I bought some of those caps in the 220 nF value from that same seller, but I have not used them yet. The caps I received were exactly as pictured.
I've been satisfied with all of the other parts I have bought from that seller.
I've been satisfied with all of the other parts I have bought from that seller.
Looks like class X caps which means they can safely be placed across an AC line. They'll work fine for your application but the boutique capacitor crowd will look down their noses at you.
It might be a good idea to bust one of the caps open and apply a soldering iron to the film to see if it really is polypropylene - just because it says MKP on the outside, doesn't necessarily mean there's actually polypropylene on the inside.
Polypropylene will have a "hot Dixie cup" smell similar to polyethylene when melted, while hot poyester has more of a mothball-type smell.
I have used X-caps for coupling caps before with OK results, just don't use them in an application where significant ripple current flows.
Polypropylene will have a "hot Dixie cup" smell similar to polyethylene when melted, while hot poyester has more of a mothball-type smell.
I have used X-caps for coupling caps before with OK results, just don't use them in an application where significant ripple current flows.
Speaking of polypropylene caps is anyone using DC Link caps?
For coupling I use Russian FT-2 caps, but curious about DC Link especially in the larger sizes for PSUs and cathode bypasses.
For coupling I use Russian FT-2 caps, but curious about DC Link especially in the larger sizes for PSUs and cathode bypasses.
Great stuff, highly recommended. made for industrial applications (In high voltage inverters and such) Insane ripple current rating, Ultra low ESR and ESL.
Closest thing you can get to a textbook ideal capacitor IMHO.
Was working on a 300A buck converter for some welding job, and needed 400A+ of ripple current rating, only way to do that in the weight constraints was with DC Links.
Closest thing you can get to a textbook ideal capacitor IMHO.
Was working on a 300A buck converter for some welding job, and needed 400A+ of ripple current rating, only way to do that in the weight constraints was with DC Links.
I think I saw exactly such caps losing capacity over time like an electrolytic 😀 , definitively this is a common failure for over the mains ( cheap) caps operating in a hot place .
Now for coupling they are not stressed much , maybe will last a long time , who knows .
But I don't think some WIMA are too expensive for a tube amplifier .
I found a picture , not the same brand it seems , but close 😀 That one was 10nF
Now for coupling they are not stressed much , maybe will last a long time , who knows .
But I don't think some WIMA are too expensive for a tube amplifier .
I found a picture , not the same brand it seems , but close 😀 That one was 10nF
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I have evaluated some X2 polypropylene as coupling (with a headphone amp). They were sonically average, but I've heard worse (for example, the white Mundorf "Audiophiler" non-EVO). They are about the same as Wima MKP2. Wima MKP10 are a little better. Other caps sound way better.
those caps will be snubbed by the audiophile crowd, i use them a lot and is happy with them...
better is we do not talk about those here much, the prices might go up....
better is we do not talk about those here much, the prices might go up....
Capacitor distortion, dielectric characteristics and plate geometry are objective facts, not "audiophile caprice".
Don't worry, the price won't go up - these X2 caps are sold by the boatload, there is one in almost every electric appliance...
I, for one, I will happily leave them to those who like them and I will use better sounding alternatives.
Don't worry, the price won't go up - these X2 caps are sold by the boatload, there is one in almost every electric appliance...
I, for one, I will happily leave them to those who like them and I will use better sounding alternatives.
Different kinds of caps have different electrical characteristics and will change the signal going through them in different ways. They don't sound the same. That is a fact.
Will a person hear these differences? It depends on many factors: the circuit, the components, the transducer, the environment, the ears, etc.
Objectively characterizing the euphony of a capacitor is not easy. It could probably be done based on the harmonic distortion profile, but I think it's more complex than that.
Will a person hear these differences? It depends on many factors: the circuit, the components, the transducer, the environment, the ears, etc.
Objectively characterizing the euphony of a capacitor is not easy. It could probably be done based on the harmonic distortion profile, but I think it's more complex than that.
If you have a very small DIY budget for a tube amp and have to look for penny pincher parts, then china is the location to go. They can deliver quality, but most often china is synonymous with cheap, low quality parts and products. I know of no one who buys from china because of the quality of their products. Look for wholesale prices, they are in fact even more cheap.
In a broad sense, you are correct. But I am asking specifically about the yellow 275VAC caps. I just bought a bunch! Gave some weight to v4lve lover's opinion.
You have to hear, experience those parts for yourself. No one can do this for you, because everybody is an individual and has subjetive likings and taste in audio.
If you think, others can do it for you, that wouldn't work.
