Sozo+ vs std cap comparison

adamsapple · Post by **adamsapple** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:10 pm

I just replaced the Sozo standard caps with the Sozo premium in my clone and recorded a comparison of the two. On the recording the first track is the premiums then the standards. Opinions wanted.

http://www.mp3lizard.com/download.cfm?id=21102

Bainzy · Post by **Bainzy** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:26 pm

I don't have my speakers plugged in so I'll listen and comment tommorrow night. What did you think of the difference after putting them in? I'm contemplating making the same upgrade once I've transferred the money into my bank.

adamsapple · Post by **adamsapple** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:30 pm

Well the +'s seem smoother but I was suprised that the std's have more of a crisp top end. I dont know, the jury is still out on this one. I just installed the +'s so they havent been broken in if that matters. I only replaced the .022's and the one .68uf. I ordered the .1ufs but got .01 by accident.

rockstah · Post by **rockstah** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:12 pm

the first track had more upper mids that i like. my 2 cents.

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:34 pm

Maybe you need better speakers than my laptop has to tell much difference........there's a slight bit more cut I can hear on the first vs. the second but it's no "smack-upside-the-head, a-light-bulb-just-went-off" difference on these speakers............both sound very nice and crisp.

I've never thought my original SoZos were lacking in something to make me want to swap them out yet though.

BrownSound1 · Post by **BrownSound1** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:08 am

I've got to be honest here....I just don't hear enough of a difference to warrant spending the extra money on the Sozo premium capacitors. There is a difference, but not one that makes me go WOW. The do both sound good though..so which ever you get is a winner.

gnugear · Post by **gnugear** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:38 am

The first clip sounds smoother and less ratty in the high end. I bet it'll make a bigger difference once you get all of them in there. Sounds good so far.

adamsapple · Post by **adamsapple** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:45 am

I agree that the premiums get rid of the high end raspiness. So I guess I'll change out the rest of the caps. Has anyone compared sozo's to real mustard caps? I'd liked to hear that comparison for sure.

gnugear · Post by **gnugear** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:49 am

I changed out my soZos for Mustards. Not because I didn't like them, rather I was restoring my old one. I've tried swapping one or two out at a time when I was messing around with values and I honestly couldn't tell a difference. At that point I wasn't realy scrutinizing it because the value change probably masked any sonic differences.

bmf5150 · Post by **bmf5150** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:43 pm

i like the 1st track the best!,little smoother not as harsh.

adamsapple · Post by **adamsapple** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 3:35 pm

Thx for the replies guys, I'll guess I'm gonna change out the rest of the caps.

BrownSound1 · Post by **BrownSound1** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:16 pm

I'd really like to hear this done without any effects in the chain. Who knows what the flanger is masking or adding to both clips.

adamsapple · Post by **adamsapple** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:23 pm

the flanger is on only when I hit the c & b note thingy.

mushmouth · Post by **mushmouth** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:45 am

If it were me, in a recording situation, it would depend on how you want to track that tone. If you're going to be doubling your guitar tracks, remember frequencies double too, so for doubling the second part of the clip is what I'd go for. If I were tracking a stand-alone guitar part, ala Van Halen 1, I'd go with the standards because it's going to cut through the mix better and allow you to have louder apparent value.

Recording 2 tracks of the standards with the peakier upper mids would get harsh.

Overall vote, I like the standards better. The premiums sound smoother, but I think it's because they're scooping out some of that upper midrange that makes it so obviously plexi

adamsapple · Post by **adamsapple** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:11 pm

Instead of getting the 0.1uf Sozo premiums I bought some NOS mustard 0.1's on ebay for less money. So my final verdict on the premiums plus some NOS caps versus all sozo stds is that the premiums have a less biting high end BUT have a much more complex mid content. Also the mids are kinda spongy if you will. Whereas the stds are more stiff the premiums are more mid dynamic. The bass content of both types I think is the same. Are the premiums worth the extra dough? Thats a tough one. I'd say for me yes as they solved my raspy high end problem. A good analogy for premiums vs. stds would be like comparing a machine wound pickup vs. a hand wound pickup. FWIW.