GC input coupling caps from RS (Europe): any good?

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antomas

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Joined 2003
#1
Hi everybody and my humblest apologies if this post should belong instead to the "electronics and parts forum". 😱

Looking (in Europe) for an input cap for a gainclone, I found a few suitable parts in the RS catalog.

2.2uF:
Epcos, polypropylene, 250V, 27,5mm/0.8 (31,5x12,5×21,5)
code 190-7867 Eur 1,48 (1 pcs)
Evox-Rifa CMK, polycarbonate, 100V, 15mm/0.8 (18x7,5x14,5)
code 169-1562 Eur 9,57 (5 pcs)
Wima, MKS4 polyester, 250V, 27,5mm/1.0 (31,5x9x19)
code 116-600 Eur 9,74 (5 pcs)
Philips, 386 polyester, 100V, 22.86mm/0.8 (26x6,5x18,5)
code 115-613 Eur 5,77 (5 pcs)

4.7uF:
Epcos, polypropylene, 250V, 27,5mm/0.8 (31,5x18,0×27,5)
code 190-7895 Eur 2,69 (1 pcs)
Evox-Rifa CMK, polycarbonate, 100V, 27,5mm/0.8
(31,5x10,5x20,5)
code 169-1584 Eur 19,30 (5 pcs)
Philips, 386 polyester, 100V, 27.94mm/0.8 (30x9,5x21,5) code 115-629 Eur 9,61 (5 pcs)

Does anyone know them? How do them sound? Any preference?

Thanks very much in advance for your answers.
Massimo
 
#3
Negative opinions are very useful...

Hi analog_sa,

thanks very much for your answer! I mentioned the Wima MKS because I've seen them in many projects around the net. apparently it's not easy to find industrial (low price) polypropylene caps suitable for audio use in Europe. Even more difficult to find low-voltage polypropylenes. I checked the RS and the the Farnell catalogs and all I found were the Epcos/Siemens I mentioned, plus the more expensive and bigger Evox-Rifa (426 and 427 series), too big to fit on my Gainclone pcb (that I'm updating to host larger coupling caps).

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19113

Some decent-reputation caps are available from USA sites (e.g. the Orange Drops) but many of them require a minimum order or ask for $30-$50 to get the goods shipped to Europe. 🙁

Do you know any Internet shop selling decent caps with low shipment fees?

Thanks once again,
Massimo
 
#6
Hi bocka,
why don`t you try the WIMA MKP10 or the AUDYN caps (or yet better the supreme caps) from Mundorf?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the interesting url! Is M-Cap and Audyn the same brand? I couldn't find the Wimas. Did you?

RS and Farnell are not the best choice for using electronic parts.
Click to expand...
I got the impression you're right!!! 😉

Hi Felipe,

Finding european resellers is the hardest work for me.
What about building a part list for european diyer's ?
Is there already one ?
Click to expand...
Such a list would be a good idea. You may find one in the Nuuk site. AFAIK I'm preparing a list of caps that may fit my pcb, to be posted in the other thread mentioned above. Unfortunately, some of them are just available from Digikey or other Usa sites. In line of principles, all the components should be available from Digikey (polyprop caps, resistors and chip) and from RS (all the rest). Just email me (in italian?) if you need any help.

Ciao,
Massimo
 
#7
Hi!

I come from Germany, and my sources for electronic parts are:

First of all: Reichelt (www.reichelt.de), for all "normal" stuff, all integrated devices as long as they sell them, Visaton stuff (you can take Visaton MKP caps originally meant for passive XOs as input caps for GC), connectors, toroids, cables and so on.

For all the stuff I can't get at Reichelt, and especially for Panasonic FC caps and Welwyn RC55 resistors I use Farnell (www.farnell.de or .com)

And for what's still left to obtain I take a look at RS (especially for Nuvotem toroids), and I am maybe even tempted to order at Conrad (for some cases and Finder relais).

I think Farnell has a pretty good range of electronics, but are about 30% more expensive than Reichelt for the same products.


Still looking for a good (good = carrying nearly all the stuff) source for Burr Brown integrated devices... always using samples is not what I like to do...

And www.thel.de (ships all Europe) is a good source, as well, but you have to order for at least 50 €, I think...


Bye,

Arndt
 
#8
For panasonic FC and for BG (former Phillips)caps: you can obtain them from www.schuro.de They also have transformers and good 12 step attenuator switches.

