glass capacitors

lochness · 9th July 2008, 06:57 PM

I have found a source of glass capacitors in my area in a large range of values (.5pf - 1.5nf) and tolerances (sometimes +-1% sometimes +-10%). Most of them are Corning or Vitramon but there are a few noname brand. None of them are particularly expensive in the $1-$5 range. I was wondering if they were any good for audio or do they produce any nasty distortions like ceramic caps?

Tom Bavis · 9th July 2008, 07:15 PM

You should have said "...like high-K ceramic". NPO ceramic is an excellent, linear dielectric, as is glass.

lochness · 9th July 2008, 07:25 PM

So I take it they're good for audio. I was going to use them to get more exact values on a phono-preamp.

rdf · 9th July 2008, 07:26 PM

Are you sure glass = NPO? The AVX line of glass caps, for example, spec a DA in the polystyrene range and are listed separately from the Ceramics. I'ld love to find some.

kenpeter · 10th July 2008, 01:26 AM

Is a tube with a dead filament any use as a capacitor?

d to the g · 10th July 2008, 01:36 AM

The American Ceramic Society lists glass as a ceramic.

Conrad Hoffman · 10th July 2008, 02:55 AM

I've measured some glass capacitors, Corning and AVX I think. You'd think glass would have some great properties, and it's not bad, but it's no better than some films, and probably worse than styrene or propylene. I think the military likes 'em, either for radiation resistance, temperature, space apps, or some other not-really-audio reason.

rdf · 10th July 2008, 03:54 AM

Conrad! You were the one who reminded of the National capacitor soakage paper from which I culled representative 'styrene DA numbers for comparison with AVX's claim. ~0.015 vs. 0.012. I feel so betrayed....

Conrad Hoffman · 10th July 2008, 12:20 PM

I know a physicist who only gets excited about things that are "an order of magnitude" different. I think he's on to something. Be it THD, power output, or component measurements, a lot of the things we worry about are probably down in a region of uncertainty that just keeps a discussion going, but without ever resolving anything.

lochness · 10th July 2008, 01:17 PM

My high school physics teacher was like that. To quote:

Quote:

Eh? Thats close enough.

I think hes teaching at a Taiwan University now. His wife was not happy about the move until she realized how well teachers are treated over there compared to RI (she was an english teacher or something).

9th July 2008, 06:57 PM	#1
lochness diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2006	glass capacitors I have found a source of glass capacitors in my area in a large range of values (.5pf - 1.5nf) and tolerances (sometimes +-1% sometimes +-10%). Most of them are Corning or Vitramon but there are a few noname brand. None of them are particularly expensive in the $1-$5 range. I was wondering if they were any good for audio or do they produce any nasty distortions like ceramic caps?

9th July 2008, 07:26 PM	#4
rdf diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: big smoke	Are you sure glass = NPO? The AVX line of glass caps, for example, spec a DA in the polystyrene range and are listed separately from the Ceramics. I'ld love to find some. __________________ Ears aren't microphones.

10th July 2008, 02:55 AM	#7
Conrad Hoffman diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canandaigua, NY USA	I've measured some glass capacitors, Corning and AVX I think. You'd think glass would have some great properties, and it's not bad, but it's no better than some films, and probably worse than styrene or propylene. I think the military likes 'em, either for radiation resistance, temperature, space apps, or some other not-really-audio reason. __________________ I used to be an audiophool like you but then I took an arrow to the knee.

10th July 2008, 03:54 AM	#8
rdf diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: big smoke	Conrad! You were the one who reminded of the National capacitor soakage paper from which I culled representative 'styrene DA numbers for comparison with AVX's claim. ~0.015 vs. 0.012. I feel so betrayed.... __________________ Ears aren't microphones.

10th July 2008, 12:20 PM	#9
Conrad Hoffman diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Canandaigua, NY USA	I know a physicist who only gets excited about things that are "an order of magnitude" different. I think he's on to something. Be it THD, power output, or component measurements, a lot of the things we worry about are probably down in a region of uncertainty that just keeps a discussion going, but without ever resolving anything. __________________ I used to be an audiophool like you but then I took an arrow to the knee.

9th July 2008, 07:15 PM	#2
Tom Bavis diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Macedon NY	You should have said "...like high-K ceramic". NPO ceramic is an excellent, linear dielectric, as is glass.

9th July 2008, 07:25 PM	#3
lochness diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2006	So I take it they're good for audio. I was going to use them to get more exact values on a phono-preamp.

10th July 2008, 01:26 AM	#5
kenpeter diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Dallas	Is a tube with a dead filament any use as a capacitor?

10th July 2008, 01:36 AM	#6
d to the g diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: minimalopolis	The American Ceramic Society lists glass as a ceramic.

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