2. amps-preamps
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Preamp Caps?Auricap,Mundorf, Hovland, jensen,solen

Hello,
I have a preamp with only 2 Signal caps directly in front of two tubes shot right out to the amps, extreme simplicity and excellent sound. This is the first preamp that came stock with Auricap's I have owned or heard, most in the past have always had Multicaps, Kimber caps in my previous pre's. I can say I think the Auricaps are quite a bit better but not that expensive or the end all-be all that I understand. Now I have had some crossovers and a Preamp with Solen fastcaps in it, and they are the best in Bass I have heard out of all of them, not that it makes them superior just an observation. I have also purchased Jensens oil and put them in Tube equipment in the past, not bad but did not blow my doors off.. And Finally Hovlands, not my Cup if you know what I mean, I found them the most expensive and the least impressive, could be the mix of component used in, but whatever too dry for me. Mundorf is a little newer on the scene to me and I thought the Hovlands were pretty obscene in cost, however these are the new Cost and hype leaders from what I can tell today. I am considering trying the Mundorf Silver in oil supreme caps at no small cost to see if they are gonna create more magic than the Auricaps. . What is the character of this cap? I want very 3d and open yet still have some intimate warmth and very powerful bass. Is this a cap worth venturing over all the other explanations I left here? Needs a liquid sound, and get that fairly deep bass solen seems to be capable of for only a couple dollars a cap, cause I do not want to soften the already slightly soft Tube bass. Thanks to all that know about this tweaking and expereance with these caps . . Again its only 2 Caps, very easy to install so its hard to keep my hands off, but do not want to go backwards or waste the cause if its not gonna be very significant in this specific application, Anybody know of any good tube equipment or preamps using these mundorf super caps? By the way my tubes are Mullards NOS. Preamp manufacture would seem to be irrelevant here and yes I am pretty dang happy with the sound for the money already, but there is always more right 
undertow
reb1208
518 posts
 
I am using a very small value, .01uf teflon cap to bypass a large 5.0 uf metalized poly.

After months on end of burn in. I will confirm that the teflon cap has higher resolution, smooth-almost lush midrange and not bright.

Compared to MIT RTX, the teflon is less bright, yet higher in resolution and clearer. Very rare and desireable traits indeed.
reb1208
518 posts
 
Update, I have gone back to RTX .22UF bypass cap in place of teflon. In my tube pre-amp- (the smooth midrange balance and ultra black background in the highs that seams to be a hallmark of teflon)was just to over bearing to live with. I want to hear the midrange that the tubes deliver. Not the smooth midrange of Teflon. Teflon would probably be the cap of choice in solid state. But for tubes...just didn't work out for me. I know others have also, ultimately felt that Teflon sounds that way to them. Just to smooth....IMO.

YMMV
jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
One characteristic of the BEST-sounding 'passive' devices is that they're detailed--they pass all (or nearly all) of the information WITHOUT adding an edge to the sound that some of us think is more detail. For instance, the sounds of live trumpets and trombones when blown hard have an edge to them, and sometimes they're VERY sharp sounding. When heard live and unamplified, you know you're hearing 'detail' without edginess. Less-than-ideal passive (and active, too) components add an edginess to the sound that's unattractive, and too much of it gets ugly quickly. 'Smoothness' is detail without edginess; I love it and it's my principal sonic goal when modifying equipment*. What I call 5-star components and parts are smooth AND detailed--and tonally neutral, too, without losing any of music's essential fundamentals and harmonics.

* I truly am NOT a GEA; I have to work hard at hearing differences that for me are subtle. The GEAs hear and talk about all kinds of differences that I can't hear.
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reb1208
518 posts
 
I like to hear the edge that is present in many of the rock recordings I listen to. Smooth, when the sound should be sharp, with high resolution in the midrange is just another form of coloration.
reb1208
518 posts
 
I've spent some time reading internet posts regarding opinions on Teflon capacitors. A common word that comes up is "midrange". I'm convinced that the weakness of Teflon, is that it has a very prominent signature in this frequency range. The midrange is where the music lives. I want to hear the music as on the recording. Sugar coating and enhancing the power of this range may work well with panel type speakers, but with cones its like a lead weight.
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