According to sources I found that some (not all) MKV types had PCB from 1979 to 1983!
Erkennung und Entsorgung PCB-haltiger Kondensatoren - PDF Kostenfreier Download
Erkennung und Entsorgung PCB-haltiger Kondensatoren - PDF Kostenfreier Download
Your and my link (same) original document page 53 (seite 53), PDF document page is 55 - it is Siemens AG and MKV B2**** series.
Despite that an old German cap expert warned me to use Siemens MKVs made before 1983! He said some of them have PCB without any doubt. All my MKVs I own are made after 1984.
Despite that an old German cap expert warned me to use Siemens MKVs made before 1983! He said some of them have PCB without any doubt. All my MKVs I own are made after 1984.
Last edited:
Here it says mkv can be considered as pcb free
Page 3 bottom
https://www.zvei.org/fileadmin/user...ltige_Starkstromkondsensatoren_04_11_2015.pdf
Page 3 bottom
https://www.zvei.org/fileadmin/user...ltige_Starkstromkondsensatoren_04_11_2015.pdf
My screenshot does not function - Murphys law I guess - but you could be right and I'm wrong, I'm still searching for my MKV infos...
True, but it also says that it is PCB free from 1988 on
I think that statement is wrong. It should be: Alle MKV Kondensatoren sind ab Herstellungsdatum 1983 PCB frei.
All MKV capacitors with production date from 1983 on are free of PCB.
Cos the laws in Germany forbid manufacturers to use PCB from 1983 on and not 1988.
Last edited:
Hi all,
I have been following this thread "on & off" and have over the years been listening to probably around 50 different electrolytic capacitors trying to find one that has an (to my ears) optimum balance between speed, dynamics, tonal balance, tonal nuance, detail, transparency, realistic spatial rendering, musicality, etc., etc. ...
I have found some that I like (and some that are still being evaluated like e.g. the Audionote Kaisei) but have not really found one that I consider "just it". The KZs are really good in some respects, maybe the fine golds, the rubycon ZLs also in some respects (but very tricky in other respects), Silmics being too bright for me, and so on ...
Adding to the challenge of finding the best capacitor "series" is then the (again to my ears) notable audible differences between the same series' voltage, capacitance, and capacitor sizes ... They just don't sound identical and - unfortunately - most often the higher voltages are those that sound the best IMHO (this e.g. does correlate with a lower tan delta value, typically).
Anyway, the other day I was looking at pictures of the Denafrips Pontus DAC and seeing that they use a lot of the same type of capacitors it made me think of what is THE best capacitor people here know of? Not the series (e.g. ES or KZ etc.) but THE ONE capacitor (series, capacitance, size, voltage) that each person here considers the very best they know of?
Personally I can say that I haven't really found it but a couple of cautious suggestions would be the Panasonic HFZ 68uF/40VDC (obsolete), the HFZ 220uF/35VDC, the Elna Starget 100uF/35VDC (also obsolete I think), and possibly (and it is possibly) the Kaisei 470uF/25 VDC. To my ears the Kaisei's sound is close to that of a Nichicon Fine Gold but slightly more refined. And much more expensive.
One more consideration from my perspective is that a capacitor besides providing appropriate filtering also is a voltage "stabilizer". With this in mind I personally rarely use capacitors with a capacitance lower than 470 uF - except for filtering/parallelling with other larger capacitors - which doesn't make things easier ...
I also like the Nichicon KZ series but somehow miss a balanced tone here ... to my ears they can be a bit "screamy" in the upper midrange ...
Well, hoping to hear about what you may consider your very best capacitor
Cheers,
Jesper
i wonder about the slighty more refined, as i agree with most of your post, Kz , Fine Gold, Muse ES etc..
to me BP Kaisei caps on decoupling output are more musical than BG, but comparing it to any gold, ES or even the overated silmic which are far behind in term of musicality sweetness, and details always amze me.
i mean to me AN Kaisei BP serie feels closer of a PIO than any electrolytics caps (especialy the "specialised" ones, with silk, graphit,or whatever) .
Elna makes very good caps as stargets, or cerafines , i agree ,
its only my opinon
But Cerafines do not sound smooth or PIO like they are rather dry and clinical sounding with lot of highs and upper mids info. FG sounds almost identical to KZ but KZ with a bit more deep bass and a tad more punch in the lower registers. KZ is dangerous! Cos it is VERY revealing, if you hear this mids haze its somewhere in your Stereo system. Overall KZ is more or less unbeatable, IMO - if you look for utmost neutrality and openness. I have problems with KZ when I used it with metal cone speakers but with papers cones it is perfect. This is just an example why KZ would not work, there are many other possibilities.
IMO FG & KZ is way better than ES or BG. I also think Silmic II is colored but still better than ES and BG. ES is good with vocals but have obvious freq extremes problems. Deep bass and highs are rolled off and 3D info is also diminished leads to a rather dry & uninvolving character. ES dynamics are much worse than Silmic II.
IMO FG & KZ is way better than ES or BG. I also think Silmic II is colored but still better than ES and BG. ES is good with vocals but have obvious freq extremes problems. Deep bass and highs are rolled off and 3D info is also diminished leads to a rather dry & uninvolving character. ES dynamics are much worse than Silmic II.
Last edited:
@gentlevoice:
Silmics too bright? If Silmics are to bright for you please consider to visit the ear doctor, I'm not joking or offending. Many people do not know that their ears are not working properly and they are positively surprised after the visit.
If Silmics are too bright then a Rubycon ZL or ZA must be like Freddy Kruger coming out of the speaker and cutting your ears...
Silmics too bright? If Silmics are to bright for you please consider to visit the ear doctor, I'm not joking or offending. Many people do not know that their ears are not working properly and they are positively surprised after the visit.
If Silmics are too bright then a Rubycon ZL or ZA must be like Freddy Kruger coming out of the speaker and cutting your ears...
Last edited:
Thx, i was talking about Low Volts filtering stage .
are you decoupling output op amp with Elnas , Kz etc ..?
Cerafine does not sound smooth simply because your using the wrong voltage if its for decoupling try 50v type & share with use your thoughts. KZ highs no good sizzles to my ears. FG & KZ better then BG !!!!!! My experience with BG is they bring realism into many instruments which other caps cannot but having said that its not very transparent so back to what I commented last, there's no such thing as best cap it is always a combination of different varieties to achieve the sound that one is looking for.
Cheers
sumotan: "There's no such thing as best cap it is always a combination of different varieties to achieve the sound that one is looking for."
Yes. I second that.
I understand why you like BG, cos it is bold and mighty sounding. But as you said soundstage/transparency not so good. My stereo sounds bold enough & transparency is important for me.
Yes. I second that.
I understand why you like BG, cos it is bold and mighty sounding. But as you said soundstage/transparency not so good. My stereo sounds bold enough & transparency is important for me.