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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 05:32:38 AM

Title: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 05:32:38 AM
Hi.

I have some new capacitors laying around that i want to use in some new build stompboxes. Both brands are 47uF 25v (what i need for the build).

I have a couple capacitors from ROE(Gold serie roederstein) and some Nichicon FG(fine gold) series.


Which brand should be better and more reliable ? Which one do you prefer?
I'm not really into capacitors etc so that's why i'm asking it here.


Thanks again.
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: FiveseveN on February 01, 2021, 06:03:38 AM
Based on the value, I'm gonna go ahead and assume this cap's role is to filter a power supply. Why would you use selected-mojo-blend audio-grade virgin-polished caps for that?
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 06:16:41 AM
why? because i have those in my working place.

why should i not use them ?
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: antonis on February 01, 2021, 06:23:21 AM
Quote from: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 06:16:41 AM
why should i not use them ?

Because it should be a waste of money, perhaps..?? :icon_wink:

If you insist using them as reservoir caps, choose blindly any of them..
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 06:25:43 AM
i already paid for them years ago. i have them laying around so it should be a waist of money to buy new ones  ;)

But do you have experience with these brands? prefer one ?
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: GibsonGM on February 01, 2021, 06:30:41 AM
Quote from: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 06:25:43 AM
But do you have experience with these brands? prefer one ?


Close your eyes, reach out and take one of them.  Then install it in your build.  :) 

You will never know the cap is even there, or think about it again. 
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 06:32:20 AM
 :icon_lol:
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: iainpunk on February 01, 2021, 09:47:58 AM
the only pedal i can think of that benefits from a low ESR is the Harmonic Percolator and its derivatives.
cheers, Iain
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: davent on February 01, 2021, 11:28:16 AM
Whichever one looks best/sexist, best compliments aesthetically the other components you've chosen for the build.
dave
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 12:04:24 PM
Thanks for the replies all. I know enough.. i quess it doesn't matter in stompbox world what brands u use.
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: FiveseveN on February 02, 2021, 05:13:59 AM
I think you have it backwards: there is only one "world" that thinks "audio-grade" capacitors are a thing, everyone else is normal.
Title: Re: Capacitors (ROE / Nichicon)
Post by: tzdvl on February 02, 2021, 10:05:29 AM
Quote from: rangermaster on February 01, 2021, 05:32:38 AM
I have a couple capacitors from ROE(Gold serie roederstein) and some Nichicon FG(fine gold) series.

Which brand should be better and more reliable ?

I'm replying as a (now reformed :icon_mrgreen:) representative of the high-end audio, audiophile community...
Back in the 90s/early 2000s I was heavily into audio, DIY CD-player mods and high-end component building, Stereophile Magazine, etc. I even had an article published in Audio Amateur Magazine!
Then the idiotic "tweaks", $10,000 cables and $100,000 turntables took all the fun out of it, and SACD and digital, large-scale ICs, SMDs and lead-free solder made the DIY thing too much work for me.

Now I PLAY music, and no longer listen to Swedish live jazz recordings to see if I can hear the ringing telephone...  :icon_wink:

Anyway,
both of your caps are "high end", low-ESR caps, intended for use in high-resolution audio components, intended for "connoisseurs" of fine audio & video.   ::)

Either would be suitable and interchangeable for such use, and would work fine, and probably would be very reliable.

Whether or not your ears are acute enough, and "trained" well enough, to hear a difference, the average effects pedal, used with the average musicians' rig, would not be high-resolution enough to reveal a difference.

It would be like if you owned a late 90s flat-screen TV, and attached an older DVD player (non Blu-Ray), to watch an old DVD. I doubt you would see any difference if you replaced any of the caps in that DVD player with a premium version.

Now, if you owned a nice 120" 4K TV, and attached a 4K Blu-Ray player, THEN you MIGHT be able to see a difference, but most likely so if you were using good test media and equipment, and knew what to look for!

Basically, don't overthink this! I would go ahead and use your caps, if only for the reliability.

Or save for your next high-end audio preamp build...