7/15/2009 Capacitor Musings Article By Jon L DI…

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Fall 2008

Capacitor Musings Part 2

Article By Jon L.
Page 2

Russian SSG-3 silver mica capacitor

These 1% tolerance silver mica capacitors are another example of overbuilt, tank-like
Russian new-old-stock capacitors. The big ones like these can have more than 0.1uF
capacitance fit for use in coupling duties, and indeed they are an excellent capacitor.
These sound different from other capacitors such as polypropylenes, polystyrenes,
Teflons, PIO's, etc in that they don't have the stereotypical polypropylene harshness,
polystyrene dryness, Teflon slippery polish, or PIO roundness. Silver mica's have a
reputation for being very detailed but "bright" and lacking in bass, but these large silver
mica's had plenty of bass and NO hardness at all. Their tonal balance cannot ever be
called dark because they are very airy and illuminated as if with soft white light bulbs;
these are perfect for those who like open, airy top-end that's not extra-hard or etched,
perfect for recordings that have spitty, hard upper ranges. They have an effect akin to
turning up the "brightness" control a notch while turning down the "contrast" a notch in
terms of video displays.

These have such feathery, extended highs that almost make Mundorf gold/silver seem a
bit less open up top. Not bad for a $5 capacitor, so what's the caveat? Unfortunately for
the SSG-3, I've been listening to some of the best Teflon capacitors of late, and
compared to the good Teflons, the silver mica's don't quite have the stop-dead-in-your
tracks resolution and definition, especially in the midrange. Compared to Teflons, SSG-3
is a tad more laid-back and softer in the midrange, and the bass, while impactful, is not
quite bounce-rain-off-the-drumskin tight. Still, I can see a lot of people being quite happy
with these silver mica's, especially if used in equipment that leans in opposite sonic
directions or if your tastes cotton to the open, airy, feathery, smooth sound.

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7/15/2009 Capacitor Musings Article By Jon L DI…

Dynamicap-E metalized polypropylene capacitor

Some believe these to be among the best metalized polypropylene caps ever made, and I
might have to agree with that, if somewhat reluctantly. After all, Mundorf silver/oil and
gold/silver are still technically "metalized poly" caps, and they do have a magical
something that other poly caps lack, including Dynamicaps. As I have observed before
with Vishay poly caps, the Mundorfs have a sense of weight and texture behind the
notes, especially in the midrange that keeps music interesting and captivating over
longer-term listening. The better poly caps sound balanced, detailed (though not Teflon-
detailed), and all the notes are present and accounted for. This is true for Dynamicap as
well, and it does one better by being probably the most neutrally balanced among the
poly caps. I even dare say it sounds more neutral than something like Mundorf gold/silver
or the Russian silver mica's, so here we have a reasonably affordable capacitor that is
quite uncolored, clear, sweet, yet extended. No wonder companies like Alta Vista Audio
is using these caps in Counterpoint gear upgrades, not to mention VMPS offering them
as upgrades in their speaker crossovers.

What about Auricaps? This is a tough one. One's preferences will have a large part in this
choice. Auricaps have a fuller low-midrange to upper-bass presentation compared to
Dynamicaps, which makes music richer and more propulsive; they also emulate some of
that midrange texturing of Mundorfs. Dynamicaps counter with subjectively more ruler-flat
neutrality with less bloom and thickness, sounding cleaner and clearer. I would say
consider the way your system sounds now and which direction you want to go before
choosing one over the other.

EC MP12 mil-spec metallized polypropylene capacitor

EC is a military capacitor supplier, and their capacitors appear well-made and heftier than
usual. Unfortunately, these do not sound as good as other, more expensive metalized
polypropylene capacitors like Dynamicaps or Auricaps. In fact, this capacitor is a good
example of your stereotypical metalized poly capacitor sound that many audiophiles are
trying to improve upon by using other poly caps like Auricaps, Dynamicaps, and
Mundorfs.

No, the music doesn't suddenly sound broken or anything, but compared to Auricaps, the
EC cap seems less rich, less dynamic, less lively, less clear, less involving, and flatter.
Music that I know to be breathy, dynamic, and sparkling lose the magic touch. Compared
to a clear cap like Dynamicap, EC cap sounds veiled as if a thin hazy layer is covering
the music. Many components of reasonable cost use many caps similar to these, which
is understandable given the retail pricing structure, but it would be definitely worth it to
spend a few more bucks to upgrade at least the critical signal-path caps to something a
bit better. For example, the well-priced Russian FT-3 Teflons really kicked it up a few
notches compared to EC caps in terms of resolution, clarity, and liveliness.

