Can someone explain the difference

[tuberattler]

between polypropylene and polystyrene caps.

I'd like to know possible tone difference and performace difference. (hopefully none technical)

For example I know that I prefer the Mallory type cap over the IMO brighter (read overlybright) orange drop caps. To me the Mallory style is sounds more like the original ones in the older 60's amps.

For this example I'm looking at the Xicon Poly's I also like these over the "Orange Drop" caps.

What do think?? Am I nuts?

[Artie]

Here's two good articles. They aren't terribly long and provide some great understanding of caps:

http://www.muzique.com/editor.htm

Scroll down to the part about replacing caps. At the end of that article is a link to another.

Or just click here.

[Steve A.]

The polystyrene caps I've seen are very small- like silver mica caps in the picofarad range. I believe that it is polyester and polypropylene caps that you mean. Traditionally speaking the polyester caps are supposed to be warmer and "more musical" than polypropylene caps.

When I was trying out mods in my Peavey Classic 30 amp at one point I replaced *all* of the coupling caps with polyester Orange Drops and it made the amp very dark- I put a few polypropylene caps back in, which brightened it up.

(Most of the Orange Drop caps available today are polypropylene- I very much prefer the polyester ones.)

Stick with decent polyester and polypropylene caps rated at 600-630vdc from Mouser or the other parts houses and you should do okay- between those two types you can cover most of the territory "owned" by Mallory 150's or Orange Drops.

(The only caps I've had a bad experience with are those darned "little greenie" mylar caps sold at the local electronics parts houses- they are guaranteed to make *anything* sound like crap! LOL)

Steve Ahola

[Steve Conner]

Mylar and polyester are the same thing: Mylar is a trade name for a particular kind of polyester film. Hence, I bet those "greenie" Mylar caps are the same as the polyester orange drops.

Apart from that, all I know is that Mylar caps overheat and blow out in my Tesla coil, metallized polypropylene die too, but polypropylene film/foil ones work fine. I don't believe there are any audible differences between any kinds of capacitor, except for ceramics, which are non-linear.