Re: Good capacitors


Pooh Bear wrote:

It's yet another audiophool myth that 'capacitors have a sound'. (
excepting poorly applied electrolytics maybe )

I'm working with mixers, synthesizers, and filters here, and while I'd
normally agree with these opinions, it's been demonstrated, and I've
personally observed, that a selection of caps with identical specs can
give you a whole range of different sounds. The Roland TB303 is a great
example of this; the sound evolved over time as parts cost and
availability changed. Quite a few EQs and filters sound entirely
different when you swap caps out, even after the sound has been
recorded and compressed to MP3.

I personally don't believe that changing out filter caps in your tube
amp's power supply will reveal some magical new tone, unless, as you've
said, the ones originally installed were just crap. But I'm sure that
changing the right capacitor in the right kind of circuit can make all
the difference in the world. Process variables and manufacturing
differences create all kinds of nonlinearities, and some are certain to
sound better than others.

I expect there's an entire subculture of cap swappers out there.. I am
generally looking for maximum Q and/or minimum ESR, not so much a sound
quality judgment, as obviously this depends more on the circuit than
the brand of cap. However, I was hoping someone would have a little
experience with the thousands of product lines out there. Unfortunately
all of my documentation from the 80s refers to parts that haven't been
made for a long, long time.

I know a while back there was a thread about replacing computer
motherboard caps; I noticed in CompUSA the other day that they were
promoting some new motherboards with "premium quality Japanese
capacitors." It sounds like baloney, but apparently quite a few posters
here have revived dead mobos just by replacing the power supply caps.

.

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