Capacitor?

waynehead · Post by **waynehead** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 7:28 pm

Just wondering what kind of caps you guys could vouch for. Ive been looking at the soundstream capcells. Id love it if they would have made a power grid that matched xenon components. Any suggestions on a good bang for the buck cap?

Post by **mhyde71** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:56 pm

PG or Alumapro (which in some cases are the same) - for cap's geared for the "Auto-MoTive Install"

Or if functionality, performance, and potential is your calling, and you're not so concerned with looks... then go with a Maxwell Capacitor...
may not be the best looking, or most easy to accomodate to, but you know what they say... sometimes it's better to feel good than to look good? right?

oldskoolmseriesfan · Post by **oldskoolmseriesfan** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:07 am

^^^Like a Fat Chick?

waynehead · Post by **waynehead** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:37 pm

oldskoolmseriesfan wrote:^^^Like a Fat Chick?

lol right on good looking out

waynehead · Post by **waynehead** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:48 pm

one more question: The only capacitors I can find that are PG appear to be a new model 1 farad:?: Are these as well made as the old ones and can I use more than one. I plan on having a x1200.1 and x200.4 when it is all said and done. Should i just buy a bigger alumapro cap or what? thanks

deathcloud · Post by **deathcloud** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 6:08 pm

waynehead wrote:one more question: The only capacitors I can find that are PG appear to be a new model 1 farad:?: Are these as well made as the old ones and can I use more than one. I plan on having a x1200.1 and x200.4 when it is all said and done. Should i just buy a bigger alumapro cap or what? thanks

I am going to have the same setup as you and from what I recall I believe that Stipud said that I should be fine with the 1 farad cap ( bought the one that has the digital display) connected to the other end of the x1200.1 and have the x200.4 both connected to power/ground via distro block since they both have dual ports. This makes sense because the x1200.1 is going to need more current rather than the x200.4 and the cap will help with that. I can't wait to put it in and hear the sound of 2 rsdc12s slappin with the x1200.1 and the x200.4 making the front/rear rsd components sing!

Post by **stipud** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:23 am

Personally I don't bother with capacitors for sub amps, where you wouldn't hear the SQ difference caused by the capacitors AC ripple filtering. A capacitor is much better suited for your highs amp, assuming your front stage is installed well enough to demonstrate the difference.

Regardless, I always use the capacitors on the whole system. If you have 0 gauge coming back to distro blocks, then split off a few 4 gauge wires to the amps... all you have to do is connect a + and - wire from the distros to the cap as well. No need to wire it in-line or anything, it will still work just fine connected on its own to the d-block.

Brand of capacitors doesn't matter much, since few companies actually make the capacitors... but typically the better brands will source capacitors from better companies. Generally I would pick a capacitor that has a voltage rating lower than 16v (higher voltage rated capacitor means less capacitance at typical lower voltages), and as low of an ESR as I can find.

1-2 farads is more than enough for most systems.

oldskoolmseriesfan · Post by **oldskoolmseriesfan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:42 am

Im using a newer (2yrs old) 1 farad from PG and no problems. Its black with the PG logo in gold and the mounting brackets are gold as well, its a nice lookin cap and as I said no problems. As Tom said aswell the consensus seems to lead to 1-2 farads is plenty.

waynehead · Post by **waynehead** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:58 am

SWeet

nico boom · Post by **nico boom** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:31 pm

BRAX.

They developed their own production-line, using lasers to weld the connections to the layers inside, which form the capacitance.
By using a lot of welds, instead of a few [typical for the cheap ones],they produce the best capacitors in the market here in Europe.
Tested several; the scope reveals a significant difference in noise supression.
If you can find a BRAX, I would go for it personally.
A lot of brands have their caps made in Taiwan, and China, with their original logo's manufactured on it.
For the rest; read Tom's posts about the subject !

oldskoolmseriesfan · Post by **oldskoolmseriesfan** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:35 pm

nico boom wrote:BRAX.
They developed their own production-line, using lasers to weld the connections to the layers inside, which form the capacitance.
By using a lot of welds, instead of a few [typical for the cheap ones],they produce the best capacitors in the market here in Europe.
Tested several; the scope reveals a significant difference in noise supression.
If you can find a BRAX, I would go for it personally.
A lot of brands have their caps made in Taiwan, and China, with their original logo's manufactured on it.
For the rest; read Tom's posts about the subject !

THAT IS A NICE CAP! Im assuming they work really well ,eh nico? I would be sure someone sells them in the shops closer to th city(Van) nothing in town here as of yet.

Post by **stipud** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:48 pm

Yeah, I brought back a Brax cap from Europe about 7 years ago. It's still working in my friend's install, long after my other caps have failed. I have never seen any Brax gear for sale in stores here though

nico boom · Post by **nico boom** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:02 pm

stipud wrote:Yeah, I brought back a Brax cap from Europe about 7 years ago. It's still working in my friend's install, long after my other caps have failed. I have never seen any Brax gear for sale in stores here though

.... but you have a friend in Holland that has acces to them...

Post by **stipud** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:17 pm

True, but I also haven't installed any caps in about 4 years. Most stereos just aren't good enough to need them.

I would love to put a cap in my car but it would be a lot of work now that it's all "finished". I also think I need to do things like sound deadening before I should bother.

waynehead · Post by **waynehead** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:55 pm

Woofersetc.com has brax equipment but I dont know if they ship to our neighbors to the north. The cap jsut like yours costs more than i just payed for my x1200.1.

shit must be DANK

easy · Post by **easy** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:21 pm

If you do need a cap ....Why not support HLabs?
http://www.hlabs.com/products/caps/
They have good products.

For me ... just change the ones inside the amps. Good enough.

Capacitor?

Capacitor?

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