Tonal quality of orange drop caps?

[toneman335]

Is it generally agreed that orange drop caps give a bright and somewhat sterile tone to an amp?

[The Pup]

Not to my ears.

[toneman335]

Can you expain? Why do some seem to have low regards for them in relation to other caps? Do you think orange drops work better in certain applications?

[The Pup]

Can you expain? Why do some seem to have low regards for them in relation to other caps? Do you think orange drops work beeter in certain applications?

I simply do not have problems getting good tone from my gear...regardless whether the circuit contains Zoso, orange drops, etc.

Perhaps others need more esoteric caps to reach their full tonal potential.

[Geetarpicker]

Well, there are many varieties of "Orange Drops" so they are not all created equal.

For what it's worth Trainwreck amps used "Orange Drops" though they were a specific type that isn't that common. Those amps can be bright but are far from sterile sounding!

You would need to be more specific on the brand and model of "Orange Drop" to really get some answers.

[RedRock]

418P sounds the best, but is hard to find. Torres sells them.

[scottl]

PS series. Polyester caps. They are smoother and not as clinical to my ears. Test equipment bears this out with their high frequency handling not as good as the 715/716 for instance.

[TweeDLX]

Can you expain? Why do some seem to have low regards for them in relation to other caps? Do you think orange drops work better in certain applications?
Like everything else regarding tone, this is a pretty subjective issue. Some folks swear by Mallory caps, others by OD's, and like what has been previously mentioned, Orange Drops come in different flavors. In the end, it's what you want to hear that will be the deciding factor. I use both Mallory and Orange Drops in my amps. As a hobbyist, I go with what I have on hand. I haven't noticed a HUGE difference between the amps with yellow caps and the ones with orange. :stir I've read somewhere in this forum where OD's go better with Marshall style amps, and Mallory's with Fenders. Or was it the other way around?

Mike

[Jackie Treehorn]

Orange Drops come in different dielectrics and lead materials. The polyesters, PS series, 418, 224 (I think) have higher dielectric absorption, meaning, they have a memory of sorts which causes a smearing effect, which softens the highs, smears the mids, muddies the bass and softens the transient response. The polypropylene series 715p and 716P have far less dielectric absorption and give a much more hifi sound, faster transients and tight extended frequency response. I like the 716P the best since to my ears, they simply block DC and do not affect the sound of the stage it is coupling. I've done wreck and dumble style amps with mostly 716P's and gotten great results. Still, I like to have an assortment on hand to experiment as combinations can often sound better than using all one type.