[dvenardos]

Thought I might ask this here since lots of people on this forum have experience with the Sonicap Platinum bypass caps. I am looking for something a little less pricey but with good performance. I know emac has played around with the VitaminQ and greatly prefers the platinums and the Clarity SA version is more on par with the Sonicap Gen 1. Has anyone tried the Clarity ESA caps in comparison to the platinums? Or what about the practically free Vishay MKP1837 recommended as bypass caps by Humble Homemade HiFi?

[Danny Richie]

The best bang for the buck (and what I use with our standard kits) is a 200 VDC, .1uF, Gen.2 Sonicap. Price is only $2.70 each. They were designed just for this application and really tough to beat unless you step up to something like a Sonicap Platinum, but those are a lot more expensive.

I stock hundreds of them, but don't advertise them or I'd get constant orders totally $5.40.

[dvenardos]

Thanks Danny.
Maybe I will have to spring for a couple platinums and do my own comparison to the Gen 2.

[corndog71]

The platinums remove a veil you didn't know was there.

[dBe]

The platinums remove a veil you didn't know was there.

That's the way it is with most really good tweaks.  You recognize something by its' absense.  Caps to this, as well as wire tweaks and power supply mods.  Smaller bypass caps really seem to be frosting on a good cake.  The best mods I did to my old Cary gear was Platinum bypasses.  Good stuff there.  The Gen 2s are very, very good, too.

Dave 

[dvenardos]

Thanks Dave, it is always hard to figure out how good is good enough in this hobby. 

[dBe]

Thanks Dave, it is always hard to figure out how good is good enough in this hobby. 

One of the hardest admissions in an audio guy's life is when he has to say that he doesn't hear as well as he used to.  I'm there.  I'm 62.  What is interesting is that the loss of extreme highs has not really diminished my ability to discern all of the improvements that more appropriate choices in caps, resistors, interconnects, power cables, etc. bring.  It is very interesting that the quality of the change is more easily determined than when I was hearing a greater quantity of change.  I am more appreciative of the overall timbre of all of the instruments than of the tiny little bits and pieces in the extreme highs that I used to appreciate perhaps too much.

I wish I could say that it gets easier to know what is "good enough".  For me it is when I find myself patting my foot more than thinking about my system.  I'm pretty much there... maybe   

Dave

[Guy 13]

One of the hardest admissions in an audio guy's life is when he has to say that he doesn't hear as well as he used to.  I'm there.  I'm 62.  What is interesting is that the loss of extreme highs has not really diminished my ability to discern all of the improvements that more appropriate choices in caps, resistors, interconnects, power cables, etc. bring.  It is very interesting that the quality of the change is more easily determined than when I was hearing a greater quantity of change.  I am more appreciative of the overall timbre of all of the instruments than of the tiny little bits and pieces in the extreme highs that I used to appreciate perhaps too much.

I wish I could say that it gets easier to know what is "good enough".  For me it is when I find myself patting my foot more than thinking about my system.  I'm pretty much there... maybe   

Dave

Hi Dave.
I am also 62 and I am also going thru the same as you are now.
This hearing diminution mainly in the high frequencies, thank God, does not happen overnight, therefore you have time to accept that unavoidable situation.
That's life...
Enjoy music while you can, sorry to say that it won't last forever.
Guy 13. 

[dBe]

Hi Dave.
I am also 62 and I am also going thru the same as you are now.
This hearing diminution mainly in the high frequencies, thank God, does not happen overnight, therefore you have time to accept that unavoidable situation.
That's life...
Enjoy music while you can, sorry to say that it won't last forever.
Guy 13.

I'll be listening when all I can do is feel the bass.  I love music that much.

All that I am going through is the HF loss that is natural with age.  As our bodies cells become less elastic they lose their youthful characteristics.  The ear is no different, unfortunately.  Above 14K is essentially only a memory now.  I can heard the high frequencies mudulation effects on lower frequencies as subtle timbral changes, though.

Dave

[dvenardos]

Danny, does the demo Neo 2x use the Gen. 2 sonicap for bypass caps? Those are definitely good enough for me, I really like those speakers.

The best bang for the buck (and what I use with our standard kits) is a 200 VDC, .1uF, Gen.2 Sonicap. Price is only $2.70 each. They were designed just for this application and really tough to beat unless you step up to something like a Sonicap Platinum, but those are a lot more expensive.

I stock hundreds of them, but don't advertise them or I'd get constant orders totally $5.40.

[Guy 13]

I'll be listening when all I can do is feel the bass.  I love music that much.

All that I am going through is the HF loss that is natural with age.  As our bodies cells become less elastic they lose their youthful characteristics.  The ear is no different, unfortunately.  Above 14K is essentially only a memory now.  I can heard the high frequencies mudulation effects on lower frequencies as subtle timbral changes, though.

