John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier

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john curl said:
Very well said, Bob. I find servos a necessary evil, that I try to keep out of the way of the audio signal as much as possible.

I've modded out a few of your designs, John..and even then I've found that doing work on the PS for the servo improves sonics. Interestingly enough. Of course, the levels of 'change' noted are not even remotely economically feasible (as a return for $ in the manufacturing chain) until the near the 'no compromise' execution/price level. Since it's a servo, the short cut is one that does not work for 'audio' signal circuits...which is the subbing of standard elect. caps in the servo PS with OS-Con types. Oscons are cheap these days, due to the extreme use in high end computer gear. Extreme Gaming video cards and motherboards are now so common that they've driven the price of OS-Con caps into the ground. So use them in the servos where they won't be heard - But their effect will be.
 

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With DA, extending the bandwidth reduces, but does not eliminate the problem. Personally, I think that almost any -6dB/octave reduction in bandwidth below 5Hz is probably OK, IF the roll-off mechanism is about perfect. However, servos should operate well below this frequency, because they are NOT perfect, and with caps, most people can't afford the best ones, either.
However, IF you are willing to pay 30 Euros/ cap, or more, then maybe a 5 Hz bandwidth might be OK.
 
We don't use mylar anymore, because there is metalized polypropylene, which measures much better for DA, as well as polystyrene and Teflon for the best projects.
I heard the problem with mylar, 30 years ago, when I designed it into one of my Symmetry electronic crossovers. I really thought that stacked foil mylar was a great solution at the time. Unfortunately, we could hear it in the circuit. After that, it was not long before metalized polypropylene became available, and of course, servos became popular.
IF my associates and I had not HEARD the sound of the mylar coupling cap in the circuit, I might be still using it today. I don't think much of electrolytic coupling caps either for quality audio equipment, but I realize that it might be necessary in auto amps, and other battery powered equipment. I would try to use the best cap that I could find, IF I had to design something that required an electrolytic coupling cap.
However, PPS caps might be practical, I don't know for sure if they are better than mylar, but they could well be.
What I am concerned with here, is the dilution of design quality by lowering standards, just because it is convenient for some.
 
john curl said:

I heard the problem with mylar, 30 years ago, when I designed it into one of my Symmetry electronic crossovers.

John,

It looks like everything you discovered/heard/decided/etc... happened 30 to 40 years ago? I have two questions for you:

1. Is there anything new that you figured out since, say, 1990?

2. Did you, or do you have any plans to, double check your old results and findings against new devices (trannies, opamps, capacitors, resistors, etc...) built in the last, say, 10 years?
 
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