V-Cap "ODAM" capacitors

[Deke609]

You have to admit that when you read the webpage for that cap, it a masterpiece of advertising to an audience.

Yeah, the ad-copy for all his caps makes me cringe.  It almost scared me off from my first purchase of CuTF caps.  It still almost does. 

I don’t think there is any real debate that caps have substantial differences in sound. 

Oh, there very much is. I could point you to one other forum in particular where the question "What is the best sounding cap" is sure to set off a repeat performance of a well-rehearsed name-calling match between certain "objectivists" and certain other "subjectivists". 

The difference was dramatic, especially below 30hz. The Audyn caps are probably 2-4db louder and far more detailed in the sub bass. After going back and forth in this and other threads regarding cap size, I am not attributing this to the move from 10UF to 15UF but more to the quality of the cap.

I have to wonder whether some part of that is in fact a result of the change in capacitance. The 10 uF @ 30 Hz has a reactance of about 530 ohms.  Going to 15 uF drops the reactance to about 350 ohms.  But it would be tricky to estimate the magnitude of the effect (at least for me), without knowing a whole bunch of stuff about the OPT and how it behaves with the particular load you have on it.  PJ could probably estimate the effect with  a few scribbles on the back of napkin.

cheers, Derek

[Audioraider]

Oh, there very much is. I could point you to one other forum in particular where the question "What is the best sounding cap" is sure to set off a repeat performance of a well-rehearsed named-calling match between certain "objectivists" and certain other "subjectivists". 

I don’t take those people seriously. They are the same as burn in flat earthers. It is probably true that they may not hear differences but that does not give them the right to tell other people that those differences don’t exist. I’m 53 years old and just because I can’t hear 18khz doesn’t mean 18khz doesn’t exist, it simply means my hearing is not good enough to hear it.

[Audioraider]

I have to wonder whether some part of that is in fact a result of the change in capacitance. The 10 uF @ 30 Hz has a reactance of about 530 ohms.  Going to 15 uF drops the reactance to about 350 ohms.  But it would be tricky to estimate the magnitude of the effect (at least for me), without knowing a whole bunch of stuff about the OPT and how it behaves with the particular load you have on it.  PJ could probably estimate the effect with  a few scribbles on the back of napkin.

cheers, Derek

This is what I was trying to figure out with my posts about the 10uf versus the 18uf . I appreciate your responses as not many people seem to want to engage about this.

[Audioraider]

 I have some time on these ODAM caps and wow... just wow. The people that know me on the other forums, especially the vérité and Utopia threads on Headfi know that I am about as far from a fanboy as you can get but these caps are something special. Derek, thank you for starting this thread. If not for that I don’t know if I would have found these capacitors.
Instead of reviewing them I figured I would post a copy of the email I sent Chris at V-cap this morning:

Hi Chris,
I am at 75 hours burn in on these 10uf ODAM. I wanted to tell you that you you have built something really special here. I was using the very well regarded Audyn tri-reference cap in my Mainline and your caps are destroying them in every sonic category.  In 40 years in high end audio I can count on one hand the amount of times that I have been truly blown away by an electronic component upgrade. The ODAM has taken the Bottlehead Mainline from a great amplifier to a world class amplifier. This capacitor’s ability to pass a detailed and transparent signal while maintaining warmth and liquidity is not something I have experienced before. I know a lot of people read the accolades on your website and roll their eyes but I have found every one of those comments about the ODAM to be remarkably accurate.
Thank you for your great work.

From the desk of Captain Arlan R. Stagg

[juihung]

Cool. If you're willing, please share your impressions after about 100 hrs or so -- both of how they sound after 100 hrs and how they sounded during the burn-in process.

cheers, Derek

Hi Derek,

  I think I should have hit the 100 hour mark.  Unfortunately, it's hard for me to say if there are any further improvements as I am unable to do a A/B comparision.  My impression is that it is still very good.  The resolution is so fine that the instruments sound very real and natural.  I am still enjoying them very much. 

  One thing to note... For a good recording, it really shines.  For a bad recording, it stands out clearly as bad.

  I think these V-Caps will stay with me for a long time.  So far, I don't have the feeling that something is amiss, and I am worried that trying new caps won't be improving, but a step back.

[ThomasTurk]

[quote author]

[Q. How do you solder in the ODAM plus a  bypass cap? I'm planning that on output  of Lyngdorf1120.. .47 ODAM, .01 Cu bypass. Piggy back with lower value below? Side by side with same length leads or with a shorter lead on the smaller cap?  Leads of both caps through same holes or lead soldered to lead then to hole?  Or diff?  OR.. it doesn't make any diff? Thanks.