1. Home
  2. amps-preamps
  3. 196394-82901

AirTight ATM-300 - new Coupling Caps

So I want to replace the coupling caps in my Airtight 300B amp. The original ones are $5 Sprague orange drops. 0,1uF interstage caps between input tube (12AU7) and driver tube (12BH7A) and 0,47uF between driver tube and 300B.

I love the amplifier, it is very resolving and airy with great soundstage separation. However I miss some body and fullness, and tighter bass, hope new coupling caps can help with this. I like a natural sound with lots of body and texture, good detail and a tight and deep low end.

I have read alot of forum posts and narrowed my choices down to these 3;

Duelund CAST cu sn tinned copper

Jupiter copper foil paper and wax

V-cap ODAM

I have read that some capacitors are best used in lower voltage applications and others are better in higher voltage applications, so I am open to using different brands in interstage/300B coupling. 

Please share your experiences, impressions and recommendations. Not necessarily with the Airtight, but preferably used as a coupling cap.

rubjel
devinplombier
1,693 posts
 

@rubjel 

If everyone who knows anything about the subject leaves the discussion, you'll be left talking to yourself.

The odds that anyone has ever recapped your particular amp with the three specific caps you pronounced worthy at the conclusion of your online search are exactly zero, which is why I quite sensibly suggested that you should perform the experiment yourself, and report the results here.

Since you mention respect, maybe you should try and find out who people are, and what they've done, before you ask them to leave.

 

rubjel OP
16 posts
 

@devinplombier I got very useful respons from one user so far. I'm happy with that. The rest are trying to "teach" me that boutique caps are coloured and inferior to Wima caps. That is a very condescending attitude. 

Do you think it is sensible to suggest purchasing two more amps to conduct experiments with, seriously??

And no, I am not interested to find out who people are and what they have done if they repeatedly disregard my wish to stick to the topic. This is a very basic skill that anyone who wishes to interact on a forum should possess. But clearly that skill is completely lacking in everyone here but johnss.

I do however agree with you that I should have asked a more general question, these 3 caps used as coupling caps rather than used in Airtight ATM300 specifically.

Now let's get back on track, please.

steakster
2,212 posts
 

Perhaps, send a PM to Audiogon member, @grannyring.   He has extensive hands-on experience with many different brands of caps.

- - - 

A few months ago, I replaced ASC caps with AudioCap Thetas in my Concert Fidelity DAC-040BD.  A good decision.  More tone/timbre. More body.  More slam.  No loss of detail or air.    No downsides.

Also, consider V-Cap CuTF.    I have them in my tube preamp.  They’re very large for their values.  And take many hundreds of hours to burn-in.  But worth the wait.

rubjel OP
16 posts
 

Excellent advise @steakster, thank you :)

I mentioned grannyring in a previous post, I know he is one of the Grand Masters of capacitors around here, along with @salectric and probably others.

And thanks for your impressions, V-cap cutf has also been considered. However I have seen some reports saying it can be a bit thin sounding, but I guess it comes down to which components it is being used in.

rauliruegas
13,391 posts
 

Dear @rubjel   : " reports saying it can be a bit thin sounding "

 

" More tone/timbre. More body.  More slam.  No loss of detail or air.   "

 

By definition a capacitar needs not has" sound " by it self but dead neutral. A capacitor is no an eq.

Thinhgs are that I used the Teflon Cu V-caps as coupling and

was outperformed by the humble FKP1. This is a cap and the other are everything but a cap.

 

Fortunarelly I learned by first hand experiences and fortunatelly it's the OP who will uses it and not me.

 

R.

More to discover