Hi,
I need please an advice for a 0,47 uF film cap as DC blocker output for a DAC. Typically : E188CC or 6N23PE-EV outputs.
I thought about : a NOS Philips styrenes that are lead foilded if I remember, but too much dry sound in serie ?
Nos ERO KP ?
Nos ERO MKC ?
a soviet teflon or a soviet paper in oil ?
break the wallet and a modern Miflex copper ?
I also know Torsten Loesch appreciated the Solen leads for the purpose ?
Etc...
Your experience welcome, no money for a Tango transformer, Lundhall, etc !
Many thanks
I need please an advice for a 0,47 uF film cap as DC blocker output for a DAC. Typically : E188CC or 6N23PE-EV outputs.
I thought about : a NOS Philips styrenes that are lead foilded if I remember, but too much dry sound in serie ?
Nos ERO KP ?
Nos ERO MKC ?
a soviet teflon or a soviet paper in oil ?
break the wallet and a modern Miflex copper ?
I also know Torsten Loesch appreciated the Solen leads for the purpose ?
Etc...
Your experience welcome, no money for a Tango transformer, Lundhall, etc !
Many thanks

Any competent made (say Vishay, etc.) bought at a reputable supplier (say Mouser - Digikey - Farnell) will do its job perfectly well.
Capacitors do not have a sound of their own, plus that is a single coupling stage doing an easy job, and part of a LONG Audio chain, from original Recording Studio microphones to speaker cabinets, along which it travelled through dozens of capacitors which you do not know.
A coupling capacitor will not "damage" your sound and will definitely not "improve" it.
Any modification it does to your sound is distortion, so best ones do nothing and so sound the same.
Imagine perfectly clean and transparent glass, you must not be able to tell one piece from another even if from a different maker, that´s what transparent means.
Capacitors do not have a sound of their own, plus that is a single coupling stage doing an easy job, and part of a LONG Audio chain, from original Recording Studio microphones to speaker cabinets, along which it travelled through dozens of capacitors which you do not know.
A coupling capacitor will not "damage" your sound and will definitely not "improve" it.
Any modification it does to your sound is distortion, so best ones do nothing and so sound the same.
Imagine perfectly clean and transparent glass, you must not be able to tell one piece from another even if from a different maker, that´s what transparent means.
Thank you for chiming in,
@ Rayma : I'm not sure I understand your question. the dac is a curent output, the tube will be used as an I/V. I should be very near from 2 V RMS at outputt. Voltage tube around 100V for a E188CC ? Pre is 47K input.
@ Rayma : I'm not sure I understand your question. the dac is a curent output, the tube will be used as an I/V. I should be very near from 2 V RMS at outputt. Voltage tube around 100V for a E188CC ? Pre is 47K input.
Then the minimum rating for the output capacitor is 200VDC at around 0.22uF.
That gives you a lot of options, so experiment, but break them in.
Higher voltage rating caps are better. I would use polypropylene film types.
That gives you a lot of options, so experiment, but break them in.
Higher voltage rating caps are better. I would use polypropylene film types.
Thank you,
yes, but unluckilly almost no film caps left in my toolbox !I liked a lot the Amphom in oil MKP, but I have no more left. I remember the Ero KP in small value were not too much colored as well. No money room for Vcap, Dueleund... though I know paper in oil from soviet block is ok for speaker but maybe not clear enough here due to the low voltage ?
MKC are stable but I never tried it, Ero NOS are still cheap and can be sourced easily ! Thermal drift of styrens is bad in that purpose ?
SCR lead foil are not expensive in Europe. But I will not buy dozen to experiment as the monney goes into the tube !
yes, but unluckilly almost no film caps left in my toolbox !I liked a lot the Amphom in oil MKP, but I have no more left. I remember the Ero KP in small value were not too much colored as well. No money room for Vcap, Dueleund... though I know paper in oil from soviet block is ok for speaker but maybe not clear enough here due to the low voltage ?
MKC are stable but I never tried it, Ero NOS are still cheap and can be sourced easily ! Thermal drift of styrens is bad in that purpose ?
SCR lead foil are not expensive in Europe. But I will not buy dozen to experiment as the monney goes into the tube !
Thermal drift won't be a significant factor for a coupling capacitor, but you won't find a PS type that large.
Be sure the part has low inductance (extended foil).
Be sure the part has low inductance (extended foil).
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Would be fine if they fit. They are a bit large, around 1/2" dia, and 1 3/4" long.
May be difficult to source in Europe.
https://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/WPP.pdf
May be difficult to source in Europe.
https://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/WPP.pdf
Sure it will fit as it's a diy project; chassis comes at the end ! 🙂
So you build from the inside out. Go for it if you can get them, they're very good.
