Teflon and Polystyrene Capacitors In SDA Speakers.

ka7niq

I read with some interest a recommendation against the installation of Teflon or Polystyrene capacitors in Polk SDA and SRS Speakers.
The person advising against using these caps said he talked to someone in Polk Engineering.
He says Polk Engineering advised against the use of these caps, because they are too "fast".
This person instead suggests the use of Solen "fast caps". http://www.solen.ca/caps/mkp3.htm

This did not play well with me, and so I decided to go to Polks Head Engineer with the question.
God forbid, dont want to use "too fast" a cap, LOL
Don't want my electrons to get a "speeding ticket" ?

Here is what I found out, for the SDA and SRS Replacement Crossover Capacitor Knowledge Base.

I just made a call to Brad Starobin at Polk.
Here is what he said about capacitors.
He felt electrolytic are fine bypassed with Mylar for lower end product.
Polks better speakers use all Mylar or film he said.
I point blank just asked him about NOT using Teflon or Polystyrene as Dark Knight suggests.
He said Teflon and Polystyrene are excellent caps with increased transparency and smoothness in the top end.
He said it would be fine to use them, but they are expensive.
You may verify my call to Brad if you wish.
I told him I was from the Polk forum, and my name is Chris.

heiney9

HOLY BAT CRAP, you just don't give up :eek: .

Ricardo

Masochism is a strange sickness. You need help, though I'm sure you know that.

How many threads do we need to shut down here????????????

ka7niq

heiney9 wrote: »

HOLY BAT CRAP, you just don't give up :eek: .

Just adding MY findings to the SDA Database Heiny.

heiney9

ka7niq wrote: »

I read with some interest a recommendation against the installation of Teflon or Polystyrene capacitors in Polk SDA and SRS Speakers.
The person advising against using these caps said he talked to someone in Polk Engineering.
He says Polk Engineering advised against the use of these caps, because they are too "fast".
This person instead suggests the use of Solen "fast caps".

This did not play well with me, and so I decided to go to Polks Head Engineer with the question.

Here is what I found out, for the SDA and SRS Replacement Crossover Capacitor Knowledge Base.

I just made a call to Brad Starobin at Polk.
Here is what he said about capacitors.
He felt electrolytic are fine bypassed with Mylar for lower end product.
Polks better speakers use all Mylar or film he said.
I point blank just asked him about NOT using Teflon or Polystyrene as Dark Knight suggests.
He said Teflon and Polystyrene are excellent caps with increased transparency and smoothness in the top end.
He said it would be fine to use them, but they are expensive.
You may verify my call to Brad if you wish.
I told him I was from the Polk forum, and my name is Chris.

Again I ask, what's your point other than to discredit a person who has done years of research, experimenting and talked with engineers from Polk in order to update and in many instances make the vintage SDA speaker an even better sounding and performing speaker than when it was introduced.

Pathetic.

H9

When exactly did you install Teflon and Poystyrene caps in your 1 oand only pair of very recently aquired SDA's. DK has more working knowledge about SDA's than you can ever hope to have.

heiney9

ka7niq wrote: »

Just adding MY findings to the SDA Database Heiny.

They aren't your findings it was told to you.

DarqueKnight

ka7niq wrote: »

Here is what I found out, for the SDA and SRS Replacement Crossover Capacitor Knowledge Base.

I just made a call to Brad Starobin at Polk.
Here is what he said about capacitors.
He felt electrolytic are fine bypassed with Mylar for lower end product.
Polks better speakers use all Mylar or film he said.
I point blank just asked him about NOT using Teflon or Polystyrene as Dark Knight suggests.
He said Teflon and Polystyrene are excellent caps with increased transparency and smoothness in the top end.
He said it would be fine to use them, but they are expensive.
You may verify my call to Brad if you wish.
I told him I was from the Polk forum, and my name is Chris.

Ka7niq,

It is not clear from your post if Brad Starobin is explicitly saying that it is ok to use teflon and polystyrene caps in SDA's. According to your quote, Brad mentions that they use mylar film and electrolytics in Polk's current speakers. The advice I received in 1990 against using polystyrene and teflon caps was specific to SDA's.

Please call Polk engineering again and clarify with Brad if he recommends the use of polystyrene and teflon capacitors in SDA loudspeakers. Better yet, ask Brad to post his response here in the forum.

If indeed, polystyrene and teflon caps can be used in SDA's, it would be good information to know and I will certainly incorporate it in any future SDA modifications. I may even go back and retrofit my current SDA collection. Thanks.

jakelm

So Sollen caps are bad?

Im sorry but Im alittle lost here (which in all rights, I should be, as alot of us are), but...

