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Thread: Are capacitor 'upgrades' really better?

  1. #21
    Join Date: Feb 2008

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    I'm Neal.

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    Gary, if they are in the signal path then its probably worth a shot, done it many time myself. What are they, 'lytics? My early post was a general one, wouldn't want anybody thinking they can arbitrarily swap out any old cap and expect all to be well.
    Listening in a Foo free Zone...

    Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

  2. #22
    Join Date: Oct 2008

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    I'm Gary.

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    Your right Neal and yup, worth pointing out.
    it's 'lytics that's in the Dac, looking into more info on which ones are in the signal path.

    Ta.

  3. #23
    Join Date: Mar 2010

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    There are no lytics in the signal path on the Young. The analogue stage is all of an inch long and runs from the output of the dac chip to the op-amps and straight out the back panel. There's nothing to be improved in that region short of completely rebuilding the I/V and output stages.

    The chip uses 5v and 3.3v feeds and if I recall these are both fed by switching regs. There might be some margin to be had in feeding these with something from Mr Hynnes. But swapping additional parts will deliver nothing, the SMT lytics used for PSU decoupling are as good as it gets and you can't improve upon the SMT Wimas used everywhere else.
    Kuzma Stabi/S 12", (LP12-bastard) DC motor and optical tacho psu, Benz LP, Paradise (phonostage). MB-Pro, Brooklyn dac and psu, Bruno Putzeys balanced pre, mod86p dual mono amps, Yamaha NS1000m

  4. #24
    Join Date: Jan 2009

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    With regard to speaker capacitors -when I rebuilt my NS-1000S' I replaced all the capacitors in the crossovers with closer tolerance polypropylene (mostly ClarityCap ESA). they didn't sound any worse for this but it didn't make much of an improvement either. I did think that subsequently changing the in-line capacitor to the tweeter to a Mundorf Supreme made a difference, but not huge. I also measured the capacitors that came out of the old crossovers and despite their age they were still within specification - they just weren't very closely matched. Changing the caps to closer matched polypropylenes did improve stereo solidity and imaging though.

    I've still got the original crossovers so I should be able to rig them up to do an A/B comparison (the crossovers are now external so easier to do) - may give that a go.
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  5. #25
    Join Date: Mar 2008

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    I'm inthescottishmafia.

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    You could try the MR range, or something like SCR Teflon, though they are not cheap!

    I've found changing coupling caps in valve amps to make a real difference, best of those I've tried are the SCR's and the Audio Note Coppers. I find they take an age to run in though, especially the teflons. Nick uses the MR's in a lot of stuff and likes them, I've just put some in my Pre 3, sound is still all over the place while they burn in.

  6. #26
    Join Date: Mar 2010

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    I used to be a capanista, but not any more. I found when you actually match the caps for capacitance and ESR there's no difference, not unless they have odd inductance. There's plenty of times upgrading a cap for one of the same nominal value actually means replacing with one that has considerably lower ESR, in a crossover the effect of this is obvious if you simulate the effect on FR that the change in ESR has.

    Mostly, we are never swapping like for like, most people just look at the number written on the side of the cap they never bother to measure the ESR and inductance.
    Kuzma Stabi/S 12", (LP12-bastard) DC motor and optical tacho psu, Benz LP, Paradise (phonostage). MB-Pro, Brooklyn dac and psu, Bruno Putzeys balanced pre, mod86p dual mono amps, Yamaha NS1000m

  7. #27
    Join Date: Oct 2008

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    Quote Originally Posted by sq225917 View Post
    There are no lytics in the signal path on the Young. The analogue stage is all of an inch long and runs from the output of the dac chip to the op-amps and straight out the back panel. There's nothing to be improved in that region short of completely rebuilding the I/V and output stages.

    The chip uses 5v and 3.3v feeds and if I recall these are both fed by switching regs. There might be some margin to be had in feeding these with something from Mr Hynnes. But swapping additional parts will deliver nothing, the SMT lytics used for PSU decoupling are as good as it gets and you can't improve upon the SMT Wimas used everywhere else.
    Oh, good info Simon...I opened up the Young and thought I'd saw some 'lytic caps.
    Wasn't exactly sure where the analogue stage was on the board, asked the question but had assumed it was one of the two groups either side.

    A guy over on Wigwam has swapped a lot of em out for OsCons and blackgates, says a big improvement?
    Was just going by his post and this photo here:


    You reckon then get the regs swapped out at a later stage by Paul and the jobs a good'un?

    Thanks.
    Last edited by Gazjam; 15-08-2013 at 15:12.

  8. #28
    Join Date: Mar 2008

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    Interesting point Simon, never tried that, but don't have a meter that will measure those.

  9. #29
    Join Date: Mar 2008

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    Oh, good info Simon opened up the Young and thought I'd saw some 'lytic caps.
    Wasn't exactly sure where the analogue stage was on the board, asked the question but had assumed it was one of the two groups either side.

    A guy over on Wigwam has swapped a lot of em out for OsCons and blackgates, says a big improvement?
    Was just going by his post and this photo here:


    You reckon then get the regs swapped out at a later stage by Paul and the jobs a good'un?

    Thanks.
    Well the Os-Cons are 'lytics.

  10. #30
    Join Date: Oct 2008

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    Thats the dac thats been modded Ali.
    The stock one looks like this...

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