Mr. Smith, Influencing Quality of Guitar and Stereo Sound

[steve]

I was cleaning out my bookmarks and came upon this educational video.
Mr. Paul Reed Smith discusses musical quality of a guitar and what influences
the sound of the instrument. It is especially geared toward the general public.

His discussion applies to stereo components as well; that parts quality
affects a stereo's sonic qualities. As Mr. Smith explains, one cannot use
inferior parts and expect 6 stars when 6 stars is perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA

Cheers

steve

[P.I.]

I was cleaning out my bookmarks and came upon this educational video.
Mr. Paul Reed Smith discusses musical quality of a guitar and what influences
the sound of the instrument. It is especially geared toward the general public.

His discussion applies to stereo components as well; that parts quality
affects a stereo's sonic qualities. As Mr. Smith explains, one cannot use
inferior parts and expect 6 stars when 6 stars is perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA

Cheers

steve

I love what he has to say about capacitors.  The man has ears.

[Nick B]

I was cleaning out my bookmarks and came upon this educational video.
Mr. Paul Reed Smith discusses musical quality of a guitar and what influences
the sound of the instrument. It is especially geared toward the general public.

His discussion applies to stereo components as well; that parts quality
affects a stereo's sonic qualities. As Mr. Smith explains, one cannot use
inferior parts and expect 6 stars when 6 stars is perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA

Cheers

steve

Steve,

That was informative and fun! Thanks for posting. As has been posted here many times, his comments about 25+ factors changing the sound of a guitar are so true. Everything makes a difference. A nice ending too with what I presume was of the Jimi Hendrix version of the Star Spangled Banner 🎶

Nick

[steve]

I was cleaning out my bookmarks and came upon this educational video.
Mr. Paul Reed Smith discusses musical quality of a guitar and what influences
the sound of the instrument. It is especially geared toward the general public.

His discussion applies to stereo components as well; that parts quality
affects a stereo's sonic qualities. As Mr. Smith explains, one cannot use
inferior parts and expect 6 stars when 6 stars is perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA

Cheers

steve

I love what he has to say about capacitors.  The man has ears.

I was cleaning out my bookmarks and came upon this educational video.
Mr. Paul Reed Smith discusses musical quality of a guitar and what influences
the sound of the instrument. It is especially geared toward the general public.

His discussion applies to stereo components as well; that parts quality
affects a stereo's sonic qualities. As Mr. Smith explains, one cannot use
inferior parts and expect 6 stars when 6 stars is perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJjlV1TOA

Cheers

steve

Steve,

That was informative and fun! Thanks for posting. As has been posted here many times, his comments about 25+ factors changing the sound of a guitar are so true. Everything makes a difference. A nice ending too with what I presume was of the Jimi Hendrix version of the Star Spangled Banner 🎶

Nick

Yes, both informative and fun Nick. Mr. Smith is an excellent communicator
and accurate.

For newbies, there are similarities between mechanical and electrical.
For instance, heat transfer can affect both mechanical and electrical
applications. Electrical and mechanical also correlate when music is
concerned.


Just as Mr. Smith explained and demonstrated how inferior mechanical parts
degrade from sonic perfection 6.0, we can also explain how inferior electrical
parts degrade from sonic perfection since electricity is the means for
musical reproduction.

Take for example and electrolytic capacitor. A perfect capacitor would have
a dielectric absorption (DA) of 0,00. That would mean the musical signal
would be perfectly followed across the capacitor no matter what the audio
frequency is. However, the insulation is not perfect, which causes a DA
figure.

For example, an electrolytic capacitor has a DA of 7% or more of the musical
signal voltage. That means 7% of the musical signal voltage sticks to the
capacitor's insulation, and bleeds off that insulation. (Let's keep this
as simple as we can.) That is music degraded. No more a 6.0 as Mr. Smith
uses as perfection, but a lower number.

But it gets worse. As the frequency rises, the time between cycles changes,
but the DA bleeds off at the same rate. Thus the DA affects audio
frequencies (bass through treble) as well as their harmonics differently.

With that said, the DA of a polypropylene capacitor is only 0,02%, some
50db lower (and better) using 20 log equation, than an electrolytic
capacitor. That means approximately 6.98% more and better quality
musical signal, thus closer to Mr. Smith's 6.0 perfection.

