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From: keithe@tekgvs.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson)
Newsgroups: rec.audio,sci.electronics
Subject: Generalizations (was Re: I really HATE...)
Message-ID: <2551@tekgvs.TEK.COM>
Date: Wed, 12-Aug-87 15:05:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekgvs.2551
Posted: Wed Aug 12 15:05:05 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Aug-87 05:06:51 EDT
References: <3646@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU> <3650@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU>
Reply-To: keithe@tekgvs.UUCP (Keith Ericson)
Distribution: na
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 37
Keywords: capacitor flame wars
Xref: mnetor rec.audio:2789 sci.electronics:1156

In a couple of earlier articles some other folks write:

>>Really want to make it sound MUCH better? Pull all the electrolytics out of
>>the preamp and power amp and put in 2 uF mylars or polyprops if you can
>>find them.
>
>Bullsh*t.  Most of the capacitors in the preamp and power amp are on
>the order of 50 to 100 uF; the smallest are 4.7uF.  Replacing them with
>2uF polypropylene caps is going to change the sound, that's sure
>enough.

Folks - this is just a microcasm of what we see on the net, and in
audio-hype publications _ALL_THE_STEENKENG_TIME_!!! There is always
the feeling that "if it worked here, in this circuit, for me, in my
application, it must be a GOOD_THING and YOU should do it, to." To
borrow the response above, "Bullsh*t."

There is a reason for umpteen different kinds of capacitors, scads
of different phono cartridges, and "billyuns and billyuns" of every
other kind of parts and pieces: some perform better IN THEIR
PARTICULAR AREA OF SPECIALIZATION than do others.

Generalizations are, in general, not worth a hoot (except for this
one, of course :-) ). If things in life were that easy we wouldn't
need engineers (or doctors, or... or...) because we could all just
"look it up in the book" and solve our problems. It just ain't that
simple!!! And you can't MAKE it that simple.

Just remember the old trick in taking multiple-choice/true-false
tests: any statement that contains "always" or "never" is most
likely false. Apply that credo to life and you'll filter out a lot
of worthless crap. And perhaps prevent yourself from disseminating a
lot of worthless crap.

Thanks for listening (?).

keith