@rauliruegas Yes, I noticed this sort of trend tends to apply to other items, such as power conditioners. I was gifted what someone thought was a non-working UPS, but when I opened it later I realized was a hefty conditioner. Turned out to be an Ametek PowerVar, which had large transformers and capacitors inside. It immediately made my sound cleaner on my headphone listening rig. Admittedly, my entire apartment runs on a single, 20 amp breaker running on old, cloth-covered hook and loop wiring in a 1940's house. But its a beast compared to those 1U Furman units i see changing hands constantly, and they use them in hospitals and industry, rather than marketed towards audiophiles.
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.
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It depends. On the one hand, a recapped 70s Kenwood receiver will probably command a premium. On the other hand, an amp that largely derives its value from the careful voicing imparted upon it by a respected designer will surely lose a significant chunk of cash as a result of being modded by a random owner. If the mod were designed and executed by the designer itself or a known marque expert, it might be different. |
Dear @salectric : The tone issue resides in tube technology. Sprague is a good one cap but as several other gentlemans you like more the added colorations/distortions that does the boutique caps or boutique resistors as the Duelund ones. I owned an all tube electronic system for around 10 years till I learned and I swith to SS and even we designed/builded a Phonolinepreamp and modified my Levinson monoblocks.
As I said in film caps Wima is the standard in the industry:
If you builded your amps then you understand that caps true caps can't show colorations by it self but those colorations comes from th electronics: that's it.
R. |
- 58 posts total