Upgrading Caps

I have taken delivery of my Pre Amp finally - Icon Audio la4.2

Changed the tubes for EI Ez80s and EH6sn7 Gold Pins.

I guess the whole thing needs to burn in for 30+ hours at the mo though it sounds very warm with not much treble. Wondering if i should change the Caps to Jensen or Mundorf .

If so which caps and solder would you guys recommend and do you know of a good uk stockist of said caps ?

 

The Mundorf supreme should give you more treble. They did when I tried them in my Tannoys. www.hificollective.co.uk sell them.

 

Have you identified any problems with the caps fitted?

If it sounds very warm and lacks treble that is likely part of the design.

 

try black gates,
nando

 

Which caps are you wishing to change?
To be honest the warm sound may be inherent in the design, but there ought to be plenty of treble. Perhaps let things settle and listen for a week or so before before modding?

 

Thanks all for your help !

I think the settle idea is good. Its just odd that i can plug my little dot mk111 head/preamp in and be happy with a bright filling sound. swap for the icon audio and get a withdrawn low sound almost as if the sound is flat on the wall if that sounds logical ?

But as you guys say wait and let settle.

Chris

 

Little Dots truly rock. (and get alarmingly hot)

 

Yeah they do the new Little Dot MK VI is very grand !





They sorted the heat problem out from MK111 onwards mine only get warm even after several hours

 

I'd be very surprised if you have after only 30hrs heard half the likely changes ..

personally I'd keep the unit switched on for a couple of weeks before making any subjective decision.

As too caps those required in a valve amp will need to be rated at 400v plus at a guess ...this will restrict those available to just a few audiophile types.

you might be better looking at the things in the signal path before you considerv power supply caps ...if the route you want to go down is modifications ...

some of the best results come from simple changes like rca sockets and internal signal wiring ...

having had some experience in modding valve amps .....! I'm always suprised how poor some of these components are ...and how much of the music is lost passing through them ...


you may be able to dispense with any input caps if you source is also suitably protected against any dc output...this will open things up ..as the normal caps fitted are truly horrific in sonic terms ....imo

 

Did you buy it from the UK?

Is it new from a UK stockist?

If that's all the case, I'd have said take it back if you don't like it..

Fundamental changes to the design may be what is required to change the sound in a manner of your liking, and this is not always feasable.

Just a thought.

 

I changed one and a half months ago all caps in the signal path of my Nestorovic NA-1 power amplifier (monoblocks).
I used the Mundorf Supreme Gold/silver/oil ones. I haven't yet done the A/B test (I have another two pairs of these amps) so I cannot'really tell you the sound difference. It seems to me at the moment, that the the high frequencies are clearer and slightly more intense. The whole sound seems to be more transparent.

I wouldn't combine many Telefunken NOS with electronics containing these Mundorf caps since the sound could become slightly clinical or cold. For me the best combination is a mixture between Telefunken NOS and RCA (or Amperex) NOS.