Capacitors for HP filters in tube amps recommendations?


I’ll soon be installing a capacitor on each of the input jacks of two tube power amps, to create passive 1st-order high-pass filters. Cap values are 19.9uF (20uF will do) and 30.33uF (let’s say 30uF). I’ll need two of the former and four of the latter (balanced/XLR input jacks), and I don’t want to spend more on the caps than the amps cost me ;-) .

I’m all ears for nominees. I don’t need or want any flavoring, "just" neutral transparency. The amps are powering fairly transparent loudspeakers (ESL’s, and Magnetic-Planars with Ribbon tweeters), which will pretty well reveal the character of the caps. In spite of that fact, "most-bang-for-the-buck" nominees are of particular interest, not cost-no-object ones. Thanks y’all.

128x128bdp24

Showing 2 responses by oldhvymec

You need to be cautious when recommending CGO/NPO ceramics for audio (particularly coupling not bypassing) applications.

I have question for you.

Can you use a PIO russian .01 or a pair of .015
they come in 100-1000 v.  There were a few different model numbers., I I think Y77????, not painted, glass tube..
It's been 3-4 years since I ordered 50 or so @ 600v. I matched 16 as close as I could.  less than .5 % var. I used .01 as bypass in addition too
1.0 uf coupling. They were about .25" x 1" 1.5 inch tails. I took out EROs at 400v and 10%, they were all over the map. The PIO russian surplus worked wonderfully.
Took a bit of time to break in but really softened (I think that's the right word) or took the edge off the blistering HF issue, that just kills my ears.
I'm one of those people that UHF literally makes me clench my fist and walk in circles. Cotton in the ears, or a hoodie a LOT of the time in public.

So will these caps work as an inline XO (of sorts) on line level interconnects if that is what someone wants to do?? Your thoughts

I'd like to take care of this problem in a cable format if possible. On the line in  where the values are much smaller and WAY less expensive..

Your thoughts

Respectfully

I pulled WIMA MKG-4 .47@ 250v in a VTL 300 Deluxe, replaced them with a really good VCap. LOL, two months later thinking it was a breakin thing, pulled them and put the USED WIMA caps back in.. Sounded wonderful again. Crazy I'm with you they are a great cap, my first Watt B5 is packed with WIMA, My new Mcintosh PACKED with WIMA. High quality, LOW prices in comparison... 5.00 USD, Vcaps 100.00 USD at the time..

Regards