This is another basic guide to help you choose the right electrolytic capacitor for it's intended function. Because not all capacitors are the same! There are some folks out there who actually think that! A capacitor is a capacitor, well, they aren't all the same! I'll explain in just a bit.

First, know that there are several different levels of capacitors, just like there are basic automobiles. Make yourself somewhat familiar with the way the capacitor labels or names thier products. Like car companies do. I'll choose Nichicon for my example becaue they have become one of the most respected manufacturers of electrolytic capacitors in the business. They code thier caps with mostly two letter codes. VR being the most basic, VZ being basic but high temperature rated. PW is low-impedance and high temperature rated. The HE rating is low-impdance, high temperature, and long life.  There are several offshoots of the same or similar series, like the PJ, PM, and HC, HN, or HZ series.  You can go to thier web site to find out about all of thier caps they make, I recommend you do so you can familiarize yourself with thier products.

Know that there are 'audio' grade capacitors too and they should be utilized in places that are affected by or actual audio passes through the capacitor. Again, Nichicon has audio grade caps, in various levels just like the regular electrolytics! FW being the most basic audio grade, KW being more refined, FG for even more refinement (fine gold), and KT for high temperature requirements, and KZ for the ultimate in audio reproduction!

Knowing what ones to choose is where this guide is going to helpful. I've disected enough electronic items to see what manufacturers commonly use in thier choices of capacitors. Many, many manufacturers use the common, most basic of capacitors, because they are driven by the cost factor. They want to keep manufacturing costs low, so they choose the most basic of capacitors to do nearly everything in whatever is they are manufacturing, say a CD player for example. Well, that's fine, but, you only get mediocre sound from basic capacitors. Imaging and detail is often lost because of poor choices of capacitors.

Use the right 'tool' for the job you need performed. You wouldn't use a pipe wrench as a hammer or a pair of pliers to take out a screw! So you shouldn't use the basic capacitors in every spot where there's an electrolytic! Yea, it works, but not well. Choose your capacitors based on the circuits funtion. Keep this in mind when your choosing capacitors, 'clean power equals clean sound'. Start with the power supply capacitors, look there to get all the other things sounding better. After all, the unit is getting it's power from there, so if the power supply is giving you super clean power, then you can expect super clean sound or video. Choose the low-impedance type caps for your power supply caps. The PW or HE series from Nichicon are exceptional and if you can, choose the HN or HZ series they are the ultra low impdance type and make for super clean power! 

Special note for video circuits: since most video circuits are only handling voltage and various frequencies that are not audio at all, the PW/HE series are especially suited for all your caps in circuits processing video signals!

By now you're asking how do I know if a circuit is handling audio or power or some other unknown? Well, that's where you'll have to do some research, having the schematic diagram for the gear in question is nearly a must have for any type of work like this. You can do some educated choosing too by also tracing the signal paths from the connections on the circuit boards. I've done this several times to find out what caps pass the signals for left & right audio and also digital signals or video. A multimeter is a must for this type of path tracing. Schematic diagrams are the best choice as they leave no question to what the circuits function is.

Using the audio grade capacitors is almost a must in any circuit that passes audio for me. Even if it's basic FW or KW series caps! They have a certain ability to do something special to the sound that the low-impdance and basic caps simply cannot provide. For even better outstanding sound, choose the KZ or KG series caps from Nichicon. I like that Nichicon choose the word 'muse' in those top line series, they simply are the best.

Lastly, I want to mention the 'super caps': Black Gate, Silmic, & Cerafine. Those are absolutly exceptional sounding capacitors. They each have unique sound characterstics and some do quite well as power supply choices too, especially the Black Gate and Cerafine caps! Those three types of caps should be used sparingly in audio circuits or in combination with other types to achieve the best sound possible.

I've tried dual sets of Black Gates and Silmics in some audio circuits with almost unlistenable results! They were just too powerful to use two in the same paths! I thought using two pairs of Black Gates in a phono stage would really open up the sound of LP's....too open, too much treble, too much detail. (That particular phono stage, did quite well with KW and KZ caps in them instead of Black Gates) So you must choose carefully to achieve the best results. It comes down to choosing the right tool for the job!

Familiarize yourself with the manfucaturers line-up of capacitors. Panasonic is another manfacturer of great electrolytics and so are Elna, United Chemi-Con, and Rubycon. There's a reason these cap manufacturers products are used most often, they are made well, with proven processes. Steer clear of brands you have never heard of or are on the 'bad caps list'  There's a reason they are on that list. That's also the reason you can't buy caps from those manufacturers anywhere; They are just junk.

Choose the right caps and you'll achieve the best results!