Restek Fantasy amp cap upgrade + opamps and Bursons!

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
HornTube, would you not advocate a mixture of the laid back Silmics combined with the brighter more "revealing" caps like Black Gate, Cerafine, Os-con SECP and Panasonic (various)?

Laid back? ELNA? Really?

Let me give an example: If you change the PSU el-caps in a SE or PP tube amp to Solen, ICW or Ansar (film caps) what are the most remarkable changes in sound?
1. Authority
2. Strong but solid and hear-through bass, sub bass is stronger.
3. Clean but smooth highs.
4. Much better micro-dynamics.
5. Much more ambiance-room details.
6. Speed.

change to BlackGates:
1. Authority - YES
2. Strong but solid and hear-through bass, sub bass is stronger - yes
3. Clean but smooth highs - NO
4. Much better micro-dynamics - NO
5. Much more ambiance-room details - YES
6. Speed - YES

change to ELNA:
1. Authority - YES
2. Strong but solid and hear-through bass, sub bass is stronger - YES
3. Clean but smooth highs - YES
4. Much better micro-dynamics - YES
5. Much more ambiance-room details - yes
6. Speed - yes

I would say that ELNA is the nearest thing to "no el-cap" sound. Very natural - not laid back. So why destroy the sound with OS-CONS or BlackGates and why pay so much!?
 
Elna Silmics laid-back? Yes, that is what I have often been told. I've not done enough back to back testing of these caps to have such a confident opinion. I would not dare to make such bold and absolute assertions. I'll make more of my own experiments in time.

One thing I note is that you group all Elna together when some others, who have tested a lot, feel Elna Cerafine and Black Gate Standard actually offer a similar character. Why is your experience so different? Is it all experience or is there an assumption that one brand sounds a certain way regardless of model? It's hard to test all of these properly.
 
LOL. This could get out of hand.

I find Silmics to sound shut in in the top end when I use them in line-level equipment, but I use them in amplifiers often as they don't seem to have the same effect. They are my weapon of choice for the bootstrap capacitor in Quad 306's for example.

Cheers, Lee.
 
Cheers Ian,

btw, which voltage did you use for 220 & 470uf caps? I mean did you stay with factory 63v or put some other? I'm looking now for Panasonic FCs and Elna, but the majority of them is 50v. Of course, you could find 100v but they would be significantly more expensive and in some places difficult to place due to much bigger size. So I was wandering could I use 50v caps? :)
 
Hehehehe!!!! Caps are all about personal choice! What works well in 1 area for 1 may be a disaster in another.

I don't think I've ever heard anypne being so negative towards BG's audio qualities before. I heard them described as too expensive and not worth the money but thats another argument.

Personally I chose Pansonic FM's for all the caps in the power stage. I think they were 50v because thats all I could get and I wanted FM's. Personally I wouldn't use FC's because I think they'll sound hard and cold but thats just my opinion. SilmicII's should sound good here too. I wouldn't worry about keeping all the values the same on the rails. I increased a bit (up to 1000uF I think on the 6 larger ones) I mixed Rubycon ZA's and BG std in the pre stage to keep the pre stage to keep the pre "sharp".

50V is tight in the power stage and I'll prob short life the ones I fitted. Stick with 63v or 100v if you can.
 
Last edited:
Last year I tweaked 2 Technics ST-G90 5-gang flagship tuners. One with BlackGates & Rubycon ZL, ZLH's. The other one with Panasonic FC's & ELNA Silmics.

Result:
BG & Rubycon = unlistenable.
FC & Silmics = fantastic.

Bear in mind that the ST-G90 is rather neutral to smooth with huge amounts of bass and body.
 
@UV101: Panasonic FM is very good! On the FC's: Maybe you should have gave them more burn-in time? But I agree with you, FM's are very authoritative.

I use FC with increased uF for smoothers in CD players mild modification and like them for this use.

I also use ZA and ZLG lots as local decoupling of analouge rails in the same with excellent results although sometimes it can be too analytical.
 
Last edited:
Last year I tweaked 2 Technics ST-G90 5-gang flagship tuners. One with BlackGates & Rubycon ZL, ZLH's. The other one with Panasonic FC's & ELNA Silmics.

Result:
BG & Rubycon = unlistenable.
FC & Silmics = fantastic.

Bear in mind that the ST-G90 is rather neutral to smooth with huge amounts of bass and body.

Thanks for the extra information, it's really interesting!
 
more cap stuff in the mixer...........................................

Came accross this a couple of years ago High End Audio - Electrolytic Capacitors

I told you... ELNA SILMIC rules the electrolytic waves:sing:

I believe this test cos BlackGates f*cks up jazz music - Rubycon ZL, ZLH's are even worse. But not only jazz, classical chamber music or medieval music like Jordi Savall is also torn apart. Natural instruments starting to sound stressed and losing quiet a lot of texture.
 
Last edited:
more cap stuff in the mixer...........................................

Came accross this a couple of years ago High End Audio - Electrolytic Capacitors

"Elna Silmic II is the best device of this test. Comparing with very good Black Gate, Elna sounds better. There is as difference between Sprage and Black Gate than Black Gate and Elna. It is certainly the best choice on electrolytic capacitors for top end devices. Good sound for classical, baroc, jazz and modern music."

I agree ofcourse, but I think Panasonic FC & FM and Nichicon Fine Gold & other Nichicon High-End caps are better than BlackGate and MUCH cheaper.
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.