[guest41324]

John L,

Thanks for all the great work on this.  I just bit the bullet and read through the whole thing and learned quite a bit.

Just wondering if you ever got to try the Mundorf Silver/Gold and Oil caps yet, and I also believe that the supreme silver oils are actually PIO caps where the silver has been vapor deposited directly on the paper, not a poly cap.  What I don't know is if the Silver/Gold and Oils are the same construction or not, but if anybody knows, it would be good to have that information.

-- Jim

Anyone who has ever posted any opinion of capacitor quality, in terms sound preference, is first on the list to be eligible for the globalist's agenda of world domination by way of the HAARP techniques of mind control.
Don't be perturbed, you won't feel a thing.

Serendipity,
with tongue in cheek

[arthurs]

John L,

Thanks for all the great work on this.  I just bit the bullet and read through the whole thing and learned quite a bit.

Just wondering if you ever got to try the Mundorf Silver/Gold and Oil caps yet, and I also believe that the supreme silver oils are actually PIO caps where the silver has been vapor deposited directly on the paper, not a poly cap.  What I don't know is if the Silver/Gold and Oils are the same construction or not, but if anybody knows, it would be good to have that information.

-- Jim

Anyone who has ever posted any opinion of capacitor quality, in terms sound preference, is first on the list to be eligible for the globalist's agenda of world domination by way of the HAARP techniques of mind control.
Don't be perturbed, you won't feel a thing.

Serendipity,
with tongue in cheek

Unless your post is an attempt at exactly that under the guise of a witty response to a capacitor thread...are you in Alaska by any chance?   

[guest41324]

John L,

Thanks for all the great work on this.  I just bit the bullet and read through the whole thing and learned quite a bit.

Just wondering if you ever got to try the Mundorf Silver/Gold and Oil caps yet, and I also believe that the supreme silver oils are actually PIO caps where the silver has been vapor deposited directly on the paper, not a poly cap.  What I don't know is if the Silver/Gold and Oils are the same construction or not, but if anybody knows, it would be good to have that information.

-- Jim

Anyone who has ever posted any opinion of capacitor quality, in terms sound preference, is first on the list to be eligible for the globalist's agenda of world domination by way of the HAARP techniques of mind control.
Don't be perturbed, you won't feel a thing.

Serendipity,
with tongue in cheek

Unless your post is an attempt at exactly that under the guise of a witty response to a capacitor thread...are you in Alaska by any chance?   

I'm in Sudbury, but if you want to check it out play the Modern Lovers Astral Plane to see if the caps actually make any difference.
The album, I mean.

[pixelplay]

Hey Guys, I'm missing my capacitor fix. Any news, new caps tested etc................

[oldgears]

JohnL,  after all the caps that you have tried, which caps are you using in your tube amp now.   

I have a single ended 45 tube amp and would love to make it sound a little more lush, liquid.  Would Mundorf Silver/Oil be the ticket.  My budget only allows me to buy these expensive caps once so I just want to make sure my money is well spent.  Thanks for the great reviews.

[Jon L]

JohnL,  after all the caps that you have tried, which caps are you using in your tube amp now.   

I have a single ended 45 tube amp and would love to make it sound a little more lush, liquid.  Would Mundorf Silver/Oil is the ticket.  My budget only allows me to buy these expensive caps once so I just want to make sure my money is well spent.  Thanks for the great reviews.

Funny you should ask.  I've been enjoying Mundorf SIO in my single-ended pentode EL84 amp and in my 2A3 SET, a combo of Audiocap theta with Russian Teflon bypass Plus Siemens polypropylene oil caps in Parafeed position.

Mundorf SIO is somewhat liquid but not lush at all really.  If you tell me which caps you have now, that might help...

Obviously, tube rolling is much easier to achieve changes without soldering.

[oldgears]

Funny you should ask.  I've been enjoying Mundorf SIO in my single-ended pentode EL84 amp and in my 2A3 SET, a combo of Audiocap theta with Russian Teflon bypass Plus Siemens polypropylene oil caps in Parafeed position.

Mundorf SIO is somewhat liquid but not lush at all really.  If you tell me which caps you have now, that might help...

Obviously, tube rolling is much easier to achieve changes without soldering.

