Softest, smoothest sounding capacitors you've tried?


Since I'm going for a very vintage sound (my preference), what caps have you tried (speakers or coupling) that struck you as super soft and/or smooth sounding (which would include the effect of being very low distortion). Resolution's irrelevant here. I need large values (2.2uF and 3.3uF), so Russian jobbies are out (already tried them years ago -- they were "OK")

greg7

Mundorf SGO, Jantzen Superior Z in those values I’ve used I thought where smooth later I bypassed them with the Dueland 0.01 silver bypass cap that elevated both of them. 

In those values some can be very large as you know.

teck

Clarity CMR are smooth and transparent and add absolutely no coloration. Bypassed with 0.1uF Audyn TrueCopper they are absolutely perfect but I find the need to bypass less at small values.

All the fancy Mundorf’s add splash to the sound.

The Mundorf MKP are dark sounding caps with no splash.  Cheap so worth trying for the heck of it.

     Much of the, "vintage sound" you're referring to was generated by the carbon composition resistors used, back in the day.

      There are still a variety of Cornell-Dubilier, Black Cat capacitors available, that seemed a favorite, among many audio component designers as well, though: few in the higher uF values.

             ie: https://www.vivatubes.com/lot-of-4x-vintage-black-cat-black-beauty-axial-oil-capacitor-047uf-600v/

             and: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313&_nkw=black+cat+capacitor&_sacat=0

Some very nice caps come in lower voltages, so choice depends if they are going to be used in an active circuit, close to tubes or not, or speaker xovers.

Check the avialiable space.

Agree with Erik, and i would add MR’s, both excellent, other option is Jupiter HT beeswax, and at lower cost the Obbligato Gold premium.

rodman99999 is correct also about carbon composition resistors.

 

I have been Duelunds for a while especially their newTinned Copper Foil 

he best capacitors,  but they are Big,

just Jupiter Copper  foil are possibly a bit smoother but not as much detail .

Of course, nothing is cast in stone, but in general, you are describing paper & oil caps

 

 

Man what a loaded question! Power supply filter mundorf mundorf with PI CRC. Afe and vas really like kemet mkp wherever they fit. Vishay 18xx series mkp as well. Listening to my hafler 9500 with 100uf audio note /.1 uf mundorf mkp right before the output fets and man that combo is pretty special after about 40 hrs at high current... I know Solens don't get many accolades., but the mkps in my Dunlavy SM-1 x-overs I would never think to change. Flat neutral and oh so honest, so to answer the op, try Solen mkp. They may very well fit the bill.

For mainstream audiophile stuff I use MIT styrene and tin foil from the RTX series. IME all teflon/PTFE caps are very revealing, and maybe not what you are looking for. Polypropylene film and foil can be smooth and soft, not too expensive, and available. I have no experience with oil.

All of this IMO. YMMV.

 

Agree with Rodman99999 - you can try Takman carbon resistors.

Don't agree 100% with Eric and petg60.  All caps have coloration (every single one does) as opposed to using chokes instead of capacitors.  Agree with mickeyb - V-Cap oil caps are smooth but do allow detail to come through.

Jupiter Copper foil not our cup of tea but are slow and musical.

 

Not a fan of Mundorf but have used them with good results but nothing special to our ears.

Power supply I believe we used Motorola or Mitsubishi or maybe we used Mundorf I forget PS caps with musical results when we could not fit Nichicon PS caps - I am talking about the large capacitors not the ones placed on a circuit board.

Lots of responses and you have to try them out for yourself to see how they sound in your system.

 

 

@bigkidz I understand that V-caps are teflon film. Not oil.

Also have to quibble with you comment about every cap. Air-gap and vacuum dielectric have one main characteristic: clear as crystal. Of course, they are only available in small capacitances, in large packages, for huge money.

@terry9 oimp are oil impregnated  polypropylene.  Clarity also has a sound