[Boatanchors] Disc caps vs paper caps

[Glen Zook]

There have been cases where using disc ceramic capacitors as the coupling capacitors in audio circuits has resulted in problems.  This is usually due to the fact that, under certain circumstances and with certain capacitors, the capacitors can act as a transducer and the audio can actually be heard from the capacitor!

Many people can tell a slight difference between the use of disc ceramic capacitors and the new "poly" types of capacitors when used as coupling capacitors in audio stages.  However, for practical communications use, that difference is so slight as not to make any real difference in how the signal "sounds".  For high fidelity audio applications, that difference may, or may not, be noticed.

For bypass use, at both r.f. and audio frequencies, use of a disc ceramic capacitor works fine with the advantage of the disc ceramic capacitors being that they are usually much less expensive than the other types of capacitors.
 
Glen, K9STH


Website:  http://k9sth.com


________________________________
 From: Mark Foltarz <Foltarz at rocketmail.com>
To: "Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net" <Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 9:03 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Disc caps vs paper caps
 
YES !

Ceramic caps are the same as paper caps for all practical purposes.
Be advised ! Audiophools  - the people who can hear "blue"  - will tell you how  "terrible" ceramic caps will "sound."
And that only old paper & beeeez  wax capacitors  ( with gold leads etc)"sound good." 

So yes, ceramics are just fine. Consider all the pieces of tube gear that use ceramic caps.