mark1101 Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 Can anyone explain their expereince with the various brands of coupling caps in your Scott? For instance, my 222 and 299 have Auricaps and sound fantastic. However, I have nothing to compare them to. I just acquired an LK-72 this morning and will be getting it rebuilt of course. What caps do people recommend and why? I lack parts smarts. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 You can't go wrong with the Auricaps. Although I did get a defective one once. When I got my Jolida from Joel the first thing I did was toss out the OE caps for a couple or EROs and a few Russians. It sounded very good fror cheap caps. Yesterday I put in a new set of Audiocap PPT Thetes (Dean caps). When I hooked it up I said what have I done!!!!!!!????? Bright,bright,bright!!!! But after about ten hours of use now they are starting to mellow or I'm going deaf, one or the other. Really the sound is clearing up nicely and is very detailed and clear. If you are going to do the job yourself give Craig a jingle, I'm sure that he'd set you up with all the parts you need to rebuild your amp and some vrey good advice to boot. He swears by the Auricaps. He probably swears at them too every time he burns his fingers putting one in too! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 I like many caps these days. My VRD amps have SoniCaps in them and sound very good. I also love Russian Film and Foils of which I have a pretty good stock of these days. Auricaps are great but they have just about priced themselves off my bench !! The raised there price near 40% and I think when I order next time it will be SoniCaps or Clarity Caps I haven't decided yet. You can get opinions on Caps till your green in the face but when it comes to this vintage gear you can also spend to much ! I think the caps listed above give the best bang for the buck in vintage gear. If you decide you fancy any particular cap and your wanting the amp rebuilt no worries I will install whatever you decide you want to give a whirl. I just installed Dynamicaps in the 299C that a customer wanted custom. They sounded nice but really had nothing on the Auricaps or the Russian Film and Foils for that matter. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 LOL Not "bright" but "clear". C'mon man, can't you tell the difference? Embrace the clarity. What you're hearing is what the rest of the Scott sounds like -- those caps are completely transparent. 10 hours is good -- 40 hours is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Ryan, I have few questions for you. How do you know that the film in the Russian caps is indeed mylar ? The sellers has no accurate data in fact the data they do have describes them complete wrong as PIO's When have you ever used Auricaps ?? knowing you as I do I just can not see you paying the price for a quality modern audio capacitor all Metalized caps are not created equaly. If Xicons are so bad why have you used them in the past and still use them in sone rebuilds today ? I'm listening to your beloved Good All right now and they sound okay about the same as what I removed the "blurred vintage sound" I truly am thinking of taking them out the kid deserves better. Above is strictly my opinion of how the capacitors sound in vintage equipment, all of the caps listed above I have really tried. I truly believe if I decided to use Jenson PIO's you would say they were junk in no time. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 So, using the Sonicraps now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Still haven't decided ! Heck if I had a unlimited supply I would use Russian Film and Foil I love there lack of detail LOL !! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted February 20, 2004 Author Share Posted February 20, 2004 I have found that the auricaps sound brighter in the 299 than in the 222. The 222 sems to sound flatter more balanced. But, since I heard both of these amps together before they were rebuilt, I can say the auricaps opened them up tremendously. I would also venture to say that the auricaps simply allowed the things to play to their true characteristics. In other words, both have auricaps and both still sound different. I thank everyone for their info here. Becasue I really need the eduaction on this before I make a rebuild decision. But I still say after reading everything here, noone has shown me that there's anything head and shoulders better for a Scott than what I already have. And I love the sound I'm getting now. Sounds like this helped me narrow it down to 2 or 3 types. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnalOg Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 On the Xicon caps, I have three of these in my Mark III's that came with the rebuild kit. Would it do me good to change these out with something better. