New member and new Accuphase C-200 owner...
- Thread starter cube-tube
- Start date
cube-tube
Super Member
As I said, they are either out of stock or want you to buy a large quantity. I for one do not have a need for 200 caps.
As far as the caps are concerned, you recommend these specific caps just so that they fit the clamps. However, what if I go with physically smaller caps and mount them under the chassis, leaving the stock caps in place but disconnected? Is there enough room under the chassis to solder in normal radial caps?
And what is your reasoning for going with much larger value caps? I know why people do this to amps to help reduce voltage sag and better performance with peak power demands, but why in a preamp where there's nearly no stress at all on the power supply?
Hey Cube-Tube,
Just posted to say congratulations on your "new" Accuphase
I'm sure once you're done working on this unit it'll be an amp that will treat you well for years to come :thmbsp:
Thank you Aibo1!
I wish I could have had a chance to hear this preamp in stock form, but with those two resistors looking the way they do, I'm not about to take a chance and fire it up. The previous owner said that he fired it up and all the lights came on, but he didn't have any way of testing it. I just hope he didn't harm it in any way from powering it up with those resistors in their present condition.
Yuck!
These caps are just the supply for the headphone amp. They have their own transformer winding, fuses, and rectifiers. There's no issue with increasing the capacitance from 10,000µf up to even 27,000µf.
cube-tube
Super Member
Yuck!
These caps are just the supply for the headphone amp. They have their own transformer winding, fuses, and rectifiers. There's no issue with increasing the capacitance from 10,000µf up to even 27,000µf.
Yuck what? Your replies are somewhat confusing. IDK, maybe it's just me and this massive headache I've had all day that won't go away.
At any rate, I was referring to all eight of the large electrolytics, not just the 10000uF to 27000uF ones. Does it not matter what the physical size of a capacitor is as long as its value and voltage rating is the same?
cube-tube
Super Member
It's impossible to find the 565-2805-ND cap (22,000uF 6.3V). Everywhere I look, they are out of stock and a lead time of several months.
So it's alright to move up a little to the 27,000uF 6.3v cap for this? I can get this one all day long at Newark. EKMH6R3VSN273MQ35T
So it's alright to move up a little to the 27,000uF 6.3v cap for this? I can get this one all day long at Newark. EKMH6R3VSN273MQ35T
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IDK what's confusing...hiding parts under the chassis is kinda bogus. You have a classic piece there...do it right.
The physical size is important for the chassis mounted caps so that they'll fit properly in the clamps (and not look like some 7th-grader did the work). The electrical size matters too, but there's some leeway here, depending on what the cap is doing.
The physical size is important for the chassis mounted caps so that they'll fit properly in the clamps (and not look like some 7th-grader did the work). The electrical size matters too, but there's some leeway here, depending on what the cap is doing.
cube-tube
Super Member
Like I said, this headache has been killing me today, but it's finally starting to recede.
The reason I was asking about the physical size and all was because it was difficult finding the right size caps needed at the right values. However, I went over to Newark to browse around and ended up finding the right size and values needed, so here's what I got...
Digi-Keys...
P9.1KW-2BK-ND RES 9.1K OHM 2W 5% METAL OXIDE
493-2652-ND CAP 2700UF 160V ELECT GU SNAP
565-2929-ND CAP 2200UF 100V ELECT KMH SNAP
Newark...
UNITED CHEMI-CON EKMH6R3VSN273MQ35T CAPACITOR ALUM ELECT 27000UF 6.3V SNAP-IN
ILLINOIS CAPACITOR 478LBB035M2CC CAPACITOR ALUM ELECT 4700UF, 35V, SNAP-IN
cube-tube
Super Member
I must have missed something. I thought that all these caps had small pins to simply solder to.
Do you know what the electrical connection point of a snap-in cap looks like? Do you care if the end result looks like it was done by a professional, or by someone who was just trying to get it done as quickly as possible, and be damned with the method of getting there?
If the answers are (a)-yes, and (b)-don't care, then dive right in. Otherwise, start digging in the Digikey catalog. Tyco #4 stud for 16~22ga works well. #A28265-ND. If you have a cap with more than two or three wires going to a terminal, #A28267-ND (for a #6 stud) will be good.
If the answers are (a)-yes, and (b)-don't care, then dive right in. Otherwise, start digging in the Digikey catalog. Tyco #4 stud for 16~22ga works well. #A28265-ND. If you have a cap with more than two or three wires going to a terminal, #A28267-ND (for a #6 stud) will be good.
cube-tube
Super Member
You certainly do have a way with words...
Yes, I'm quite aware of the "terminals" of snap-in caps, which is why I'm wondering how you expect me to use lugs to make the terminations. It doesn't add up.
That's been previously observed.
What's that saying? A picture is worth...
Anyway, I did not crimp and solder this one, but you get the idea.
Attachments
cube-tube
Super Member
That all makes perfect sense. Now I just have to wait for all the goodies to show up.
As for all the small axial electrolytics on the boards, I'm going to leave them on just for now so I can at least make sure the whole preamp works properly. After I do that, then I'll replace those caps as well which brings me to my next question...
When I replace all the small lytics, what should I replace them with? Even though I have never heard this preamp, I want to maintain its original "sound" signature, which should theoretically be no sound signature at all.
Read here: http://audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2526347&postcount=12
Axial's are a pain to locate nowadays. In addition to the BC Components at Digikey that I usually use, Mouser has some Kemet, Lelon, Nichicon, and also some BC Components & Vishay axials. The only ones I'd stay away from are the Lelon, as they are made by Xicon, who's caps I have no faith in.
