Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: Mr.Death on November 24, 2022, 01:22:09 pm

Title: Coupling capacitors
Post by: Mr.Death on November 24, 2022, 01:22:09 pm
I was just looking at the jcm800 schematic and I noticed all the preamp coupling capacitors were all .022uf up to the phase inverter.  Is it important to keep all the values the same for the coupling values or is there room to play around? Does an amp operate better when the values are the same? Thanks!
Title: Re: Coupling capacitors
Post by: HotBluePlates on November 24, 2022, 02:47:36 pm
... Is it important to keep all the values the same for the coupling values ...

No.


Unless you're building 10,000 amps & got a screaming deal on 30,000 caps for the price of 5,000 (as long as they're all the same value).
Title: Re: Coupling capacitors
Post by: Mr.Death on November 24, 2022, 03:38:27 pm
Thanks HotBlue!!! I shall experiment..
Title: Re: Coupling capacitors
Post by: PRR on November 24, 2022, 04:09:21 pm
The minimum size is limited by bass loss. The maximum size is limited by price (especially when HBP makes those 10,000 amps hoping for profit). "Usually" the smallest caps in a series are all the same price: per-each leads and marking and labor.

I would not be shocked to learn that this amp "could" use 0.01 here and 0.02 there, but if 0.02 costs the same as 0.01, and larger lots of one type get a break, then why not put 0.02 everywhere?

OTOH, a 0.5uFd takes a LOT of foil, and a 0.25uFd foil may be half the price, so the designer and purchasing agent butt-heads to get the best value.