Anyone replace the electrolytics in the TriAxis?

[leadfootdriver]

I was thinking since I need to do some cap work on my power amp, I should order for the TriAxis as well since it's about 10 years old.

 

[leadfootdriver]

Well, I counted out 16 of them. I ordered and will post the results. It looks pretty easy to service since the bottom of the tri comes off. It shouldn't take me long at all to do it.

 

[leadfootdriver]

:shock: I replaced all alluminum caps in the tri and the 2:90. YOu wouldn't belive how good it sounds. It sounds so good that it's stupid. I didn't even put in the new tubes yet. It wasn't this good when it was new. I did use some different value caps in places though. This must have helped.

I was in the market for some different speakers but not anymore I don't think. It's that different.

 

[Mandarine]

DO you have anymore information as to which capacitors you replaced?

 

[Martin]

What manufacturer did you use ? I assume that they are low ESR caps, do you have a source for Elna or Nichicon ?

 

[leadfootdriver]

What manufacturer did you use ? I assume that they are low ESR caps, do you have a source for Elna or Nichicon ?

I used ARS for the power caps. THis is a good vendor, and they have a lot of cool stuff. Too bad they don't have online ordering. YOu have make a phone call and place an order. http://www.arselectronics.com/

I used Allied Electronics for the rest. http://www.alliedelec.com/

What Allied didn't have, I found at my local shop.

No real concern about who made the caps, although ARS' power caps have a good reputation. No need to reform them either. THey're brand new, and I just fired the amp up no problem. BUT I did have the cover on just in case one blew up! :lol:

 

[fitz8005]

pardon the newb question, but the caps are the orange and blue components, correct? i'm incredibly interested in this kind of stuff, do you guys have any sites that have helped you out along the way you'd like to share?

 

[Martin]

Believe it or not the manufacturers can make a huge difference in sound quality.

The materials used and the construction techniques bear a huge difference in performance and longevity.

DNM for example utilise a slit foil technology where they slice the foil into 1uF segments so you could have for example 10,000 1uF segments in parallel as opposed to just one 10,000uF sheet of foil in the cap.

This lowers the ESR of the cap and which lowers the internal resistance at higher frequencies and therefore treble performance is improved as well as low end thump....in sort everything sounds better, way less harshness.


Nichicon, Elna Cerafine, DNM and BHC are four of the very best sounding audio caps out there. The only issue with using them in power amps may be the voltage ratings.

I have used them in HI-FI modifications with tremendous results... worth checking into if you have never used them before, they can totally transform your amp in terms of dynamics, punch and over all definition.

 

[leadfootdriver]

Some are Nichicon, and some a Mallory, some are Illinois. I tried to get the most from one vender to save money in shipping, that's why I chose Allied. I spent about $135 altogether including a Merc Mag choke. I replaced my screen resistors too for good measure. It sounds good and clear. Not so much woofy bass anymore. It's more focused now. My caps must have been bad for a while.

Mine lasted about 8 years, and then the one cap died in the amp while I was playing, and melted my choke coil with it. If you remember when I was testing opamps, and said the 1 was no good because it was oscilating; it was actually my cap taking its last gasps of life! :lol: What shitty timing when you're testing a mod, only to have your amp die and crash the whole project! :evil: Maybe it's good maintenance to replace them every 5-8 years to maintain a good tone?...

I'm happy to have my amp and my rack back together that's for sure! Nothing else I have is the same. :!:

 

[leadfootdriver]

Here's a Lead 2 Green Clip with no EQ on the recording. Only the sound from the mic.

http://home.comcast.net/~leadfootdriver/newcapIV.wma

 

[Paul Secondino]

You never really know when a few under tolerance parts make it through the line at Mesa or any company for that matter. CAE had a run of 3+ preamps that had a incorrect resistor value. IT had a few more zeros in it than it should have so the value was 100x off from what I remember.

SO for the cost of replacing caps, it's worth the experiment if you can work a soldering iron.

