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Oscons SP’s stole my bass

fatcat

fatcat

pfm Member
A couple of months ago decided to modify my 62. A lot of people advised replacing the feedback caps with Silmics II and decoupling caps with Oscon SP’s. It was also suggested doing both modifications complimented each other. (Synergy).

The Silmics where implanted first. Very pleased with the sound, smooth and detailed. IMO a superb, very cheap upgrade.

Then, the Oscons where implanted. Not pleased at all. The bass went missing and the timing had gone. After 2 months or so, still no bass or timing. The Oscons have provided more bite and maybe more detail.

At the weekend, I bought a 32.5 (at a bargain price) purely to access my modified 62. It only took a few seconds to realise just how much the Oscons had screwed up my 62. The sound of the 32.5 is more distorted and not as clear as the modded 62, but the music is all there, a pleasure to listen to.

The confusing thing is this.
Yet again everybody seems to be suggesting Oscon SP’s are the dogs bollocks when it comes to decoupling. I know the people who are suggesting this know what they are talking about. I still believe them. However, I know that using them in my 62 they are the dogs arse.
 
Jo

I have only changed the caps. The resistors are still in place.

My power supply is an Avondale APS2.

I have just found the following.
When I power the 32.5 from my 110, then power it from the APS2, there is a huge improvement.
When I power the Osconed 62 from my 110, then power it from the APS2, there is not as noticeable an improvement.
 

Then, the Oscons where implanted. Not pleased at all. The bass went missing and the timing had gone. After 2 months or so, still no bass or timing. The Oscons have provided more bite and maybe more detail.
Click to expand...
Hi fatcat
I think the bet strategy is remove the 27R+cap, and replace them with secondary regs, one per individual board.
Yair
 
Yikes!
I was going to get my 72's 321 boards modded with these upgrades next week, think i will hang back now, at least until i can get an audition first!

Thankyou Very Very Very Much MARK
 
Somethings definitely wrong. If anything, i had more bass with the Oscons.

Could they be faulty?
 
fatcat

There does seem to be something 'a miss'

I've modded many 321 line stages using oscons and in every case the owner said where did that bass come from...........

Graham
 
Yair
Thanks for the advice. If I can’t sort it out I will definitely try that. I didn’t realise the caps are not required if regs are fitted.

Mark
Fat Mat and Graham are probably correct the Oscons or something else may be faulty. I know they are avid modders, if they say they Oscons should produce more bass I’m sure they are correct.
I had thought it was due to the fact that a 62 is brighter and leaner than a 32.5, the Oscons where making it sound even leaner.

Fat Mat and Graham
You are probably correct, there must be a fault somewhere. Is there a way of testing a cap with a multi meter? If not, I suppose I could swap them one at a time. I have a couple of spare Oscons I had intended to fit into my phono boards. Didn’t do so for obvious reasons.
 
I look forward to hearing from you after some more experimentation, i still intend to get this upgrade, i havn't been on this forum long, just need to know peoples opinions on 321 mods, i definately don't want to trade the musicality, no matter how silky it sounds.

Regards MARK

Edited out the word tinkering as this is not what i meant.
 
Hi fatcat,

Well I also cannot stand Oscons in any shape or form used in analogue although they are good for digital decoupling.
 
I thought Oscons were great for decoupling (full of life) until i added local regulation (Andrews super regs), the sound went a bit dull but came back on song when i replaced them with 3.3uf SMR's.

I use Linn Kan's and found the bigger bass from the Oscons worked really well but i don't know if i'd like it with bigger speakers...could be too OTT?
 
I find that Oscons have a very noticeable signature as do Blackgates compared to other caps, you either like this or don't.
 
Fatmat

Funny you should mention you use Kans, I was thinking the sound produced by the oscons would appeal to Kan users. I personally do not appreciate Kans at all. I have been listening again to the Osconed 62. The mid and treble are superb, but the bass IMO is not right. What bass there is doesn’t go as deep but is punchier. I use Royd RR1’s, I have lost the deep bass, plus more critically the weight a piano chord usually has.
 
Fatcat,

Assuming an off-board PSU and regulation in your setup, try lowering the 27R's, maybe to just a few ohms, and see what happens.

Try 4.7R or similar for starters.

Andy.

P.S. Are you sure it's the bass extension that's the problem, not the level? Oscon's are likely to tighten up the bass, which can give rise to the apparent loss in level.
 
Are you getting better bass by lowering the R?
Click to expand...

I was thinking along the lines of the leakage problem that Les has noted, the leakage current could give rise to an error or noise signal, most likely LF in nature.

Lowering R reduces its impact so the results from this would be interesting.

Andy.
 
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