Capacitors in Cary PH302 phono amp

Just looking in on this thread and felt the need to add my experience to the mix. I have been using Mundorf S/O's within my system in many positions for the last couple of years. Some are deep inside components and hard to reach. One that is very simple to perform a swap is on my hybrid Altmann Dac. The dac has a .47uf cap at the output of each channel. I chose a Clarity Cap MR to replace the Mundorf's.

My entire system is designed and built around the idea of resonance grounding. The MR caps were also designed with resonance control as the core factor to their construction.
Size was an issue as was price.

The MR is a much cleaner and more neutral cap in my particular device than was the S/O it replaced. The MR is much quieter yet insightful and more musical. The bass is smoother and more detailed and controlled. Vocal placement and outline is more defined but the biggest difference in these two caps are the dynamic contrasts. The Mundorf seems to have a staggering mind of its own. In the course of a recording I seemed to be grasping for the volume control wanting to turn it up or down depending on the sonic impulse. It was if I were waiting for someone to rap on the door or a drummer to knock over his cymbal all in the course of one recording. In contrast the MR is much more linear and stable in its tracking of the sudden impulses in the music line..it is not at all compressed. The staging on the MR is more defined and detailed almost with a three d affect all with no perception of phase shift or crawl. I will be installing MR's in those other locations when time allows. Tom

Interesting comments regarding the Mundorf S/O caps.
I'm not hearing the same inconsistency with dynamics in the Cary phono amp.
Perhaps the caps have degraded over time(?)

The Clarity MR caps are supposed to be very good - if I were not getting such superb sound with the Mundorfs, I might be tempted to try them.

FWIW, I did conduct the temp measurement experiment that I mentioned above.
Ambient temp was 20ºC.
My phono amp reached stasis after about 1.5hrs. - the temp measured at the cap surface (closest to the tube) was then 32ºC. The probe hanging in free space inside the phono amp case was 29-30ºC (a bit higher than I thought it would be, given the coolness of the exterior).
In any case, I don't think 2ºC is significant enough to warrant looking into heat shields etc.
I also removed the top cover to measure glass temp on the the 6SL7 - but as soon as the lid was removed all temps dropped and the glass only read 28-29ºC.
For comparison the (exposed) 6NIP driver valves in my power amp had a glass temp of 47ºC and the (exposed) 6550A power tubes had a glass temp of 72ºC(!).
The Cary phono amp offers a relatively benign environment for electronic components....if the Mundorf's can't survive here then, IMO, they probably don't belong in any active devices.

The Mundorfs like the Clarity Cap MRs were mounted to the spruce board that is essentially the chassis mount for the Altmanm Dac . The whole assembly is then mounted to and tensioned to a custom one off Sistrum platform. All the components of the Altmann including the coupling caps are in free air. Temperature variation in an environment like this would be nill even though the MR's have a higher temp rating by 15 degrees C. I doubt the Mundorfs broke down in free air use after only 2 years. The Clarity MR's maybe superior in their dynamic presentation because of their design and construction based on resonant energy transfer. That's how I hear and see the stage in front of me. Tom

Tom, my note on the temp experiment was meant to address Reb and Dover's concerns above - not meaning to draw any conclusion regarding your setup.
That said, I have read some reports where users have stated the Mundorf S/O sound has changed after extended use >300hrs - not necessarily related to heat. Who knows?
In any case I have heard nothing but good reports regarding teh Clarity MR caps, they were on my shortlist and something I may try in the future.
Cheers - Paul

Paul

I saw that your setup is tubed based and mine is not. The reference to maximum temperature rating was in reference to the 2 caps in proximity to high heat exposure. Your measurements predict that your cap of choice will work just fine. Cool. Good listening.
Tom