2.2uf coupling caps

[G-Sun]

Hi!

I'm having a hard time finding good coupling caps for my ssl9k.
4 per board.

Size matters: Lead spacing/length less than 20mm, width less than 10mm, height for 1U

Now I have some cheap ones and Wima MKS4,
but I wasn't to happy about the sound and was hoping pimping my caps could help.

So, do you know about any good caps in this size?

Thanks!

 

[rafafredd]

hmmm... If you are not happy with sound, I don't think it is an input cap problem. I think WIMAs are as good as it gets.

Maybe you dislike the sound of the circuit itself, and you want a pre with balls and distortion, so choose a tube model with a vintage iron transformer in front of it.

Otherwise, you could try swapping opamps. It will give you much more effect on sound change, and you have many options to try.

 

[G-Sun]

hmmm... If you are not happy with sound, I don't think it is an input cap problem. I think WIMAs are as good as it gets.

Otherwise, you could try swapping opamps. It will give you much more effect on sound change, and you have many options to try.

Thanks a lot for your input rafafredd!

Now I have 2 cheap coupling caps and 2 Wima input caps on each board, so I'm definitely gonna change the cheap ones. But yes, putting in Wima MKS4 is the easiest option. But I havn't heard so many positive comments about the them. So, that's why I've been thinking about changing them.

Swapping opamps: That's a nice idea. Thanks! But I'm totally green about opamps -quality and sound. Any pointers?
(Bad decision of me leaving out those dip8 sockets..)

Maybe you dislike the sound of the circuit itself, and you want a pre with balls and distortion, so choose a tube model with a vintage iron transformer in front of it.

Yes, your maybe right. I'd like to build 2x2 preamps and be done. I've built the Hamptone HJFP2 and now the SSL9k, but it's a learning-process soundwise, and I'm not 100% happy about my choices.
Right now I belive a JLM BA2 (all JLM) and a G9 with Lundahls would be the perfect choices for me. But then, I wouldn't know before trying them..

Anyway, maybe there is a way to turn my ssl9k into something I really like..?

 

[G-Sun]

hmmm... If you are not happy with sound, I don't think it is an input cap problem. I think WIMAs are as good as it gets.

Otherwise, you could try swapping opamps. It will give you much more effect on sound change, and you have many options to try.

Thanks a lot for your input rafafredd!

Now I have 2 cheap coupling caps and 2 Wima input caps on each board, so I'm definitely gonna change the cheap ones. But yes, putting in Wima MKS4 is the easiest option. But I havn't heard so many positive comments about the them. So, that's why I've been thinking about changing them.

Swapping opamps: That's a nice idea. Thanks! But I'm totally green about opamps -quality and sound. Any pointers?
(Bad decision of me leaving out those dip8 sockets..)

Maybe you dislike the sound of the circuit itself, and you want a pre with balls and distortion, so choose a tube model with a vintage iron transformer in front of it.

Yes, your maybe right. I'd like to build 2x2 preamps and be done. I've built the Hamptone HJFP2 and now the SSL9k, but it's a learning-process soundwise, and I'm not 100% happy about my choices.
Right now I belive a JLM BA2 (all JLM) and a G9 with Lundahls would be the perfect choices for me. But then, I wouldn't know before trying them..

Anyway, maybe there is a way to turn my ssl9k into something I really like..?

 

[G-Sun]

Second thought: I'm not gonna replace 10 opamps without sockets.
Guess I'll just change the coupling caps -wima mks4 or some ugly placement of some bigger ones

 

[kato]

The circuit designer (Andy Millar) chimed in here (or perhaps was quoted here) recommending polypropylene for the inputs. Yet no one here has heeded his advice, choosing polyesters instead.  Well, except me. The nagging feeling that I should follow the circuit designers advice kept me away from polyester.

FWIW, I found some polycarbonate 2.2uF caps on ebay that fit the PCB spacing - 7.5mm IIRC (?) - which could make a good compromise.

On my build I used polypropylene on the input, and PPS on the output. It sounds good but I can't confirm for certain it makes a diff over polyester because I did not compare.