2. amps-preamps
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Caps and Tubes

My pre-amp is an Audio Research LS-16. It was more or less inherited. It is the only pre-amp I have ever owned.

Looking down into it through the screen on top there are four large capacitors that say "Wonder InfiniCap". There are some numeric specs on them as well.

I'm wondering if these were original to the unit or added later as an upgrade. It has four fairly large tubes. They do not appear to have anything written on them that I can see. I'm wondering how to know if these are the original tubes.

This is all academic since there is little or no chance that I'd hear much difference between different types of caps and tubes but I'd still like to know if they were original or not. Of course if no one knows I can contact AR.

Thanks,

George
n80
audio211's avatar
audio211
7 posts
 
If the capacitor is old. Then now is the time to change.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,436 posts
 
Wonder Caps are original.  They are film caps and don’t need replacing in terms of operational shelf life. You will no doubt hear a nice improvement in sound quality upgrading  to something like  Jupiter copper foil caps or other nice foil and film caps. No doubt. 
n80 OP
2,100 posts
 
Thanks guys. I'm sure everything in this unit is old and it sounds like probably original. It was unused in the owner's home for years and then spent at least two or three years in a non-climate controlled basement.

Despite that it is completely clean inside and out and sounds wonderful.

I am unlikely to make any changes to tubes or caps unless something goes wrong. It sounds wonderful to my untrained ears so any changes as like as not would not be appreciated by me.
n80 OP
2,100 posts
 
Here is a dumb question. I assume that replacing caps requires soldering...which I do....but very poorly. But do tubes need soldering or wiring? My old memories of tubes is that they simply plug in which would mean that tube replacement would only require removing the top cover, unplugging original tubes and plugging new ones in. So is tube replacement a DIY job?

I'm mainly asking is that with an old unit like this I assume they will fail at some point.

How do you know when they fail? Do you lose all function, just one channel??

Final dumb question, if one fails do you replace all 4?
Thanks,

George
erik_squires
15,675 posts
 
Film caps don't age like electrolytic caps do, especially if used well below spec of voltage and temp, so no age reason to change them.

Unless the OP has a sonic issue with them or a lot of money to spare I would discourage cap rolling here.


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