Dave

Hi Dave.
In Canada twenty years ago, my mechanic told me this true story.
A deaf customer came with his car and asks my mechanic to install a radio in his car.  My mechanic was wondering why a deaf person would want to have a working radio in his car, since he could not hear ?
Well, he did not argue, business is business and installed the radio.
After the installation was completed, he saw the deaf person turning his radio full blast and while his two hands were on the steering wheel, he had a big smile on his face and was moving his body with the music. The mechanic after looking at the strange situation found out that the deaf person, even if he could not hear, could feel the vibrations (Low bass frequencies) with his hands on his vibrating steering wheel.
And there goes a happy customer.
Conclusion, you can always find a way to go around the aging deficiencies of our body.
Let’s get old and let’s not worry about all the parts of our body that don’t work like they use to…
Guy 13.

[persisting1]

Hi Dave.
In Canada twenty years ago, my mechanic told me this true story.
A deaf customer came with his car and asks my mechanic to install a radio in his car.  My mechanic was wondering why a deaf person would want to have a working radio in his car, since he could not hear ?
Well, he did not argue, business is business and installed the radio.
After the installation was completed, he saw the deaf person turning his radio full blast and while his two hands were on the steering wheel, he had a big smile on his face and was moving his body with the music. The mechanic after looking at the strange situation found out that the deaf person, even if he could not hear, could feel the vibrations (Low bass frequencies) with his hands on his vibrating steering wheel.
And there goes a happy customer.
Conclusion, you can always find a way to go around the aging deficiencies of our body.
Let’s get old and let’s not worry about all the parts of our body that don’t work like they use to…
Guy 13.

That's a great story.

[dBe]

Hi Dave.
In Canada twenty years ago, my mechanic told me this true story.
A deaf customer came with his car and asks my mechanic to install a radio in his car.  My mechanic was wondering why a deaf person would want to have a working radio in his car, since he could not hear ?
Well, he did not argue, business is business and installed the radio.
After the installation was completed, he saw the deaf person turning his radio full blast and while his two hands were on the steering wheel, he had a big smile on his face and was moving his body with the music. The mechanic after looking at the strange situation found out that the deaf person, even if he could not hear, could feel the vibrations (Low bass frequencies) with his hands on his vibrating steering wheel.
And there goes a happy customer.
Conclusion, you can always find a way to go around the aging deficiencies of our body.
Let’s get old and let’s not worry about all the parts of our body that don’t work like they use to…
Guy 13.

All I have to say is:  WOOHOO!!! Rock on!!!!!! 

Dave

[classicjt2]

Danny-

I have MIT Multicaps (probably PPMFX) in my Shahinian Obelisk crossovers. Should I bypass with Sonicap Gen 2 (my preference) or replace them entirely with Gen 1s instead (at greater cost)? I hear both good and bad things about the Multicaps.

James

[emac]

Thought I might ask this here since lots of people on this forum have experience with the Sonicap Platinum bypass caps. I am looking for something a little less pricey but with good performance. I know emac has played around with the VitaminQ and greatly prefers the platinums and the Clarity SA version is more on par with the Sonicap Gen 1. Has anyone tried the Clarity ESA caps in comparison to the platinums? Or what about the practically free Vishay MKP1837 recommended as bypass caps by Humble Homemade HiFi?

IMO, the Vishays are worth the price you pay for them, which is basically nothing.  They didn't seem to work well with anything I used them with. 

Danny-

I have MIT Multicaps (probably PPMFX) in my Shahinian Obelisk crossovers. Should I bypass with Sonicap Gen 2 (my preference) or replace them entirely with Gen 1s instead (at greater cost)? I hear both good and bad things about the Multicaps.

James

Unfortunately, there's no good way to know how well bypass caps are going to work ahead of time.  It's worse than mixing spices.  At least with them you have some idea what you're going to get.  You can make a rough guess, and that's about it.  My rec would be to try the Gen 2's and see what you think.  If you like the results, stick with it.  Because if you switch, you may be taking a step backwards (depending on your tastes).

[Danny Richie]

Those Multicaps are not bad at all. It just really depends on what you are looking for and what direction you think the speaker needs to go in your system.

Gen.2 Sonicaps were good advice from emac. They cost very little so if you don't like the direction then you really lost little. My guess is that they will be fairly neutral with a little more space between notes. Resolution levels might seem better due to less smearing and the cleaner space between notes. How much is hard to say, but it is still a safe bet.

If you really like the direction that the Gen.2's take you then you might consider some Platinum's. They will go the same direction and then some, but at a little higher cost.

[iskandam]

Would there be any benefits to bypassing the mids with a Sonicap Platinum or would that be past the point of diminishing return in terms of price to performance ratio?

[Danny Richie]

Would there be any benefits to bypassing the mids with a Sonicap Platinum or would that be past the point of diminishing return in terms of price to performance ratio?

Well, on a really top notch level speaker that I am building for myself, I do it.

[EthanH]

Hey Danny, would you recommend a Sonicap with Platinum bypass for the Dayton RS28F tweeter?  I know you worked with the Usher Be tweeter which I believe is pretty similar to the Dayton silk dome.  Thanks.

[Danny Richie]

Hey Danny, would you recommend a Sonicap with Platinum bypass for the Dayton RS28F tweeter?

It will make it more revealing, lower the noise floor and reduce smearing. Those are all good things. But be careful of your upstream electronics with that tweeter. Anything to the harsh side will come through that way.