Power supply caps


OK, I'm not trying to start an all amps sound alike type thing, but I would like to know if anyone has actually heard this. Not theory or speculation, but actually replaced caps on their equipment.

Will upgrading/replacing old caps in a phono pre-amp's separate power supply have any effect on sound? I'm getting ready to recap my 20+ year old phono pre and wonder if the caps in the power supply should be run of the mill or high quality? If they make a difference, then fine, but if the PS caps won't have an effect on sound, I don't want to waste the money.

Thanks for the help.
128x128mrvordo

Showing 8 responses by mrvordo

Hey Mental, can you explain what increasing the voltage value does? Is the uF rating the most important?
Thanks
Yeah, I've noticed that. It's also proving hard to find all three in the same brand. I've found several that make two out of three, but not all three values. I'm not against mixing brands, but I figured having all the same would be better than hoping for a good mix and match.
I need to open up the phono and see what values I need there too. I was just gong to do the PS and see what the difference was, but with sourcing proving to be this tricky, I figure I should go ahead and order all the caps at once.
Thanks guys. I have been slowly coming to the conclusion that literally everything matters, so I sort of figured that the PS caps would matter. I'll probably replace the PS caps before replacing the ones in the pre, since the ones in the pre aren't exposed to much heat. Then I will be able to tell for sure how much difference the PS caps make.
I'm having trouble finding caps with the correct values. I need 4700uF 50VDC, 470uF 63VDC, and 1000uF 25VDC. Couldn't find them on Parts Connection, Parts Express, or Madisound. Any suggestions where to find them would be appreciated. I'm doing googles now to try to find a source.
Thanks Ait, I'll check them out. I saw the Panasonic's as wondered about them. Good to know someone who uses them.
Thanks Rodman. Great info. I think I'll stick with current values for right now, but this might be something fun to play with later.