After building my Foreplay III extended, I noticed some posts regarding upgrading the output caps to Vcaps. It was suggested that if you had a power amp with a 100K ohm input impedance that you could get by with a cap 1/10 the size of the normal 3uf caps which would be needed if using a solid state amp with a 10K IP. I decided to take a chance and install .47uf Vcaps in my Foreplay III.
On the Audio Critique website the followings comments can be found regarding Vcaps which were subsequently mostly confirmed by a Chinese magazine.
1. They are the most neutral cap I've heard.
2. They are the fastest and most detailed cap I've heard.
3. They provide the most natural texture, space and low-level details.
4. They are the cleanest and purest cap I've heard.
5. They are the most immediate and transparent cap I've heard.
6. They are the most intensely* dynamic cap I've heard.
7. They provide the most separation and the least homogenization of any cap I've heard.
8. They provide the most intelligibility of any cap I've heard.
9. Their soundstage is the most focused that I've heard.
10. They have the tightest, cleanest, most natural and most impactful bass I've heard.
11. They have the most extended frequency extremes I've heard.
12. They have the lowest "sound-floor" of any cap I've heard.
I have now about 500 hours on my Vcaps and have found them to be a substantial improvement over the Auricaps included with the basic Foreplay III. I don't have any experience with other caps but can understand the basis for making the above comments.
The Vcaps were a little harsh sounding for about the first 50 hours and I thought they were very good around 200 but now at the 500 hour mark they seem to be sounding even better.
Here is a list of some CDs that I have been playing often and my observations:
Karrin Allyson/Footprints-At first I found it bland and uninteresting, now it is one of my favorites with wounderful vocals and background music.
Steve Earle/Jerusalem-Much more detailed
Anne Weerapass/Out of Nowhere-I had always found some of the vocals a bit harsh sounding, this is no longer the case.
Radiohead/OK Computer-More dynamic and detailed
Holly Cole/Temptation-more detailed
Dire Straits-Again more detail and better bass
Madeleine Peyroux/Careless Love-Another disk where I found some vocals harsh, again no longer the case
Beatles/Sgt Pepper- Backgounds singers more evident, better bass note definition
Bech/Sea Changes-more detail, dynamic and more bass
India Arie/Acoustic Soul-more detail, dynamic and more bass
Styx/Greatest hits- More detailed and dynamic
In summary, the Vcaps are giving me better vocals, more detail, more high end and low end frequency, etc. ; I can find little fault with the comments on the Audio Critique website.
