If you're looking to get the best sound out of your headphones or speakers,
there is no shortage of ways that manufacturers of audio equipment will try to convince you
that with their product, your experience will be like sitting in a Viennese concert hall.
And one thing you'll hear about quite a bit is the concept of audio grade capacitors.
But what makes a capacitor audio grade?
Let's start with the function of a capacitor in the first place and then we'll go from there.
Capacitors can be found on all modern electronics and they usually look like
little cylinders or water towers sticking out of a circuit board.
Their function is to store electrical energy in audio devices.
Not only do they provide short-term storage of power for small spikes in power draw,
but they also couple the constant voltage DC signals on your sound card with the rapidly
fluctuating voltages that end up ultimately driving your headphones and speakers.
But unlike a battery which stores energy chemically,
a capacitor accomplishes its task through its physical construction.
So inside a capacitor, you'll find two face-to-face metal layers, usually aluminum,
that actually hold the charge separated by an insulator known as a dielectric.
Capacitance then is related to how big these foil layers are
and how thick the dielectric is, as well as what it's made from.
In fact, the surface area of the foils is often increased by putting small pits into them during
the manufacturing process in order to increase the capacitance without increasing the physical size
of the capacitor. Now, in conventional capacitors, the dielectric is usually plastic or ceramic.
However, we often see special audio grade capacitors that are the electrolytic type,
where the dielectric is actually made of a layer of aluminum oxide formed on the anode,
so that's the positive foil inside the capacitor. This oxide dielectric is very thin and gives electrolytic capacitors a high capacitance
for their size, which is really important for audio.
You see, larger capacitance means that the impedance of the system is lower,
which can cut down on unwanted electrical noise,
something that is especially important in an audio product's power supply,
because you don't want weird feedback between the power supply
and then the separate electronics that actually handle the audio signal.
But building a capacitor that's good for audio isn't just a matter of choosing off-the-shelf
ingredients and calling it a day. Audio grade capacitors typically use special and often secret electrolyte formulas
and separator papers between the metal layers that are supposed to reduce vibration
and improve electron flow. Some of them even use silk as part of the separator paper instead of plain wood fibers.
Additionally, while the leads on a traditional capacitor are made of steel to save cost,
audio caps can use copper leads for improved electrical conductivity.
Okay Linus, I get it. Audio grade capacitors are engineered so my electricity will flow more smoothly
and make my headphone jack more danceable or whatever.
But how do I know exactly what to look for if I'm buying a sound card,
an amplifier, or a motherboard? So the truth is that finding something that's good enough these days is super easy.
Most capacitors are designed for low cost and high reliability
and pretty much any decent quality audio product with BEM will sound good enough for everyday use
as long as you're buying from a reputable brand. The days of low-end motherboards on-board audio making like
like screeching noises as you move your mouse around are thankfully long gone.
But if you're wanting to go for something more premium to pair with your high-end headphones
or speakers, well it might behoove you to at least check where the capacitors came from.
Notably, Japanese companies like Rubicon, Elna, and Nichicon have an excellent reputation
for making caps that minimize unwanted noise and distortion.
So if you see those same brands being used in well-regarded audio equipment,
there's probably a reason for it. Beyond that though, remember that while many aspects of sound output can be measured,
no two pairs of ears are exactly the same, which means that sound quality tends to be a little more subjective
than certain other things in the technology world.
For example, it's not hard to compare the frame rates of two different graphics cards
and say, well, more is better, so...
But different capacitors may result in a slightly different sound
even if their specifications on paper are roughly the same. So as always, it's best to listen to the different options that are available to you
before you buy so you don't end up making a horrible mistake.
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