The pair of new J2s sounds SO good that they're worth improving.
Since I'm just smart enough to know that I know nothing about active circuitry and wouldn't dare change anything on the active-circuitry boards, I'll work on the PS.
I've found ELNA LAO ("For Audio") 10000uF/25V caps at DigiKey for just over $5 each and Nichicon KG Gold Tune 10000/35s at Michael Percy's for about $5. I plan to replace the pairs of 15000uF caps with trios of 10000uF caps.
Anyone have an informed opinion about which might sound better?
Since I'm just smart enough to know that I know nothing about active circuitry and wouldn't dare change anything on the active-circuitry boards, I'll work on the PS.
I've found ELNA LAO ("For Audio") 10000uF/25V caps at DigiKey for just over $5 each and Nichicon KG Gold Tune 10000/35s at Michael Percy's for about $5. I plan to replace the pairs of 15000uF caps with trios of 10000uF caps.
Anyone have an informed opinion about which might sound better?
Why do you think that will improve the sound? I think Pa put as much Capacitance as necessary 🙂.
(P.s. Caps are equally good, but maybe not the best for psu )
(P.s. Caps are equally good, but maybe not the best for psu )
keep this amp intact , and try to build one like this in KIT form with any of the exotic part you can reach , hexfred diodes , CLC POWer supply , gold caps everywhere, nude vishay for signal resistor ,etc... and when your build will sound better than the stock one then you will be ready to upgrade it and not degrade it 🙂
I'm NOT a scratch-builder, Juan. If I built a pair of them, one wouldn't work and the other would hum so badly I'd cost me $500 to have it fixed.
The pair of new J2s sounds SO good that they're worth improving.
Since I'm just smart enough to know that I know nothing about active circuitry and wouldn't dare change anything on the active-circuitry boards, I'll work on the PS.
I've found ELNA LAO ("For Audio") 10000uF/25V caps at DigiKey for just over $5 each and Nichicon KG Gold Tune 10000/35s at Michael Percy's for about $5. I plan to replace the pairs of 15000uF caps with trios of 10000uF caps.
Anyone have an informed opinion about which might sound better?
Nice picture, what is in there now?
Personally I wouldnt mess with the amp. You are probably just going to hurt the resale value for very little improvement if any.
What do you mean by "change a pair or caps for a trio"? Firstwatt amps typically have 8 capacitors...4 for the positive rail and 4 for the negative. Are you planning on using the same pcb thats in the amp?
The only way i would do this is to take out the original pcb and add either the diyaudio store psu pcb or some computer grade caps. And i would double or triple the stock capacitance...and use at least 35v caps. That should make a difference. But its gonna be expensive.
What do you mean by "change a pair or caps for a trio"? Firstwatt amps typically have 8 capacitors...4 for the positive rail and 4 for the negative. Are you planning on using the same pcb thats in the amp?
The only way i would do this is to take out the original pcb and add either the diyaudio store psu pcb or some computer grade caps. And i would double or triple the stock capacitance...and use at least 35v caps. That should make a difference. But its gonna be expensive.
1. I don't buy amps to sell them; they're not investments, they're pieces of audio gear bought to use and enjoy.
2. The originals are 15000s; the replacements are 10000s; a paralleled pair of 15Ks will be replaced with a paralleled trio of 10Ks.
3. Yes.
4. Well, that's you and not me. And why computer-grade caps, Hikari? I'm not building a computer, I'm rebuilding audio-band poweramps. That's why I'll use premium-quality audio-purposed caps.
5. Did you just state that you believe NP designed the amps with only onehalf to onethird of the optimum amount of PS capacitance? And if you did build it that way, might you eventually fry the power transformer with WAY-higher surge current than NP envisioned? The caps are only $5 each; $5 times 24 (for 2 amps) = $120. I've seen audiofools spend that much for two AC fuses for their amps.
OK, just my opinion, no need to get defensive. Just trying to help you out.
Here's my revised answer:
I have not used either of the caps you are inquiring about.
That's certainly true IF they have 'Panasonic' on them somewhere...but mine don't. But even if Panasonic made them and there's NO name on them, then they're nameless. So...nameless 15000/25s.
Dont touch it mate you will ruin it
the old if a little is good then lots must be better does not apply here
Nelson has carefully designed everything in there to work together and you will throw out the balance
Sheafer
the old if a little is good then lots must be better does not apply here
Nelson has carefully designed everything in there to work together and you will throw out the balance
Sheafer
Matsushita puts a boxed M on their parts and then calls them Panasonic sometimes. But you knew that.
You brag about your J2's then, now your replacing caps...are we missing something?
Are you not satisfied enough with the sound?
Are you not satisfied enough with the sound?
Hi-end audio is NOT a 'if it's not broke, don't fix it' hobby. There are many degrees of goodness, and pursuing improvements in sound quality is something about all of us do, some rather frequently. If NP were satisfied with the sound quality of his early amps, his later amps like the J2 and the apparently even-better-sounding M1 and M2 amps wouldn't exist. I have a pair of fine-sounding Marantz MA-22s that were built decades ago with Black Gate caps...
...but I replaced some parts (NOT the BGs) in them. If NP were using the best parts available in FW amps, they might cost twice as much, and then only a quarter of us would be enjoying them. NP and lots of his customers may feel that parts quality in his amps is plenty good enough and not worth changing, but I'm willing to spend the money and time to improve some parts in mine.
For many of us, hi-end audio is as much about improving the system's sound as it is enjoying that sound, and I do plenty of the latter, including recalibrating my ears every couple weeks by listening to 80 real people playing gorgeous music in a good concert hall. I LOVE music, I LOVE listening to my system, and I love knowing it sounds as good as I know how to make it.
CAPS LOCK
Computer grade caps are usually excellent for audio power amps, large capacity low impedance with screw terminals, not snap ins like the original PANASONIC (THA I'm guessing, it's NPs usual).
Given your lack of experience I'd advise you to leave well alone, if you insist try Mundorf AG or if you're really chasing high performance the AG+. Just remember you were warned!
Good luck! 😱
Computer grade caps are usually excellent for audio power amps, large capacity low impedance with screw terminals, not snap ins like the original PANASONIC (THA I'm guessing, it's NPs usual).
Given your lack of experience I'd advise you to leave well alone, if you insist try Mundorf AG or if you're really chasing high performance the AG+. Just remember you were warned!
Good luck! 😱
do you think builders like d'agostino, T. colangelo, john curl, N? Pass, etc... spend tons of times making doers of protoype , thousands hours on Spice , Oscilloscope, and listening test for nothing?
and just with a golden caps at 20$ you will touch the sky ? seriously ?! 😀
it seems a CRC power filtering in your amp , keep the Caps and replace the R with a Choke of the same value . you will certainly hear more improvement than just changing the caps..
and just with a golden caps at 20$ you will touch the sky ? seriously ?! 😀
it seems a CRC power filtering in your amp , keep the Caps and replace the R with a Choke of the same value . you will certainly hear more improvement than just changing the caps..
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