Audio Note Kaisei capacitors

Read Cyril Bateman's capacitor articles on Linear Audio. Bipolar caps are preferred even in power supply applications. My Dac, Preamp, and Phono stages have only 24 N and 56 NX bipolar Blackgates as local power supply bypasses - all direct coupled jfet/Fet solid state, even the regulators are jfet/ Fet shunts with BG bipolars bypassing the LED voltage references. The power amp has over 90,000 uf of Blackgate including 4 of the 2,200 uf/100 V N series bipolars - one on each rail.
 
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My 2 cents, been tweaking for a long time. Every capacitor regardless of brand some how will have their sound signature why so is something I cannot explain.
What I do know is how to combine each type of capacitor to balance up the sound. It is a mistake to use just one brand or type of capacitor on the whole project that your building. What I also found is a particular capacitor may sound wonderful in one position but that does not mean it will sound just as good in another part of the circuit. Lastly PS is most important to SQ & not decoupling. All I can say is one just has to keep on tweaking to understand what Im saying so pls no flaming. Aside from caps, resistor type used also affects sound

Cheers
 
hi, I have a good experience with AN standard. I tested various types of capacitors in a critical position in the Yamaha a-1020 amplifier. I tried many types, Nichicon KZ, Nichicon FG, ELNA Cerafine, ELNA Silmic II, Toshin Kogyo, and "non-audio" Panasonic FR. The best, or let's say the closest to the original blue Matsushita capacitors, were Audio Note Standard, but they had much better dynamics. This was the reason for replacing the Matsushita capacitors. For those who don't like the sound of Silmic II, try Audio Note. The sound is similarly dynamic with a wide soundstage like Nichicon KZ, but the vocals don't lose "presence" like they do with Nichicon KZ. For those who like the warm sound of Silmic or Nichicon FG, and for those who prefer the brighter sound of Audio Note or Nichicon KZ

I also want to try Audio Note Kasei and Seiryu, they are quite expensive. Luckily, it's enough to replace just one pair of capacitors to make a significant difference in the sound 😀
 
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Like you I've played with many caps Roko. KZ only sounds good when used 50v versions even for low volatge applications which strangely applies to many other caps as well, perhaps it due to lower esr etc. Now as for Silmic can't undstand what the hype is all about, I've even tried made for Japan varieties still no cigar so not for me. Thks for sharing will try some standard AN caps sometime

cheers
 
Aaah good just to share among the KZs the most dynamic & best sounding is the 22 uf 50v so just parallel them & give it another listen.
Silmic perhaps works better on SS amps but for me mid bass sounds tubby & the highs are kind of shut in.

Cheers
 
For anyone whose experimented enough will experience changes in sound of a capacitor regardless of whether it's boutique brand or run of the mill types. Is it its construction, material quality etc, me don't know but I hear changes & this goes for resistors as well especially in signal path.
 
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I'm thinking of trying the kasai in the pictured power supply. The caps in it now are g-luxon. I'm new to these experiments but the kasai seem to be one of the best options for a 10000uf.

I would be open to suggestions on using them in this application and also any random thoughts you may have from looking at the ps.
 

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Mundorf AG, Jensen Electrolytic (Difficult to find), Kemet BHC or split foil, Nichicon Gold Tune all worth investigating

I haven't tried the Gold Tune. Also worth experimenting with bypass caps, I tend to use burnt in ones to see. Options I have found successful (not everywhere) are 1% of the value with a high voltage similar electrolytic, Sometimes Silmic II, Cerafine, KZ. Or a film, but this can get expensive, I use anywhere between 0.1uf and 2uf with big power supply caps. I like Arizona Blues, Jupiter Comet, sometimes Polyester like WIMA MKS or Orange drop DME

My punt would be Mundorf AG, with a Jupiter Red Comet 0.1uf + bypass

PS In have tried some of the smaller Kaisei and they are good but the Audio Note tax loses their appeal. I recently tried 47uf power rail decoupling caps in a naim pre-amp and tried Silmic II, Original ROE, Audio Note Kaisei, BC 128, Oscon SP, Nichicon FG, Nichicon KZ and in this location the best was the KZ, the AN was pretty good, but not as good as the Silmic or original ROE. The Oscon had qualities with dynamics but it had a strange hollowness to the sound, the FG and BC sounded a bit grey and less interesting. In this place the KZ was a good few paces ahead of the second tier pack. But in other locations I have found the same using say a Silmic
 
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This is a field coil power supply that runs really nice and hot. If I lean towards any sound signature it would be warm and relaxed I would say. The field could themselves are fast and dynamic, I probably wouldn't double down on that signature. The field could are midrange only...

These caps are 14 years old and very inexpensive...
 
This is the only power supply I've tried, but one thing you will always hear from fc owners is how much power supply quality matters. Eventually I would like to make a tube power supply for them but for now it will be interesting to see what changing various caps does.
 
I need a bunch of 220uF /100V (or 160V ) for Audio Note 300B amps in cathode bypass position. Ideally I'd buy AN Kaisei but $200 for eight of those caps is out of question now . Which caps from Rubycon series would be appropriate? Rubycon is making those caps for Audio Note. I find it hard to believe they would go to great a length to make something special for the quantity AN is buying. In a case they do any other series /manufactures which would kind of get the similar voicing ? I can still buy Nichicon Muse KZ on Ebay but the amps are hot the cap is rated at 85 degree and t's life span is not so long