Can you really HEAR mkt caps?

[Michael]

I know they look good on test equipment but can you really hear the
difference in an audio circuit with these MKT capacitors?

I have an analog devices op amp and I've put a couple of 10UF electrolytics
back to back in a non polarized arrangement on the output and it sounds
awful good to my ears.

I ordered some to compare but I'm a cynic by nature.

 

[Pooh Bear]

I know they look good on test equipment but can you really hear the
difference in an audio circuit with these MKT capacitors?

I have an analog devices op amp and I've put a couple of 10UF electrolytics
back to back in a non polarized arrangement on the output and it sounds
awful good to my ears.

I ordered some to compare but I'm a cynic by nature.

The idea that different types of film caps have 'a sound' is as plain berserk
as the audiophool notion that some copper ( the type blessed by companies
charging a lot of money for theirs ) sounds better too.

Electrolytics aren't beyond blame though. I could discuss this at length and
have actually made some measurements of same.

Unless you actually need to block a DC voltage > ~ 100 mV you should use only
*one* electrolytic. They don't care about polarisation ( reverse or otherwise )
this low. Using 2 back to back without the mid-point being biased actually
makes their influence ( distortion - albeit tiny ) worse.

Also I would recommend a larger cap for coupling an output. I use 100uF.
Nothing to do with low frequency cut-off but everything to do with ensuring the
ac signal across the cap is as tiny as possible.

Graham

 

[martin griffith]

The idea that different types of film caps have 'a sound' is as plain berserk
as the audiophool notion that some copper ( the type blessed by companies
charging a lot of money for theirs ) sounds better too.

Electrolytics aren't beyond blame though. I could discuss this at length and
have actually made some measurements of same.

Unless you actually need to block a DC voltage > ~ 100 mV you should use only
*one* electrolytic. They don't care about polarisation ( reverse or otherwise )
this low. Using 2 back to back without the mid-point being biased actually
makes their influence ( distortion - albeit tiny ) worse.

Also I would recommend a larger cap for coupling an output. I use 100uF.
Nothing to do with low frequency cut-off but everything to do with ensuring the
ac signal across the cap is as tiny as possible.

Graham

a bit OT but in
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamps.html

A little quote about OPA132

"This is a nice family of op-amps. The sound has the typical
Burr-Brown laid-back nature. It's a bit tubby on the bottom end. This
is not an exciting sounding chip......"

Precision stuf, eh?



martin

 

[Anthony Fremont]

I know they look good on test equipment but can you really hear the
difference in an audio circuit with these MKT capacitors?

Only if you're a true audiophool IMO. ;-)

I have an analog devices op amp and I've put a couple of 10UF electrolytics
back to back in a non polarized arrangement on the output and it sounds
awful good to my ears.

I ordered some to compare but I'm a cynic by nature.

I hear that on the cynic stuff. I am interested in seeing your report
later.

 

[Tim Williams]

I know they look good on test equipment but can you really hear the
difference in an audio circuit with these MKT capacitors?

My MKP's sound pretty good. Idunno about MKT.

What? I should hope your capacitors make a sound when you run a few hundred
amperes of LF through them.

Tim

 

[Rich Grise]

.

a bit OT but in
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamps.html

A little quote about OPA132

"This is a nice family of op-amps. The sound has the typical Burr-Brown
laid-back nature. It's a bit tubby on the bottom end. This is not an
exciting sounding chip......"

Precision stuf, eh?

LOL!

Thanks!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

a bit OT but in
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamps.html

A little quote about OPA132

"This is a nice family of op-amps. The sound has the typical Burr-Brown
laid-back nature. It's a bit tubby on the bottom end. This is not an
exciting sounding chip......"

Precision stuf, eh?

I just discovered a couple of LM386s and a .25W, 8ohm speaker in my
junque box - I wonder if I could make a good audiophool amp? ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Pooh Bear]

a bit OT but in
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamps.html

A little quote about OPA132

"This is a nice family of op-amps. The sound has the typical
Burr-Brown laid-back nature. It's a bit tubby on the bottom end. This
is not an exciting sounding chip......"

Precision stuf, eh?

How anyone can classify an op-amp as having a 'tubby bottom end' begs belief. I
guess they don't know much about how negative feedback works.

Graham

 

[Sjouke Burry]

I know they look good on test equipment but can you really hear the
difference in an audio circuit with these MKT capacitors?

I have an analog devices op amp and I've put a couple of 10UF electrolytics
back to back in a non polarized arrangement on the output and it sounds
awful good to my ears.

I ordered some to compare but I'm a cynic by nature.

An audiophile can hear anything,even .0001 percent
distorsion,up to 400 KHZ etc, so... ??????

