![]() ![]() |
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
49.130.130.186
In Reply to: RE: Oil filled coupling caps are often bad news with one excepetion posted by Ralph on January 28, 2025 at 13:40:47
I have listened to a homebrew linestage that is probably based on the Audio Research SP-10 MKII line section and the tube supply circuitry. It has ASC Blue Line oil cap in the power supply. The output coupling cap has parallel Vitamin Q there. It sounds so good and wonderful! The midrange performance is stunning, it is so liquid and real.
I didn't say anything about how the caps sound. We've tested them a lot over the last 25 years. About half of them we tested exhibited some electrical leakage.
So IMO while your example is likely real, the question is 'for how long?'
The original Vitamin Q capacitors are quite old. I hope this isn't what you have in your line stage; I regard them as untrustworthy.
BTW, FWIW, what we've seen of coupling capacitors over the years suggests that bypassing an audio coupling capacitor is a bad move as it smears the sound (the smaller cap usually is much 'faster' than the larger cap). Better to just give it your best shot with the coupling cap and put in the best one you can get.
FKP and FKC WIMA using the same value.
The Mind has No Firewall~ U.S. Army War College.
![]()
I just tested all 15 of these caps and none of the oil caps show any leakage at all on the Sencore LC53. Maybe I'm just lucky? The 47uf 450vdc electrolytic leaks like a sieve.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
It might simply be that we've had really bad luck.
I recently renovated an EV A20-C. It had paper and oil caps throughout; all of them were electrically leaky and one was also leaking oil (Black Beauties).
.
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Of the caps we've tested, fully half of them exhibited some minor output Voltage where there should have been none.
The exception so far has been the ODAM caps from VH Audio.
NT
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: