Author Topic: Capacitor Replacement for Sunn Sonic II  (Read 2260 times)

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Offline Mr.Golden

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Capacitor Replacement for Sunn Sonic II
« on: September 08, 2005, 07:06:32 pm »
I would like to find out if anyone knows what would be a good replacement as the one I currently have is finished.  

I brought it in to an amp tech but he only has one supplier that is coming up short and my amp has been sitting idle for about three months. The tech said the cap was 30,20,20,20 uf @525 volts.

I saw on a different post that someone else had a similar question but I just want to be sure.

Can anyone shed any light on this? !!! ?

Thanks.

Offline lochry

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Replacement Cap
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2005, 07:40:30 pm »
You can get an exact replacment from Antique Electronics (www.tubesandmore.com).  The part number is C-EC30-20X3-525.  I have used this unit in Sunn restorations and it is an exact match, even down to the tabs and the symbols used to identify the 30 uf post.  Good luck.

Offline Soundmasterg

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Capacitor Replacement for Sunn Sonic II
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2005, 04:45:25 am »
There are a couple problems with using can caps in amps, and in particular, one problem with using those exact caps in a Sunn.

The problem with can caps is that each cap section has the same ground, which can cause ground loops and hum. It is better to use individual caps and modify the layout so each cap is close to the circuit it is supplying. It is also best to modify the grounding scheme so everything isn't grounded via chassis ground. However thats a lot of work, and you can usually get ok performance from using a can cap in an amp. The can caps are also more expensive than using individual discrete caps.

The second problem with can caps, and the more important one in regards to using it in a Sunn, is that with today's wall voltage, that 525v rating on the caps is not high enough. My Sunn 200S, which is very similar to a Sonic 2, had around 560v at idle, and on standby that was even higher. Using a cap with a 525v rating in a circuit like that will lead to premature failure of the cap.

A better solution is to take two individual 350v axial caps of the same value, wire them in series for a total rating of 700v, and put a 220k 1w resistor in parallel with each cap so neither cap will take the full voltage. In the first section you could use a couple 80uf 350v caps, and when hooked up in series, you essentially end up with 1 40uf 700v cap, which is more than adequate for the voltages today. In my personal 200S, since I use it for bass, I went with 110uf 700v in the first stage, and 50uf 700v in the second stage. This gives it a lot more bass response than stock and sounds a lot better. For the next two stages, the voltages are low enough to use a single 20uf 450v cap for each stage instead of two in series.

It takes a little more time to do it this way, and you have to drill some holes to be able to mount the extra caps and the terminal boards to mount them on, but it is better in the long run, and your amp will thank you by not blowing out caps. Also, years down the road, you'll be able to find new axial caps a lot easier to replace these ones than a 4 section can cap.

But if you want to go with a can cap, then that one listed at AES is the same as original.

Greg

Offline Mr.Golden

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Capacitor Replacement for Sunn Sonic II
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2005, 01:02:05 pm »
Thank you both !!!

This is invaluble information. I'll look into the price of giving it the surgury it needs. I'm not so cofident that I could do all that myself.

I use this for bass and guitar so that improved bass response sounds good to me.



   :P  :wink:  8)

Offline Soundmasterg

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Capacitor Replacement for Sunn Sonic II
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2005, 05:32:24 pm »
I can give you more info of the mods I did to my 200S if you want, including pics. I did a complete rebuild of mine, and added a grounding buss that only touches the chassis at one place, and some other stuff too. It took me about a month or so to do after work.

You could just wire up the caps and still use the stock grounding scheme and it would work better than stock still. Email me privately if you want some pics and more detail.

Greg

Offline Soundmasterg

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Capacitor Replacement for Sunn Sonic II
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2005, 10:43:00 pm »
Also, another option you may consider would be this one. I had forgot about these boards, but the one for the Mk3 would work on your amp and be a mostly simple replacement, and still sound good.

Greg

http://store.triodestore.com/sdslabcapboa.html