Russian K71-4/5 would be my choice. Best bang for the buck hands down…
Take forever to settle in though.
Take forever to settle in though.
Thanks Phase. I didn't knnow this one. I have some NOS Styren from Philips (lead foil à la LCR if I'm correct) that were used massively in the best phono stage DIY gears, but I don't remember if their voltage ratting is good enough, i.e. > 100V !
Well, I get a NOS E188CC Philips 1963 tube (7803 in US) for an I/V which is the beginning of this project. Or the end if the tube is not so NOS...
I beleive at this level if no OT, the DC caps must be the less intrusive and colored... At least they are from the experiences I had with SS outputs in DACs ! (my everyday dac is DC coupled, but I expect to go further here with this tube despite the DC Cap !)
Well, I get a NOS E188CC Philips 1963 tube (7803 in US) for an I/V which is the beginning of this project. Or the end if the tube is not so NOS...
I beleive at this level if no OT, the DC caps must be the less intrusive and colored... At least they are from the experiences I had with SS outputs in DACs ! (my everyday dac is DC coupled, but I expect to go further here with this tube despite the DC Cap !)
chassis comes at the end ! 🙂
Hehe.. then you have the game of Tetris 😀
I have the intent of going oversized for my initial chassis, this allows room for additions and updates.
I hate this part of DIY : casing, loudspeaker cabinet ! I hate it but less I love this hobby... needs pills !
Thanks Phase. I didn't knnow this one. I have some NOS Styren from Philips (lead foil à la LCR if I'm correct) that were used massively in the best phono stage DIY gears, but I don't remember if their voltage ratting is good enough, i.e. > 100V !
Well, I get a NOS E188CC Philips 1963 tube (7803 in US) for an I/V which is the beginning of this project. Or the end if the tube is not so NOS...
I beleive at this level if no OT, the DC caps must be the less intrusive and colored... At least they are from the experiences I had with SS outputs in DACs ! (my everyday dac is DC coupled, but I expect to go further here with this tube despite the DC Cap !)
diyiggy....... be careful, that you´re not fooling yourself so much, that you´ll totally "ruin" your wallet 😀 It´s called expectation-bias (you know, you did it).
Some weeks ago, I partissipated in a kind of blind test. We were supplied 4 identical music pieces as HiRes-files from download. Later after the answers were given, the test-setup was reveiled .
2 files were untouched, one had traveled through a 7$ good quality 10uF elko & the last file had gone through a 2000$ 10uF Duelund capacitor. After the first test, the order of the files were altered, and we had to try again.
Because you are really concentrated on the job, I (the only one) succeeded both times to determine, which files were untouched an which had passed through a capacitor, but it was really really difficult, and the differences were close to none. One thing I could NOT do, was to hear difference between a 7$ Elko & a 2000$ Duelund.
Also, if your I/V stage is done like cathode-follower-style with no gain, there´s very little, NOS tubes will do different that standard tubes.
Just my 5 cents, before you waste a lot of money.
BTW.... the testsetup was done like: File/dac/analog domain (where the capacitors were put in)/ADC/file for download.
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Yep, you're right, I'm aware about it.
Btw, I don't think the price always, if not ever, reflect the sounding quality. It's more the whole setup interaction. I know it from playing with caps : there are NEVER a best cap.
There is a good technology for the particular purpose then a blending to do according your whole setup, tastes... and yes: bias. You can do miracle on some circuitry between two caps of the same numbers but that give enough difference enough to give an improvement. The winning cap here can be the same loosing one elswhere at iso capacitance/voltage/ESR/ESL.
I'm not a Duelund or 100 usd BG N single cap, purchasing guy... I just purchased this tube I had at a fair price to test how it perform in an already very good DAC again a non feedbacked transconductance SS stage and a diamond discrete tipology one. So it must stay cheap but of an enough quality. Understand film cap as the capacitance value is low) 🙂
Btw, I don't think the price always, if not ever, reflect the sounding quality. It's more the whole setup interaction. I know it from playing with caps : there are NEVER a best cap.
There is a good technology for the particular purpose then a blending to do according your whole setup, tastes... and yes: bias. You can do miracle on some circuitry between two caps of the same numbers but that give enough difference enough to give an improvement. The winning cap here can be the same loosing one elswhere at iso capacitance/voltage/ESR/ESL.
I'm not a Duelund or 100 usd BG N single cap, purchasing guy... I just purchased this tube I had at a fair price to test how it perform in an already very good DAC again a non feedbacked transconductance SS stage and a diamond discrete tipology one. So it must stay cheap but of an enough quality. Understand film cap as the capacitance value is low) 🙂
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