TAD Electrolytics

[smolder]

Any thoughts on the quality of these as a replacement for Mallory or Spragues for filter caps?

[davemccarthy707]

I used them to re-cap a twin once. I thought they were great.

[rog951]

I've never used them but I haven't seen/heard any complaints. I'd be surprised if they weren't at least of similar quality to the Spragues. I've got a couple projects coming up soon and I'll probably try out the TADs for those, just so I can say I did. ;) Good luck!

[Apprentice]

worthless caps. we had a customer bring in a '68 bandmaster that he just bought. previous owner recapped the entire amp less than a year before; coupling w/ orange drops, bypass w/ atoms and filters w/ TADs. all filter caps were garbage and needed to be replaced. threw in a set of atoms and problem solved. skip the TADs.

[jellewelagen]

Funny, my experiences with the TAD caps for HV filter caps are GREAT. But I also like Illinois, Sprague, Nichicon, Xicon, Philips etc.... many great caps out there, IMHO.


Btw, do you know what is inside the atoms? There is a smaller cap inside these bigger shells.

[RussB]

TAD caps are re-labeled F&T's

F&T's make good axial electrolytics

[RussB]

worthless caps. we had a customer bring in a '68 bandmaster that he just bought. previous owner recapped the entire amp less than a year before; coupling w/ orange drops, bypass w/ atoms and filters w/ TADs. all filter caps were garbage and needed to be replaced. threw in a set of atoms and problem solved. skip the TADs.

C'mon :Spank

[mbratch]

worthless caps. we had a customer bring in a '68 bandmaster that he just bought. previous owner recapped the entire amp less than a year before; coupling w/ orange drops, bypass w/ atoms and filters w/ TADs. all filter caps were garbage and needed to be replaced. threw in a set of atoms and problem solved. skip the TADs.What was "the problem"? And did you change anything else in the amp as well?

[jellewelagen]

TAD caps are re-labeled F&T's

F&T's make good axial electrolytics

Exactly!

[Trout]

TAD caps are re-labeled F&T's

F&T's make good axial electrolytics

BINGO,

Ever see inside?
See this thread, pictures of sprague guts side by side with FT's

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=558461

[William S.]

TAD caps are re-labeled F&T's

F&T's make good axial electrolytics

I believe (and apologize if I am incorrect) that only the "TAD AUDIO" electrolytic caps are F&T's. The "TAD GOLD" electrolytic caps are chinese made by a company that is much younger than F&T. I think I would stick with F&T and not take a risk with the chinese caps.

[5er Driver]

I put TADs in my '79 Twin about 3 years ago and do not regret it.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=245424

[smolder]

My primary concern is their use as filter caps. My understanding is that there is minimal effect on tone in the power section. So the next issue would be quality and how long they would last. fwiw... these are the black ones.

[HipKitty]

We have used them for clients without fail under demanding usage and use them in our amps without fail....they proved their worth back when I was R & D'ing our Kitty Box amp when I was putting them under a great amount of stress (on purpose) along with the other's on the market (i.e F & T, Illinois, etc....and I do believe the TAD's are F &T's in disguise, but can't prove it other than in a/b comparisions).

I think, like all things different from the "established" or "majority-approved", everyone gets ansty about things...I was in the case of the TAD tubes and caps. And sure, like all current production stuff, you're going to have fall-out percentages...but as of right now, their stuff (tubes and caps) has a less than 1/10% fallout for us....good numbers.

[HipKitty]

So the next issue would be quality and how long they would last. fwiw... these are the black ones.

Personally speaking along with my last post here....the proto Kitty Box still has the ones that we finished with in it and has taken quite a bit of busting about at high volumes...2 years now, and no problems at all.

[davemccarthy707]

Everybody is the amp police. Those TAD's are fine. Also they look better than those ugly blue things..yuck!

[Trout]

worthless caps. we had a customer bring in a '68 bandmaster that he just bought. previous owner recapped the entire amp less than a year before; coupling w/ orange drops, bypass w/ atoms and filters w/ TADs. all filter caps were garbage and needed to be replaced. threw in a set of atoms and problem solved. skip the TADs.


When I read this type of post, and no disrespect intended ay all.

I would wonder if the previously installed caps were suffering from a bad/botched solder job by the previous tech and not necessarily a bad cap.
Swap out the caps, and your Quality solder job = instant success.

Agreed that there are always going to be a bad caps, resistors or for that matter any individual early component failure Because The Bathtub Curve (http://www.weibull.com/hotwire/issue21/hottopics21.htm)applies to all of the parts no matter who the source is.

I have seen a fair share of sprague atoms fail, anything from bad lead welds, to having the outer shrink reveresed showing the polarity backwards. But I would not go so far as to say "worthless caps"
That is just the nature of products produced by humans.

[davemccarthy707]

I would really like to know who said that sprague atoms were the holy grail of filter caps? I am a firm believer in the fact that if something gets hyped enough it all of a sudden is better than everything else. Nobody remembers when transistor amps came about?

[Trout]

]I would really like to know who said that sprague atoms were the holy grail of filter caps?[/B] I am a firm believer in the fact that if something gets hyped enough it all of a sudden is better than everything else. Nobody remembers when transistor amps came about?


Not me thats for sure, I grew up believing Spragues were common garden variety caps.

I wont slam transistors though, or it would make owning a pc with a million of them on a 1/2 sq in processor kinda silly :dunno