novosibir
Well-known member
First what is to say is, that Silver Mica capacitors also are ceramic capacitors, but with a special cermic, which reacts much more linear to the various frequencies than common ceramics. Hence Silver Mica's are sounding sweeter & cleaner than common ceramics.FourT6and2":1svq0ilx said:marcus262":1svq0ilx said:Looks great, can't wait to hear what it sounds like.
Also, wanted to ask you what do you think of the whole silver mica vs ceramic capacitors for treble peaking circuit and tone stack.
In my experience with testing these on superlead circuit it seems that ceramic (some types, they all have different response) can add some high mid frequencies but also lose low mids and definition... (mica sounds fuller)
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
It's hard to say with any certainty. But yeah, MAYBE ceramic disks sound brighter and micas a little more full/balanced. But it'd be splitting hairs. I tend to prefer silver micas as long as you use high quality ones.
But also among common ceramic caps are huge differences, depending on the material and the voltage range of the cap.
Usual materials for common ceramic caps are NPO, X7R & Z5U and the caps differ to the Silver Mica's by their huge irregularities.
They produce, depending on their material and voltage range, more or less odd order harmonics (K7, K9 & K11), what makes it sounding dirtier, grainier and almost always more aggressive. To obtain the 'real British Dirt' in the amp's sound, ceramics (not SM's) are essential. Impossible or at least not easy, to get the same result with SM's only.
In my British Purist first I've tried SM's in the beginning, but never have been pleased with its sound. Always too clean and a tiny bit sterile.
Then I've tried various ceramics. Some were simply too dirty and too aggressive, but then I've found ceramics from Panasonic, where the 3 kV types are sounding overwhelming convincingly (watch photo), they're sounding almost like NOS Lemco's. Unfortunately they are out of production already years.
Larry