1 cap...or many caps...

BKphoto
BKphoto Posts: 409
edited June 2014 in DIY, Mods & Tweaks
doing another speaker refurb soon was wondering is there a change in the sound if you use just one cap, say your value is 33uF...or would it be better to have 3 - 11uF...? or is it different for lows and highs...?

or is there no difference at all...?
Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited June 2014
    If you must use multiple caps, use 2, 3, 4, etc... of the same value. Don't use different values, IME, it has a negative effect on spatial cues.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • BKphoto
    BKphoto Posts: 409
    edited June 2014
    sorry but thats not the question....
    Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,647
    edited June 2014
    Face answered your question, "If you must use multiple caps....", which means use one cap if at all possible.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • BKphoto
    BKphoto Posts: 409
    edited June 2014
    much easier to just say no, its better to use just one...

    then the discussion is over and I say thanks...
    Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,387
    edited June 2014
    It is a good question and, for speakers, you are better off with one cap. If you can't find the precise value, you can go with something within 5% and still be good; perhaps 10%. As said above, if you must use multiple caps, try to keep them to equal values. For example, if you need 16uF, don't use a 15uf and a 1uF in parallel. Use two 8uF in parallel instead or just go with the 15uF. I know the math works but it just does not sound right. I have tried it.

    Now I seem to remember reading that there may be a performance advantage of multiple caps in power supplies vs fewer large caps.

    Stan
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
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    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • 11tsteve
    11tsteve Posts: 1,166
    edited June 2014
    it is also possible to have Sonic Craft make custom values if you have problems finding a certain cap. I am not sure as to how high a value they will make.
    Polk Lsi9
    N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
    NAD 1020 completely refurbished
    Keces DA-131 mk.II
    Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
    Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited June 2014
    11tsteve wrote: »
    it is also possible to have Sonic Craft make custom values if you have problems finding a certain cap. I am not sure as to how high a value they will make.
    Soniccraft doesn't actually make custom values. Like many manufacturers, they do a production run. The bulk of the run will fall within the 5% tolerance (hopefully). A small portion will be above and below, and those are binned separately, also know as salvage parts. When you ask for a custom value, they hand pick from those binned parts, measure and match them as close as possible. There's a slight premium for them.
    The largest custom value I've received is 34uf.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • BKphoto
    BKphoto Posts: 409
    edited June 2014
    thanks, My question was just me wondering about this....I just thought I read somewhere where there was a performance advantage to multiple smaller (same value of course) vs one large...
    Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited June 2014
    BKphoto wrote: »
    thanks, My question was just me wondering about this....I just thought I read somewhere where there was a performance advantage to multiple smaller (same value of course) vs one large...
    Depends on the application BK. In a Crossover, best practice is using a single cap of the correct value. That's not always possible, so using 2 or more equal value caps is the next best choice. Using a smaller and a larger cap to make up the desired value is the last thing you want to do, as Face pointed out. The smaller cap will react faster than the larger cap, and can result in some odd artifacts in the signal. Power supplies are a different matter all together. I'm not that versed in the benefits or trade-offs of larger caps vs multiple smaller caps.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • 11tsteve
    11tsteve Posts: 1,166
    edited June 2014
    westmassguy wrote: »
    Soniccraft doesn't actually make custom values. Like many manufacturers, they do a production run. The bulk of the run will fall within the 5% tolerance (hopefully). A small portion will be above and below, and those are binned separately, also know as salvage parts. When you ask for a custom value, they hand pick from those binned parts, measure and match them as close as possible. There's a slight premium for them.
    The largest custom value I've received is 34uf.
    thaks for the clarification. I was passing along info I was given which was obviously incomete.
    Polk Lsi9
    N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
    NAD 1020 completely refurbished
    Keces DA-131 mk.II
    Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
    Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited June 2014
    11tsteve wrote: »
    thaks for the clarification. I was passing along info I was given which was obviously incomete.
    You're welcome. I just didn't want anyone calling them thinking they can order any value they want.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • StantonZ
    StantonZ Posts: 444
    edited June 2014
    westmassguy wrote: »
    The largest custom value I've received is 34uf.

    I bought a couple of these when I re-built my 10B XO's. Found Sonic Craft to be very friendly and efficient (just not "cheap").
    Yamaha RX-A2050 AVR (5.0.2); LG OLED77C2 4K TV
    (4) Polk Monitor 10B's w/SoniCaps, Mills, and RDO-194 tweets (R/L F/R)
    (2) Polk RC80i (Top Middle)
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    Analog: B&O TX2 Turntable, Nakamichi Cassette Deck 1
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    Bedroom: Arylic Up2Stream AMPv3 driving Polk Monitor 4's w/peerless tweets
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited June 2014
    StantonZ wrote: »
    I bought a couple of these when I re-built my 10B XO's. Found Sonic Craft to be very friendly and efficient (just not "cheap").
    As with many things, you get what you pay for. They're one of a very few, that will measure for custom values, and match them.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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