 

[Robert Baer]

Michael wrote:




The idea that different types of film caps have 'a sound' is as plain berserk
as the audiophool notion that some copper ( the type blessed by companies
charging a lot of money for theirs ) sounds better too.

Electrolytics aren't beyond blame though. I could discuss this at length and
have actually made some measurements of same.

Unless you actually need to block a DC voltage > ~ 100 mV you should use only
*one* electrolytic. They don't care about polarisation ( reverse or otherwise )
this low. Using 2 back to back without the mid-point being biased actually
makes their influence ( distortion - albeit tiny ) worse.

Also I would recommend a larger cap for coupling an output. I use 100uF.
Nothing to do with low frequency cut-off but everything to do with ensuring the
ac signal across the cap is as tiny as possible.

Graham

There are some electrolytics that perform very well with reverse
voltages up to 40% of forward rating, and are superb up to 10% of rating.

 

[Robert Baer]

My MKP's sound pretty good. Idunno about MKT.

What? I should hope your capacitors make a sound when you run a few hundred
amperes of LF through them.

Tim

Low and medium voltage ceramics make a big bang at 500KV....

 

[budgie]

How anyone can classify an op-amp as having a 'tubby bottom end' begs belief. I
guess they don't know much about how negative feedback works.

Sounds like their wine appreciation writer had to turn in the review.

 

[ehsjr]

a bit OT but in
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamps.html

A little quote about OPA132

"This is a nice family of op-amps. The sound has the typical
Burr-Brown laid-back nature. It's a bit tubby on the bottom end. This
is not an exciting sounding chip......"

Precision stuf, eh?



martin

Announcing the new TIP (Trazepoidal Inline Package) family
of audio op amps, specifically designed to reverse the
tubby bottom end effects associated with older packages.

| | | | | | | | | |
---------------------
\o /\ Top /
\ || /
\ || Bottom /
--------------
| | | | | |

Features:
o Distinctive Pin one marking
o Directional arrow identifies wider top end for brilliant highs
o Labeling of *both* top and bottom end
o Narrowed 6 pin bottom end response eliminates tubbyness
o Increased top end 10 pin range

Available in:
- PbSO4 washed version for acid rock
- Au plated for golden oldies
- Platinum finish - recommended for top sellers only

Prices available on request.

 

[Jim Thompson]

[snip]

Announcing the new TIP (Trazepoidal Inline Package) family
of audio op amps, specifically designed to reverse the
tubby bottom end effects associated with older packages.

| | | | | | | | | |
---------------------
\o /\ Top /
\ || /
\ || Bottom /
--------------
| | | | | |

Features:
o Distinctive Pin one marking
o Directional arrow identifies wider top end for brilliant highs
o Labeling of *both* top and bottom end
o Narrowed 6 pin bottom end response eliminates tubbyness
o Increased top end 10 pin range

Available in:
- PbSO4 washed version for acid rock
- Au plated for golden oldies
- Platinum finish - recommended for top sellers only

Prices available on request.

Better copyright that... it'd probably sell ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Anthony Fremont]

Better copyright that... it'd probably sell ;-)

It will only sell if he asks at least $500.00 each.

 

[Anthony Fremont]

It will only sell if he asks at least $500.00 each.

I almost forgot, it will have to be pumpkin orange in color.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I almost forgot, it will have to be pumpkin orange in color.

With gold trim ;-)

...Jim Thompson

 

[Anthony Fremont]

With gold trim ;-)

Now you're starting to see what's important to an audiophool. Check
this out:
http://www.referenceaudiomods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=NOB_C37_C

 

[Chris Jones]

I know they look good on test equipment but can you really hear the
difference in an audio circuit with these MKT capacitors?

I have an analog devices op amp and I've put a couple of 10UF
electrolytics back to back in a non polarized arrangement on the output
and it sounds awful good to my ears.

I ordered some to compare but I'm a cynic by nature.

The distortion produced by an electrolytic capacitor will be smaller than
the signal across the electrolytic capacitor. In fact, second-order
distortion will probably decrease with the square of the signal across the
capacitor and third order distortion will probably decrease with the cube
of the amplitude of the signal across the capacitor. Therefore in order to
achieve very low values of distortion, it would suffice to use a large
value electrolytic capacitor, so that the amplitude of the signal across it
is small.

Chris

 

[martin griffith]

An audiophile can hear anything,even .0001 percent
distorsion,up to 400 KHZ etc, so... ??????

Methinks people dont know how to make Good Recordings anymore

http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/lund_2004_distortion_tmt20.pdf

and the a'phools are justtrying to get back to reality (fat chance)


martin