Low ESR capacitors and high operating temperatures

[KT]

So I just found out that low ESR caps are designed to run at a high temperatures to achieve their low ESR. Is this right?

I was concerned that the filtering caps in my Scott Nixon TubeDac+ were running so hot. He emailed me back that they're supposed to; they're low ESR types. I never realized this before.

I supposed the datasheet will tell me, but do these caps have a significantly shorter life with all that heat, or has this been taken account of?

Also, I like to take the plastic off of my caps. Any take on whether the cooling effect of this significatly affects performance? Obviously, the ESR will rise a bit with the cooling, but by enough to affect sonics?

Thanks,
KT

 

[Sch3mat1c]

I don't know the typical tempco of a capacitor ESR but I imagine it is positive like most materials. I don't know what kind of BS this guy is on but capacitors are not supposed to get hot, period.

Tim

 

[Vidalgo]

Heat shorts el.capacitors life, but how much heating is possible, without significant impact?
For example, Alex Nikitin use in headphone amp "Amber" an ELNA Starget caps on output (output is SE). He run them at about 60-65 deg.C, with special heating resistor closed to capacitor body. Alex claim, such method is suitable for lowering capacitor's distortions without significant shortening it's life.