Capacitor p0rn

[JamieMcC]

Well top marks to the Lithuanian ebay seller the capacitors arrived today and I was really surprised they are a lot smaller than I had envisaged which is excellent news. Pics with a 6080 for scale

Hopefully I will have time to get them connected up for trial listen over the week end.

 

[JamieMcC]

Lazy Sunday morning here, Coffee, Croissants & honey + K75 Caps  ;D

The K75 100uf's capacitors were hooked up yesterday and I am very please they have turned out to be a epic combination in the Crack. Its really surprised me because temporarily they are connected with some alligator clips and fly leads! I'm pondering on a more permanent solution while waiting on some more hook up wire.

At the moment my 100uf JFX films with the Teflon bypass are still all soldered in with the K75 100uf's just clipped into the circuit giving 210uf total twice the norm! So it will be interesting to see what changes when I take the 100uf JFX's out the Teflon will be staying.

Detail, tone, musicality, timbre, bass PRat all feel improved but what has surprised me the most is the increase in resolution new instruments backing singers and related venue noises on live recordings room/hall/ Cathedral ambiance, audience noise a whole bunch of new detail is coming through for the first time, its a engaging listen with the T1's and made for a late night yesterday as the one more track kept going into the small hours,

edit added for scale

 

[xcoolhandx]

how does it sound ..?

 

[JamieMcC]

how does it sound ..?

Easily the best to date.

 

[galyons]

how does it sound ..?

Easily the best to date.

Jamie,
They will need a good bit of burn in.  One they have settled down, you might try a bypass cap of about .1uf, (PIO, film/foil), for the high frequencies. My experience with K75's is that they are marvelous in the mid range.  This is not exactly a neutral cap.  That wonderful mid range is euphoric coloring.  (That is really enjoyable if you don't want purist neutrality!) But they need some help at the high frequencies.  I have no experience with these high capacitance Hulks, (most I have used is 10uF).  But I have found the higher the capacitance of the K75, the more the need to add a little high frequency kick.

Cheers,
Geary

 

[JamieMcC]

Jeary thanks and noted, the capacitors had been removed from some radio equipment so am hoping any burn in required will be brief I'm intending to keep the 10uf teflons in place the resolution of the k75 + Teflon is very good better than the jfx 100uf films+Teflon.  It will be interesting to see how the k75's are to live with longer term, if that engaging musicality they deliver grows tiring or not.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[mcandmar]

I got my hands on three of these Solen 630v 33uf poly caps on eBay for £6.  I thought they would be perfect to replace the two final 22uf lytics, or bypass the 100uf caps in the main power supply. Only issue is they are 45x65mm so i cant physically fit them in anywhere :'(

 

[JamieMcC]

Mark I couldn't resist trying out some 1uf Hovland Supercaps courtesy of ebay also.

 

[mcandmar]

Certainly a name i have heard of, are you going to use them in the audio path or power supply?

Found these today which are interesting, 100uf metalized polypropylene tubs..  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291127472802

 

[JamieMcC]

I will give them a try out as a bypass in the audio. I've also been pondering over these Icar 200uf caps for the power supply price is really good for experimenting but the shipping hurts!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230968898220?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

[mcandmar]

They are cheap.  Did you ever try out the 50uf F&T's?  I've seen rumors they manufacture caps for Mundorf.

 

[JamieMcC]

Not yet Mark my RTI teflons arrived at about the same time and I rushed to put them in, then they took ages to burn in and now the Cracks sounding so epic with those big K75 100ufs in the circuit as well I cant bring myself to take them out at the moment I'm enjoying the sound so much! I found a few references to F&T oem manufacturing for Mundorf as well by the way. I will just have to bite the bullet and swap them over for a while sometime soon.

 

[Grainger49]

Jamie,

Check the size of them first.  I have a pair of ICAR caps that are half the size of my Paramours, or half the size of one Paramour.

 

[JamieMcC]

Thanks Grainger I did see your pic of them! I think postage to the UK is going to make them a bit to expensive and I have a couple of other options to think about also but it would have been fun to try them out even if only connected with some fly leads! If I can get the parts for a good price I don't mind experimenting its been a lot of fun and hopefully I can get back my money back or at least close to it by reselling on ebay or other forums once done.  I've been able to roll some nice tubes this way and am happy enough if I just cover my costs and occasionally make a little extra to put towards the next purchase.

 

[JamieMcC]

I decided to pass on those big ICARs in the end.

Latest caps rolled in the Crack.

