"Best" nichicon series to use?

Bassblaster

Super Member
what do you guys think the best cap series is for recapping vintage gear and for what parts. ex: power supply, power amp, tone board.
ive used Nichicon UVR for power supplies and rectifiers and UFG for anything in an audio path. im currently planning on UKW for my next recapping job. but what about the UKZ, UES, UPJ and so on? is there any difference between them?
 
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All the cap brands seem to have tons of caps that overlap each other for purpose which does make it a pain to try and figure out what's what.

Typically I'll use Muse (bi-polar), FG or Elna Silmic for audio path and HE, PM or PW for power supply.
If the needed value isn't available I'll look at what's available in the rest of the line. I like the KA series as they are a higher temp cap and I saw a diagram once from Nichicon where they said the KA was their top line audio cap so I might go from Silmics or FG to the KA if I can find all of the values. I really don't like mixing and matching in the audio path. It may not make any difference but why chance it?
 
I pick em by color.

The need for the low leakage is the Nichicon KL to replace those orange caps. Pioneer gear says what kind of cap it is and that helps in selecting.
The Nichicon UES is the bipolar of choice and is in their Muse line of audio caps.

I wish the silmic and some of the nichicons were as pretty as the cerafines. Lot of work taking out a dark blue original cap just to stuff in a brown cap with a white line and writing. But that Elna cerafine in fine red color with gold writing is sweet. *


*I don't know if I have ever bought Elna cerafine caps, had em in a Millett headphone amp.
 
Right! ive been looking for a blue or red cap. so far ive found the VX and BT series. on google images both caps are blue, but on mouser both are shown as standard black. ive been hours and its driving me NUTS! i just want a damn blue or red capacitor. the ES's green looks nice but i dont like how much more they cost.
this pic is nice to look at...no luck on that blue elna cap and the hidden name red cap
DSC01257.JPG
 
After much confusion perusing many data sheets, I listed the major points by type in one place. However, there are those that claim it really doesn't make a lot of difference for audio quality. Not all values are available in all types, so you may need a mixture.

Here is the summary:

NICHICON ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS

TVX Axial General Purpose

USA General Purpose (USR smaller, UST high temperature)
USR General Purpose

UMA Standard, Low Profile (UMT high temperature, UMV long life, UMF low impedance)
UHE Miniature, Low Impedance, High Reliability (UHD lower life)
UKL Low Leakage
URS Low Profile (URZ high temperature)
URZ Low Profile, Wide Temperature
UPM Low Impedance, High Reliability (UPW smaller)
UCS Miniature, High Reliability, High Ripple (UCA larger, UCY smaller)
UVR Miniature (UKL lower leakage, UVK smaller, UVZ high temperature)
UVZ General Audio, Miniature, Wide Temperature (UKT higher audio quality, UVY smaller)

UKT General Audio, Wide Temperature (UKA higher audio quality)
UMW Standard Audio, Low Profile
UKA High Grade Audio, Wide Temperature

UFW Standard Audio (UFG higher grade, UKW higher audio quality)
UKW Standard Audio
UFG High Grade Audio MUSE (UKZ higher grade)
UKZ Premium Audio MUSE

UPJ SMPS Low Impedance (UPS smaller, UPV long life)
UPS SMPS Low Impedance, Miniature
UPV SMPS Low Impedance, Miniature, High Reliability
UPW SMPS Low Impedance, Miniature, High Reliability (UTT long life, UPA low impedance)
UTT SMPS Miniature, High Reliability

UDB Bipolar, Speaker Network
UES Bipolar MUSE
UVP Bipolar
 
the ES's green looks nice but i dont like how much more they cost.
this pic is nice to look at...no luck on that blue elna cap and the hidden name red cap
View attachment 787006

The VX caps I just got are blue but axial.

Here is the Nichicon color scheme

Audio
KA Pearl Blue/Black
KZ Black/Gold
FG Gold/Black
KT Pearl Blue/Black
KW Black/Gold
FW Gold/Black
SW Gold/Black
MW Gold/Black
UQ Black on top of case
ES Green/Black
DB/GD Black/White

Special Equipment
AS Dark Brown/White
AQ Dark Brown/White
JB Black/White
TM Black/White
KL Black/White

High Reliability
PM Dark Brown/White
PW Dark Brown/White
TT Dark Brown/White
PA Dark Brown/White
HV Black/White
HD Black/White
HE Black/White
PJ Dark Brown/White
PS Dark Brown/White
TS Dark Brown/White
PV Dark Brown/White
PT Dark Brown/White
PZ Dark Brown/White
PH Dark Brown/White
PB Dark Brown/White
CA Dark Brown/White
CS Dark Brown/White
CY Dark Brown/White
PX Dark Brown/White
BT Blue/White
BW Blue/White
BX Black on top of case
BE Blue/White Axial

Standard
VK Black/White
VR Black/White
VC Black/White
VX PurpleBlue/White
VY Black/White
VZ Black/White
RS Black/White
RZ Black/White
RU Black/White
RY Black/White
VP Black/White
EP Black/White

Ultra-Miniature
MA Black/White
MP Black/White
MT Black/White
MF Dark Brown/White
MV Dark Brown/White
SA Black/White
SR Black/White
SP Black/White
ST Black/White
SV Dark Brown/Silver
SF Dark Brown/White

Large Can
LS Black/White
LG Black/White
GU Black/White
GN Black/White
GG Black/White
GL Black/White
GJ Black/White
GJ(15) Black/White
GY Black/White
GR Black/White
GX Black/White
GW Black/White
AK Black/White
AQ Black/White
AR Black/White
QS Black/White

Large Can Screw Terminals
NR Light Blue/Black
NX Black/White
NK Black/White
NC Black/White
QR Dark Brown/White
NY Black/White
NT Black/White
NU Black/White

Large Can for Audio
KG Black/Gold
KS Black/Silver
KX Black/Gold
 
I wish there were alternatives to the above listed caps such as FG, Nichicons etc in the audio signal path.

