I have a pair of these (0.33uF 600VDC) to install in the Analog Ethos kit that I built. They are supplied with very long (too long) braided leads with some sort of coating on them. If I shorten the leads, how to remove that coating. It's not a typical a PVC insulation cover that can be stripped.
According to the blurb on the HiFi Collective site: "......contact surface on both ends specialy treated with sulphate granulation special copper plate connection at both ends guarantee perfect connection. This leads to better connection compared to usual connection with simple solder." Possibly a somewhat clumsy translation from the original German, but it suggests that the coating will take solder. Maybe clip one of the leads and try it?
Thanks. I tried that but the solder just does not flow and I was not getting a good connection. I decided to go low tech 🙂 I clipped the leads to the length I want, then under a magnifying glass I used a fine box cutter blade to carefully separate the strands of the leads (not easy because the coating sort of glues them together). That exposed some copper on each strand. I scraped a bit more off also. I then twisted them back together and soldered in place. Presto! Connection!
There must be something I'm missing because this is a royal pita that I won't go through again.
BTW the caps sound great in this amp. They bring more clarity across the spectrum without being edgy or brash and they give the impression of a bigger, deeper sound stage, compared to the no-name generics supplied with the kit. Worth the expense, to my ears and IMO.
There must be something I'm missing because this is a royal pita that I won't go through again.
BTW the caps sound great in this amp. They bring more clarity across the spectrum without being edgy or brash and they give the impression of a bigger, deeper sound stage, compared to the no-name generics supplied with the kit. Worth the expense, to my ears and IMO.
That's certainly very odd - the description sounds as though it's written to partly justify the fancy pricing (I noticed the 15uF was <£120 + tax(!)) but if you have to go to all that trouble it's not exactly an incentive. Maybe they need a blowtorch rather than a soldering iron?
Audyn do have a great rep, although I've only ever tried cheaper Russian varieties in a Transcendent pre-amp. Despite the lower expectation bias it still sounds wonderful. 🙂
(Upgrades are essential when kit building imo, otherwise you're forever left wondering "yes, it's great but what if.......")
Audyn do have a great rep, although I've only ever tried cheaper Russian varieties in a Transcendent pre-amp. Despite the lower expectation bias it still sounds wonderful. 🙂
(Upgrades are essential when kit building imo, otherwise you're forever left wondering "yes, it's great but what if.......")
I did NOT pay that much 🙂 These are the Reference series and I paid USD$15 each. Not cheap but the cost was worth it for my ears. The supplied leads are about 3" long so one assumes that there is a way to shorten them without the rigmarole that I went through. Perhaps a butane torch is required.
Yes, I find that DIY is an addiction. I think I won't upgrade anything else in this little amp but I'm already thinking of the next project and have the Tubelab PCB for the SSE.
Yes, I find that DIY is an addiction. I think I won't upgrade anything else in this little amp but I'm already thinking of the next project and have the Tubelab PCB for the SSE.
They are litz wire leads, or Tritec as they call them, which is no different than separate and enameled magnet wire. A solder pot is the most fool proof method as it burns off the polyurethane enamel and solders the leads together at the same time.
If they were single enameled strands, this would be much easier. I use a razor blade box-cutter knife to scrape it off around the perimeter of the strand. I know others have used sand paper for the same purpose. I have used soldering irons on litz wire, but it takes a lot of heat and tweezer style irons are better for the process.
If they were single enameled strands, this would be much easier. I use a razor blade box-cutter knife to scrape it off around the perimeter of the strand. I know others have used sand paper for the same purpose. I have used soldering irons on litz wire, but it takes a lot of heat and tweezer style irons are better for the process.