put there with good intensions and to help other with personnal experiences.
F
I understand that these caps were tested in different designs and in different crossover configurations etc etc... and during a vast period of time (I am regular reader of this site since maybe 3 years)
So I wonder if the rating means something really. How can you give 8.5/10 to a cap, on a specific speaker, and three months later, give 7.5/10 to another cap on another speaker. "well this one is sound more closed in. Less definition. Recessed in the midrange"
I don't know. When I listen to my own system at home, in the same environment, It seems that the sound change from day to day, depending on the material I listen to, depending on my mood, etc. I clearly could not compare fairly a cap I listened last year to another one I listen now.
Now again, I DONT want to be misunderstood. Tony is doing a great job with his site and there is loads of useful information there, and I can admit that a Mundorf silver can sound better than a Solen, but I just feel that these ratings may be somewhat optimistic. And I know that these may be only guidelines and are put there with good intensions and to help other with personnal experiences.
F
With respect to the "consistency" of the test: note the information provided at the top of the cap test page - in particular:
"Over time I have re-evaluated my previous conclusions as new capacitors entered the contest, widening the listening platform."
This suggests that he goes back and compares previously tested capacitors to the new capacitors. This suggestion is further bolstered by the comments section for the newer capacitors - as an example on the SA Clarity Cap:
"Compared to the Audyn Cap Plus definition and seperation are better, the stereo-image is also little larger."
Additionally, (back to the information provided at the top of the page), note that testing is fairly "broad" allowing for a more meaningfull average of the particular product line:
"For this listening test various values of capacitor between 4,7mF to 10mF were chosen. Each capacitor was used in various places throughout a series network."
The other factor that makes me think that his testing procedure is more rigorous is the shear amount of time it takes him to complete an "update" with new caps.
I do suspect however that he does not test ALL of the capacitors again (i.e. in a cumulative fashion). It would be far more likely that he gets an initial impression of quality for his scale, then picks out the previous cap that seems closest in sound quality - and then compares the two.
At least then (based on my interpretations of his testing procedure), I don't find the test "optimistic".
Of course all is speculation.. and Tony is a member here - hopefully he will at some point provide greater explanation on this subject.
"Over time I have re-evaluated my previous conclusions as new capacitors entered the contest, widening the listening platform."
This suggests that he goes back and compares previously tested capacitors to the new capacitors. This suggestion is further bolstered by the comments section for the newer capacitors - as an example on the SA Clarity Cap:
"Compared to the Audyn Cap Plus definition and seperation are better, the stereo-image is also little larger."
Additionally, (back to the information provided at the top of the page), note that testing is fairly "broad" allowing for a more meaningfull average of the particular product line:
"For this listening test various values of capacitor between 4,7mF to 10mF were chosen. Each capacitor was used in various places throughout a series network."
The other factor that makes me think that his testing procedure is more rigorous is the shear amount of time it takes him to complete an "update" with new caps.
I do suspect however that he does not test ALL of the capacitors again (i.e. in a cumulative fashion). It would be far more likely that he gets an initial impression of quality for his scale, then picks out the previous cap that seems closest in sound quality - and then compares the two.
At least then (based on my interpretations of his testing procedure), I don't find the test "optimistic".
Of course all is speculation.. and Tony is a member here - hopefully he will at some point provide greater explanation on this subject.
I have a mix feeling about the ICW SA Clarity Cap.
I don't have the fortune to buy many "hi-end" caps so basically the Clarity caps are the only caps I used in passive XO.
In a passive XO, I compared the Clarity caps to the Solens. The Solens sounded harsh while the Clarity caps sounded smooth. This confirms what Tony Gee reported.
In one tube preamp, I could not tell any difference between a cheap Mylar green cap and the Clairty cap used as the output capacitor.
In another tube preamp, when I use 24uF Clarity cap to bypass the HV that had already good Panasonic caps, it transferred the preamp into the next level.
Only 2 days ago, I compared the Clarity cap to many other MKP low voltage filter caps in a line level circuit, used as an output cap in a simple opa627 buffer, the Clarity cap did not sound any better than the others.