Is what Brad said ..good or bad?????

is this a follow up on the post you wrote about talking to someone about keeping the excact same caps in a xover? Not changing caps out, to diffrent types?






...I hate watching a debate and not knowing what is about....

avguytx

OMG....another worthless post started.

billbillw

shadowofnight

billbillw wrote: »

...................................

ka7niq

Yes, it was told to me by Polks chief engineer.
But Heiny, know that I am no stranger to speakers.
I have used Teflon bypass and Polystyrene, as well as paper/oil, motor start, etc, etc.
DarqueKnight, who publishes the SDA Compendium, recommends against the Teflon and Polystyrene Caps.
Someone could read and follow this SDA Compendium suggestion, and possibly deny themselves the transparency made possible by these fine capacitors.
DarqueKnights suggestions came about because of a conversation with a Polk engineering employee, not Polks chief engineer.
I just wanted to be see what Polks chief engineer had to say about this controversy.
Like I have always said, when you publish opinions, you leave yourself open to counter ones.

jakelm

Teflon works great!!!!

Polystyrene?...Hmmmmm....I always had a problem with my eggs sticking...

heiney9

ka7niq wrote: »

Yes, it was told to me by Polks chief engineer.
But Heiny, know that I am no stranger to speakers.
I have used Teflon bypass and Polystyrene, as well as paper/oil, motor start, etc, etc.
DarqueKnight, who publishes the SDA Compendium, recommends against the Teflon and Polystyrene Caps.
Someone could read and follow this SDA Compendium suggestion, and possibly deny themselves the transparency made possible by these fine capacitors.
DarqueKnights suggestions came about because of a conversation with a Polk engineering employee, not Polks chief engineer.
I just wanted to be see what Polks chief engineer had to say about this controversy.
Like I have always said, when you publish opinions, you leave yourself open to counter ones.

Yep you've pontificated about your self procalimed knowledge about all things audio for appox 250 or your 500 posts since joining. We all know what you think you know!!!

The only controversy is the one inside your deluded head.

I'm sure the underling's (engineers) are no match for the Chief. Thank god you went right to the top to figure this one out. The knowledge you have uncovered is invaluable...............thank you Oh Great Special K.

Of course nothing has changed in 17 years since DK inquired.:rolleyes:

H9

jakelm

heiney9 wrote: »

Yep you've pontificated about your self procalimed knowledge about all things audio for appox 250 or your 500 posts since joining. We all know what you think you know!!!

I'm sure the underling's (engineers) are no match for the Chief. Thank god you went right to the top to figure this one out. The knowledge you have uncovered is invaluable...............thank you Oh Great Special K.

Of course nothing has changed in 17 years since DK inquired.:rolleyes:

H9

I laughed so hard...I just farted....:p

ka7niq

jakelm wrote: »

So Solen caps are bad?

Im sorry but Im a little lost here (which in all rights, I should be, as a lot of us are), but...

Is what Brad said ..good or bad?????

is this a follow up on the post you wrote about talking to someone about keeping the exact same caps in a xover? Not changing caps out, to different types?






...I hate watching a debate and not knowing what is about....

No, Solen caps are not bad.
What Brad Starobin said is not bad.
It does contradict what Darkknight said though.
Perhaps Darkknight may want to rethink his position on these caps, that is all.

Joe08867

OMG, Why doesn't it stop. I have a dog like this. You take his toy and put it up on a shelf and all night long he will stare at the shelf.

Give me the toy, give me the toy.

K please just give it up. And it does not contradict what DK said at all. It is just another opinion. You are nobodies Daddy on this one so for the love of all that is holy stop, PLEASE!

Man like a headache that you can't get rid of. Start a fight somewhere else Special K......................

Poee7R

ka7niq wrote: »

Yes, it was told to me by Polks chief engineer.
But Heiny, know that I am no stranger to speakers.
I have used Teflon bypass and Polystyrene, as well as paper/oil, motor start, etc, etc.
DarqueKnight, who publishes the SDA Compendium, recommends against the Teflon and Polystyrene Caps.
Someone could read and follow this SDA Compendium suggestion, and possibly deny themselves the transparency made possible by these fine capacitors.
DarqueKnights suggestions came about because of a conversation with a Polk engineering employee, not Polks chief engineer.
I just wanted to be see what Polks chief engineer had to say about this controversy.
Like I have always said, when you publish opinions, you leave yourself open to counter ones.

My counter opinion is that you're an ****.


Dave

ka7niq

DarqueKnight wrote: »

Ka7niq,

It is not clear from your post if Brad Starobin is explicitly saying that it is ok to use teflon and polystyrene caps in SDA's. According to your quote, Brad mentions that they use mylar film and electrolytics in Polk's current speakers. The advice I received in 1990 against using polystyrene and teflon caps was specific to SDA's.