I'd like to try PIO somehow in some parts of the audio.
 
for audio, it probably does not make that a difference.....

for me the UKL because of the low leakage (although I use not-AK-approved caps also), and for bipolar the MUSE series if I ever think of selling a unit. (just made my first purchase of these).
It seems the UKL is the only generally available series for this low leakage (although there probably is enough going the expensive way).

For brands, Nichicon isn't even my favorite brand as the total maybe 15 different Nichicon types totally we have at work or I have at home do not really give 100% average capacitance for the money, compared to some others. Maybe it just was coincidence but it affects "amount of trust".
 
I have been curious about this "series" criteria as well recently but never really paid much attention to the series as long as the dimensions and values were correct for the application, along with availability at the time. I have also mixed brands or grabbed whatever I had handy that would suffice. I am not an expert by any means but it seems that I when I have tried to use all of one series in a project I will typically run into at least one required value has a long lead time or won't fit physically so I just order something comparable. It's just like anything....more choices equals more confusion most times. Hopefully, someone with a better grasp of this will chime in but this is probably one of the cap debates that can go on forever and no one is really absolutely right or wrong.

Bill
 
Replacement capacitors chosen by colour! - I really have heard it all now. :rolleyes:

It made the Millet Hybrid Headphone Amp look great inside, don't you think?
Millett Top 3-4 View.jpg

Millett Top View.jpg

Not one I built but it looked great and with the Cerafines was colorful inside. Not that it colors the music, I don't think as it sounded very nice.
 
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In my experience Nichicon KZ have poor 3d resolution and the sound is to boring .The highs are very cold and they don't have good representation . Don't get me wrong . The details are there but is a cold etched restricted representation ..There is no involvement in the sound . I tried and tried to like those caps in different amps but you get what you pay for . So they are bad in the signal path unlike Silmics . Is more of a hype with those . I don't think that KZs are true audio caps after all the tests .I modded 7 amps until now and every time I ended replacing almost all KZs with Silmic 2 because KZs music was simply boring . I wasted some money for KZ buying many values ...the sucker I was .....
 
In my experience Nichicon KZ have poor 3d resolution and the sound is to boring.
Capacitors aren't individually responsible for "3D resolution" or any other aspect of sound. The sound of an amplifier or other audio device is a result of all components working together as a system.

Before blaming capacitors for poor sound -- particularly ones that in previous posts you've indicated you liked -- there are a wealth of other variables you need to consider including the source, the room, the speakers, the listener's state of mind, and so on.
 
Capacitors aren't individually responsible for "3D resolution" or any other aspect of sound. The sound of an amplifier or other audio device is a result of all components working together as a system.

Before blaming capacitors for poor sound -- particularly ones that in previous posts you've indicated you liked -- there are a wealth of other variables you need to consider including the source, the room, the speakers, the listener's state of mind, and so on.
You think that you know 100% what you're talking about and you have your mental mechanisms in order to make your self into believing that "Capacitors aren't individually responsible for "3D resolution" or any other aspect of sound."
Usually those that have this point of view know just a little regarding amplifiers and they lack the mental capability to see behind their limitation or to understand that they are small individuals or maybe they are unable to hear the high freqency properly...etc
It is more like an egocentric mode to self dilute into false believes using a wrong understanding and wrong approach or simply bad hearing ...
I never sad that KZ sound horrible because the details are there just that are ultra boring .
In your opinion KZ will sound the same like Silmics ... how wrong you can be !!..
 
You think that you know 100% what you're talking about and you have your mental mechanisms in order to make your self into believing that "Capacitors aren't individually responsible for "3D resolution" or any other aspect of sound."
Usually those that have this point of view know just a little regarding amplifiers and they lack the mental capability to see behind their limitation or to understand that they are small individuals or maybe they are unable to hear the high freqency properly...etc
It is more like an egocentric mode to self dilute into false believes using a wrong understanding and wrong approach or simply bad hearing ...
I never sad that KZ sound horrible because the details are there just that are ultra boring .
In your opinion KZ will sound the same like Silmics ... how wrong you can be !!..
:wtf:
 
You think that you know 100% what you're talking about and you have your mental mechanisms in order to make your self into believing that "Capacitors aren't individually responsible for "3D resolution" or any other aspect of sound."
Usually those that have this point of view know just a little regarding amplifiers and they lack the mental capability to see behind their limitation or to understand that they are small individuals or maybe they are unable to hear the high freqency properly...etc
It is more like an egocentric mode to self dilute into false believes using a wrong understanding and wrong approach or simply bad hearing ...
I never sad that KZ sound horrible because the details are there just that are ultra boring .
In your opinion KZ will sound the same like Silmics ... how wrong you can be !!..

:rflmao:
 
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