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Mixing capacitor brands in a tube circuit

Fast996

Fast996

Mod that Vintage Gear
I'm going to have my tube preamp recapped (60 years old). In my stash of film caps i have two different brands of 0.1uf films 2 mundorf and 2 miflex both are rated enough voltage.
The V1 uses 2 .1uf and V2 uses 2 .1uf Left and right channel
My question is can I mix 1 mundorf and 1 miflex together? so on the left and right channel they would be the same or should I use 2 mundorfs on V1 and V2 have everything matched.
Hope my question makes sense. I'd like to use up what extras I have if I can.
 
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gadget73 said:
I'd be more concerned about making the channels match than matching the brands of cap in the channel. If I needed 4 and had 2 and 2, one of each goes in the right channel, one of each on the left channel in the equivalent position.
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Yes exactly. The L & R channels would be matched....different brand caps,,,but the channels would be exactly the same.
 
Given the tolerance inherent in the caps, I doubt it makes any difference at all where you put them.

I probably couldn’t hear any difference.
 
That's perfectly fine. A lot of DIYer's use a mix of coupling caps. As long as the two channels are consistent there's nothing wrong with that.
 
Use 1 Mundorf and 1 Miflex on each channel. Imo, you'll hear a difference if you try to go all Mundorf on one channel and all Miflex on the other.
 
I would not mix on a push-pull circuit, would prefer to have one brand on one channel and the other brand on the other channel. Not sure where in the circuit you're installing however.

I'm obsessive and will match everything though, so YMMV.
 
I agree make the channels match.
I used 4 or 5 brands in the preamps I built.
The brand name doesn't matter so much as the long as the channels match.
Build them identical and they're bound to match.
 
Ok so another question I have the early version serial number 5L080 on the schematic for the mid to later version they show C22 & C24 as .1uf for the coupling caps on V1B (12ax7) is my preamp the same? I have not received it yet but want to buy all the caps for it.
 
I don't know much about why people replace caps outside the power supply, but wouldn't one have boxes of capacitors and find the closest matching ones to the circuit specifications and use those? I mean, if the intent is to improve the performance of the preamp from how it was originally built.
 
Fast996 said:
Ok so another question I have the early version serial number 5L080 on the schematic for the mid to later version they show C22 & C24 as .1uf for the coupling caps on V1B (12ax7) is my preamp the same? I have not received it yet but want to buy all the caps for it.
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I can't see where you've told us what preamp this is, so we don't know what you're talking about! Are you saying you bought it but haven't received it yet? If that's the case I would wait til you receive it to determine what replacement parts you need to buy.
 
Sure doesn’t everyone have boxes of capacitors ?You miss my point I’m going to recap this because it’s 60 years old . If you’ve ever had old audio gear have catastrophic failure you’d understand why.All I’m asking are all the capacitors in the C20 early mid & late the same? C22 & C24?
 
I have boxes and bins and drawers of capacitors. Doesn't everyone?

if its paper caps, 60 years is way past expiration. As for specific values in McIntosh gear that might be a question better suited for the Mc sub-forum. If the schematic doesn't indicate a change, reasonable guess is that its the same early and late but when all else fails go by what is in the unit if it appears to be original. Lots of things changed and the schematics did not get updated or have been lost to time. McIntosh still being around probably means you have a better chance of getting accurate info tho.
 
Oh, it's a Mac? I personally wouldn't put boutique caps in a Mac preamp for fear of changing what was a very well-balanced sound. The Cornell-Dubulier 942C series is a very well-made, very straightforward film cap. I wouldn't go further than that but of course it's up to you. ;-)
 
zackthedog said:
I can't see where you've told us what preamp this is, so we don't know what you're talking about! Are you saying you bought it but haven't received it yet? If that's the case I would wait til you receive it to determine what replacement parts you need to buy.
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I'm assuming Mac since he said C20, and they did make a tube preamp with that model number. I could very well be way off the mark here.
 
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