A pair of pre-loved EPCOS (Siemens) 750v100uf polypropylene in oil films (non audio caps). With a bit of shoe horning I think these will fit in the Cracks enclosure. I have just connected them externally at the moment.

These Epcos are very nice sounding caps imho and seem to be the equal to any of the audio branded mkp films I have tried to date while also providing that liquid effortlessness in presentation that only the pio's can yet still combined with plenty of details and rich smooth vocals.

I later tried bypassing them with a pair of Hovland Supercaps 1uf/400vdc with good effect. Increased detail and clarity a sense of intimacy  vocal presentation with some familiar tracks. With the Hovland's added the presentation also felt slightly faster than that of Epcos PIO's on their own.

Edit also later tried bypassing them with some K71-7 Polystyrenes

Edit tried the Jantzens superior z cap also

 

[JamieMcC]

I found some well specced Epcos MKP film motor run capacitors  +/- 2.5 % to try as coupling caps. At 45mm x 110mm including the mounting stud which could be cut off they fit comfortably inside the Cracks enclosure.

It actually didn't come as a surprise that I found them similar to the Solen and JFX audio films but at only £4 each delivered are a fraction of the price! I think they may even have a touch less glare to them as well although I have only have about 10hrs of listening time on them and have yet to try any bypassing.

They actually will fit in quiet easily but my speedball switches and choke mount height it made the fit a little more awkward in my crack and I had to position them a little closer to other components than would be ideal to squeeze them in. The angle makes the studs and end connections look closer to the attenuator and head jack than they are in reality.

Epcos for the last cap in the power supply also!

Size comparison with a Solen 100uf 400v

Data sheet http://www.epcos.com/inf/20/25/ds/B32321_B32323.pdf

 

[Snarii]

Just for the fun, before pulling the trigger on MKP capacitors, I offered the candidates a form factor test drive to see if they could fit in the crack case.

Here is the converged plan :
- a SCR PA22000 250 V 220μF to replace the last 220μF capacitor on the power supply
- bypassed by a russian K72P6 Teflon  56nF
- a C7-X shoke to replace the last 270ohm resistor

- two JB JFX 100μF 250V to replace the output electrolytic capacitors
- bypassed by two russian K75-10 Paper In Oil 4.7μF 250V
- bypassed by two russian K72P6 Teflon  56nF 500V
- bypassed by two russian SGM Mica 1nf 350V

I started by making a CAD model of the Crack. It's well spend time, I'm sure I'll will reuse it later...
Already having the very low cost PIO, Teflon and Mica on the advice of the forum, I explored the MKP candidates among the low cost ones. I compared the different form factors and tried placements…

Here in pictures is the result of my tests.

Next-steps, receive more wire to update the cabling, order the MKPs and fit everything for real !

 

[NightFlight]

Snarri,

That is quite beyond brilliant. Would you be willing to share out a copy of your CAD models? I've never actually used CAD myself, but your models are making me think.

 

[i luvmusic 2]

Just for the fun, before pulling the trigger on MKP capacitors, I offered the candidates a form factor test drive to see if they could fit in the crack case.

Here is the converged plan :
- a SCR PA22000 250 V 220μF to replace the last 220μF capacitor on the power supply
- bypassed by a russian K72P6 Teflon  56nF
- a C7-X shoke to replace the last 270ohm resistor

- two JB JFX 100μF 250V to replace the output electrolytic capacitors
- bypassed by two russian K75-10 Paper In Oil 4.7μF 250V
- bypassed by two russian K72P6 Teflon  56nF 500V
- bypassed by two russian SGM Mica 1nf 350V

I started by making a CAD model of the Crack. It's well spend time, I'm sure I'll will reuse it later...
Already having the very low cost PIO, Teflon and Mica on the advice of the forum, I explored the MKP candidates among the low cost ones. I compared the different form factors and tried placements…

Here in pictures is the result of my tests.

Next-steps, receive more wire to update the cabling, order the MKPs and fit everything for real !

If i will have those nice big CAPS and some other goodies i will make a case so that i can install all those goodies on top instead of hidden inside the case that  no one would see but then again that just me.I like your ideas as will.Thanks!

 

[EarWorm]

I have two Hammond 159M chokes. Specs, 15H, 100 ma, 256 Ohm.

I may have access to three 300uF caps for the power supply. 

Can I use these cap values of 300uF instead of the 220uF with two 159M chokes?



Also I have a Mac and cannot use the PSUD2.  Is there a Mac equivalent?

Thanks.