Low leakage electrolytic capacitors

[Warren-Oates]

Though the line isn't as extensive as Nichicon UKL, Rubycon TWL part numbers are all still showing active and in stock at Digi-Key. There is still quite a bit of stock of UKL available as well.

Plus TWL are that nice appropriate Orange color! I've bought a few sacks of TWL 4.7uf, 10uf, etc, very cheap too.

 

[Big Ben]

Vishay 013 RLC series also seems to be a low leakage electrolytic. Mouser and Digikey only seem to carry a few values tough.

 

[cdfac]

If I needed low-leakage electrolytics for an amp or preamp, I always used Nichicon KL and the results were great. I haven't bought them in a few years so I don't know what availability looks like these days....

 

[Blue Shadow]

I haven't bought them in a few years so I don't know what availability looks like these days....

All the small ones, 5mm and 6.3mm diameter have been EOL’ed by Nichicon hence the discussion in this thread.

All the workers that make these smallest electrolytic caps for Nichicon, all series of radial cans are retiring and the caps are going away.

 

[John3655]

Someone said all caps these days are low leakage, and looking at most, albeit budget, amps the caps are all standard nothing special at all. I'm just about to recap an amp which has 4 stages of coupling caps too big for films, and am tossing a coin between Nichicon Es and Elna Silmic2.

 

[tarior]

Someone said all caps these days are low leakage

They're not. However, a case could be made that designers have, one way or another, largely gotten away from the need to use them.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Looking at most, albeit budget, amps the caps are all standard nothing special at all

I’ve looked in higher end gear and the parts are not run of the mill regular stuff. Audio caps are well represented. Even back in 1999 Sony loaded their totl STR-DA777ES surround receiver with gold Nichicons.

 

[dlucy]

Thanks to @fred soop and @Blue Shadow some useful, consolidated info on the various Nichicon capacitor families from elsewhere on AK and beyond:

From https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/best-nichicon-series-to-use.732762/#post-9912491:

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​

From https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/best-nichicon-series-to-use.732762/#post-9912512

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​

 

[PabloTincho]

What about Würth Elektronik capacitors, Low leakage

WCAP-ATUL Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors | Passive Components | Würth Elektronik Product Catalog

Low Leakage & Long Life +105 °C | C 22 to 10000 µF | VR 10 to 100 V (DC) | Order Samples Free of Charge & Request Quotes Online | High Quality | Fast Delivery

www.we-online.com

 

[Namlook]

What about Würth Elektronik capacitors, Low leakage

WCAP-ATUL Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors | Passive Components | Würth Elektronik Product Catalog

Low Leakage & Long Life +105 °C | C 22 to 10000 µF | VR 10 to 100 V (DC) | Order Samples Free of Charge & Request Quotes Online | High Quality | Fast Delivery

www.we-online.com

I find Wurth caps to be very high quality. Also they are typically rated for much longer life at 105C than comparable Nichicons.

 

[PabloTincho]

According to the specs
WCAP-ATUL low leakage 220uf 63V
(138,6 UA max) the number seem high compared to a UKL (27.72 UA) after 2 minutes

 

[Namlook]

According to the specs
WCAP-ATUL low leakage 220uf 63V
(138,6 UA max) the number seem high compared to a UKL (27.72 UA) after 2 minutes

Well, Nichicon UKL are now out of production - so good luck finding them in the future.

 

[GrisPato]

According to the specs
WCAP-ATUL low leakage 220uf 63V
(138,6 UA max) the number seem high compared to a UKL (27.72 UA) after 2 minutes

Interesting, this is the exact same leakage current as specified for a Nichicon UFG 220 uF-63V. And I mean on the decimal. Which has always had a lower leakage ( about half ) then the "low ESR" capacitors.

 

[ConradH]

It's a bit laughable that they have 2-place decimals on some of those leakage numbers. Even 1-place is a bit silly. Any electrolytic that's been sitting for a while (a day, a week?) will show higher leakage when first powered up. The leakage should drop rapidly and will usually still be dropping at 1 minute. I care much more about where the leakage finally ends up, after 5-15 minutes, not where it is at 1 minute. I don't even have my drink poured by then. I test all my caps, mostly because I have a bridge that makes it easy, and any recent 220 uF or less will come down below 10 uA after a couple minutes. Even caps from my old stock will usually beat that. If they don't, I look at the date and consider disposing of the lot.

 

[Refugee]

This is a great post @dlucy Thanks!
Putting all this info in one place really helps. If only Nichicon would make it this easy!
It does seem they are getting out of the "for audio" lines. Choosing caps is harder without devices that are rated for audio, and without literature geared toward the concerns of audio enthusiasts to help make those choices.

 

[dlucy]

This is a great post @dlucy Thanks!
Putting all this info in one place really helps. If only Nichicon would make it this easy!
It does seem they are getting out of the "for audio" lines. Choosing caps is harder without devices that are rated for audio, and without literature geared toward the concerns of audio enthusiasts to help make those choices.

My post was someone else's work. It seemed very useful here.

Nichicon isn't "getting out of the for audio business". They are discontinuing lines of caps that are not needed (in quantity) any longer. As most manufacturers are doing.

Stock up while you can.

 

[PabloTincho]

Are they still making Nichicon UFG ?

 

[Namlook]

Are they still making Nichicon UFG ?

Nope

 

[PabloTincho]

If the WCAP-ATUL sounds like a UFG we have a winner
Also which capacitors from the Whurth line is best the the power section ?

 

[Blue Shadow]

My post was someone else's work. It seemed very useful here.

I know the authors of those two lists are easily determined when the link is used but it might be nice to credit Fred Soop and me for them in your post. We are both still here and active on ak. Sure it was just busy work while watching a football game or something for my part, but that is still an effort to help the community.