will
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Hey Dan,
I am thinking higher quality 3 uF caps may not be very common, narrowing the field of choices. Lots of companies seem to sell 2.7 and 3.3.
On the other hand, this may present a better option. If you were to get some pretty good 2.7s and bypass them with a 0.22 or 0.33 of a better quality, that would get you close value-wise. Though some mix better than others, bypasses in my experience will bring up the bigger cap quality, the "right" combo potentially being quite a bit better than a single 3uF cap.
What seems to happen with a smaller bypass, especially of good quality, is their character is conveyed in a narrower area of frequencies as defined by the value, potentiating doing those higher frequencies better. It can bring out fine detail, space and articulation more completely and faster, supporting and improving the big cap. Interestingly, a good combo sounds like it effects the whole frequency range, presumably, more refined finer information, more articulately conveyed, causing the mids and bass to feel clearer too when it really works. This is how it seems to me anyway.
On my HR-1s, where I like more than 3.3uF, but less than 3.9, I currently use a Jupiter VT 3.3 with a Miflex Copper/oil 0.22 bypassing it. Wired parallel they come to 3.52. More transparent, but still warm, complex and musical, the Miflex really woke up the slightly dark/thicker VT. Together quite beautiful. The ways the more open and clear Miflex integrate with the also very resolving, but more subdued VT, it is really good with this particular ribbon tweeter and speaker design. After lots of experiments, I stopped trying after these two settled in.
Especially with different speaker drivers and setups, it can get tricky to get the ultimate without experimenting, but that goes for single caps too, all having a distinct signature.
I have not heard them, but I think soniccraft carries has some 2.7 uF and 3uF sonicaps. Jeff there, also now carries Miflex. The big Miflex are pretty costly, but the smaller values, I think are a great deal for the sound, and not just in speakers. In my amp modifications, using them for coupling caps and bypasses, though I prefer a blend of caps, I have overall liked Miflex copper/oils over other nice caps I have tried, including Jupiter coppers. And I really like Jupiter coppers, exceptionally resolving and beautiful. With serious listening, as I recall, aspects of their "organic" flavoring ended up feeling a little affected and a little thickish to me. In comparison, the Miflex seemed to have more emphasis on space, while also being quite resolving and harmonically rich....complex and smooth enough to tend to avoid hardness. Could be just me, but they felt more like "no cap" in many places I tried them.
It could be worth contacting Jeff at soniccraft. I have found he knows the sound of what he carries, and cares about quality in what he buys. He also has been selling for DIY and in conversation with a lot of DIY folks for a long time. Also doing modification work, he seems to have a relatively broad knowledge of what things sound like. He may be able to point you to a cap in your budget range, or a cap and bypass that might mix well with the drivers you are working with. I am wondering about a relatively inexpensive 2.7 of his sonicaps bypassed by a Miflex Copper/oil? Or maybe for more money, perhaps a Mundorf ZN for the 2.7 with Miflex for a bypass.....Or some other similar combo might take your to a good place.
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WTB pair of 3uF caps (Read 3068 times)
