BlackGates
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BlackGate Capacitors

Some of you, and it's no surprise, simply don't know how good these caps are. Until we tried them we could hardly believe the exceptional praise accorded to these caps. Leave no doubt in your mind that BlackGates can absolutely transform a good audio system into an exceptional one. World renowned for high definition, clarity and lack of coloration, BlackGates reign as the world's finest electrolytic cap. They are ideal for feedback loops, coupling, power supplies and just about anything else. There's really not much more to say. If only I could transmit my thoughts on the greatness of the BlackGate to your mind. Yes, they appear expensive, but BlackGates are one of the most cost effective upgrades we've ever heard. We think you'll agree with us once you experience their unrivaled position in the world of audio. 

BG-N/NX: This is the legendary non-polar series which are generally regarded as the best sounding - great in solid state devices of all kinds, analog and digital, with a few useable with tubed circuits. These non-polar caps are especially useful in signal coupling, i.e. for AC signals - coupling caps, feedback caps, more. The Type N 33uF/16V is often used for decoupling digital chips to great advantage. The Type N 330uF/100V part is famous for it's use as a cathode bypass cap in SE triode amps - if you have something else in that application you have to try these.

Hi-Q: A special version of the NX series, these types offer incredibly low ESR in the RF frequency range and -174dB distortion!!!!! Wonderful in all high frequency applications. They work especially well when you want to quiet a hi-speed chip with a very noisy power pin such as a digital filter, microprocessor and other high frequency chip. 

Special note: The N, NX and Hi-Q series are ideal for making "L-Cancel" pairs or "Super E-Caps" as they are called.  BlackGate "L-Cancel" pairs have low impedance beyond 1gHz. L-Cancel is a pair of non-polarized parallel connected caps. You make them by connecting one cap's 'long' lead to the other cap's 'short' lead. Inductance has a 'right hand" and "left hand" component or directional behavior. Reversing connections "cancels" the inductance of the paired parts and allows extraordinary bandwidth.

FK: The polarized FK series has a different sound quality, but with it's own powerful rewards. It's very natural with awesome bass, great inner detail and still it is smooth as silk. Yes, reduction of noise, distortion and improvement of ESR is quite beneficial in 'digital' power supplies. They have a special excellence in switching power supplies which are getting ubiquitous in most digital equipment. These are polarized capacitors unlike any you've ever heard. 

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER, performance does - Abandon your concern with how large your present power supply caps 'should be' according to the old theories. These will outperform them. Do you have an outboard capacitance supply with an entire farad in it? Forget it! The BlackGate FK 10,000uF/100V parts easily outperform our own 39,000uF/100V parts we use in the Hafler DH-500, other large higher voltage amps and so on. This is a new paradigm. It rewrites the old thinking about power supply caps needing to be large as possible. They need to be as good as possible first.  These large computer-grade filter caps for the main power supply of your solid state amp are simply in a different league than standard electrolytic type filter caps. These large can types when used as the power reservoir for a solid-state power amp show to us the clearest indication of the superiority of the BlackGate technology. The sonic improvement over 'computer-grade' caps is truly shocking. It is sort of like comparing a bicycle to a car. What's to compare? Incredibly tight bass totally in a class by itself, wide dynamics and totally effortless reproduction -ultra-fast, ultra-clean, ultra-everything, comparable to high performance film caps. You don't think your amp is slow and mushy? Huh, just try these! Truly astonishing - one of the few very expensive items in the audio world that are worth every penny! The FK is available in smaller radial lead parts for the front-end of a power amp, preamp power supply, DAC/CD player power supply. See a Hafler DH-500 with our PA-3B Platinum Ultra dual-mono amp. 

WKZ high-voltage, polarized series is awesome for tubed power amps and preamps! They have very transparent highs and a gutsy sound. We use these in our Musical Design SP-2B Platinum Ultra. WKZ caps have a very deep soundstage with excellent localization, focus, hall ambience and superb naturalness. They are devastatingly good!

We will soon provide an "idea/application" listing with your order! 

More listings soon! 

*L.S. = lead spacing for radial wire leads

Power Supply Caps for Hafler amps and others!

For Hafler DH-200/220, XL-280 or custom project: 
LC-200: a kit with two 27,000uF/80VDC caps shown here, installation hardware, some wiring and instructions for installation into the Hafler DH-200 and DH-220. 
LC-200 Kit: $89, (2"dia.x 4.125" high with low post screw mount). 
Two pair can be installed into these Hafler amps with a bit of finesse. Used with the TP-200 toroid power transformer with its twin secondary windings and another power rectifier you will have a nifty dual-mono power supply, that's 108,000uF, that you might see in a very expensive power amp.
The Sound: Sure you would expect more "pop" in the bass and you get it. The real beauty is that the added stability actually gives you greater stability of the sound stage. Instrumental textures and clarity hold up better at higher volumes. Then too, you'll know when you hear the LC-200 that even if these caps were the same value as the originals there would be a distinct sonic improvement. They're just plain better sounding caps. Combined with the TP-200 this is a smile inducing power supply upgrade.

Bright Idea: Two pair of LC-200 can be installed into these Hafler amps with a bit of finesse. Used with the TP-200 with its twin secondary windings and another power rectifier you will have a totally dual-mono power supply of 108,000uF. That sounds massive and somewhat expensive doesn't it! It's only $599 and you've seen far smaller power power supplies in $6,000 amplifiers haven't you! That puts a different light on it, don't you think.

Storage caps for DH-500, XL-600# and Adcom GFA-555 series*  --Available now!!!--
LC-500: a kit of two 39,000uF/100VDC caps, shown here (soon), installation hardware, some wiring and instructions for installation into the Hafler DH-500 and XL-600. This is a serious hunk of energy storage.

LC-500 Kit: $149, pair of 39,000uF/100VDC filter caps(2.5" Dia. x 5.25" high, "low post" screw terminals) with required hardware.  
The Sound: See LC-200 description above.
*Adcom GFA-555 series requires four filter capacitors, two LC-500 pairs.
#Requires some internal modification.

Bright Idea: Two pair of LC-500 can be installed into these Hafler amps with a bit of finesse. Used with the TP-500 with its twin stacked toroid power transformer configuration and another power rectifier you will have a totally dual-mono power supply of 156,000uF - $699 option. That sounds massive and expensive doesn't it! You've seen far smaller power power supplies in $10,000 amplifiers haven't you! That puts a different light on it, don't you think. See below!

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