Does anyone know who manufactures ALCAP capacitors? I’m trying to discover whether they’re OEM caps, or rebranded, what the difference between normal and low loss is and find a spec sheet for them etc. Or even, who distributes them for the manufacturer, if indeed, there is a distributor! They’re pretty elusive, and prolonged searching on the internet has drawn a complete blank.
Do you doubt their quality? Do you find them expensive?
I am quite sure the difference between normal and low loss version you can have explained by the distributor themselves.
There is other manufacturers of good quality NPE caps. Monacor, Visaton and Intertechnik, for instance.
I am quite sure the difference between normal and low loss version you can have explained by the distributor themselves.
There is other manufacturers of good quality NPE caps. Monacor, Visaton and Intertechnik, for instance.
Falcon Acoustics supplies Alcap 50V Standard, 50V Low Loss and 100V High Power capacitors.
https://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/alcap-claritycap-solen-audio-capacitors.html?cat=230
A low dielectric loss capacitor has a smaller ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) than a standard capacitor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric_loss
Low ESR is an advantage in high frequency filter circuits.
I like Mundorf and ERO electrolytics. They have a very laid back and transparent character, but not quite as good as middle of the road PP film.
I am in the midst of trying to locate a primary distributor of ALCAP capacitors in North America. There doesn't seem to be a manufacturer's webpage (IE: www.alcap.com does not exist), nor do ALCAPs appear on any of the major online electronic distribution sites in North America. Does anyone have a link to "the Source" of ALCAPs? I am trying to see if I can assemble the same grouping of caps' that are available from Falcon Acoustics, but sourced in North America (Canada preferably).
On the note of capacitors: wow, it appears that one can get sucked down the hellacious vortex of audiophile craziness in short order on this subject, with some of the Caps running in excess of $900.00 CAD each (DOH !!!)
After a mind-spinning few evenings of researching Caps', and building cost / tolerance / availability spreadsheets, I decided to look at what B&W has been using in their crossovers, as I look at them as a pretty high-end manufacturer in general. It appears that their 600, 700 and 800 series speakers use pretty basic Caps', many are just Bennic or unbranded, without any tolerance markings on them whatsoever...
Which leads me to suspect that the subject of capacitors in high-end audio may be just as wildly debatable as cables...
I disassembled my KEF 104.2 crossovers and see that they originally used some kind of OEM "KEF Branded" capacitors ~ some audio-geek sites say that these are ALCAPs as well, under a KEF OEM rebrand...
Your thoughts on where to get ALCAPS in North America are more than welcome.
Andrew D.
On the note of capacitors: wow, it appears that one can get sucked down the hellacious vortex of audiophile craziness in short order on this subject, with some of the Caps running in excess of $900.00 CAD each (DOH !!!)
After a mind-spinning few evenings of researching Caps', and building cost / tolerance / availability spreadsheets, I decided to look at what B&W has been using in their crossovers, as I look at them as a pretty high-end manufacturer in general. It appears that their 600, 700 and 800 series speakers use pretty basic Caps', many are just Bennic or unbranded, without any tolerance markings on them whatsoever...
Which leads me to suspect that the subject of capacitors in high-end audio may be just as wildly debatable as cables...
I disassembled my KEF 104.2 crossovers and see that they originally used some kind of OEM "KEF Branded" capacitors ~ some audio-geek sites say that these are ALCAPs as well, under a KEF OEM rebrand...
Your thoughts on where to get ALCAPS in North America are more than welcome.
Andrew D.
Your suspicion would be correct, Andrew!
P.S. I may purloin your flowery phrase "the hellacious vortex of audiophile craziness" for my personal use. 😀
A pair of early 1980s B&W DM110 speakers came into my hands recently.
My ones use Alcaps, but I've seen examples of DM110 crossovers that use Bennics or even a mixture of Bennics and Alcaps.
As far as I’m aware, Falcon are the only supplier. They get them manufactured to order and will supply any value, subject to a minimum order.
In the Kef104/2 they used both Alcap and Kef badged caps.
You should first measure them all. Falcon is your best bet, more expensive to sort out values by yourself.
You should first measure them all. Falcon is your best bet, more expensive to sort out values by yourself.
I am in Canada, and our dollar is s*** compared to yours :-( That, and shipping costs from over the pond makes me want to seek out a comparative group of Cap's for rebuilds of the KEF 104.2 and Celestion Ditton 44's in my shop.
Am now looking into Bennic and Solen's... Will post a spreadsheet of what I come up with if I can make it back to the event horizon of the black hole known as "Audiophile Capacitors" 🙂
Andrew
Am now looking into Bennic and Solen's... Will post a spreadsheet of what I come up with if I can make it back to the event horizon of the black hole known as "Audiophile Capacitors" 🙂
Andrew
About the 14/2 : The LL marked can be swapped by MKT caps for the small values less than 8 uF. There is really no room on the pcb for something else than lythics for the others.
Diyggy - did you notice on the KEF crossover that only a few of the original caps were marked as "10%", only the "LL" (long life?) caps in fact. The rest... I dunno', back in the day, perhaps 10% tolerance caps were very rare?
Low loss or low dielectric loss to give it its full title.
Such capacitors have a low equivalent series resistance (ESR), making them more akin to plastic film capacitors such as the MKT types that diyiggy mentioned.
In commercial boxes often found. Indeed.
In my celestion dl4 speakers crossover in the 80ies, too.
Changed them for intertechnik types
Its the blue ones
In my celestion dl4 speakers crossover in the 80ies, too.
Changed them for intertechnik types
Its the blue ones
I read/heard that KEF tested and binned up the caps according to their actual performance, making the tolerance moot.
I explained the meaning of "LL" in post #16, lest it has been overlooked!