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Thread: Ageing caps and frequency response

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: Eton wick

    Posts: 1,677
    I'm Philip.

    Default Ageing caps and frequency response

    Hi

    Do caps affect frequency response?
    Ie would 30/40 year old caps reduce frequency response?

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 685
    I'm James.

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    Possibly depending on how out of spec they were. Mostly electrolytics but also paper in oils seem to be prone to this.
    What's the application, any pics?

    Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,089
    I'm Alan.

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    As a generalisation I would say that any caps that are restricting or controlling the frequency response are unlikely to change their value enough to be concerned about.
    Unlike ancient electrolytics that could have dried out somewhat.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: Eton wick

    Posts: 1,677
    I'm Philip.

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    It was just a general question.
    I was wondering what tne effects of recapping an old amp would be.
    Thought frequency response, high and low, would be reduced on old amps.
    Although tne same is no doubt true on my old ears.


    Quote Originally Posted by Jazid View Post
    Possibly depending on how out of spec they were. Mostly electrolytics but also paper in oils seem to be prone to this.
    What's the application, any pics?

    Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: Eton wick

    Posts: 1,677
    I'm Philip.

    Default

    Am i getting confused between caps and resistors?

    Should ageing amplifiers not have a diminished frequency response?

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 685
    I'm James.

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    Not really, but components go out of spec and this may upset the performance. Difficult to say how without a circuit.
    Valves of course can change considerably and the effects can be as you describe.

    Re. Alan I was more thinking of coupling and smoothing caps with respectively leak and esr changes.

    Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date: Jul 2008

    Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

    Posts: 141

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    Naim seem to recommend having their amps and power supply's recapped and from what I've read it does make a difference

  8. #8
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by gary View Post
    Naim seem to recommend having their amps and power supply's recapped and from what I've read it does make a difference
    For every person who says it made a difference there's one who says it made no difference

    Naim users do tend to leave it all switched on all the time though so it's more likely to need the caps replacing every ten years.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Witney Oxon

    Posts: 893
    I'm Martyn.

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    I understand that replacing capacitors in speaker crossovers can give an improvement, as their value can
    drift over time.
    By how much I don’t know, as most caps have a 10% tolerance so presumably they aren’t too critical in
    crossovers.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Dec 2015

    Location: Cardiff Wales

    Posts: 32
    I'm winston.

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    Quote Originally Posted by philv View Post
    Hi

    Do caps affect frequency response?
    Ie would 30/40 year old caps reduce frequency response?

    Cheers
    I can say from experience there is no doubt at all.
    Changing the caps on my IMF TLS 50 made a huge difference.
    All I had from mine was muffled muddy bass, no mids and no top end.
    Changed the caps and they came alive.

    Though that doesn't mean it works for every old speaker.

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