breaking in audio capacitors

[the trooper]

Hello all, I have a set of russian pio caps I. I am wondering if there is a way to break this in before I use them?

[tomchr]

Solder them into the circuit. Turn the circuit on.

~Tom

[the trooper]

I should have been more clear. I actually ment breaking them in before I solder them inplace

[DUG]

Measure them to make sure the capacitance matches the labeling.

If they are within tolerance, they are ready to use.

"break them in" in circuit.

(You will want them used to the music you listen to most.)

[tomchr]

Actually, I have developed a highly sophisticated proprietary break-in method specifically optimized for Russian PIO capacitors. I normally charge $1000 for this service, but for you only I will offer my services for the ultra low price of only $999.99. But hurry. This deal won't last forever. Act now and save.

Seriously, dude. If the capacitance of the cap meets the value stamped on the part, just solder it into the circuit.

~Tom

[HollowState]

Originally Posted by the trooper

I should have been more clear. I actually ment breaking them in before I solder them inplace

I'm of the opinion that there is no break-in for capacitors and other passive componets. It's all a bunch of audiophool hogwash. What really has to break in is you ear/brain system by getting used to the slightly rolled off and mellow sound of paper dielectric capacitors.

But it you insist on believing in this and wish to "break thing in", here's food for thought. Go to eBay and buy a General Radio (Gen Rad) type 1390A or B random noise generator. These old units go pretty cheap. Then hook your componets across the output at full voltage and let them set there for days. In the case of wire, like interconnects, terminate the far end with a resistor of around 1k ohm (or more) so as not to short the generator's output.

[kstagger]

just solder 'em in and turn on the power. Any differences you hear should be short-lived as your ear adjusts to the sound.

Case in point, I once tried out some Russian Teflon caps in a pair of single-ended monoblocks. At first I thought I could tell a real difference, but as the amplifiers broke in, the effect became smaller and smaller. Psychoacoustics? "dialectric relaxation?" I dunno, but these days I advocate putting a "good" capacitor in a circuit, not blowing hundreds of dollars on passive parts.

[SemperFi]

It's better to break them before installed so you dont break anyting else inside the chassis. Solder the pieces in after they're broken.

[DF96]

If break-in means anything at all then whatever you do will be undone and redone by actual use in the circuit. If break-in means nothing then you don't have to do it. So in either case you don't have to do it.

Note that for almost every capacitor in a circuit, apart from the one which sets the LF rolloff, most capacitor defects (including alleged lack of break-in) will have little or no effect on the signal as the capacitor will have little signal voltage across it so it can't affect the signal.

[monolith61]

Hi there

Buy a second hand reciever on ebay, do not connect an antenna to the tuner to obtain noise and roll on the volume when there is a speaker in place. Check the level, replace speaker with the cap in series with a 100R 10W resistor. Let it cook for a while ..

grz, //WDC

MONOLITH MAGNETICS