Capacitors help needed

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Madhun

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Capacitors help needed
« on: 20 Dec 2024, 02:02 pm »
Can somebody tell me if this Aerovox capacitor is available somewhere, or are there better options avaliable in today's market?
Being probably 30 years old, I'm replacing all the caps in my crossovers.


Tyson

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #1 on: 20 Dec 2024, 06:25 pm »
Much better.  Check here for a detailed ranking of a lot of modern capacitors:

https://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

Madhun

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #2 on: 20 Dec 2024, 10:02 pm »
I believe I'm way over my head on this.
For 2 days now I'm searching on Digikey and Mouser and can't find the match to these capacitors.
Any help would be much appreciated.


 








nlitworld

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #3 on: 21 Dec 2024, 09:06 am »
Yeah, mouser or digikey are nice for production level cheap stuff, but not real audio grade. Check Parts Connexion, Parts Express, Sonic Craft or Hifi Collective. And Tyson's link to that capacitor test is very very good info. Not always my direct opinion, but his views are always very consistent with each other so easy to gauge what sounds decent vs phenomenal.

Not positive on reading the values of the yellow ones, but the others are all easy to replicate. Voltage value keep at least same if not higher. Replacing the Bennic might still require an electrolytic just due to the super large value but others should all be film caps easily enough.

Madhun

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #4 on: 21 Dec 2024, 02:23 pm »
Thank you!
I'll take a look at those websites.
The yellow ones have no other information on them, but on the other side a hand written number 4.87 on the small one and 9.81 on the large one.

nlitworld

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #5 on: 21 Dec 2024, 02:27 pm »
Then there ya go, match those values +/- 10% or so. A 4.7 and a 10.0 should be easy to find in something decent. Watch sizing on those to not accidentally wind up with a coffee can of a capacitor.  :o What speakers are you upgrading?

rotarius

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #6 on: 21 Dec 2024, 02:45 pm »
106 is 10uf.  Just Google capacitor code and you will see what values 104, 105, 106 etc. are in uf.  Example, 106 is 10 with 6 additional zeros in pf = 10,000,000 pf.

rotarius

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #7 on: 21 Dec 2024, 02:51 pm »
One more thing, don't go too crazy with boutique caps.  Mouser and Digikey sell top notch electrolytes (Nichicon, Panasonic, Rubycon) and good quality film caps (panasonic, CDE).  You know, ones with datasheets and measured performance.

nlitworld

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #8 on: 21 Dec 2024, 03:21 pm »
You know, ones with datasheets and measured performance.

Dude, ease up a bit. Nobody suggested he goes and dumps $1K+ on capacitors here, but electrolytic and cheap little film caps in crossovers sound like butt. Also providing measurements and datasheets is just a sales marketing tactic to get manufacturing to sign off on purchases. If you ever watched the movie Tommy Boy, it's like the guarantee on the box. Lol. We get it, you're a measurements only guy and that's fine. Please don't ruin this guy's thread with stirring up another off-topic argument whether measurements vs listening perception is best.

That's also why I asked what kind of speaker are we dealing with. Something top shelf deserving of a proper upgrade is real different than an old big box store speaker in how to approach capacitor choices. Add to that what type of drivers and crossover network you're dealing with and there's tons of variables to account for in capacitor choices for audible improvement. The hope is to research which flavor suits his equipment and listening preferences best and make an informed purchase to get the job right the first time.

rotarius

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #9 on: 21 Dec 2024, 03:28 pm »
Dude, ignorance is bliss.  I get it.

I.Greyhound Fan

Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #10 on: 21 Dec 2024, 09:11 pm »
I can tell you that caps can and do make a difference.  Boutique caps do sound better in many instances.  I have build a Pass Labs preamp and tried different caps and the differences are not subtle.  I also redid a crossover in a pair of PSB bookshelfs and the Clarity caps I used improved the sound.

Here are a few reviews of caps-

https://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Cap.html

http://www.laventure.net/tourist/caps.htm

Also, get rid of any sand cast resistors and go for Mills and Duelund resistors.  They do make a difference.

Tyson

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #11 on: 21 Dec 2024, 11:42 pm »

Speedskater

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #12 on: 22 Dec 2024, 02:48 am »
One more thing, don't go too crazy with boutique caps.  Mouser and Digikey sell top notch electrolytes (Nichicon, Panasonic, Rubycon) and good quality film caps (panasonic, CDE).  You know, ones with datasheets and measured performance.
Yep, that bares repeating.
Stick with the major commercial/industrial providers.

js1955

Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #13 on: 22 Dec 2024, 02:28 pm »
@I.Greyhound Fan and @Tyson......

Thanks for those links.  Very helpful!     :thumb:

Madhun

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Re: Capacitors help needed
« Reply #14 on: 29 Dec 2024, 03:25 am »
This is what I found on Parts Express that matched closest to what's on the crossover now.
The large 30uf with the small 9.81uf will be replaced with 2-20's

Couldn't find anything for the Mallory .01uf 600v other than the Audyn Cap Q4 0.01uF 400V. Would this work?