Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

General discussion area for tube amps.

Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal

Post Reply
VolkerStaub
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:16 pm
Location: Germany

Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by VolkerStaub »

Hey folks,

has anyone made experience or used these MSR series caps from Cornell Dubilier / Illinois Capacitor?
They seem to be like poor man's Orange Drops. They have a polyester dielectric too just like the 6PS series but comes at a fraction of the price.
They even look like orange drops. See data sheet here:
https://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/MSR.pdf

Curious to hear what you think about them.
Cheers
maxkracht
Posts: 931
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:18 pm
Location: Iowa, USA

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by maxkracht »

I don't think I have used those specifically, but have a good stock of the yellow axial Illinois caps and like them just as much as mallory 150s. Do you have any pictures of the MSR caps? curious if they are the same as what fender uses, but painted orange or if they are actually similar to other brands of orange drop. Maybe fender got Illinois to paint some caps orange to match their blue axial electrolytics.
VolkerStaub
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:16 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by VolkerStaub »

maxkracht wrote: Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:59 pm I don't think I have used those specifically, but have a good stock of the yellow axial Illinois caps and like them just as much as mallory 150s. Do you have any pictures of the MSR caps? curious if they are the same as what fender uses, but painted orange or if they are actually similar to other brands of orange drop. Maybe fender got Illinois to paint some caps orange to match their blue axial electrolytics.
I only found this pic online:

Image
maxkracht
Posts: 931
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 7:18 pm
Location: Iowa, USA

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by maxkracht »

Didn't recognize the model name. Not orange, not related to orange drops, can't trust datasheet pictures like that. Those are what is in, I think '90s to present, fenders, I'm not a huge fan but they are fine for what they are. I pretty regularly replace the 400v ones in fenders for 630v-1k panasonics in strategic areas. I think panasonics generally sound better but might be in my head. I read somewhere that lower voltage rating film caps have slight but measurable distortion so it might be that instead of the brand. Here's a picture of one of those between a CDE orange drop and a Panasonic of the same value.
IMG_8061.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
TUBEDUDE
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:23 pm
Location: Mastersville

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by TUBEDUDE »

VolkerStaub wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:56 am Hey folks,

has anyone made experience or used these MSR series caps from Cornell Dubilier / Illinois Capacitor?
They seem to be like poor man's Orange Drops. They have a polyester dielectric too just like the 6PS series but comes at a fraction of the price.
They even look like orange drops. See data sheet here:
https://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/MSR.pdf

Curious to hear what you think about them.
Cheers
Apples and oranges. The MSR uses polyester but the 6PS is a foil cap with a layer of poly separating the foil plates. The MSR's have sprayed metalized conductors on the poly film, more like the Mallory 150's. That said, many love the tone they get using the Mallory caps.
Tube junkie that aspires to become a tri-state bidirectional buss driver.
VolkerStaub
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:16 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by VolkerStaub »

TUBEDUDE wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 2:49 am
VolkerStaub wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:56 am Hey folks,

has anyone made experience or used these MSR series caps from Cornell Dubilier / Illinois Capacitor?
They seem to be like poor man's Orange Drops. They have a polyester dielectric too just like the 6PS series but comes at a fraction of the price.
They even look like orange drops. See data sheet here:
https://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/MSR.pdf

Curious to hear what you think about them.
Cheers
Apples and oranges. The MSR uses polyester but the 6PS is a foil cap with a layer of poly separating the foil plates. The MSR's have sprayed metalized conductors on the poly film, more like the Mallory 150's. That said, many love the tone they get using the Mallory caps.
yes, meanwhile I learned the difference. There's (metalized) polyster caps and then there's pure polyster caps. The latter being quite rare. The CDE 418p series seems the only readily available pure polyester caps at this time
TUBEDUDE
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:23 pm
Location: Mastersville

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by TUBEDUDE »

VolkerStaub wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:16 am
TUBEDUDE wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 2:49 am
VolkerStaub wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:56 am Hey folks,

has anyone made experience or used these MSR series caps from Cornell Dubilier / Illinois Capacitor?
They seem to be like poor man's Orange Drops. They have a polyester dielectric too just like the 6PS series but comes at a fraction of the price.
They even look like orange drops. See data sheet here:
https://www.cde.com/resources/catalogs/MSR.pdf

Curious to hear what you think about them.
Cheers
Apples and oranges. The MSR uses polyester but the 6PS is a foil cap with a layer of poly separating the foil plates. The MSR's have sprayed metalized conductors on the poly film, more like the Mallory 150's. That said, many love the tone they get using the Mallory caps.
yes, meanwhile I learned the difference. There's (metalized) polyster caps and then there's pure polyster caps. The latter being quite rare. The CDE 418p series seems the only readily available pure polyester caps at this time
Not sure what you mean by pure poly in this case. The main difference in these caps, using the same polyester, is if it is metalized, or is between two actual foil layers. Or MF vs. foil/film. The 225 series uses polyester with foil. The newer 715 and 716 series use polypropylene and foil.
If you cut them open you can see the difference in construction of MF vs. foil/film. I have some pics somewhere when I did this year's ago.
Tube junkie that aspires to become a tri-state bidirectional buss driver.
TUBEDUDE
Posts: 1864
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:23 pm
Location: Mastersville

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by TUBEDUDE »

Found some of them
20220410_161443.jpg
20220408_232541.jpg
20220409_110559.jpg
20220408_233946.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Tube junkie that aspires to become a tri-state bidirectional buss driver.
27613rdu
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2023 3:59 am

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by 27613rdu »

No, but I've been using the CDE MWF series polyester film/foil caps as substitutes for Ajax blue Molded coupling caps with very good results.
VolkerStaub
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:16 pm
Location: Germany

Re: Anyone used CDE MSR series caps? (Orange Drop substitute)

Post by VolkerStaub »

27613rdu wrote: Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:37 pm No, but I've been using the CDE MWF series polyester film/foil caps as substitutes for Ajax blue Molded coupling caps with very good results.
Oh good find! They're not even listed on their homepage which is weird. But found them via Mouser.
Will look into it :)
Post Reply