I've used fairly expensive Mundorf, Jantzen and Obbligato caps for my outboard crossovers and now need to buy a few more caps to complete a modification. So during the cap search I came across Dayton Audio PMPC 250V Precision 1% caps and was amazed by the low cost. Dayton caps cost $4.11 each which is fraction of the cost of Mundorf and Jantzen caps. Did I waste a lot of $$$ buying the designer caps?
Yep!
Some people "buy into" the hype of boutique capacitors, and that's their business and choice.
The old saying: "It's expensive, so it MUST be good!"
Yeah, right....
Some people "buy into" the hype of boutique capacitors, and that's their business and choice.
The old saying: "It's expensive, so it MUST be good!"
Yeah, right....
I’ve measured a bunch of crossover parts with a cheap LCR meter from Amazon. Caps are by far the most accurate to spec. Even the cheaper yellow Dayton caps all measure almost exactly to their value. Resistors are next, being only slightly off spec. I’ve been buying more than I need so I can match values between crossovers. A small r value change in an lpad can be a possibly noticeable difference. Inductors are the worst, esspecially iron core. I’ve had 4mh measure 3.8 all the way to 4.2. Use those two in a pair of speakers and they will sound different. I’ve been unwinding the higher value to match the lower. Even if it’s not what I wanted exactly, at least they’ll match.
People hear that capacitors make a difference, and may not realise how easy it is to make the same differences themselves by varying resistance and capacitance in a circuit. They may not realise that in some ways, if capacitors are made well, then they can all sound the same.. and this means changing brands can only help accidentally, but changing values ourselves is a controlled way to make adjustments.
Thanks Allen.
Fundamentally, a capacitor is two conductive metal plates seperated by an insulating film.
2 plates, film.
It doesn't care if it's cloaked in a wrapper stating "Mundorf", or even "Crazy Man's Cookie Dough".
It does not have a mind, nor do electrons have minds, or preferances, or opinions.
But humans, on the other hand, have human traits and beliefs that apparently dream up all sorts of stuff.
Fundamentally, a capacitor is two conductive metal plates seperated by an insulating film.
2 plates, film.
It doesn't care if it's cloaked in a wrapper stating "Mundorf", or even "Crazy Man's Cookie Dough".
It does not have a mind, nor do electrons have minds, or preferances, or opinions.
But humans, on the other hand, have human traits and beliefs that apparently dream up all sorts of stuff.
I have bought parts and stuff from Parts Express seems like forever and have never been disappointed.
Including their film caps...
Including their film caps...