And if you've already bought them, try them out in a simple ciruit of quality. Because only in quality gear you can judge non quality parts. With low quality gear, no judgement at all is possible. So the amp has to be always be better than the component you test.
There are some things in life that others can't do for you. And thats everything subjective, depending on taste and liking. All other, measurable things can be done by others, too.
To me, I would judge them as average, neutral caps. But they can be even bad sounding. Of course, that isn't the cream of the crop, at least for me.
If you think, others can do it for you, that wouldn't work.
And if you've already bought them, try them out in a simple ciruit of quality. Because only in quality gear you can judge non quality parts. With low quality gear, no judgement at all is possible. So the amp has to be always be better than the component you test.
There are some things in life that others can't do for you. And thats everything subjective, depending on taste and liking. All other, measurable things can be done by others, too.
To me, I would judge them as average, neutral caps. But they can be even bad sounding. Of course, that isn't the cream of the crop, at least for me.
As Depanatoru wrote, these are the worst kind of X2 capacitors. They quickly lose capacity over time. I had no issues with other X2 capacitor brands.
The only test I that I would have confidence in is a double blind ABX type. Pretty difficult to do.
It's for a guitar amp circuit, either coupling caps or tonestack caps. Reliability is more my concern. The circuit has tons of distortion and clipping (think Van Halen's first record).
Try'em and see
X2 100nF caps were all that was available off the shelf when helping repair a Supro guitar amp a few (3+?) years back (needed for a gig that night). Worked fine as coupling caps. Still there, thrashed weekly. Owner says leave'em in until they die then replace with "mustard caps" or whatever. OK.
So I measured the small signal response of some more of the same manufacture - capacitance as a function of frequency 10Hz to 20kHz. Very consistent sample to sample (less than 2% deviation from nominal for 12+ caps measured), constant capacitance over the bandwidth. So I tried some in an RIAA network - achieved a very accurate filter, listened to for 2 years now, sonics just fine (but it's a good circuit anyway).
Anyway, that got me interested and I tested other sorts of small caps including "specials" loaned by friends. Some showed frequency response just as good as the X2s, others showed a bit of high frequency roll-off, others were a bit more "dramatic".
Getting a bit more methodical, I bought some caps of the same (inexpensive) brand, same construction and materials, but different values and different voltage ratings. I found that physically bigger caps showed proportionally more roll-off of capacitance at higher frequencies. They might have been bigger because they were of higher capacitance, or bigger because they had a higher voltage rating - there was a good correlation between capacitor physical volume and roll-off by 20kHz. Sort of makes sense, if bigger means more parasitic inductance etc ... and then did the same for inexpensive electrolytics - very similar trend, though the roll-off started earlier and was way more marked.
What did I learn? Well, it can be informative to measure devices, and if I find a cap that measures well, I buy a few spares. And these days if I want accurate broadband filters, I will try to use the physically smallest suitable available capacitor (all other things being equal).
X2 100nF caps were all that was available off the shelf when helping repair a Supro guitar amp a few (3+?) years back (needed for a gig that night). Worked fine as coupling caps. Still there, thrashed weekly. Owner says leave'em in until they die then replace with "mustard caps" or whatever. OK.
So I measured the small signal response of some more of the same manufacture - capacitance as a function of frequency 10Hz to 20kHz. Very consistent sample to sample (less than 2% deviation from nominal for 12+ caps measured), constant capacitance over the bandwidth. So I tried some in an RIAA network - achieved a very accurate filter, listened to for 2 years now, sonics just fine (but it's a good circuit anyway).
Anyway, that got me interested and I tested other sorts of small caps including "specials" loaned by friends. Some showed frequency response just as good as the X2s, others showed a bit of high frequency roll-off, others were a bit more "dramatic".
Getting a bit more methodical, I bought some caps of the same (inexpensive) brand, same construction and materials, but different values and different voltage ratings. I found that physically bigger caps showed proportionally more roll-off of capacitance at higher frequencies. They might have been bigger because they were of higher capacitance, or bigger because they had a higher voltage rating - there was a good correlation between capacitor physical volume and roll-off by 20kHz. Sort of makes sense, if bigger means more parasitic inductance etc ... and then did the same for inexpensive electrolytics - very similar trend, though the roll-off started earlier and was way more marked.
What did I learn? Well, it can be informative to measure devices, and if I find a cap that measures well, I buy a few spares. And these days if I want accurate broadband filters, I will try to use the physically smallest suitable available capacitor (all other things being equal).
i do not listen to caps, never, when i listen to my setup, i only hear the music, nothing else.....