[Vaughn]

I have been trying to find Nichicon NP 220uf 100v caps and am having no
luck. The blackgates available around this value are $31.95 each! I am hoping
to upgrade the output caps on my DV 336i from the orange drop types to
something that will allow me to use lower impedance cans to better effect.

Any suggestions?

 

[n_maher]

Do they need to be non-polar?

If not, you might try these.

And there are those that would argue that using an electrolytic cap of any kind (audio grade or not) is not in your best interest. I haven't experiment with this much so I can't comment.

 

[Vaughn]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I think they have to be non-polar. I am going
from some images I found of a DV that Pink Floyd modded. The caps in question actually said bipolar(or bp) in the image but he stated in the text
that they were non-polar. I don't really have any idea what the difference is.

Here is the image; Rock Grotto Forum - Darkvoice 336i slightly modded / UK only

 

[00940]

It's difficult to see why it should be bipolar. It's not like there's a DC voltage sitting at the headphones' side of the output cap. It's 99% probable that you can use a polar cap.

I'd fire the builder an email, asking him if it's safe.

 

[Fitz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_maher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do they need to be non-polar?

Not really.

 

[Vaughn]

Fitz,

I have read elsewhere that you have done some mods on 336's,
if I use a polarized cap is it directional? I mean by that does it matter
which leg (+ or -) is connected to the output jack?

 

[Fitz]

Indeed I have, considering I was the one who originally did that output cap mod that PinkFloyd later implemented on his own Darkvoice.

Polarized caps are by definition directional, and in this case the negative side connects to the output (headphone jack).

 

[Vaughn]

Thanks for the quick reply!

Have you changed the output caps on DV's you have worked on?
And if so, did you increase capacitance?

 

[Fitz]

Yes... increasing the capacitance is the only way to improve the low freq. performance with low impedance phones (which is your stated goal from the first post). It pretty much requires electrolytics though, which will have a tradeoff in linearity for the extra capacitance, but I don't recall ever hearing any noticable loss of SQ from the mod myself.

 

[Vaughn]

Thanks, yes there simply isn't enough room in the chassis for film caps of
any size. Electrolytics it is then, and the hum mod as well.