Changing the electrolytics will have no possible negative effect on the SQ.
Axial's are a pain to locate nowadays. In addition to the BC Components at Digikey that I usually use, Mouser has some Kemet, Lelon, Nichicon, and also some BC Components & Vishay axials. The only ones I'd stay away from are the Lelon, as they are made by Xicon, who's caps I have no faith in.
Changing the electrolytics will have no possible negative effect on the SQ.
cube-tube
Super Member
Thanks for the great input EW.
Well I took plenty of detailed pics of the wiring under the C-200 to show where what wires go to what caps. I'm going to get into it here in a few minutes, replacing one cap at a time. After I'm done replacing all eight caps, I'll replace the 9.1k resistors on the PS board, then she'll be ready to be powered back up (the first time for me).
I'll take some pics along the way and post them when I'm done. Wish me luck! LOL
Well I took plenty of detailed pics of the wiring under the C-200 to show where what wires go to what caps. I'm going to get into it here in a few minutes, replacing one cap at a time. After I'm done replacing all eight caps, I'll replace the 9.1k resistors on the PS board, then she'll be ready to be powered back up (the first time for me).
I'll take some pics along the way and post them when I'm done. Wish me luck! LOL
Nice pre-amp, you will love it. I have one that is still playing and sounding great. I would have to look for the original receipt but think it was from 1978, some of those years are kind of fuzzy. I do not have the know how to do the re-cap stuf but have a tech who does all my work. Mine had a major up-grade last year. Some of my friends at the time thought I was crazy for spending what it cost back in the day but...it is still going strong. Can't go wrong with Accuphase.
medicmike
medicmike
cube-tube
Super Member
Good news!... The ole' girl is back up and running!! :thmbsp:
I guess it's been running for about the past three hours or so as I have been taking a few pics of it along the way as well as keeping a close eye on the internals just to be on the safe side. Everything is doing just fine.
I have Pandora playing through it for now via my old iPhone 3G. I just got done listening to Phil Collins' "Serious Hits" live album, In The Air Tonight at near full tilt. I have only two words to say about the sound coming from the Accuphase C-200...
HOLY SH!T!!!!!!
The sound stage is so airy, spacious, open, expansive, deep and huge! And when all the drums come in towards the end of the song (you all know what I'm talking about with this song too), it gets even larger sounding!
Now I'm only saying this about this particular song because it's the only one I played that loud, everything else sounds remarkable as well, but when you have it cranked, it just makes thing even better and puts a stupid smile on your face that won't go away. LOL
The one thing I noticed about this preamp right away is that it lacks in the dynamics department. It's "relaxed" sounding. I imagine it's all the old Elna caps on all the removable boards that's holding it back. I've read where several people have said that once all the small caps are replaced on all the boards, the C-200 gets very dynamic. So that's next on the list of things to do.
Also, when I still had the C-200 open and playing, the power light was out. I figured it just blew some time ago considering its age. I even lightly tapped on it and nothing. Oddly enough though, as I started placing the various covers back in it (just sitting in there for now, not screwed down), when I put the front cover back in, I noticed the power light was on, and it's been on for the past hour. I'll have to look into that. The other thing I still have to do is use DeoxIt on it. I'm just using it as I received it, but amazingly enough there's no noise coming from any of the switches or dials. I'm still going to shoot all of it anyway as well as all the RCA's in the back.
Something I wanted to ask too, is the C-200 a low gain preamp? Just for casual listening I have to have the volume cranked up to the 12 o'clock position. It doesn't really get loud until about the 2 o'clock position, but boy does it sound good!
I guess it's been running for about the past three hours or so as I have been taking a few pics of it along the way as well as keeping a close eye on the internals just to be on the safe side. Everything is doing just fine.
I have Pandora playing through it for now via my old iPhone 3G. I just got done listening to Phil Collins' "Serious Hits" live album, In The Air Tonight at near full tilt. I have only two words to say about the sound coming from the Accuphase C-200...
HOLY SH!T!!!!!!
The sound stage is so airy, spacious, open, expansive, deep and huge! And when all the drums come in towards the end of the song (you all know what I'm talking about with this song too), it gets even larger sounding!
Now I'm only saying this about this particular song because it's the only one I played that loud, everything else sounds remarkable as well, but when you have it cranked, it just makes thing even better and puts a stupid smile on your face that won't go away. LOL
The one thing I noticed about this preamp right away is that it lacks in the dynamics department. It's "relaxed" sounding. I imagine it's all the old Elna caps on all the removable boards that's holding it back. I've read where several people have said that once all the small caps are replaced on all the boards, the C-200 gets very dynamic. So that's next on the list of things to do.
Also, when I still had the C-200 open and playing, the power light was out. I figured it just blew some time ago considering its age. I even lightly tapped on it and nothing. Oddly enough though, as I started placing the various covers back in it (just sitting in there for now, not screwed down), when I put the front cover back in, I noticed the power light was on, and it's been on for the past hour. I'll have to look into that. The other thing I still have to do is use DeoxIt on it. I'm just using it as I received it, but amazingly enough there's no noise coming from any of the switches or dials. I'm still going to shoot all of it anyway as well as all the RCA's in the back.
Something I wanted to ask too, is the C-200 a low gain preamp? Just for casual listening I have to have the volume cranked up to the 12 o'clock position. It doesn't really get loud until about the 2 o'clock position, but boy does it sound good!