which brand n model for Aleph2 10pf mica?

[louischia]

hi all
which brand do u guys prefer to use for the Aleph2 10pf mica caps?
Cornell Dubilier mica capacitors?
http://www.cornell-dubilier.com/mica/framemica.htm
or other recomendations?
wat about model?
if Cornell Dubilier which model do u guys think will best suit tat job most?
i plan to get the best available
thanks all

Louis

[Panelhead]

All the CDE mica caps I have found have plated steel leads. The best sonically use non-magnetic lead material.
I am not sure if non-magnetic silver mica caps are still manufactured. But take a magnet to the parts store and check.
The last ones I found were the real small sm caps. I think they were 500v and 10 pfd. These were the smallest at the local store.
One way to check without a magnet is the flexibility of the leads. The tinned copper and much softer and flexible than the tinned steel.
Reading the info that comes with the CDE caps makes me think they would be fantastic if another material was used for the leads.

George

[Peter Daniel]

Originally posted by louischia

i plan to get the best available

Louis

If you plan to get the best avilable, install nothing. I just removed the silver micas from my Aleph X and the sound improved.

[grataku]

Originally posted by Peter Daniel


If you plan to get the best avilable, install nothing. I just removed the silver micas from my Aleph X and the sound improved.

How so?

[Peter Daniel]

You know, I've been tweaking my Aleph X recently and I do whatever possible to match the sound to my gainclone (this is a joke, of course), so I removed those caps yesterday. The sound became more open, with more direct vocal and better detail. I also installed some S102 Vishay resistors.

It's not really important to me if square wave will be perfect on a scope with those caps, if sonics suffer. Probably the best cap for that location would be one made of a pair of twisted insulated wire, as Nelson described in Aleph X thread. I might try it too.

[Bobken]

Originally posted by Panelhead
All the CDE mica caps I have found have plated steel leads. The best sonically use non-magnetic lead material.
I am not sure if non-magnetic silver mica caps are still manufactured. But take a magnet to the parts store and check.
The last ones I found were the real small sm caps. I think they were 500v and 10 pfd. These were the smallest at the local store.
One way to check without a magnet is the flexibility of the leads. The tinned copper and much softer and flexible than the tinned steel.
Reading the info that comes with the CDE caps makes me think they would be fantastic if another material was used for the leads.

George

Hi,

If you are interested, TAB in the UK still makes very good-sounding non-magnetic silver micas, and they are much better in performance than the usual magnetic ones.

When I was last in contact with TAB, they had apparently had some enquiries from the USA, although I don't know from whom.

TAB will not supply direct in small quantities, unfortunately, but if you are after quite a lot, its worth contacting them.

Otherwise, if it helps, Erno Borbely in Germany stocks these caps now, and they can be found on his webpage.

Regards,

[louischia]

Thanks alot everyone
i think i'll try wifout any caps 1st den search fr some non-magnetic silver micas locally or mayb try twisting some wires

Louis

[Bobken]

Originally posted by louischia
Thanks alot everyone
i think i'll try wifout any caps 1st den search fr some non-magnetic silver micas locally or mayb try twisting some wires

Louis

Hi,

In this case, I believe that some excellent non-magnetic silver-mica caps made by 'Soshin' in Japan, might be easier for you get hold of. By repute, they are even better sonically than the TABs, but I have not (yet!) tried them, myself.

Regards,

[Michael Vogel]

Hi Peter Daniel,
I searched the complete 170 pages of alephx thread, but doesn't find Nelson Pass description of "twisted pair compensation caps" as you wrote some posts earlier in this thread. Would be a good thing for me, as silver micas are not so easy to trace here.

micha

[Dane]

Here it is in a response to a question on the Zen 4.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showt...295#post224295