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better caps?

post #1 of 28
11/25/09 at 4:05am
Thread Starter 
I'm building a few mini3s and wanted to use better caps to improve it as much as I can, any suggestions on what caps to use? I've pretty much gone with just whats on the amb.org suggested list.
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post #2 of 28
11/25/09 at 4:12am
1) Mini^3 is DC-coupled, there are no signal coupling caps. Only ones are in power supply.
2) "Better" implies comparison, what are you comparing to?

Anyway, Elna Silmic II and Nichicon KZ have some very nice specs are are generally considered "better for audio" than normal. Of course, I consider Nichicon HE and Panasonic FM as "normal" and those are VERY good.
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post #3 of 28
11/25/09 at 4:16am
Total waste of money, the recipes a proven success why go and spoil it.
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post #4 of 28
11/25/09 at 4:46am
Thread Starter 
well i bought parts for 3 mini3s, I wanna make one better then the other's to see if theres an audible difference(better) Kinda like what ALO did.
If it isn't better then well I guess I have an expensive mini3 then don't I =D (and I'll never spend money on expensive caps ever again)
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post #5 of 28
11/25/09 at 5:07am
If your going to waste your money I'd do it in style and go Black Gates all the way. While your at it, replace all the resistors with some expensive mills spec versions.
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post #6 of 28
11/25/09 at 5:14am
Oh, definitely have fun with what "kinda like what ALO did" - a guy with no engineering background tossing in "boutique" caps to make things sound nice... have fun, but I don't recommend.
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post #7 of 28
11/25/09 at 5:38am
Thread Starter 
rofl. won't do it.
I noticed fallenangel you use a V-cap dock with your diymod. Is there a huge difference in SQ? between it and a normal Imod dock?
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post #8 of 28
11/25/09 at 7:02am
Yet again, "difference" implies comparison. What's a "normal Imod dock"? If you want to compare a $120 pair of V-Caps to $5 pair of BlackGates, what do you think sounds better?
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post #9 of 28
11/25/09 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aj-kun View Post
If it isn't better then well I guess I have an expensive mini3 then don't I =D (and I'll never spend money on expensive caps ever again)
Your opinion will biased from this comparison, to be fair you probably need to have them sitting in the signal path for a better comparison and assessment.
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post #10 of 28
11/25/09 at 7:58am
Thread Starter 
no, just wondering if it's sound to size ratio is justified compared to say a ALO imod lod.
I mean it's generally know that the DIYmod/imod is one of the best portable sources you can get but does it improve THAT much when you use V-caps.
I'm interested coz I was looking into it myself last night. A non satirical response would be greatly appreciated.
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post #11 of 28
11/25/09 at 10:11am
Donno, if you insist why not. The money is yours.

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post #12 of 28
11/25/09 at 12:29pm
If you build your expensive version of Mini3, be sure to have an open mind when you evaluate it and try to do blind testing and at the exact same level. Placebo is a powerful drug.
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post #13 of 28
11/25/09 at 12:39pm
If you read what carlosfm has done with decoupling caps there is some areas you could try with C4, C6, C7, C8. With the space available, you may have to turn the board into a desktop amp, but it is an area to play with.

I have never tried his work, but his experiments seem to be respected.
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post #14 of 28
11/25/09 at 12:50pm
Panasonic FM are already very (very) good and dirt cheap. In the PSU, I doubt a Silmic II will bring much improvement, especially because for example a 16V 220uf one is as big as a 1000uf 16v Panasonic FM. I'd take the latter in a PSU every time. Space is a big factor with ready made PCB's.

The whole 'waste of money/you're insane' thing is overreacting a bit, imo. But it's a fact that you don't need to spend a whole lot for near optimal performance when it comes to caps.

The whole boutique hatred among many DIY'ers is a bit extreme. Nothing wrong with exotic overpriced awesomeness
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post #15 of 28
11/25/09 at 4:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slash47 View Post
<snip>

The whole boutique hatred among many DIY'ers is a bit extreme. Nothing wrong with exotic overpriced awesomeness
There is a group of us DIY-er's who agree with you. I don't know what I'd do without ES's, Vitamin Q's and the occasional Black Gates.
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