Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › The hunt for a good High Voltage output cap
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

The hunt for a good High Voltage output cap

post #1 of 30
10/23/09 at 6:31pm
Thread Starter 
Hey guys,

So I've been looking and looking and still can't find any decent high voltage (250V+) headphone (output coupling) caps. The Elna Cerafine ALA 350V which came in 2x100uF and 2x220uF are gone, BlackGate NH 150uF/350V is an option at $52.50 each, but that's damn expensive.

I've seen Oil Motor Run caps at 80uF/370VAC and they are both HUGE and may require paralleling to get a good output.

Auricaps go up to 100uF/200V but that's not high enough in voltage.

Solen (and the re-brands) go up to 330uF at 250V and 200uF at 400V but again, they are very large.

So what are we really left with? Most seem to use something like an "average" Panasonic TS-series 450V electrolytic cap bypassed by a nice film cap, but I think going with a decent cap, bypassed or not, will be better than blowing a large amount on the bypass and using a cheap electrolytic.

Suggestions? Ideas? Recommendations?
Reply
post #2 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:16pm
mundorf?? they go up to 1200v at least the SIO do, their more budget offerings that come in the size you want should do nicely. not sure if they are still 1200v, but cant see them being under-spec for you
Reply
post #3 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:18pm
Thread Starter 
It's the capacitance that matters - these have to be high enough for headphone coupling - 220uF+ preferred.
Reply
post #4 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:23pm
Some people like photo-flash caps on the output. haven't tried them myself.
Reply
post #5 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:28pm
yeah, well a friend of mine is using them for exactly this purpose in 330uf, that was the other point of recommending them. since you just dont see many film caps in those large values. let alone caps of the awesomeness of mundorf. probably not cheap though. i'll have a look and see which ones they were; back in a min
Reply
post #6 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:28pm
In production caps:

Mundorf M-CAP MKP (for example, 220uf / 250V)
F&T electrolytics

Out of production caps:

Rifa PEH
Vishay MKP660
EPCOS B25839/etc MKV caps

etc....
Reply
post #7 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:38pm
Mcap audiophiler MKP ouch 220uf/250v 85.06

M-Tubecap200uf/550v not too huge, but not tiny either @ 65x80mm

and i'm sure mr duelund wold make a silver CAST to your specifications with the right incentive
Reply
post #8 of 30
10/23/09 at 7:48pm


300uf, sounds perfect for you
Quote:
One cap weighs in at +25 kilograms and contains nigh on 1 kilometer of pure metal foil. Available in copper or silver as standard; other configurations available on request.
lol
Reply
post #9 of 30
10/23/09 at 8:15pm
I have some even bigger ones, 1000uf/1000v
teflon and probably copper foil...
Reply
post #10 of 30
10/23/09 at 8:38pm
What is this for?

I had the impression you were working on a lesspressivo, not a cathode-follower amp.

In which case you need nowhere near that much capacitance.
Reply
post #11 of 30
10/23/09 at 8:51pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I have 3 tube projects planned - one is finishing up with my MPX3, but that is going to get a pair of BlackGate NH 150uF/350V.

Another pair of BG NH 220uF/160V is going into something like the low-voltage OTL linked in that thread.

I've simply been turned off a lot of OTL designs because there aren't any good HV output caps.
Reply
post #12 of 30
10/23/09 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FallenAngel View Post
I've simply been turned off a lot of OTL designs because there aren't any good HV output caps.
What caps have you tried? Anyways, perhaps it's not the caps that sound bad, but the designs themselves? That's what I'd wager at least.
Reply
post #13 of 30
10/23/09 at 9:28pm
HAHAHAHAHAHA 1km of silver foil... I get a cold sweat just thinking of the price.

Yep Mundorf MKP are the way to go for anything up to 330uf I reckon.


Quote:
Originally Posted by kevin gilmore View Post
I have some even bigger ones, 1000uf/1000v
teflon and probably copper foil...
And it's red!
Reply
post #14 of 30
10/23/09 at 11:52pm
Electronic Concepts, Inc. - Manufacturer of Film Capacitors

This company manufactures high-capacity, high-voltage film caps. I've used some for power decoupling for high-power DC/DC supplies, and i've seen them used in motor-drives, but they might be suitable for output coupling.

Check out the 5MPA or MC series. Those seem to have capacities in the voltage range you're interested in... but I have absolutely no idea how much they cost, or where you can buy them from.
Reply
post #15 of 30
10/24/09 at 12:20am
Some of the prices are close to what a pair of custom output transformers from Electra-Print would cost.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Misc.-Category Forums › DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Discussions › The hunt for a good High Voltage output cap