BEST HARMLESS/SIGNATURELESS SPEAKERS CAPACITORS.

Dear friends: This cap tests evaluation for my speaker crossover is really complicated due that Vishay, Wima, Kemet and Epcos has each one " hundreds " of models for multiple/several applications and inside each application model exist " dozens " of options to as a choice.

Of course no one of that applications says: speaker crossovers, so I'm buying diferent models of the same values and testing it. Not really an easy task but quite learning one.

Now, things are that sometime inside same manufacturer models and sometimes caps from diferent manufacturers caps performs almost at the same quality performance levels and all signatureless.

The issue down there is: which is the best choice?, very hard to say and what I'm doing is to have in different days using same recordings ( analog/digital. ) listen for a while at high SPL ( always same SPL. ) and I decided that the choice will be and is the cap that after eachh listen session let my ears/brain more " calm " and with the less/lower sensation of that time listening to high SPL's.

I decided that because I had not ( yet ) other better alternative. Advises are welcomed.

All those made it that today my crossovers are a blend of manufacturer caps where no one of them works as a tone control. That's why the blend: colorless.

R.

Btw, sessions at high SPL to make a cap choices and what I posted about does not means that the natural agresiveness and MUSIC brigthness are the ones that determine how or in wich condition my ears finish at each session.

My take is that at high SPL the caps with higher generated distortions are the least " ears " calm because it's more the kind of distortions with the SPL's what really make the diferences.
I check too in diferent sessions at low SPL's and here too is really indicative and help to make the choices.

About type of caps I gone and go for the MKP type but for other kind too. I found out that sometimes non-MKP models beated the MKP ones and the other way around and this fact makes that the number of tests been truly high but always with a learning lesson.

R.

Dear friends: I'm almost at the end of the overall caps in speaker crossover evaluation and by second time inside that evaluation I listened again to those boutique/snake oil expensive caps and was only to confirm that are not passive devices for true high end MUSIC home system reproduction.

Perhaps we can use that kind of cap if we have and want to fix a radio from the 60's ( not a joke. ) but for today audio just are useless.

Perhaps those useless devices manufacturers need to remember or re-think again how performs live MUSIC at near field position.

Maybe some of you think that the world industry is wrong and the only people that are rigth are the manufacturers of that kind of $$$$ devices. Could be?, I know for sure that the answer is NO but this is only an opinion/sand grain in an Ocean where almost every one think diferent from me.

I have no problem with.

R.

I said almost finish because now comes a really  dificult and end part where I need to be really carefully, high patience and move almost like a juggler.

All those because each speaker crossver needs to stay items/devices point to point soldered in between and things are that all the caps I'm using ( diferent manufacturers. ) are radial ones with small space in between pin connectors but things are that the resistors are radial too and this makes things more complicated because that pin connectors sopace in between is even smaller than in the caps.

Additional to all those I'm using caps in parallel because ( example. ) I could not find out 16.8uf caps so I was obligated to parallel caps that been radial along the resistors makes these point to point job a nigthmare.

But things does not ends there because the all silver ribbon inductors ( 4 .)  are really big ( like 5cms. wide. ) and needs be located at " big distance " in between and with diferent position angles.

Rigth now I'm making a route diagram of what to doo and the challenges I will find out in that point to point  final excercise.

I don't want to use nothing but the crossover items with out any single wire other than the input/output cables that comes from the amps and goes to each speaker driver.

I want to preserve the hardwired tri-wire connection.

We will see.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @grannyring : First than all thank you for your patience: Now:


" I have listened and tested caps for decades. " ,

me too.


"" It is only an opinion based on your ears, likes and music. ""

I totally agree that’s only one opinion where what I like or the kind of music were not take in count. What I like it is non-important or critic in the overall discovery and evaluation of caps.


""" Saying other caps are “junk”, “snake oil” and all the other demeaning comments you make is completely false. """


well please post the facts that can prove your statement because through the thread not only me but other gentlemans posted some facts on why those caps are snake oil. That those facts could be non important to other gentlemans but me this is a different matters.
In the other side all audiophiles, including you and me, always are waiting to find out the next snake oil item. Snake oil audio items is the food of audiophiles and this is a true and objective fact.



"""" “Only I Know Best” attitude. """"

in reality that’s not by attitude at all, maybe you took in that way but you can be sure that was not my intention, far away from there.



""""" Countless other designers, modifiers, builders and DIYers with astute hearing Combined with exhaustive testing have all come to a very different conclusion than you. """""

I’m in agreement with BUT their conclusions are way different from mines because my PREMISES ( posted here. ) for all the overall discovery and evaluation of caps is too way different than their premises including yours. Those premises is the key for my true and objective conclusions.



"""""" bashing companies that are passionate and quite experienced with making top grade parts. """"""


in agreement too but those top grade parts are useless for the MUSIC reproduction in any home system, unfortunated.



""""""" Not sure what your motivation is .."""""""


very simple: share my first hand experiences in that discovery and evaluation of those humble caps against the snake oil ones.



"""""""" You like it, but many don’t compared to the better built caps with better sounding materials and design. Wima is not junk . """"""""


better built caps?, please show facts or scientific papers that can prove that wax, oil or paper are better sounding materials and that those caps have better design against the Wima, Epcos, Kemet or Vishay manufacturers that already proved with facts that they are the only proffesionals with the kind of true engineering to make caps that really work doing its simple job.


In other of your latest posts you refered to Wima as a cheap cap but do you know why are so inexpensive caps?:

just think on this many of the hundreds models of those humble cheap caps you can buy it only if you buy 100, 400 or 1K pieces by model, you can’t buy 2-3 pieces.

 That was a problem for what I need it to buy.So, Wima/Vishay/Epcos/Kemet sales/sold hundred of thousands of caps that they manufacture and this fact makes that you and me can buy their caps at those ridiculous prices. Tha’s why. Do you know that the wholesalers in some models have a lead time of over 14 weeks and you need to buy hundreds if you want it.


Btw, @paulcreed , I had exactly the same experiences you posted ( but for different reason. ) about Wima caps and I had it with Vishay caps where I just can’t find out the models I want/need it to test so I bougth other models and tested and no single Vishay cap made it/done and I gave the need it time but things are that those Vishay caps were for very specific applicatoons and due that I can’t find out the ones I need it I bougth it but did not work .
Can I say that Vishay is a junk? certainly not.


Rigth now I’m in the point to point crossover parts set up where I’m using a blend of those four manufacturers caps/resistors and not because all work as a tone controls, far away from there and I already explained about.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.