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6J5 Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Which caps are you talking about replacing ? I've restored several 299B 299C and 380s. The coupling caps are easy but remember, in those amps and early hifi days, Scott used a lot of ceramic caps in the scratch/rumble/loudness filters and some for coupling as well - too many to contemplate changing all of them. I've used Audin & Ansar metalised polypropylene ( & some orange drops) for all the coupling/tone control and some polysteyrene in the filters but have not replaced all of them. Mylar is trade name for polyester which is so so. Mica is not quite an audio cap. Low k ceramics, as used by Scott, are not bad they are very low loss - so best not to change them as they last a long time perhaps indefinitly. Unlike .. the power supply multi-section electrolytics are a big problem (unless you can get them in the USA) but chances are you will have to install replacement caps inside the chassis and leave originals in place for cosmetic reasons. I'd like to use Cerafine or Balck gates in there if cost was no object. George Use the 299 with Heresys for TV sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 I am not totally sure what the Russian capacitors are, but judging from the date they were made, Mylar would be the best bet. Some may be polypropylene, but I doubt it. The Russians were far behind us in technology, and were still using tubes and older components up until the late 1980's. Their 80's were like our 60's, I couldn't imagine them using poly, so my guess is Mylar. I've heard Auricaps in nearly every Scott model, and in most Fisher models, along with a few McIntosh models. I just don't like them, period. Obviously, someone else didn't either because they e-mailed me asking for their "vintage sound" back. I no longer use Xicon capacitors, with the exception of in Eico HF-81's. I have found much better components to use. I'm not surprised to hear you talking sh!t on my Good-All capacitors, after all, you are my competitor, I wouldn't expect an honest opinion from you. I have 10 customers on this forum running the Good-All's, and five more on the way. I haven't heard a single complaint about them from anyone, in fact, in one rebuild, they replaced your Auricaps. How's that for you? Notice Jensens aren't on my list, that is because cost is a factor, it wouldn't be practical to use them in a Scott. They wouldn't be my first pick anyway, I would choose a good mylar film/foil type over them. -Ryan ---------------- Ryan, Are you ever going to answer or post with some kind of honesty !! Explain how you have heard Auricaps in every piece of Scott gear ? Please be some what reasonable this is redicules. I'm sure that some people do prefer the vintage sound and I have no problem with that. I'm just not one of them and 99% of my customers say the same thing. I know of only one customer that may have been unhappy with the sound of the Auricap combination. I think your making 99% of this up in a attempt to discredit me once again. If you have all these customers so overwhelmed with your Good All caps where are they ? Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 They are probably enjoying music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 This is getting ugly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Hmmm, These Good All caps are sounding interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Good-All was a manufacturer of various cap types. I think the ones Ryan is talking about are polyester film and foil -- which certainly wouldn't be my first choice in a crap, I mean cap. "It's funny that you discredit the Good-All's, as they are of the same basic construction as your Russian K40Y9 capacitor! The only real difference between the construction is oil and a metal case." Uh Ryan, what the hell are you talking about? A cap with oil squishing between the film and plates is TOTALLY different than a polyester film type. I know Craig spent a lot time actually listening to these amps with different caps when he started, and he uses what he uses now because it sounds the best to him. Craig, like me, prefers some detail, cleanliness, and transparency to the presentation. I've often heard "the vintage sound" described as "dark", "thick", and not always very transparent. This is the antithisis of what I like. As far as the Auricap goes, like most metallized types -- is slow to get going. I'd give them a couple of weeks of hard playing time before passing any kind of judgement on them. Also, for those in the background tracking this thread, I would encourage you to go to the Vintage Asylum and read what those folks have to say about using Auricaps in vintage gear. http://db.audioasylum.com/default.mpl?forum=vintage You're a "good-all" boy Ryan, but in the immortal words of Mike Steyr -- I think you're full of poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted February 20, 2004 Author Share Posted February 20, 2004 Sorry to cause such a stir. But this is all good (or good all) info. Right now I'm listening to The Dead 2/14/03 soundboard download with Joan Osborne (and Sammy Hagar on 1 tune)on the 222 system and I have to say the Auricaps are producing. It's excellent, absolutely heaven. I have been extremely busy lately and haven't done much listening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 ---------------- On 2/20/2004 7:33:07 PM mark1101 wrote: Sorry to cause such a stir. But this is all good (or good all) info. Right now I'm listening to The Dead 2/14/03 soundboard download with Joan Osborne (and Sammy Hagar on 1 tune)on the 222 system and I have to say the Auricaps are producing. It's excellent, absolutely heaven. I have been extremely busy lately and haven't done much listening. ---------------- Mark, I think you need to burn that one for me! I'd like to listen to it with my POS Auricap-loaded 299b. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted February 20, 2004 Author Share Posted February 20, 2004 Hey no problem Gary. This is a show I downloaded a while back. Not a super fidelity recording, but a classic soundboard. You will like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Now availible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 LOL!! That is great Mike!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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