Thanks JohnL for your quick replied.  Currently i am using Wima MKP10 and bypass it with Vitamin Q.  The sound is quite nice and romantic, just missing a little bit of that "liquid".... 45 tubes are pretty expensive to roll so....  Thanks.

[Quiet Earth]

 I was under the impression that bypassing a coupling cap can make things sound kind of busy. Maybe you can get the coherent sound you are looking for (and possibly a more liquid sound) if you use just a single, high quality coupling cap without a bypass.

[Jon L]

Funny you should ask.  I've been enjoying Mundorf SIO in my single-ended pentode EL84 amp and in my 2A3 SET, a combo of Audiocap theta with Russian Teflon bypass Plus Siemens polypropylene oil caps in Parafeed position.

Mundorf SIO is somewhat liquid but not lush at all really.  If you tell me which caps you have now, that might help...

Obviously, tube rolling is much easier to achieve changes without soldering.

Thanks JohnL for your quick replied.  Currently i am using Wima MKP10 and bypass it with Vitamin Q.  The sound is quite nice and romantic, just missing a little bit of that "liquid".... 45 tubes are pretty expensive to roll so....  Thanks.

I think using Vit Q or Jensen copper foil by themselves without bypass is worth trying.  You can always add a small Wima or Vishay cap as bypass later if desired. 

Siemens or Epcos polypropylene in oil caps would fit the bill nicely, except I have no idea where these can be bought anymore in the U.S. 

As far as tube rolling, rolling the small signal tubes can be very effective.  Which small tubes are you using currently?  I've got boxes of'em, too 

[oldgears]

I will get a couple of Vit Q from the auction website and try to look for the Siemens or Epcos polypropylene in oil caps per your recommendation.  Right now my amp sounds a little "sharp" - don't know if that is the right term for it but it's the best that i can come up it.

My amp uses 4 5842 driver tubes. Do you have these.   I have some Mullard and Telefunken 12AX7, 12Au7, and a LOT of EL34 tubes to trade.  Thanks JonL

[Jon L]

So you're on the whole Western Electric 417A/5842 trip.  That would be one signal tube I never got into. 

Wima caps do have that "sharp" sound.  I kind of like that in softer SET's, but 45 SET is probably the least soft of SET's, so yeah, there are many other caps that will be much less sharp and more liquid.  If Vit Q's and other oil caps don't work out, consider other caps like Dynamicap E, Jantzen, maybe evne Mundorf silver/gold. 

[BillB]

Surplussales.com has a ton of different vintage PIO caps including Vitamin Qs for much better prices than you get on the bay. Better value selection too, I picked up 6 .33uf recently and got another 5 of the mil-spec version 1ufs from another surplus place...paid $5 a piece.

Oh and if you want to be really cheap but get a good sound I have just tried the Panasonic ECQ film caps in .33uf and 1uf 400v values and I am pretty impressed. We are talking at or slightly above WIMA level here, nothing spectacular but they sound better than broken in Jantzen Z-standards straight out of the box.

Only a buck or so at digikey.

[oldgears]

I will do that JonL - thanks.

Great link BillB - i have to check that out and get me some Q.  Many thanks!!!

[KT]

Oldgears,

Most interested in hearing how the Vit Q's work out for you.

The Jensen copper foils gave me that warm, liquid, involving sound when I used them as coupling caps in my AudioNote Kit One 300B amp. I think that they will get you very close to what you are seeking.

Dynamicaps sound really good, too, but don't quite get that natural, organic, flowing sound that the copper foil Jensens have. It comes close to a smooth PIO sound, but doesn't quite have the organic quality. Dynamicaps are tighter and faster, though, so they do have their strentghs; choose according to your preference. Both are good caps. Dynamicaps don't put you on a cloud like a good SET with good PIO can, however.

Interestingly, I couldn't get as involving a sound with the newer Audio Note copper-bodied copper-foil PIO as I could with the Jensen coppers.

My 2 cents, anyhow.

Good luck,
KT

[oldgears]

KT,

As soon as i can get some Q in and they are "well burned in", i will sure post my finding.  Thanks for your insight about the Jensen.  I may try them if the Q dont do it.

[Frihed91]

Oldgears,

Most interested in hearing how the Vit Q's work out for you.

