Question About Capacitor Upgrade in Tube Amp

Owning a Willsenton myself, I‘m curious about upgrade options. Please keep us posted!

First: disregard zipost's rude comments. He's just grumpy because he only took second prize in the local village idiot competition. Hey zippy, better luck next time.

The Willsenton marked 0.33ufd cap is there to shunt any noise (high frequency crud) to ground. This is after the rectifying diodes where the AC is being converted to DC and any noise/hash not handled by the bigger cap is 'captured' by the small 0.33ufd and directed to ground, hopefully leaving the B+ supply in pristine condition. So to answer your fair question: Yes, it will most definitely effect the sound and the correct choice will do more than just improve tone. Think blacker background allowing more detail to be heard and all the benefits of that.

The purity of the power supply is paramount in any audio device as witnessed by the plethora of LPS units available to replace those cheap, small and generally noisy switching units. I have used a Mundorf Supreme (0.22ufd, think it was the Supreme) across the last cap in the PS with positive results. Do some research specifically on PS bypass caps.

Regarding the coupling caps: @charles1dad has some good advice. They will/can also have an effect on the end result. Duelund make a 0.01ufd cap for bypass duties and are very very good. In this coupling position you are preventing the HV DC from appearing on the output terminals and here you will find you can 'flavour' the sound. Ideally you are trying to 'do no harm' to your precious signal.

Miflex, Jupiter, Duelund, and many more to consider. The link to the cap shootout is a great guide.

@lemonhaze 

👍

Good insightful comments.

Charles

Lots of good info already post.  Parts are not that expensive so have at it.  If it was me, I would use the V-Cap ODAM as my first choice and see if that floats your boat.  We use them exclusively in our designs.  We have also use the copper Milflex with good results.  One of the best comments above is space.  Be sure to look at the size specs first to make sure things fit in.  Audio Note and Nichicon capacitors are excellent and so are the non-magnetic Audio Note resistors.  Things get a little pricey but if you doing the labor that is a cost savings there.  Last especially for tube equipment, look for AC filter chokes and other chokes to replace capacitors, etc.  All parts have sound but to me, chokes are a big benefit plus a lot cheap!

Happy Listening.

"Owning a Willsenton myself, I‘m curious about upgrade options. Please keep us posted!"

Yes to confirm this is the Willsenton R300. 6SN7 tubes driving 300B in single ended triode with dual 5U4G tube rectifiers.

I just received it and had bought it for a small system in a spare bedroom but when I tried it with my Klipsch Forte IV speakers I was blown away by the depth of the soundstage and the overall realistic and organic tone so I am thinking placing it in my main setup. Diana Krull, Melody Gardot, Leon...never sounded better. Just need to tweak a little more clarity.

The other tube amps I have to compare are Muzisahre X7, X9, X10, R100 300B 845, and past Willsenton R8 and Icon Audio Stereo 40 IV owner.

My other current equipment for comparison are Luxman L-550AXII, Naim Unity Nova, Naim Unity Atom, Hegel H120. Dynaudio Contour 30, Dynaudio Special Forty, KLH Model Five, Klipsch Heresy IV.

The frontend is Lumin U1 and Denafrips Venus II. I also have Matrix Audio for other smaller systems.

I am hooked on tubes though. I also know that a few relativity inexpensive parts can upgrade these Willsenton and Muzishare integrateds which are great values and made in the same factories as Cayin, PrimaLuna, and Line Magnetic but for half the price or less.

Thanks again for all the help. I will keep you posted on the results.