Black Gates Discontinued

Rubycon have discontinued production of the Black Gate capacitors.

For those who will be looking for replacements, try some of the following. Suitability will depend on specific application:

Elna Starget
Elna RJH
Rubycon ZA
Panasonic FC
Nitai NP
Sanyo Oscon

 

Any reason why??? They're the definitive audiophile cap! I wonder what LC Audio is going to start using instead in their ZAP Pulse SE modules, who's main feature over the non-SE version is Black Gate caps.

Michael.

 

It's been on their web site for ages :-

Note: Black gate VK caps are no longer used in ZAPpulse 2.2SE. They have been replaced with Vishay series RLI136 100uF/100V. These caps add a slight warmt to the sound profile of ZAPpulse 2.2SE, as they are active from 205 Hz, compared to the Black Gate's 423 Hz.

 

Cerfines are pretty good too, fear not they are a couple of rather special ones that have been waiting in the wings, give it a few months and they'll be out in big wide world

 

I've been after 22uf 350v. Cant see BG's og that value/voltage. Does anyone know if they are available?

edit - found 'em. Nearly 9quid each!!

 

Oh....I thought someone had persuaded Bill to retire gracefully :shame:

 

dnm also make caps. they any good?
cheers


julian

 

Penance - look up the price of a 10000uF 63V black gate then...

 

yer
thankfully i got cerrafines for that!

 

I believe that Elna discontinued the Cerafines some time ago also. Like the BGs now, they're on an ex stock basis...

 

partsconexion has some, tis where i got mine.

 

there are some even pricier black gates, look up the 450-500 volt 220 uf or similar.

Audionote will be very worried, they swear by them.

Oscons are dire, no better than a jamicon, tried em out, waste of cash, come to think of it, so are most audiophile plastic types, I found hovlands and mcaps not worth it over orange drops. These plastic ones all have the same signature.

Most of these people who make caps don't make em' they are in big factories in the far east, and they stick their name on, dnm I think are bhc aerovox.

 

Data,

Utter bollox, you do have some limited views

 

data,
dnm freely admit that their t-network caps were designed in conjunction with and are manufactured by bhc - they aren't standard aerovox caps with a different jacket though.
cheers

julian

 

well I tried em' in a valve application, and found em to be a total utter waste of cash(they were one of the posher variants, too with copper lead outs). black gates were definately better than oscons for me, which were no better than the cheap jamicon. it may be different in a dig. environment, but that's what I found.
I also tried most plasticaps: teflons, mcaps, hovlands, vishay polyester yellows, orange drops, solens, maplin polyprops., ansars, also jupiters, copper and aluminium foil paper in oil

All tried in a monster session in one go, jupiters best, followed by teflons, most plastics VERY similar( they all imparted a distinct sonic signature a tad clinical, too), maplins the worst, grainy, the posher ones complete waste imo. dreadful disappointment. ymmv.

hell, perhaps I am narrow minded, but am now of the opinion you can build an excellent piece of kit with orange drops, metal film resistors, jamicons, and mains copper wire. heresy perhaps even anathema on a hi end forum?

 

I wouldn't put jamicon in a dac 20, cheap nasty shite, (though they are used in the odd studio amp I believe).
M caps produce some of the most musical sounds (in speakers & analogue stages as do Cardas golden ref), I will agree on the Hovland musicaps hard as nails (totally over rated) & solens are pants in all applications I've heard. A/N caps tosh again.
B/G (paired up super e caps are worth the expense imho, just fitted 2 pairs (analogue side 25v 1K@piece) to the 850, nothing subtle about it) I use for power and decoupling ONLY oscons for signal, fab, pannys fca's are also good and a fair price too, Ruby ZA's but only if you use a small caps across them.
Cerfines are good too as are, stagnets for the money,
I like the vishey metal film .1%'s, nice sound after a few hours
Acuri caps are superb, nothing to touch them in speakers, trying some out in a Wadia at the moment, very promising results
BHC very nice results with he B/C, bit big though, I only managed 12 of them in there!!!
I can't say I've ever tried them in V/amps, but can't you get anyway with just one

 

Dont Rotel use a lot of Black Gates? Espesially in their CD players. I wonder what they'll switch to now?