In Reply to: RE: I'm Bored, part ll. MA-1 pictures posted by Michael Samra on March 12, 2014 at 13:10:20:
And as you can read below, I advised him to consider replacing the monster caps with a bunch of lower value higher quality ones, e.g., Panasonic TS-ED. Ralph once recommended to me the 250uF/200V Solens, for bypass duty. I used them for a while, but when I went to multiple Panasonics (14 X 2000uF/200V) for the main filtering, there was no longer room for the Solens, even though my chassis' are much larger than Billy's chassis'. Thus I doubt that those very large 600V film caps will fit his amplifier, although something of much lower voltage rating and therefore smaller size might work.Ralph told me that he began to "hear" a beneficial effect of the film bypass, only when he got up around the 250uF value of the Solens, in keeping with what you write. But modern Panasonic TS series caps and analogous Nichicons that can tolerate the low voltages of the output supply are so good these days that I question the need for super huge (value or size) film bypass caps. I have settled for lower values (and smaller size) for bypass, and the sound is better than it ever was before the Panasonic mod.
The problem here is that I fear these mods exceed Cousin Billy's skill set. I don't want to be the one to give him advice that would lead him to hurt himself or damage his valuable amplifier. (As to the latter, I've been there, done that.)
Edits: 03/12/14
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Follow Ups
- Mike, that output stage supply operates at only 125VDC - Lew 16:49:20 03/12/14 (25)
- RE: Mike, that output stage supply operates at only 125VDC - Cousin Billy 04:18:54 03/13/14 (21)
- 4700uF Panasonic - Lew 11:39:36 03/13/14 (0)
- RE: Mike, that output stage supply operates at only 125VDC - Lew 07:12:31 03/13/14 (19)
- Correction- the supply voltage is a little higher. - Ralph 11:48:52 03/13/14 (18)
- SUCCESS. Thank you everyone - Cousin Billy 16:08:57 03/16/14 (5)
- SUCCESS. Then a step backwards - Cousin Billy 17:56:45 03/17/14 (4)
- RE: SUCCESS. Then a step backwards - Lew 10:21:43 03/18/14 (3)
- just a FWIW - Ralph 12:14:45 03/18/14 (2)
- I guess you are suggesting - Lew 13:13:07 03/18/14 (1)
- not exactly - Ralph 13:27:31 03/18/14 (0)
- RE: Correction- the supply voltage is a little higher. - tyu 12:01:57 03/13/14 (11)
- Some of the older amps had lower voltages - Ralph 14:15:41 03/13/14 (10)
- My education continues - Cousin Billy 17:23:42 03/13/14 (3)
- an I raise the 200uF values simply by installing a film cap across each 100uF pair? - Lew 19:06:37 03/13/14 (2)
- RE: an I raise the 200uF values simply by installing a film cap across each 100uF pair? - Cousin Billy 04:15:06 03/14/14 (1)
- RE: an I raise the 200uF values simply by installing a film cap across each 100uF pair? - Lew 11:00:58 03/14/14 (0)
- I guess I measure about 132V, most days,... - Lew 16:32:52 03/13/14 (4)
- In the case of Billy's amps - Ralph 08:30:19 03/14/14 (3)
- Last Question? - Cousin Billy 10:02:10 03/20/14 (2)
- the downside - Ralph 10:44:01 03/20/14 (1)
- RE: the downside - Cousin Billy 13:08:36 03/20/14 (0)
- RE: Some of the older amps had lower voltages - tyu 15:58:52 03/13/14 (0)
- RE: Mike, that output stage supply operates at only 125VDC - Michael Samra 17:50:40 03/12/14 (2)
- OTL circlotron - Lew 19:01:19 03/12/14 (1)
- RE: OTL circlotron - Michael Samra 15:49:33 03/19/14 (0)