There is a caveat though. Accuracy of sound of a capacitor is
also affected by type of foil/metalized conductor, thickness,
purity of the conductor and leads, internal inductance of
the winding,and termination techniques.

A little hint: One of the very best poly capacitors is the Mundorf
evo in oil type. Really really accurate, but one has to use the
proper size as using too small a ufd and the sound will be thin.

cheers

steve

   

[steve]

I forgot to mention that in the vast majority of stages of an analog component,
there is an electrolytic capacitor to negatively influence the sound.
And there is more than one component.

That means multiple electrolytic capacitors with degradation of the musical signal
across the musical spectrum.
 
Even worst, besides the playback system, there is a recording system with
the same multiple problems.

cheers
steve

[Nick B]

I forgot to mention that in the vast majority of stages of an analog component,
there is an electrolytic capacitor to negatively influence the sound.
And there is more than one component.

That means multiple electrolytic capacitors with degradation of the musical signal
across the musical spectrum.
 
Even worst, besides the playback system, there is a recording system with
the same multiple problems.

cheers
steve

Based on what you're saying, Steve, it's amazing/surprising that some recordings sound as good as they do.

I am curious.... are electrolytic capacitors that much cheaper that manufacturers want to use them to save a little bit of money?

Nick

[steve]

I forgot to mention that in the vast majority of stages of an analog component,
there is an electrolytic capacitor to negatively influence the sound.
And there is more than one component.

That means multiple electrolytic capacitors with degradation of the musical signal
across the musical spectrum.
 
Even worst, besides the playback system, there is a recording system with
the same multiple problems.

cheers
steve

Based on what you're saying, Steve, it's amazing/surprising that some recordings sound as good as they do.

I am curious.... are electrolytic capacitors that much cheaper that manufacturers want to use them to save a little bit of money?

Nick

Hi Nick,

I am surprised as well for the sound quality. I suspect solid state regulators are
used in more places now a days. Using very large ufd electrolytics tends to keep the
musical signal low across the cap, so less degrading occurs from DA, but then
series resistance, inductance can play havoc.

20db global negative feedback would give the electrolytics an equivalent of 0.7% DA
and help in other areas such as series resistance, inductance, and terminations.
But still, there is almost always a compromise. (Sound like Topol.)

I think there are several reasons.

1. As you mention, cost is certainly a factor. Price is affected by

quantity per order and/or quantity per contract year. For small,
boutique, playback companies, and recording equipment manufacturers,
the quantities would be quite small.

For instance, a 47ufd 450 volt Nichicon electrolytic can run $3.00 or
so. A Mundorf EVO in oil is ~$77.00. There are also lesser priced brand
poly caps with lesser sound quality, but not that much less expensive.
A low voltage electrolytic can be had for less than a buck, so even more savings.

2. The physical size of a polypropylene cap becomes a problem as the chassis
has to be larger.

The Mundorf evo in oil is some 2" by 2" whereas the electrolytic is ~3/4" L by 1" dia.
A Solen 200ufd 400 volt capacitor is 2.5"D by 4.5"L. Difficult to make portable and
even in a studio design.

3. Electrolytic capacitors are much much easier to find for low voltage, solid state
applications. The best poly cap manufacturers don't make low voltage caps.

And one has not mentioned switches, cheap wire, slide controls, interconnect cables etc etc.

Global Negative feedback is the saving grace to some extent. I can only imagine how
good the sound would be in an all polypropylene capacitor, vacuum tube recording audio system.

cheers

steve

[Nick B]

I forgot to mention that in the vast majority of stages of an analog component,
there is an electrolytic capacitor to negatively influence the sound.
And there is more than one component.

That means multiple electrolytic capacitors with degradation of the musical signal
across the musical spectrum.
 
Even worst, besides the playback system, there is a recording system with
the same multiple problems.

cheers
steve

Based on what you're saying, Steve, it's amazing/surprising that some recordings sound as good as they do.

I am curious.... are electrolytic capacitors that much cheaper that manufacturers want to use them to save a little bit of money?

Nick

Hi Nick,

I am surprised as well for the sound quality. I suspect solid state regulators are
used in more places now a days. Using very large ufd electrolytics tends to keep the
musical signal low across the cap, so less degrading occurs from DA, but then
series resistance, inductance can play havoc.

