Preamp Output Capacitor: Mundorf Supreme vs. Supreme Silver Oil

Not everyone agrees that a small bypass cap improves sound quality.  I have tried bypass caps in all sorts of applications going back literally 40 years and I haven’t found a single instance where the bypass improved sound quality.  The bypass certainly changes the sound; usually the bypass makes the sound brighter, leaner and less coherent.  I much prefer the sound of a single quality cap like a Copper V-Cap over any combination of caps with a bypass.

You may reach a different conclusion so by all means try it yourself, but don’t be surprised if you tire of the sound with bypass caps.

It depends on the combo and position. The Vcap Odam & Cuft bypass are a match in heaven. Chris from Vcap turned me onto it. I will say it is magic on the output of a dac which is where I have used them on 5 occasions now. I am sure they would sound as wonderful together on the output of a preamp.  I am using them on a tweeter next and will report back. 

Some combos just work and some just dont.  Learn from experience.  The Jupiter copper foils bypassed with the Duelund silver foil bypass cap also works wonderfully.  In my experience the two examples work and I have used them extensively. 

Thanks. I’m not questioning the results, one way or the other, just wondering why and how it makes a difference. Apparently, in the chip design the different value and material parallel/bypass capacitors are used to push the inductance of the capacitor to higher frequencies and the combined impedance(s) of the capacitors is lowered across a broader frequency range. But that’s at MHz region. I’m guessing the same/similar phenomenon occurs in audio. Otherwise, on the surface you’re just adding the capacitances of the two capacitors.

Sorry. I can’t explain as I am more of a experiential sort of guy. I try and enjoy or not. I will add that it’s all about the synergy between the stock piece of gear and the cap you are thinking of adding. For example the stock MHDT Orchid dac is warm, rounded so more air and vividness is a synergistic plus. The trick is not to go to far and lose the stock unit’s wonderful weight, bloom and body. That’s why I would not use a Mundorf SGO alone or with a bypass of any sort. However, the Odam & Cuft combo works perfectly for top to bottom correctness of tone.....perfectly balanced.   One has to know the sonic personality of the parts being used as they do indeed have a sound.

You need to try yourself, in some cases bypassing can work good in some cases bad.

In my case, Jupiter Cu 1uF works very good with Duelund Cu-Sn bypass 0.01uf on my phonostage output.
Probably, if I used a single Duelund Cu-Sn 1uF capacitor, it would be even better. But I didn’t try it.

In my speakers HF crossover I bypassed 4uF Duelund RS with the same Duelund Cu-Sn bypass 0.01uf. In direct comparison, when I remove bypass sound has a better focus,
but with bypass I have much more vivid, real, alive and musical sound.