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Electrolytics for signal path restoration?

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  • Electrolytics for signal path restoration?

    I'm restoring a 1966 Farfisa Compact Duo (it's all Pink Floyd's fault), and I need to shotgun a bunch of 10uF signal path electrolytics, made by Facon in Italy. Some are leaking, and after 43 years, it's time.

    The originals are axials, and I could use Vishay/Sprague TE Series axial "Little-lytics," a close relative of the Atoms, or I could use what I usually use in Hi-Fi repairs when I need a signal path electrolytic: radial Elna Cerafines. Vishay brags "all-welded" construction in the TE types.

    In this case, the Spragues actually cost three times what the "boutique" audio capacitors cost: $2.10 vs. $0.75 per capacitor.

    Any compelling reason to use the Spragues?

    David

  • #2
    No there isn't, and at 75¢ a pop, you're getting hosed for the cheaper stuff too. You can save yourself some money by purchasing Panasonic, Nichicon or Xicon caps, especially when you are in a shotgun situation like that where you need to replace multiple caps, a common problem in many older keyboards.
    John R. Frondelli
    dBm Pro Audio Services, New York, NY

    "Mediocre is the new 'Good' "

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    • #3
      Originally posted by jrfrond View Post
      No there isn't, and at 75¢ a pop, you're getting hosed for the cheaper stuff too. You can save yourself some money by purchasing Panasonic, Nichicon or Xicon caps, especially when you are in a shotgun situation like that where you need to replace multiple caps, a common problem in many older keyboards.
      Thanks for the feedback. I use Panasonic EE, FC, and FM types all the time, especially for power supplies, and I use the Nichicon Muse types. I wish Nichicon hadn't discontinued the HF/HFQ axial series where axial mounting helps makes things neater.

      I haven't used Xicon caps because my impression was that they weren't as high quality as the types above, but I'm not opposed to finding out that that impression was inaccurate.

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      • #4
        And shop around a little. When I shop for commodity parts like e-caps, I usually chart up Mouser, Allied, and Digikey. On a not all that old sheet I see 22uf/50v radials ranging from 2 cents at Mouser to 11 cents at Digi. or 2200uf/50v, 1.28 at Digi versus 2.76 at Allied.
        Education is what you're left with after you have forgotten what you have learned.

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