So whats so bad about capacitors anyway?

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Too many names. Even cheap junk ones as you said.

The only ones I've personally seen work with mild power issues are the old alumapro, batcaps depending on size, and of course maxwells if there is already good battery reserve.

 

[peterletran 10+ year member]

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/general-discussion/616092-capacitor-system-noise.html

If only I had seen this post when I had a 4 channel amp for my highs ... It was a Cerwin Vega, and it produce alternator whine in every single car I put it in. Eventually, it decided not to power on, so I junked it and just ran off my head unit. I wish Alpine made stronger built-in amps ...

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

Caps are great if you know how to use them, and use them properly. they're like a small battery with extremely fast discharge/charge rates. in a properly built system they help to buffer electrical spikes and reduce noise (debatable but i tend to agree with this, just like a battery helps like a buffer so do these, however i doubt it helps the noise an audible amount).

there's a reason why people in spl comps use capacitor banks... sure they are useless to most of us, but to those who know how to use them, they're useful.

 

[los33 10+ year member]

If you are purchasing a capacitor from walmart or your local audio shop that have the volt meter then it is pretty useless.

But when getting into commercial grade capacitors meaning being on an capacitor board with multiple soldered inline to eachother.

It not only decreases weight compared to a battery bank, but can be used just like a battery bank.

They tend to have shorter life spans tho, but for burps and even bass race type comps they prove to be helpful.

As for daily rides we are better off with batterys as they are way cheaper and we dont drive around with 20k+ watts demoing the whole time

Sent from my Z970 using Tapatalk

 

[adulbrich 5,000+ posts]

IMO, capacitors are just a waste of money, and mounting them could be cumbersome as well as gaudy.In the past, mobile audio drew a ton of current causing the vehicle's electronics to lose a lot of voltage.

To counter-act these effects, capacitors were used to give amplifiers short bursts of power.

Today, most amplifiers are much more efficient and don't draw as much power as in the past.

Also, in my teens, most audio shops didn't use power cables larger than 4 gauge.

Smaller cables cause voltage drop for amplifiers making them pull more current.

Ohm's Law: Definition & Relationship Between Voltage, Current & Resistance - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

For the price of a decent capacitor, you could just upgrade your electrical system.

I'd rather dish out the $20-$50 for 0 gauge cables which helps with voltage drop.

Or save the money altogether and get a decent car battery or 2.

If you're having to use a capacitor, there may be an underlying issue with the vehicle's electrical system.

Check the alternator output as well as the car battery's capacity.

If both of those are running within their specifications, than your power cable is restricting your system.

Yea, modern amplifiers are more efficient than old school ones.

However, I'm pretty sure an DC 10k pulls more current than any old school amplifier...

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

If only I had seen this post when I had a 4 channel amp for my highs ... It was a Cerwin Vega, and it produce alternator whine in every single car I put it in. Eventually, it decided not to power on, so I junked it and just ran off my head unit. I wish Alpine made stronger built-in amps ...

Alpine power pack is small and can fit behind head units and offers 45 x 4 watts. For a budget, go with a ppi ion 520.4 mega powerhouse under 120 dollars. Other issues could have been the amp had bad rcas.

Also you need to update your knowledge of modern amps vs old amps much of what you said earlier are incorrect or horribly outdated