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Duelund Caps leaking

4.15.123.194
Posted on July 20, 2016 at 10:16:08
sganti
Audiophile

Posts: 202
Location: San Francisco - Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2005
 Hi All

I have had 2 pairs of duelund cast pio caps leak oil. Is anybody else experiencing similar issues, any suggestions on fixing them?

Thanks
Sridhar

 

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RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 20, 2016 at 11:37:48
Uncle Mike
 " any suggestions on fixing them"

environmental waste bin

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 20, 2016 at 12:25:13
Al Noakes
 Email the manufacturer , send them some pictures of the leak . Not worth messing around when the parts cost that much...

Al

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 21, 2016 at 10:55:12
horny
Audiophile

Posts: 745
Location: holland
Joined: October 17, 2003
 i buy now in total 7 pairs Duelund caps
3 from 14 are leaking in a short time
a friend buy 1 pairs and has also one leaking cap
its a messy sticky green oil that comes out
but they sound great these are the best capacitors i ever try

 

Interesting, posted on July 21, 2016 at 11:28:32
gusser
Audiophile

Posts: 3649
Location: So. California
Joined: September 6, 2006
 The major oil cap manufactures, GE, Cornell Dubilier, Aerovox, Sprague, have been making these caps for 100 years. They are highly reliable - a proven fact.

But alas they "sound bad" based on audiophile magazine reports. No engineering theory allowed here.

So we buy these ultra expensive "audio grade" oil caps made in someone's garage that leak! If they lack the basic manufacturing technology to properly seal the can, what makes you think they have the technology to make a better cap in the first place?

 

RE: Interesting, posted on July 21, 2016 at 11:46:02
hennfarm
Audiophile

Posts: 535
Location: Oregon
Joined: October 8, 2008
 +1

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 21, 2016 at 11:46:51
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 Depending on just WHAT that 'messy sticky green oil' really IS, I'm sure that Duelund will go to bat for you and get your equipment cleaned / fixed and put back to perfect.

not:

And if 3 are 'leaking in a short time' how long do you expect the REST to last? A 20% failure rate is clearly unacceptable. I'm guessing these are $$$$ parts.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Interesting, posted on July 21, 2016 at 13:18:36
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 10455
Location: Monroe Township, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000
 "So we buy these ultra expensive "audio grade" oil caps made in someone's garage that leak! If they lack the basic manufacturing technology to properly seal the can, what makes you think they have the technology to make a better cap in the first place?"

They don't! Lots of "Snake Oil" and "Emperor's New Clothes", at their worst. :>((

If it's oily signal caps. you want, buy hermetically sealed Soviet surplus K40 parts. They will not leak oil.


Eli D.

 

RE: Interesting, posted on July 21, 2016 at 13:21:03
sganti
Audiophile

Posts: 202
Location: San Francisco - Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2005
 I reached out to Duelund and got a prompt response requesting me to send the caps for inspection. I am glad on the prompt response, and will wait and see the outcome of the inspection. Will keep this thread updated on progress.

Thanks

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 21, 2016 at 13:24:18
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 10455
Location: Monroe Township, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000
 The green might come from basic copper carbonate. That's what forms on exposed copper sheeting.

Darned tootin those are very big $ parts. "A fool and his money are soon parted." For what is charged, those parts should perform VERY well and last centuries. I smell a lot of male bovine excrement. GRRR!!


Eli D.

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 21, 2016 at 13:38:11
sganti
Audiophile

Posts: 202
Location: San Francisco - Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2005
 Exactly the same oil I saw under my chassis when I lifted the amp to move to a different rack..

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 21, 2016 at 13:48:28
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I don't know where the carbon would come from for a copper carbonate, but OXIDES of copper are used for DIODES, which in a capacitor is bad juju.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on July 21, 2016 at 14:07:58
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 10455
Location: Monroe Township, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000
 Copper sheeting turns green from O2 and CO2 in the air. It's likely the bad seal passed air, before outright leaking oil.


Eli D.

 

RE: Interesting, posted on July 21, 2016 at 15:20:26
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 10912
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 Well, I am on both sides. I don't like oil capacitors as coupling capacitors, because they (the ones I have heard, including the K40s) tend to make everything sound the same, which is to say they color the sound. I can hear this in my own equipment in my own system, perhaps because I am so familiar with it, whether or not it can be measured. But I also avoid using oil capacitors in coupling applications because I too have had the experience with leaky boutique oil caps, in my case, Jensen and VTV (not K40s, I agree). I do agree that the old Sprague oil capacitors are sound as a (oil) drum... but sound awful. Anyway, they contain PCBs.

I am going to predict that Dueland will make good on this problem, because they really should, both for the sake of their reputation and in fairness to the OP.