Please call Polk engineering again and clarify with Brad if he recommends the use of polystyrene and teflon capacitors in SDA loudspeakers. Better yet, ask Brad to post his response here in the forum.

If indeed, polystyrene and teflon caps can be used in SDA's, it would be good information to know and I will certainly incorporate it in any future SDA modifications. I may even go back and retrofit my current SDA collection. Thanks.

Brad did make a distinction between high end and lower end product.
He said he felt that electrolytics with a mylar bypass were good enough for lower end product.
He prefers film caps for the higher end stuff like the LSI's.
I did not mention SDA speakers as such.
Since you know more about Polk speakers then I do, is there something special about the SDA Speakers ?
They just seem like Polks to me with extra dimensional drivers, some progressive line source stuff, etc.
The drivers seem to be used in other Polks, but I may be wrong ?

Brad did not say this, but I take his suggestions to include the SDA Speakers when he spoke of "higher end product".
How about you or I email him, and ask if I can post his response in the forum ?

ka7niq

Joe08867 wrote: »

OMG, Why doesn't it stop. I have a dog like this. You take his toy and put it up on a shelf and all night long he will stare at the shelf.

Give me the toy, give me the toy.

K please just give it up. And it does not contradict what DK said at all. It is just another opinion. You are nobodies Daddy on this one so for the love of all that is holy stop, PLEASE!

Man like a headache that you can't get rid of. Start a fight somewhere else Special K......................

No one is starting any fights but you.
If you don't like reading my posts, please ignore them, move on to another thread.
Don't you realize by now I do not care what you or anyone thinks.
I just keep on keeping on.

ka7niq

heiney9 wrote: »

Of course nothing has changed in 17 years since DK inquired.:rolleyes:

H9

It has now

steveinaz

Disregard.

ka7niq

jakelm wrote: »

Teflon works great!!!!

Polystyrene?...Hmmmmm....I always had a problem with my eggs sticking...

Here is an interesting read I Googled.

Capacitors DO make an audible difference !

Electolytic and tantalum capacitors have very poor audio characteristics and should not be used in the audio signal path. Replacing electrolytic capacitors in the audio signal path of your amplifier or preamp with film capacitors will improve sound quality. Polyester (Mylar) capacitors make a significant sound improvement and are the minimum quality audio capacitors that should be used in the audio signal path. Better are polypropylene capacitors, and even better are polycarbonate capacitors when available. Polycarbonate film used to make polycarbonate film capacitors has been discontinued for several years, only a few companies have remaining stocks of polycarbonate film which is expected to be exhausted in the next year or two. Polycarbonate film capacitors are preferred to polypropylene capacitors when available because they have a very balanced, musical sound with very little coloration. Polystyrene (also called styrene, styroflex, or styrol) are in many areas superior to polycarbonate, and are mostly new old stock as are our polystyrene, the polystyrene film has needed for manufacture of Polystyrene capacitors has not been made for years. The very best audio capacitors are polytetrafluorethylene (Teflon) capacitors, but they are generally very, very expensive and available in only a relatively few sizes.

Face

Hmm..you say caps make a difference but cables don't? :rolleyes:

BaggedLancer

billbillw wrote: »

That horse looks dead......

jakelm

So the Solen Polyproylene is better than the electrolytic, that I replaced in my 7's xover?

But not better than the older Maylar, that I replaced as well?

http://www.partsexpress.com/solen-metallized-polypropylene-capacitors.cfm

jdhdiggs

steveinaz wrote: »

Come on guys, give it a break. I saw absolutley nothing wrong with Ka's post. Is this not an "audio" forum? Let the man talk.

+100%

Actually, this thread was, imho, one of the worst ones he started as it called out DK, but then DK kind of did the same thing. Personally, I'd like to hear what he has to say and confirm and refute it based on fact and personal experiences and not just name calling. If he has half the experience he says, it should be a little more interesting than the typical drivel that the forum puts out.

heiney9

steveinaz wrote: »

Come on guys, give it a break. I saw absolutley nothing wrong with Ka's post. Is this not an "audio" forum? Let the man talk.

He called DK out and he went back and edited his post to make it look like he was just matter-of-fact inquiring. That was the reason for my post, not to persecute the guy.

If he had just made the statement without trying to discredit DK none of this controversy would exist. But he keeps lobing them up there people are going to keep smacking them out of the park.

H9

steveinaz

H9, I noticed the slight jab as well, but DK took the high road--I think we can too.

jakelm

So its .....

Best to worse in audio signal

Teflon
Polypropylene
Maylar
Electrolytic

Systems

jakelm wrote: »

So its .....

Best to worse in audio signal

Teflon
Polypropylene
Mylar
Electrolytic

yes.