I agree with wut u say bout hearing quality difference. When i had my Rockford punch 2 and i put the cap on. It did sound like better. Like more crisp or soemthing. hard to explain

 

Sorry, but I have to post on this one to clear up some things.

Caps are worthless...that is true, if you are competiting in SPL.

A capacitor resists changes in voltage. Since it does resist changes in voltage, once your amplifier draws the power for a note, the capacitor will immediatly "pull" current from the battery to bring it back to it's proper voltage. It is nothing more than a regulator for the voltage on your system.

A cap is usefull in sound quality aspects because it "levels" the voltage in your system, which helps eliminate spikes in voltage, which will lead to inconsistent power to your amplifiers. This consistent power allows the amplifiers to produce the same power to the speakers, which does indeed lead to increase sound quality.

Will a cap help keep your headlights from dimming...NO!!! It's a bandaid for a bigger problem. Lights dim because there isn't enough "reserve" power in the system. With that said, if your lights are dimming with the bass notes, install a larger battery or improve your stock alternator.

Here's why a cap is worthless in SPL: A cap can only provide a stable amount of power for a short amount of time. With SPL, you need to maintain a solid note, for approx 1-3 seconds. The capacitor can not keep the power regulated over that time period, and it will pull power from your battery to "recharge" itself. In doing so, you reduce the available amount of power in the vehicle system, hence reducing the current that can flow to the amplifiers.

I hope this helps shed some light on capicators. I do recommend installing a 2-5 farad capicator on every system, as most people do not compete with their vehicles. In "every day" listening they help and will give you better sound.

 

Nice explanation! You made it very clear.

 

As far as what brand cap to buy... i have found that Stinger, Soundstream, and Pyle are among the best. All major producers of Caps typically will have lineups ranging form 1 to 50+ Farads. A good place to shop for all audio hardware is www.sonicelectronix.com. This is where I buy most of my stuff because they are approved internet dealers for most companies, thus factory warranties will apply, and they have a 105% best price guarantee (they will even beat ebay store prices).

 

thats a great explanation audiophyl...thanks for everything guys