Has anyone upgraded their preamp with V-caps?


I am interested in hearing about anyone's experience with upgrading their preamps with V-caps (in the output circuit). They are very expensive, i.e. 600.00 for two 2.0uF. I have heard that they are amazing caps and make a huge audio improvement, particularly in the bass and midrange.
jppenn

Showing 3 responses by dgarretson

I just replaced .1uf REL/Audiocap TFT coupling caps in my Atma-Sphere MP-1 LS with V-Cap TFTF. With just a few hours break-in, it's surprising how much better the V-Caps are than the REL and how big a difference there can be between one teflon cap and another. Furthermore, this swap made a greater improvement than replacing oil/paper coupling caps in my amp that I know to be inferior to REL TFT-- confirming perhaps the critical importance of the preamp in the system.
It is .1uf in the LS and .47uf in the PS of my late model Atma MP-1 MkII. I believe Atma used other values in various vintages of this preamp. It sound f***ing great with the V-Caps.
Unclejeff,

I've been surprised that the more I upgrade my system, the more audible becomes even very small changes. Small incremental changes can make large perceived differences in a high calibre system. Perhaps the Law of Diminishing Returns needs adjustment.

Another approach is to ask the hard question, does an audio system make the music sound real? However good a system, the answer will always be no. When making an upgrade the question becomes, how much closer does this upgrade take the system toward realism? If the system is already at 9/10s, a movement of .5 (or 50% of the remaining gap) is significant. I see the problem more in terms of Zeno's Paradox than the Law of Diminishing returns. And I bet this psychological need for unobtainium is at the root of most high-end buying. The psyche registers percentage improvement as percentage of remaining gap to be closed.