Output Caps For Dehavilland Ultraverve


Has anyone changed the output caps on their Ultraverve, and if so with what and to what effect?  A couple of years ago Kara suggested Mundorf's with the caveat that she had not experimented with any of the more esoteric options.  Thanks for your advice...

weebeesdad

Showing 5 responses by weebeesdad

Thanks for your expertise and help.  Bill, would I need the Jupiter cap rated at 100VDC or 600VDC?  Also, while it is impossible to put an absolute objective value on the benefit of using the bypass cap, how much of a subjective sound quality difference would you say there is using both caps as opposed to just the Jupiters??

Steven - Which Duelunds did you use?  I see that there are a couple of design variations. Kara, as well as Bill (grannyring) recommended 2.2uf.  Did you use a bypass cap as well?  The Duelunds are rather large, any issues fitting them in the chassis?  I agree that Kara, in addition to being a gifted designer, is a consummate professional and has been extremely helpful and honest... 

Thanks, Bill.  $900 for two caps, in addition to being rather pricey, does seem like a bit of overkill for a $3K preamp. Or maybe not.  I have no objection to paralleling the caps and will probably wind up using your original suggestion.  Would I be looking at an excessive break in period?
-Brad
I'm currently switching back and forth between two amps depending on my state of audiophile neurosis at the particular moment.  One is a pair of DeHavilland 50A tube mono blocks with an input impedance of 100K, the other a Clayton 100S solid state amp with an input impedance of 47K.  Occasionally, when I'm feeling nostalgic,  I'll pull out my old BEL1001 solid state amp which I used for about 25 years and listen to that for a short while.  That has an input impedance of 27K.  I'm guessing that you were going to recommend a lower value cap, which would be less expensive and smaller, if I was only driving a high input impedance amp, but I would like the option of being able to drive a solid state amp as well, so the 2.2uf is probably the best bet.  Also, at some point I may move the amp(s) closer to the speakers and use a longer interconnect.  I'm not sure if the larger cap value would be advantageous for that or not...

Ah, but am I correct about the higher total capacitance driving longer cable runs better?  I believe a gold star is in order only if both of my assumptions were true...