If you're looking for mundorf supreme caps or Audyn plus caps I would take a peak at http://www.klingtgut-lsv.de/ They are mainly for DIY speakerbuilding but that is where these high quality caps are often used. They have good prices and ship for a fair amount across the border (even heavier parts like subamps and spekaer units)


I would be interested in a european parts list as well as some parts are difficult to source and you probably need a lot of sources to get the best of everything.
 
#9
Hi,

As far as the RS Components catalogue goes; the Siemens Epcos are really good caps and offered in a wide range of C and V.

If you need an excellent MKP axial cap for tube applications the ICEL range at 1000 to 1500VDC are a steal. Just be aware that price are per five/ea.

The top range of the Mundorfs are great as are the Audyn Caps.
While both image very well, indicating low self-inductance, the Audyns seem a little rolled off at the top.

Has anyone ever tried the Mundorf PIO Silver foil caps?

Cheers,😉
 
#11
Thanks!

Cradle22, Indoubt, Fdegrove, Brett,

thanks very much for your kind help!

Cradle22,
Still looking for a good (good = carrying nearly all the stuff) source for Burr Brown integrated devices... always using samples is not what I like to do...
Click to expand...

I think rswww carries many popular BB chips.

Fdegrove,
As far as the RS Components catalogue goes; the Siemens Epcos are really good caps and offered in a wide range of C and V.
Click to expand...

I remember a discussion about the (now gone) MKV series. Are the MKP B32651/6 good as well?

Brett,
I don't see why you're having trouble finding parts in the EC.

How about Audiokit or
Aqua Blue
Click to expand...
I know Audiokit; they often don't have the full component series and are a bit expensive. The Audyn polyprop caps from Aua Blue look instead interesting and convenient. Thanks!

Ciao a tutti e grazie mille,
Massimo
 
#12
Hi,

I remember a discussion about the (now gone) MKV series. Are the MKP B32651/6 good as well?
Click to expand...

Good, yes but the MKV are better still.

The Audyn are better and very cheap in the range you're looking for.

I don't know about the pricing of the Mundorf, I think they're more costly than the Audyns though.

Ciao,😉
 
#16
What do you guys think about Siemens MKV caps? I liked them very much in tweeter crossovers (although it took a bit to get used to). I tried them in 3 systems on tweeters and frankly, I didn't found better sounding cap so far for that application.

Initially I was a little reserved with them as full range coupling caps. However, after breaking in, I found them better to my previous reference (MIT RTX bypassed with silver foil cap). I also noticed after many tries that bypassing is not such a good approach and it's better to have the right cap from the beginning and not to "improve" it with additional parallel caps. Well, that's my outlook for today and it may change in a future😉
 
#17
Hi,

What do you guys think about Siemens MKV caps? I liked them very much in tweeter crossovers (although it took a bit to get used to). I tried them in 3 systems on tweeters and frankly, I didn't found better sounding cap so far for that application.
Click to expand...

No matter how much anyone likes them, to the best of my knowledge and in typical Siemens tradition, they have been phased out years ago...

You may still find some NOS leftovers in Eastern Europe but that's about it.

They were very good indeed.

I also noticed after many tries that bypassing is not such a good approach and it's better to have the right cap from the beginning and not to "improve" it with additional parallel caps.
Click to expand...

Yep...but you knew that I feel the same way already and have done so for more than twenty years.

When I first mentioned that here on the forum I did meet with some fierce resistance but I think I can safely put down the phenomenon to frequency dependent group delay.

Cheers,😉
 
#20
Hi Frank and Peter!

Thanks for the interesting information. Apparently there are a few MKV caps being sold around Europe for about Eur 16-22. Are these big boys the MKV caps you're referring to?

http://www.epcos.com/inf/20/50/db/power_99/01680185.pdf

Ehm... I have another naive question for you... 😱 Browsing around for polypropilene caps I found two Evox-Rifa series (the obsolete PHE427 and new PHE450) with a slew rate that is 2-3 times the slew rate of some popular "audiophile caps" (Roederstein 1840, Wima MKP10, even their small brothers PHE 426, etc.).

http://www.evox-rifa.com/cap_catalog/pulsecap/phe427.pdf
http://www.evox-rifa.com/cap_catalog/pulsecap/phe450.pdf

I understand slew rate is not all (they could sound ugly), nevertheless, this performance looks impressive to me. May I ask what do you think about that and if you heard any opinion about these specific series?

Thanks very much for your answers,
Massimo
 
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