 

[Martin]

It's not just the accuracy of the value of the component that comes into play. With any audio component it comes down to the materials used and the construction technique of the part.
Some resistors are quite inductive and have magnetic end caps etc, where as if you use a Vishay bulk foil resistor as opposed to just a wire wound resistor will be way less inductive, and act more like a pure resistive load that a cheaper counter part will.
Same thing goes for high quality capacitors,low ESR capacitors like Elna Cerafine's for example will out perform the standard type that manufacturers use. They will sound sweeter, punchier and add dynamics that you never knew you had.
The main reason manufacturers don't use this standard of component is price and price alone.
I was a corporate electronics buyer for a major high end Hi-Fi company and everything is built to a price. Take the cost of your CD player and divide it by ten and you will be close to the value of the parts used in it's construction. I have to asume the guitar amp companies are operating roughtly in the same fashion.

 

[leadfootdriver]

It's not just the accuracy of the value of the component that comes into play. With any audio component it comes down to the materials used and the construction technique of the part.
Some resistors are quite inductive and have magnetic end caps etc, where as if you use a Vishay bulk foil resistor as opposed to just a wire wound resistor will be way less inductive, and act more like a pure resistive load that a cheaper counter part will.
Same thing goes for high quality capacitors,low ESR capacitors like Elna Cerafine's for example will out perform the standard type that manufacturers use. They will sound sweeter, punchier and add dynamics that you never knew you had.
The main reason manufacturers don't use this standard of component is price and price alone.
I was a corporate electronics buyer for a major high end Hi-Fi company and everything is built to a price. Take the cost of your CD player and divide it by ten and you will be close to the value of the parts used in it's construction. I have to asume the guitar amp companies are operating roughtly in the same fashion.

I nominate you to put together a high quality parts upgrade! A dude on the ADA DEPOT did this with some mods, and sourced all the parts from Mouser, and posted it. :lol:

 

[Martin]

I know a company in the UK that supplies superb quality components and they will ship to the US.

I haven't dealt with them since coming here but they should still be around.

The company's called Audio-Links, Paul sells Elna Cerafine Caps, BHC, Nichicon, Sanyo OS-CON, M-Caps, Resistor's by Vishay and Caddock.

He also does 3% silver solder and Air core inductors as well as C-Core transformers and a selection of pure silver and silver coated PTFE cables and connectors.

Stepped attenuators custom made if need be.

He provides an excellent service and the components do upgrade your equipment.

I have used him for a number of years with alot of satisfied customers as a result. I used to do upgrades on medium to high end Hi-Fi sysyems a few years ago.

All parts supplied are very high end quality.

I don't have his catalogue here but I do have his telephone number, if anyone want's it feel free to message me.

I find it hard to get decent quality parts over here, lately I have been thinking of contacting Paul.

Anyhow, regarding the Triaxis, the first place to start is the power supply. That's your reservoir of power.

The ability to supply clean power fast (and pleny of it if needed) dictates your dynamic range or musical expression , when things get busy you want the tone to remain intact and not get muddy ,when pushing the amp hard for example.

The benefits of an excellent quality power suply are dynamics, control and the sheer authority of the music, it tends to carry a sense of more weight. The only problem in all of this tends to be space.

The way to go would be an out board supply connected via a short umbillical cord made with silver coated OFC wire with PTFE insulation, pure silver is better but expensive.

(Believe it or not, using pure silver for a mains lead makes a decent improvement).

I haven't studied the existing power supply but I have some designs kicking around (I think ?) for highend linear supplies that could be adapted to suit.

But even a replica of the existing using high grade components would be an improvement.

Use schottky diode's instead of the existing ones, low ESR caps (Elna's) for the reservoir smoothing caps, take the fuse out and use a circuit breaker, that's not even using bypass caps or changing the transformer VA as reservoir cap values. The simple substitution changes alone would be great.

Just my $0.2 worth from previous experience of Hi-Fi upgrades. However having done the same type of thing by changing the Op-Amp I think it's safe to say the same principles apply .