Do smaller and paralleled caps sound better as output caps

[nashbap]

I am building a balanced preamp and the schematic calls for a 10uf cap at the output of each phase. This will be connected to mono amps with 47k input impedance.
Reading on the web suggests that usually a smaller value output cap sounds better than a larger value. Also I used the calculator from V-cap and it suggests that a 2uf cap should suffice for 47k load impedance.
Coupling Capacitor Calculator by V-Cap

So my question is do smaller caps really sound better in output coupling use and would paralleling caps to reach a required value sound better; eg two 1uf caps to reach a 2uf value?

Thanks

nash

 

[rayma]

do smaller caps really sound better in output coupling use and would paralleling caps
to reach a required value sound better; eg two 1uf caps to reach a 2uf value?

The 2uF value is fine (around a 2Hz LF pole), but instead use a single 2uF capacitor,
with a parallel 0.1uF MKP-1837. Vishay R. Film Caps

 

[wwenze]

This is like asking if parallel wires, parallel connectors, parallel output transistors sound better...

 

[Welcome]

No, there is no difference. Capacitors don't have a "sound", that's audiophoolery.

 

[SY]

Reading on the web suggests that usually a smaller value output cap sounds better than a larger value.

You need to find better places to read. In order to avoid the capacitor having any "sound," it needs to be sized such that the corner frequency with the worst-case load is at least a decade below the lowest frequency of interest.

 

[AndrewT]

The 2uF value is fine (around a 2Hz LF pole), but instead use a single 2uF capacitor,
with a parallel 0.1uF MKP-1837. Vishay R. Film Caps

No, there is no difference. Capacitors don't have a "sound", that's audiophoolery.

You need to find better places to read. In order to avoid the capacitor having any "sound," it needs to be sized such that the corner frequency with the worst-case load is at least a decade below the lowest frequency of interest.

They are all telling you the same "message"
Don't let the coupling capacitor act as a filter of any of the audio signal.

That decade below 20Hz is good for all the plastic film types.
Decrease to 1/20th for electrolytic types, i.e. F-3dB < 1Hz

 

[DF96]

Putting a film cap in parallel with the electrolytic will probably do little harm. It won't, of course, do any good either.

Note that all the output coupling cap is required to do is
(a) block DC - an electrolytic may or may not do this adequately, depending on what comes next
(b) maintain a low impedance across the whole audio frequency range - an electrolytic should have no difficulty doing this

 

[Bigun]

Capacitors in simulations are perfect and parallel doesn't make any difference. But I found in real life things are different because practical capacitors are made of real world materials with imperfections in their performance and furthermore, how you install them and arrange wiring can add further parasitics to the system. These imperfections can result in resonances for example and unfortunately paralleling them can make this more complex instead of better. Or some capacitors may be slightly microphonic. Or susceptible to picking up signals from local e-m fields. Most of the time it won't matter but you may find it interesting to try some different caps and combinations to see if YOU hear any difference.

With electrolytic caps, choose a large value so that the corner frequency is at least a decade below the lowest frequency of the system. These kinds of caps tend to have low distortion providing there is little ac voltage across them, which means operating them where their impedance is low - i.e. well above the corner frequency.

 

[nashbap]

Thanks for your inputs.