Bypassing Caps - what is it really about?


I understand the theory, but I've never been clear on the practice. 

Some say its to extend the highs, but I see people using stuffy vintage caps as their bypass. I've also seen people bypass incredibly good existing caps with more, like Dueland on top of Dueland. So what is this really about? Is it about mixing tones of the capacitors?

 

clustrocasual

https://components101.com/articles/decoupling-capacitor-vs-bypass-capacitors-working-and-applications#:~:text=The%20Bypass%20capacitor%20is%20used,spikes%20on%20the%20supply%20lines.

The main capacitors, or AKA "filter capacitors" in an amplfiier will together with the power transformer(s) influence sound quality overall, but most importantly have great impact on the level of clarity and transient response in fast-paced music; also important for resolving nuanced details in slower tracks.

So I’m not talking about bypass circuits. I’m taking about what hi-fi people call "bypassing a capacitor", which is running two capacitors in parallel, typically using a small value to piggy back the main value.

Larger capacitors act as inductors at AC frequencies. The larger the cap and the higher the frequency, the higher the "resistance" presented by the cap. This can impede or roll off frequency response (impedence). A small value cap across the large value cap allows those frequencies to pass. Kinda like overtaking a slower semi on a small road.