2. amps-preamps
  3. 146512-75349

Recommendation for input coupling caps

Hey,
I’m building a headphone amp and need a recommendation for a 0.47uF input coupling cap.
It is a discrete circuit and the output is direct coupled.

I have built this amp before and used Mundorf Supreme in this position.
I felt it sounded "compressed" and lacked dynamics (compared to other amps I built, albeit they were different designs).

Also, the headphones I will be using tend to be a bit bassy so would like something that is known for not bloating the bass and may bring the mids forward (if that is even possible to achieve by simply a cap).

Based on size and price, these seem like viable options:
Auricap XO
Mundorf Supreme Silver Oil
Jantzen Superior

I have also read about Jupiter and Sonicap Platinum but honestly can’t justify the price for this build.

I could be over-estimating the impact of this capacitor on the overall sound though, and can just go back to the same Mundorf Supreme.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated

itsikhefez

Showing 2 responses by viridian

viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
The silver/oil pretty much is what you are looking for including the dry bass.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
The only way that obviates the need for the input coupling cap is if all the sources used will be cap coupled, or have DC servos. DC in the signal path will surely have catastrophic results if there are no DC blocking caps. Hey lots of folks skip the condom, but once in a while it results in an itch that won’t go away.

Loayo, the primary measurement that quantifies the electrical performance of a cap is ESR, equivalent series resistance, which can be easily measured. Unfortunately, the caps with the lowest ESR are not always those that IMHO sound the best, so there are probably parameters that we have not evolved standardized testing for yet.
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