My worse impression of the Clarity cap came from this: my power amp did not have an input cap. I added a Clarity cap to the input (with a -3dB at 1Hz, which would not affect the sound) for better DC protection. Its sound became "unlistenable". Removing the cap made the music come back to live.
I don't have a thick pocket to try other caps. I strongly believe that no caps are better than any caps.
I also strongly believe that some cap tests, including the ones I did, were highly unrelieable. It can be subject to many factors. The result can often be inconsistent.
Funny, the Clarity caps I have all have yellow colour with black ink characters, while the Clarity caps pictured at Tony Gee's site look exotic. Are they the same caps? I bought the Clarity caps from a very relieable person, a friend of mine. I suspect that he imported them directly from ICW.
Have fun.
Regards,
Bill
I don't have the fortune to buy many "hi-end" caps so basically the Clarity caps are the only caps I used in passive XO.
In a passive XO, I compared the Clarity caps to the Solens. The Solens sounded harsh while the Clarity caps sounded smooth. This confirms what Tony Gee reported.
In one tube preamp, I could not tell any difference between a cheap Mylar green cap and the Clairty cap used as the output capacitor.
In another tube preamp, when I use 24uF Clarity cap to bypass the HV that had already good Panasonic caps, it transferred the preamp into the next level.
Only 2 days ago, I compared the Clarity cap to many other MKP low voltage filter caps in a line level circuit, used as an output cap in a simple opa627 buffer, the Clarity cap did not sound any better than the others.
My worse impression of the Clarity cap came from this: my power amp did not have an input cap. I added a Clarity cap to the input (with a -3dB at 1Hz, which would not affect the sound) for better DC protection. Its sound became "unlistenable". Removing the cap made the music come back to live.
I don't have a thick pocket to try other caps. I strongly believe that no caps are better than any caps.
I also strongly believe that some cap tests, including the ones I did, were highly unrelieable. It can be subject to many factors. The result can often be inconsistent.
Funny, the Clarity caps I have all have yellow colour with black ink characters, while the Clarity caps pictured at Tony Gee's site look exotic. Are they the same caps? I bought the Clarity caps from a very relieable person, a friend of mine. I suspect that he imported them directly from ICW.
Have fun.
Regards,
Bill
I agree with HIFINUT on the clarity SA caps. I upgraded my solen fast caps to Clarity SA a few years back and have enjoyed their more laid back 'warmer' character. They do roll off slightly on top as Tony Gee suggests, but are not devoid of detail and character. I find the Solen caps quite harsh in my Dynaudio system.
I have also tried auricaps which are fantastic, albeit a lot more expensive. They have a similar sound to the Hovland apparently which he rates highly.
I read somewhere that clarity caps come in different colours for commercial runs, and can sometimes vary between countries. I think the quality is the same regardless - the writing on the cap is the same and the size and shape does not change. They are a bargain in Australia as well with Solens being about 2-3 times the price. The retailer in Darwin "Lede Electronics' is a great bloke.
So based on these experiences, I would have to say my views as consistent with Tony Gee's ratings.
I have also tried auricaps which are fantastic, albeit a lot more expensive. They have a similar sound to the Hovland apparently which he rates highly.
I read somewhere that clarity caps come in different colours for commercial runs, and can sometimes vary between countries. I think the quality is the same regardless - the writing on the cap is the same and the size and shape does not change. They are a bargain in Australia as well with Solens being about 2-3 times the price. The retailer in Darwin "Lede Electronics' is a great bloke.
So based on these experiences, I would have to say my views as consistent with Tony Gee's ratings.
Yes probably lack of harshness. 'Rolled off' is the best description I can come up with as I held everything else constant. The cap was in series with the tweeter, and I noticed that it was not as 'loud' as the solen. It also seemed to reduce the sibilance of female voices and cymbals, and let other instruments be heard.
So as bloke interested in listening to music (and not so much in writing about it!) I thought it was a positive change for small $.
So as bloke interested in listening to music (and not so much in writing about it!) I thought it was a positive change for small $.
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