20db global negative feedback would give the electrolytics an equivalent of 0.7% DA
and help in other areas such as series resistance, inductance, and terminations.
But still, there is almost always a compromise. (Sound like Topol.)

I think there are several reasons.

1. As you mention, cost is certainly a factor. Price is affected by

quantity per order and/or quantity per contract year. For small,
boutique, playback companies, and recording equipment manufacturers,
the quantities would be quite small.

For instance, a 47ufd 450 volt Nichicon electrolytic can run $3.00 or
so. A Mundorf EVO in oil is ~$77.00. There are also lesser priced brand
poly caps with lesser sound quality, but not that much less expensive.
A low voltage electrolytic can be had for less than a buck, so even more savings.

2. The physical size of a polypropylene cap becomes a problem as the chassis
has to be larger.

The Mundorf evo in oil is some 2" by 2" whereas the electrolytic is ~3/4" L by 1" dia.
A Solen 200ufd 400 volt capacitor is 2.5"D by 4.5"L. Difficult to make portable and
even in a studio design.

3. Electrolytic capacitors are much much easier to find for low voltage, solid state
applications. The best poly cap manufacturers don't make low voltage caps.

And one has not mentioned switches, cheap wire, slide controls, interconnect cables etc etc.

Global Negative feedback is the saving grace to some extent. I can only imagine how
good the sound would be in an all polypropylene capacitor, vacuum tube audio system.

cheers

steve

Thanks, Steve. I was not aware that capacitors like the Solen could be that large. Reminds me of some air conditioner caps I've seen
Nick

[steve]

I forgot to mention that in the vast majority of stages of an analog component,
there is an electrolytic capacitor to negatively influence the sound.
And there is more than one component.

That means multiple electrolytic capacitors with degradation of the musical signal
across the musical spectrum.
 
Even worst, besides the playback system, there is a recording system with
the same multiple problems.

cheers
steve

Based on what you're saying, Steve, it's amazing/surprising that some recordings sound as good as they do.

I am curious.... are electrolytic capacitors that much cheaper that manufacturers want to use them to save a little bit of money?

Nick

Hi Nick,

I am surprised as well for the sound quality. I suspect solid state regulators are
used in more places now a days. Using very large ufd electrolytics tends to keep the
musical signal low across the cap, so less degrading occurs from DA, but then
series resistance, inductance can play havoc.

20db global negative feedback would give the electrolytics an equivalent of 0.7% DA
and help in other areas such as series resistance, inductance, and terminations.
But still, there is almost always a compromise. (Sound like Topol.)

I think there are several reasons.

1. As you mention, cost is certainly a factor. Price is affected by

quantity per order and/or quantity per contract year. For small,
boutique, playback companies, and recording equipment manufacturers,
the quantities would be quite small.

For instance, a 47ufd 450 volt Nichicon electrolytic can run $3.00 or
so. A Mundorf EVO in oil is ~$77.00. There are also lesser priced brand
poly caps with lesser sound quality, but not that much less expensive.
A low voltage electrolytic can be had for less than a buck, so even more savings.

2. The physical size of a polypropylene cap becomes a problem as the chassis
has to be larger.

The Mundorf evo in oil is some 2" by 2" whereas the electrolytic is ~3/4" L by 1" dia.
A Solen 200ufd 400 volt capacitor is 2.5"D by 4.5"L. Difficult to make portable and
even in a studio design.

3. Electrolytic capacitors are much much easier to find for low voltage, solid state
applications. The best poly cap manufacturers don't make low voltage caps.

And one has not mentioned switches, cheap wire, slide controls, interconnect cables etc etc.

Global Negative feedback is the saving grace to some extent. I can only imagine how
good the sound would be in an all polypropylene capacitor, vacuum tube audio system.

cheers

steve

Thanks, Steve. I was not aware that capacitors like the Solen could be that large. Reminds me of some air conditioner caps I've seen
Nick

Good point Nick. Motor start, air conditioner capacitors do get large.
Otherwise not too many poly caps get as physically large, or as high of
value as a 200uf solen.
Solid state amplifiers need huge ufd values for the output stage. Fortunately,
most high quality amps have the output transistor as somewhat isolation between the
caps and speaker.

There is a general inverse correlation between DA and physical size. The higher
the DA the smaller the size. Of course thickness of the foil and insulation is involved
with both types.

A solen is physically large even though the conductor film is only ~6um thick.

Cheers

steve