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Auricaps in AI M3A

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Terry

(A)

Hi all! I have a 4 yr. old Audible Illusions M3A preamp and I am considering replacing some of the stock caps with Auricaps. However, AI already uses quite good capacitors (eg. Infinicaps) and I am wondering if the Auricaps would be an improvement. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Re: Auricaps in AI M3A - rwiley 09:17:56 03/20/02 (0)
I have an older Modulus 3 (not 3A) and have been thinking of upgrading the original Wonder Caps. I contacted AI about this and they basically discouraged it for the following reasons. They advised against using metalized films which includes Infini and Auri and Multicaps. Hovland caps are film and foil but they don't meet the minimum voltage rating of 225 vdc. Physical size was another potential problem.
In the case of the M3A, IMHO the stock caps are probably pretty good (film & foil) and you would realize little improvement (if any).
I too would like to know if anyone has succesfully made a cap swap though.
Later...Bob
Re: Auricaps in AI M3A - chiggy 08:37:33 03/20/02 (4)
hello,
i'd check out the power supply of any older piece of equipment first...you could spend your money on upgraded lytics that do waste away after a few years and make a bigger difference with $$$.
aren't infinicaps metallized? i suppose you could step up from that with better poly's, teflons or even 'styrenes. ask yourself what kind of change in tonal balance you are looking for and what you want to change about the system you listen to...upgraditis is fun, but without direction and thought, you're just burning money. know what i mean?
once you figure out what you're looking fo, post questions or do a search here on parts and upgrades - "will x part do y to the sound?"
imo, for a sound that will have better attack and less warmth - i don't remember the lytics in the Mod3a - Cornells or Nichicons i think...you could upgrade to better quality Black Gate (crazy detail) and upgrade the caps to Solen SCR film/foils....imo, i think those sound as good if not better than the Auricaps. yet another option for more detail and spaciousness is to change a few of the key resistors to vishay bulk foils. be warned though, i look for parts with lots of aggressive detailed attack across the spectrum and only a teeny tiny bit of creamy texture in the mids and highs to allow for a less fatiguing sound.
hope any of this helps.
regards,
chiggy
- Re: Auricaps in AI M3A - MikeCh 11:12:09 03/20/02 (3)
  I was with you until you said
  and upgrade the caps to Solen SCR film/foils....imo, i think those sound as good if not better than the Auricaps.
  My experiences are diametrically opposed yours. In all the equipment I've used AuriCap's in the results have been very positive. Solen's are great in the power supply but not in signal path applications.
  I currently also have InfiniCap Signature "S" im my preamp for interstage coupling and am going to be replacing them with AuriCap's.
  Regards,
  Mike
  - Re: Auricaps in AI M3A - chiggy 11:34:52 03/20/02 (2)
    hello Mike,
    i'll agree with solen fast caps (bypassed) in a tube PS but i think i'm one of the very few fans of their film cap line in the signal path. don't get me wrong, auricaps are very good and i use them as well...but in my system at the outputs of my 6H30 linestage and Foreplay, bypassing my speaker caps and in select sections of my old PP El84, i found the film solens to sound cleaner and more detailed than the auri's. also, they added too much richness for my tastes in the mids so i tend to use them sparingly.
    don't know if its a consideration for the Mod3, but the auricaps do come in much larger sizes than the solens which cut off at 1.5uf.
    regards,
    chiggy
    - Re: Auricaps in AI M3A - MikeCh 15:35:58 03/20/02 (1)
      Maybe we're talking about different Solen caps? I've used their metalized film polypropolene types, which are available in obscenely huge (> 90uF) sizes. I haven't used their film and foil types. �Mike
      - yup - chiggy 16:44:51 03/20/02 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Auricaps in AI M3A posted by MikeCh on March 20, 2002 at 15:35:58:
        
        was wondering about that. check out the "SCR" section for film/foils under angela.com's cap section...they're the first listing on the page and look like really overpriced Fast caps at first.
        and yes, auricaps kick the crap out of the cheap metallized poly's. if you ever feel the need to experiment with caps, a clear examply would be to replace the hovlands in your LX-4's with these caps. i promise they'll sound different. :0)
        rgds,
        chiggy

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