Kemet ALC10S Slit Foil Capacitors - Any Good?

Hi Everyone,

Anyone experienced these Kemet ALC10S capacitors for power amp PSU?
These are the 2 pin snap-in type and not those 4-pins T-network.

I’m looking at 10,000uF 63v for my solid state amp. Problem is the data sheet has no information on their ESR and I get no response from them on my email to them.

I would love to have the Sikorel ones but they are just too expensive.

Thanks
 
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It worries me that they state--- "for audio use only " also 85 degrees not 105 degrees and "not designed for power supplies" .


It doesn't matter how the words are twisted an Audio power amp uses a----power supply therefore their use is more like filter situations or capacitor isolated output .


What Kemet is saying --don't use in power supplies .


While words can be misconstrued in website forums I always go by manufacturers data supplied to the public for information as if they lie they can be sued or taken to court by audio designers retail sellers .
 
Reading Kemet,s specs on their slit foil capacitors it states they are for Audio use only and that power supply capacitors --sold by them -- are manufactured to a different specification .


I never argue with a manufacturers data as their products will be used by large commercial interests in production lines.
 
But we are talking of a special engineering design appropriate to audio and according to Kemet not interchangeable, if others use them in power supplies that's up to them but Kemets comment on that is their power supply capacitors are specially designed to greatly reduce ripple current of a high order .


Your normal audio filter capacitor not in the power supply directly is usually just a normal power supply one but Kemet is saying use slit-foil in that position and at the output if its DC isolated.


In those two circumstances ripple current has already been reduced significantly by the power supply capacitors therefore any adverse effect of using slit-foil capacitors there is greatly reduced .


They go into some technical detail and maths on it and show an exploded view of the internals to show the difference between standard capacitors and their slit-foil ones.


The OP asked about Kemet so I am not interested in any other manufacturers point of view even if it differs with Kemet as displaying those details on their commercial website and proving to be engineering "untruths " would cause disastrous consequences for the company.
 
I hear you, but I have to remind that ALC10S was recommended by many (for example in the UK based forum) for Cyrus and Naim recaps, and also Hypex used them in their power supplies:
 

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The 'Kemet' ALC10s are still the same BHC SlitFoil capacitors - and it says so on their website info.
Why anyone would think that a capacitor designed specifically for amplifier power supplies (by Denis Moorecroft) would be unsuitable for that job now that "Kemet" is written on the case is a misunderstanding, I think.

As for the sound … there's quite a difference in the sound of the Siemens B41550 (Sikorel) BHC ALC10s (SlitFoils) and Rifa PEH200 capacitors that aren't reflected by the ESR figures, and that depends on what you're going to use them for.
 
I see nothing that states they cannot be used for power supplies.

As others have said, these are the BHC parts that can be used to replace other manufacturer branded slit-foils, and are likely the same (or at least a very similar) part.

The exact phrase in the datasheet is "Specifically designed for audio applications use only".

This DOES NOT mean they cannot be used in a power supply, if the power supply is for audio use. But it could imply they would be useless in applications where the power supply and/or circuitry connected to the output of the power supply was operating above typical audio frequencies (which presumably would be old school 20Hz-20kHz range).
 
They go into some technical detail and maths on it and show an exploded view of the internals to show the difference between standard capacitors and their slit-foil ones.


The OP asked about Kemet so I am not interested in any other manufacturers point of view even if it differs with Kemet as displaying those details on their commercial website and proving to be engineering "untruths " would cause disastrous consequences for the company.

What math? What tech details that are different than real caps? I didnt see any. As far as engineering untruths, its not the lies which do exist its the lack of any kind of proof that they actualy sound different , never mind better. All they have is marketing BS.
 
First, no one uses electrolytics if they dont have to in the signal path, except for bypass and those are easy to make inaudible because theres almost no AC across them. Electros are only used where large capacitance is needed. Slit foil has one advantage, lower ESR, which makes no audible difference in audio applications. ( and all you need for lower ESR is a higher voltage cap). There marketing BS and sighted subjective OPINIONS are not proof. Wheres there distortion measurements?
 
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Kemet ALC10S -slit foil capacitors PDF-


Application-
Modern electrolytic capacitors are designed for use in power supplies so most of their design aspects have been OPTIMISED for this application.
Some of the advances in the design may NOT be beneficial in AUDIO applications where the requirements of the capacitors are VERY DIFFERENT .


BHC , in collaboration with an audio research company DNM Design have produced the slit-foil capacitor SPECIFICALLY for audio applications etc etc .


Basic Design-


Slit-foil capacitor research has also indicated that improvements in the general construction of the capacitors give better results in audio where the FIDELITY of the WAVESHAPE is very important .


Since when does the fidelity of a audio waveshape apply to power supply capacitors whose aim is to reduce ripple /noise etc ?


KEMET go on to say they supply capacitors designed for power supplies in particular.