WEBVTT

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If you're looking to get the best sound out of your headphones or speakers,

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there is no shortage of ways that manufacturers of audio equipment will try to convince you

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that with their product, your experience will be like sitting in a Viennese concert hall.

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And one thing you'll hear about quite a bit is the concept of audio grade capacitors.

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But what makes a capacitor audio grade?

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Let's start with the function of a capacitor in the first place and then we'll go from there.

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Capacitors can be found on all modern electronics and they usually look like

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little cylinders or water towers sticking out of a circuit board.

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Their function is to store electrical energy in audio devices.

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Not only do they provide short-term storage of power for small spikes in power draw,

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but they also couple the constant voltage DC signals on your sound card with the rapidly

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fluctuating voltages that end up ultimately driving your headphones and speakers.

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But unlike a battery which stores energy chemically,

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a capacitor accomplishes its task through its physical construction.

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So inside a capacitor, you'll find two face-to-face metal layers, usually aluminum,

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that actually hold the charge separated by an insulator known as a dielectric.

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Capacitance then is related to how big these foil layers are

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and how thick the dielectric is, as well as what it's made from.

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In fact, the surface area of the foils is often increased by putting small pits into them during

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the manufacturing process in order to increase the capacitance without increasing the physical size

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of the capacitor. Now, in conventional capacitors, the dielectric is usually plastic or ceramic.

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However, we often see special audio grade capacitors that are the electrolytic type,

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where the dielectric is actually made of a layer of aluminum oxide formed on the anode,

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so that's the positive foil inside the capacitor. This oxide dielectric is very thin and gives electrolytic capacitors a high capacitance

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for their size, which is really important for audio.

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You see, larger capacitance means that the impedance of the system is lower,

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which can cut down on unwanted electrical noise,

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something that is especially important in an audio product's power supply,

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because you don't want weird feedback between the power supply

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and then the separate electronics that actually handle the audio signal.

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But building a capacitor that's good for audio isn't just a matter of choosing off-the-shelf

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ingredients and calling it a day. Audio grade capacitors typically use special and often secret electrolyte formulas

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and separator papers between the metal layers that are supposed to reduce vibration

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and improve electron flow. Some of them even use silk as part of the separator paper instead of plain wood fibers.

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Additionally, while the leads on a traditional capacitor are made of steel to save cost,

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audio caps can use copper leads for improved electrical conductivity.

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Okay Linus, I get it. Audio grade capacitors are engineered so my electricity will flow more smoothly

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and make my headphone jack more danceable or whatever.

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But how do I know exactly what to look for if I'm buying a sound card,

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an amplifier, or a motherboard? So the truth is that finding something that's good enough these days is super easy.

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Most capacitors are designed for low cost and high reliability

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and pretty much any decent quality audio product with BEM will sound good enough for everyday use

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as long as you're buying from a reputable brand. The days of low-end motherboards on-board audio making like

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like screeching noises as you move your mouse around are thankfully long gone.

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But if you're wanting to go for something more premium to pair with your high-end headphones

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or speakers, well it might behoove you to at least check where the capacitors came from.

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Notably, Japanese companies like Rubicon, Elna, and Nichicon have an excellent reputation

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for making caps that minimize unwanted noise and distortion.

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So if you see those same brands being used in well-regarded audio equipment,

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there's probably a reason for it. Beyond that though, remember that while many aspects of sound output can be measured,

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no two pairs of ears are exactly the same, which means that sound quality tends to be a little more subjective

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than certain other things in the technology world.

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For example, it's not hard to compare the frame rates of two different graphics cards

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and say, well, more is better, so...

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But different capacitors may result in a slightly different sound

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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

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before you buy so you don't end up making a horrible mistake.

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So thanks for watching guys, like, dislike, check out our other videos, and don't forget to subscribe and follow so you never miss a fast as possible.