Capacitor
So clear why so few use boutique parts in audio equipment. Business models don't care or ask why, even most audiophiles unaware of sound quality changes boutique parts can evoke. So, profit margins ok, most consumers ok with status quo, what's not to like. I've been around the diy audio boutique parts game for perhaps twenty years now, I'd estimate we're around 1% of audiophiles. We're like lone voices in the wilderness, perceived as iconoclasts looking for that last 1-2% of performance. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'd say the one thing I find in common amongst us is the seeking of truth of timbre, boutique parts are specifically designed for their sound signature. IME, performance increases of much greater than 1-2% are possible, in fact to be expected. If you don't believe parts have sound signatures this is all nuts to you. As time moves on, I observe increasing use of boutique parts in audio equipment, at least amongst the smaller manufacturers. These guys are subjectivist audiophile/engineers, a rare breed based on use of these parts. These are the people who take the time to voice their equipment in top flight systems, likely try many parts over time, pick what they consider best for their equipment. This is the kind of equipment I seek out these days, I'd actually prefer not having to diy mod equipment. My present dac uses all boutique/top flight parts, my custom designed 300b monoblocks were built with input from me and further diy mods, my 845SET and preamp are both filled with top flight parts which don't require any diy. The Klipsch Cornwall thread here finds a few doing the exact same crossover mod with the Odam caps and a few other things. If Klipsch is paying attention and we're lucky we may someday see upgraded parts in stock Klipsch Heritage. In regard to manufacturers paying attention, some years ago I upgraded both my crossovers and BAM in Merlin VSM-MM with Duelund VSF caps. In my excitement I called Bobby at Merlin, very irritated that I had the nerve to change his perfect creation. Lo and behold, a few months later he comes out with upgraded VSM with Duelund VSF! I was ticked off with his reaction to me, but respectful in the sense he did care about best performance with his speakers. By the way, the upgrade from stock Hovland caps to Duelund was pretty stunning. |
Most folks don’t understand the basic economic problem. Simply because a manufacturer uses a particular capacitor, does not mean its the best or even any good. Far from it. It actually means it was the very cheapest/convenient capacitor that could possibly be used by the manufacturer to attain a level of performance that would achieve projected sales targets. This is true for resistors, regulators, PC boards, transformers, cabling, you-name-it. There are precious few exceptions to this. You can bet dollars to doughnuts when a particular capacitor is often used in audio components, it is definitely not the best. "Somebody" needs to take a economics 101 class ... |
Dear @charles1dad @grannyring and friends: Could be that I look as a condensendent person and that I not only know but are superior in audio subjects to any one else. Well, that kind of " look " is only that because I’m different and certainly always learning from any gentleman as you and even from audio rookies. I remember all of you that as you I was entitled with the boutique capacitors and against Wima like ones. Even every single audio item I bougth in the last 30 years my first step with was change all the Wima caps for " better " caps that always sounded to me better in exactly the same way as all of you. So please don’t have a misunderstood on me and what is behind my posts. In my capacitor thread is all explained and through that thread I DISCOVERED Wima/Kemet/Vishay JUNK capacitors. Yes was a total turn around in my audio life and happened in the best time with my room/system when is fine tunned better than ever. Now, the capacitor subject is not an issue of " I like it " but is first than all understand what does and what does not a capacitor ( that’s why I share that link. ). It’s a engeneering subject and sooner or latter we need to understand it. It’s not true that top electronics designers don’t choose " boutique " caps because $$$ or because the caps dimensions or because " are not open to learning ". Far aaway from there, the competition at that high electronics levels makes that all those manufacturers look to give to the market THE BEST OF THE BEST and nothing less. In my thread I linked electronics with a cost no object price: 80K+ for an amplifier or over 60K for a preamp ( CH is an example. ) where the circuit boards are full of Wima or Wima like caps everywhere. These designers has no problem design with expensive caps because the audiophiles are willing to buy the products coming from those top manufacturers. https://lammindustries.com/pages/power-amplifiers-ml3/ do you know its very high prices? maybe no one here can afford it and guess what : WIMA and VISHAY Roderstein caps. Here other example: https://lammindustries.com/lamm-website/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/M2.2_inside.jpg Problem with all of us audiophiles and MUSIC lovers is that in reality " we are not willing to learn " not even to read something that " moves the land " as earthwake. As audiophiles some of us ( including me. ) are at the hunt of " boutique " items that can " improve " our systems and we go for the more expensive and we don’t use or name/post Wima because is " junk " and we can " lost " figure and credibility. Unfortunatelly we are just followers and I’m sorry to said it. It’s totally " weird " ( for say the least . ) that it does not matters the electronic/speaker item each time we change caps for the " boutique " ones always sound the better and is a full improvement. How can be that way and what could means? it could means that the items designs all are WRONG designed because with the cap changes we " improved "? So what are doing all those designers when with those changes we are better that they. We have better know-how?. Certainly not. What is happening about has no real sense and something is wrong down there. It’s not as @grannyring posted: "" try Wima on your own folks """ but to make an effort to understand the subject facts not " I like it " because normally what we like it is wrong or could be wrong but just does not cares us but MUSIC is to valuable to stay " static " and degrading it each time with those caps, fuses, resistors and the like " boutique " parts. Yes, I know that we love those " colorations/distortions " that does not came in the recording. @jasbirnandra the caps you can use all over your electronics or speakers can be these ones that I use instead of Cu teflon Vcaps I was using: https://www.wima.de/en/our-product-range/pulse-capacitors/fkp-1/ or and alternative in speakers crossovers due that has a wider uf range than the Wima and are very good too: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.kemet.com%2Fdatasheets%2FKEM_F3118_R76H.pdf&clen=1380003 Ovbiously both with radial short leads. R. |
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