The Jensen copper foils gave me that warm, liquid, involving sound when I used them as coupling caps in my AudioNote Kit One 300B amp. I think that they will get you very close to what you are seeking.

Dynamicaps sound really good, too, but don't quite get that natural, organic, flowing sound that the copper foil Jensens have. It comes close to a smooth PIO sound, but doesn't quite have the organic quality. Dynamicaps are tighter and faster, though, so they do have their strentghs; choose according to your preference. Both are good caps. Dynamicaps don't put you on a cloud like a good SET with good PIO can, however.

Interestingly, I couldn't get as involving a sound with the newer Audio Note copper-bodied copper-foil PIO as I could with the Jensen coppers.

My 2 cents, anyhow.

Good luck,
KT

I tried a copper Jensen and an AN in each mono block (quicksilver).  The Jensens were too lush and the top end was not as clean and open as with the ANs.  So, I picked the ANs to suit my musical tastes and my gear.

This is all very personal: both are very nice.

[KT]

I tried a copper Jensen and an AN in each mono block (quicksilver).  The Jensens were too lush and the top end was not as clean and open as with the ANs.  So, I picked the ANs to suit my musical tastes and my gear.

This is all very personal: both are very nice.

Your observations are pretty much in line with what I observed: the Jensens are more lush and warm, but more closed in; the ANs are tighter and cleaner sounding.

I am not surprised that the ANs sounded better in your application - I used to work in a store that sold Quicksilver gear and though I never tried rolling caps in a Quicksilver amp, I would think that I would also prefer the AN over the Jensen in your amp based on what I remember the sonics to be like.

I've also tried the AN in a Sun Audio SV-300BE, which tends to be a leaner, tighter sounding 300B amp. I found that with the AN caps the amp didn't breathe like it did with the Jensen coppers or especially the VTV Ultratone.

I think that both caps are good, but really start to sing only when put in a synergystic system. That's what's so frustrating; in order to get what you really want, you really have to try out a bunch of stuff. What is magic in one great system may tilt the sound way out of balance in another equally musical system.

You are right; it is all very personal based on your system and especially your ears.

Best,
KT

[Quiet Earth]

The Audio Note capacitors take a long, long time to come into their own. This is certainly true of the silver/mylar caps. I guess it is now equally true of the new copper/mylar caps with the white lettering.

I can understand why someone might give up on them after a month or two of heavy use. Good things will come to those who can wait it out. 

[Les Lammers]

I tried a copper Jensen and an AN in each mono block (quicksilver).  The Jensens were too lush and the top end was not as clean and open as with the ANs.  So, I picked the ANs to suit my musical tastes and my gear.

This is all very personal: both are very nice.

Your observations are pretty much in line with what I observed: the Jensens are more lush and warm, but more closed in; the ANs are tighter and cleaner sounding.

I am not surprised that the ANs sounded better in your application - I used to work in a store that sold Quicksilver gear and though I never tried rolling caps in a Quicksilver amp, I would think that I would also prefer the AN over the Jensen in your amp based on what I remember the sonics to be like.

I've also tried the AN in a Sun Audio SV-300BE, which tends to be a leaner, tighter sounding 300B amp. I found that with the AN caps the amp didn't breathe like it did with the Jensen coppers or especially the VTV Ultratone.

I think that both caps are good, but really start to sing only when put in a synergystic system. That's what's so frustrating; in order to get what you really want, you really have to try out a bunch of stuff. What is magic in one great system may tilt the sound way out of balance in another equally musical system.

You are right; it is all very personal based on your system and especially your ears.

Best,
KT

I agree. Try the Vitamin Q...they are cheap...but *I* think AN or Jensen will be where you end up. Changing caps is usually less expensive than chasing expensive NOS tubes. Just to add another flavor....http://www.jupitercondenser.com/ sounded very good in a Korneff 45. What does you system consit of? Synergy is the key.

[Jon L]

..but *I* think AN or Jensen will be where you end up.

Until AN/Jensen becomes more affordable, esp the silver versions, there is an interesting capacitor company called AmpOhm from U.K.

I just started listening to their tin foil PIO cap (much larger than the same-value Mundorf SIO in the photo), and it's sounding very promising so far.  Even better news is these things go for $15-16 a piece...