Bypass or REPLACE????

[jrgoswick]

That is the question. Over the weekend I decided to bypass the input caps in my power amp. HUGE DIFFERENCE in the sound. The stage got wide(like going from a mini cooper to a hummer wide), and the low end went all the way to the bottom, and got TIGHT. And Joni Mitchell's voice(HOLY %^&*!!!!), and piano actually sound like a piano and a female voice.(Hijera on vinyl). Another thing I've noticed is that the mid's don't move NEAR as much as before at an equivalent volume(about 95dB by my meter). It got me to thinking, bypass ALL the electrolytic caps in the signal path or REPLACE them with films(like we do in the XO's). Any thoughts or suggestions-feel free.

[Face]

Does your preamp have caps before the output RCA's? As long as it's not passing any DC, then you can leave them out/bypassed.

Do you have enough room for film caps throughout? If not, check out these: http://www.partsconnexion.com/capacitor_ele_nichicon_fg.html and http://www.partsconnexion.com/capacitor_ele_nichicon_kz.html for the signal path.

[jrgoswick]

Don't know man. I haven't opened up the case on the AVR to see. I'd imagine it does though. Room, I don't need no stinking room(don't have much anyway after the power supply was done). I've got some white papers by Walter G. Jung and Richard Marsh(Picking Capacitors cira 1980-yes I know it's outdated, but it's good material) about caps that has me convinced that electrolytics and ceramics are the LAST thing you want(or need in a signal path. All I did this weekend was bypass two electros with film and WOW! It really has me wondering what will happen with QUALITY caps and resistors in the amp. I guess the next phase will be the (UUUUGGGHHHHHHHH) AVR-anyone has a schematic for an Onkyo TX-SR705? Damn, I should have stuck with drugs-this is getting expensive. And I JUST got to the bottom rung of the ladder.

[FTGV]

Your AVR in all likelihood has an electrolytic at the pre outs.What was the value of the input cap on the amp?


The Jung ,Marsh paper is a classic and Marsh even developed his own line of film caps(Multi Cap)from his research.