 

Wondering..., posted on July 21, 2016 at 17:38:11
Barry
Audiophile

Posts: 1003
Location: PA
Joined: November 24, 1999
Contributor
  Since: January 18, 2009
 How many people actually have any knowledge about what these sound like. Probably don't know much about the company either or their QC. Any value judgements are therefore meaningless as everyone will have their own opinion.

Not defending the leaking. I'll be surprised if there's an issue with replacement other than the time to get them.

 

+1, posted on July 21, 2016 at 18:42:49
bcowen
Audiophile

Posts: 1076
Location: North Carolina
Joined: December 19, 2015



Agree.

I haven't tried any of their caps, but just had to try their cast graphite resistors when I re-did my speaker crossovers. I don't mind spending money for quality parts, but $25 for a resistor was a leap of faith even for me. Value judgements are of course entirely subjective, but I will say that replacing the wirewound ceramics (2 per speaker) with the Duelands was a substantial and welcome improvement. Never had a second thought about the cost once I put them in...

 

RE: Interesting, posted on July 21, 2016 at 19:28:32
Iain42
Reviewer

Posts: 895
Location: Arcansaw
Joined: February 10, 2004
 +2

If I spent that much I'd love to hear a difference.



High sensitivity, wide dynamic range, low distortion, and smooth frequency response. Pwk

http://www.itishifi.com

 

RE: Wondering..., posted on July 21, 2016 at 23:43:14
Donald North
Manufacturer

Posts: 1296
Joined: February 8, 2001
 I know how they sound because I own both their copper and silver foil CAST capacitors and yes, they are the best sounding paper in oil capacitors I have heard yet. Their silver foil capacitors are especially resolving in a natural, unexaggerated manner. To date none of mine have leaked. Buy and try listening for yourself.

 

RE: Wondering..., posted on July 22, 2016 at 00:12:39
91derlust
Audiophile

Posts: 1101
Joined: December 25, 2014
 Some manufacturers, in seeking their desired level of sonic performance, may compromise durability and reliability... mostly unintentionally, but possibly due to ignorance. Reliability should not be compromised - but I can accept that it happens occasionally.

If it happens, it is important that the manufacturer handles the corrective action appropriately. Replace the capacitors and take action to ensure it does not happen again. Evaluate reliability over time. Also, if the issue is systemic and likely to appear in other capacitors, they should be proactive in checking/ replacing the capacitors. That is what you do when you run a business, ethically... and what should be done given the very, very high relative pricing of these devices.

Cheers,
91.

"Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems to characterise our age." Albert Einstein

 

Basic Copper Carbonate, posted on July 22, 2016 at 08:42:46
Eli Duttman
Audiophile

Posts: 10455
Location: Monroe Township, NJ
Joined: March 31, 2000
 A link is provided below.


Eli D.

 

They are made by JENSEN for DUELUND, posted on July 22, 2016 at 09:28:22
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3040
Location: Atlanta
Joined: December 15, 2003
 Not as if they are made in someone's basement.

JENSEN knows what they are doing but something went wrong here.

I cannot imagine DUELUND not making this right for you.

 

RE: Wondering..., posted on July 23, 2016 at 10:06:39
Lew
Audiophile

Posts: 10912
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Joined: December 11, 2000
 I don't think of the critics, including me, is questioning the sound quality of a Dueland capacitor. The criticism seems directed at the failure rate. Leaky coupling capacitors can produce catastrophic problems up and downstream, resulting in damage that is more costly to repair than just the cost of replacing the faulty capacitor. In my case, a leaky Jensen resulted in loss of output tube bias, and bye-bye output tube plus a few incinerated resistors.

 

2 Qs re Your Duelund caps....., posted on July 23, 2016 at 16:05:22
Winston Smith
Audiophile

Posts: 1014
Location: PNW (summers) and Southern AZ (winters)
Joined: December 2, 2006
 1.) Were they ever cryo-treated, either alone or installed in the equipment?

2.) Were they possibly inadvertently exposed to sustained high temperatures in the chassis?

Btw- Duelund's people have always been prompt and courteous to me in the past, when I had questions or needed help.

Good luck!

 

RE: 2 Qs re Your Duelund caps....., posted on July 27, 2016 at 08:57:37
sganti
Audiophile

Posts: 202
Location: San Francisco - Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2005
 No Cryo treatment

The temperature in the chassis is ok, as I have plenty of ventilation and there is a fan to keep things cool

 

RE: Duelund Caps leaking, posted on April 28, 2017 at 09:32:13
sganti
Audiophile

Posts: 202
Location: San Francisco - Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2005
 Meaning to do this for sometime, happy to report that Duelund took the leaky caps and replaced them with new ones

ganti

 

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