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Upgrading coupling capacitors on EAR 834p

I have just got my first 834p and immediately loved its sound.
However, being kind of a diy freak, I want to start doing some upgrades to see how high it can go.

I am thinking to start from the C1 and C7 coupling caps which are pretty straightforward as a replacement.

From Thorsten's guide, I got some tips on what caps to try, but what strikes me as weird is that most of the tinfoil caps proposed do not come in the exact values that the schematic specifies (1uF and 0.15uF).

I wanted to ask how critical is it to maintain the exact values for C1 and C7 (eg using 0.1uF instead of 0.15uF).
And how would it affect the behavior of the proposed capacitors if I used 3 or 4 caps in parallel to match the 0.15uf value.

Here is the link to the guide for easy refference.
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=vinyl&n=108318

Thanks in advance
dimkasta
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
removing coupling caps and diverting DC component to the ground is even more interesting DIY project. this one require using various diodes.
salectric
751 posts
 
The values of the coupling capacitors are not critical. Use anything reasonably close. It is important to make sure they have a max voltage rating of 400v or greater.

I have found it is better to use a single capacitor rather than several in parallel.
thorman
1,262 posts
 
My 834P has had the C1 and C7 caps changed to Mundorf Silver/Oil ( using Sylvania 3 5751 Mica Black plates )and it sounds awesome..Just the right balance of sweetness and detail....
hifigeek1
770 posts
 
Changing the value of the coupling caps can be critical and dependent on the locations of the coupling cap in the circuit. For example, doubling the value of the cap, in some applications, could destabilize very low frequencies and cause a rise in low frequency response instead of a gradual roll off. Since going from .15 to .1 would be decreasing the value of the cap, this should not cause a problem and in fact may potentially fall within the tolerance of the cap. The end result might be a -3dB of say 10Hz instead of 5Hz. You may find that audible. Hard to say.
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