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7/15/2009 Capacitor Musings Article By Jon L DI…

Jensen Copper Foil Paper-In-Oil Capacitor

Its reputation precedes it, and Jensen PIO capacitors are indeed excellent PIO
capacitors. The word "musical" seems made for it, not by virtue of syrupy romance but by
virtue of refined microdynamic texturing and tonality, which allows one to immerse in the
music instead of analyzing it. If you are the type who can easily relax into music when it
sounds "good" and be content, then the Jensens are perfect for you because they provide
satisfying tonal color, harmonic richness, and smooth sophistication without becoming
overly rolled-off, muddy, and slow. In fact, the upper-midrange to midrange has a lively
character without brightness or dryness that is quite attractive indeed.

Compared to Russian K40y PIO, Jensen is simultaneously finer-grained yet smidge less
dark, presenting music with seemingly more tonal purity and light. The Jensen difference
is not huge, akin to a soufflé made with eggs beaten a little fluffier and lighter, but both
taste lik e soufflé. On the other hand, K40y does come across a little more dynamic and
denser in tone, so once again, we have choices.

So the oilers are great, but I am surrounded by mountains of capacitors from all around
the world. Compared directly to some stupendous Teflons, while not "overly" rolled-off or
slow, Jensens *are* a wee bit less extended and slower, relatively speaking. The leading
edges are perhaps not as sharp as a new razor, but it's not far off. Bass definition also is
not nose-to-nose with Teflons or polystyrenes, but I think it's good enough for me,
especially for acoustic music. Jensens do serve up a tasty, warm, refined midrange, and
if that's one's preference, one may even say Jensens are a better capacitor than Teflons
or other film caps.

FT-1 2200 pF Russian Teflon Capacitors (Bypass)

Jensens and other PIO's are so good at what they do, it's natural to feel the need to
somehow improve them just a little where they are not state-of-the-art. I tried to
accomplish this by bypassing Jensens with a small bypass Teflon capacitor, the FT-1
Russian capacitor at 2200 pF.

This does not completely change the sound, and the effects are subtle, but some may
find them useful. The extreme treble does open up some, and triangles and chimes gain
a little more definition. I don't mean to imply the Jensens suddenly turn into Russian
Teflons, as they still sound mainly like Jensens. In my experience, better treble definition
tends to lead to subjectively tighter bass signature, and the Jensens' bass did firm up a
trifle.

So have we created the perfect capacitor here? Not really. The original signature charm of
Jensens does diminish by a measure, so if you loved Jensens for their billowing, grand,
bloomy richness, perhaps you should leave them alone. If you are still curious, it's always
worth an experiment since these small Russian Teflon capacitors are quite cheap.

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7/15/2009 Capacitor Musings Article By Jon L DI…

Jantzen Superior Z-Cap

Jantzen Audio is a Danish company, and they make three grades of polypropylene
capacitors: Z-Cap, Superior Z-Cap, and Silver Z-Cap. I am testing the Superior Z-Cap
which, like the Silver Z-Cap, has been wound using a "special machine…so that the
capacitors become a very tight reel. This minimizes the inner vibration and keeps
microphonic effects as low as possible." The ends appear sealed with some sort of resin
to keep out moisture, a nice touch, and the overall look and feel are definitely a notch or
two above the common polypropylene types.

There is a bit of "buzz" about Jantzen capacitors out there, and they certainly did not
disappoint. Superior Z-Cap rather reminds me of Dynamicap E, which is one of my
favorite polypropylene capacitors. They share a sense of evenness, balance, and
coherence, which means nothing is sticking out like a sore thumb to distract you from
the music. Superior-Z possesses a very smooth, flowing, mid-hall type of personality with
no sense of congealing, bloat, raggedness, or bite, yet it is not lacking in detail
resolution, especially when compared to something like Claritycap SA. One of its
greatest attributes is the fact it's difficult to point out things it specifically does "wrong"
because it pulls off a great balancing act that serves the music.

Once again, it's not fair to compare most polypropylene caps to expensive Teflons, but
the best of both breeds are more than capable of delivering the music. Since cost is
always an issue, a top-grade polypropylene is certainly a viable way to go in my opinion.

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