Foreign tube radios/HiFis

[whirlcool]

And here is the other cap, a 150uf and 50uf multi cap. It weighs about 7 lbs! I also installed new pots in the meantime.

 

[cfz2882]

weird capacitors

never seen any caps like those! What capacitors do you plan on using as
replacements-some like to use special "hi fi"capacitors for crossovers-metal foil
instead of cheaper metalized polyester,etc.In the '90s i used to get "special"
crossover caps from"parts express"french made "solen"was one (also used to buy
speaker drivers from "parts express"in the '90s;eminence,morel,audax,dynaudio.

 

[whirlcool]

Yeah, that multicap looks more like a transformer, doesn't it?

I am going to use Solen's too. On a couple of AR related websites I inadvertently started a mini war over what caps to use. Some people are of the "a cap is a cap is a cap" opinion say to use the cheapest caps you can find, and others are of the polypropylene school. The caps that I have in there now will be removed and normal caps will be used. Instead of using a multicap I am going to use separate caps. It'll cost be about $60.00 per speaker to recap them and I will only have to double up the 6.0uF cap with two 3.0uf caps in parallel. I can get exact 50uF and 150uF caps from Solen. The caps from Solen are polypropylene caps.

I've ordered a LCR meter to use. Before I remove these caps I want to see how far they have drifted since 1968 and the check the new caps for tolerance. Supposedly these old caps had a 20% tolerance and the new ones a 5% tolerance. One guy said that these old caps are industrial strength caps and they may still hold their original values.

Other cap brand choices I had were Dayton, Parts Express housebrand, and Jentzen. I went with the Solen's as that is what most people are using.

 

[cfz2882]

"HiFi" crossover caps

Hehe,suprized there is even any argument over using top quality crossover caps on
those AR sites LOL-cost for the premium capacitors is pretty low considering how
long they will last and the possible effect they could have on the sound.
I used solen and german"ERO"and"Frako"caps when i set up the crossovers for my
porsche car stereo setup.For my camaro z28 system i used TRW and sprague capacitors
-both setups,one as german as possible,the other as U.S. as possible sound
awesome including nice clean and accurate highs.

 

[firedome]

At Vacuum Tube Valley magazine we ran extensive double blind randomized tests on various pricey "boutique" and more regularly available caps to be used for restoring tube audio equipment, and the results led many of us to recommend Illinois MWR metallized polystyrene caps for applications where the original type sound quality is desired. Some of the fancy-schmancy high end caps resulted in a brighter and/or more clinical sound not typical of the original units and many of the most knowledgeable Hi-Fi collectors in the country use Illinois exclusively in their restorations when replacing axial lead caps in bias, filter supplies cathode circuits and for decoupling. The fact that they are cheap is just a bonus, the expensive jobs would have been preferred had they actually proven superior for the application.

 

[whirlcool]

I looked at the Illinois caps. They all seem to be radial leads, and I need axial leads. They also were far off the values I needed to: 6.0uF, 50uF & 150uF.

 

[tolivac]

Guitarists argue about caps too-on what to use for recapping their amps.for speakers--NEVER have had to recap them unless the speaker system was somehow abused.If the caps in their crossovers are non electrolytic-probably won't have to worry about them.Guitar amps and Hi-Fi are the most major markets for tubes and such today.At radio stations--it sure clears up the sound of many AM transmitters when you replace the blocking caps in the audio stages feeding the modulator--and the modulator blocker caps-honestly--sound like you got a NEW transmitter!and for less cost.These are oil filled paper or film caps becuase of the very high voltages.and replace the caps on the transmitters feedback ladders.that helps,too.The Feedback ladder is in the modulator it generates an inverse feedback to the first audio stage in the modulator-in effort to reduce distortion and make the stage have a wide frequency reponse-consists of high value-1meg ohmand 30 of them going to the plates of the mod tubes to thru the resistors to a cap and more resistors to ground-atap from the cap goes to the mod input stage cathode and grid.Its amazing how the transmitter cleans up when you rebuild the feedback ladders.For those new tubes sure help,too.