by petercapo » Sat Dec 22, 2012 1:23 pm
Shannon,
I believe you are referring to the 0.05uf caps on the Stereo 70 PCB? "Flip-flopped" in what way, please? The left half of the Stereo 70 PCB is physically a mirror-image of the right half. Because the 0.05uf caps are mounted along the shorter axis of the PCB, it is unavoidable that the band printed on the body of each one would appear flip-flopped relative to each other on the top of the board while their respective outer foil ends are nevertheless connected to the very same corresponding point in each channel’s circuit. I have confirmed this by tracing the circuit side. But, perhaps you meant something else by "flip-flopped?"
With regard to the Mark III's aesthetics, if it were purely an aesthetics consideration, I would think that the bands on both of the large coupling caps would face the same way as each other only, and randomly with regard to either end of the board. In other words, I am not sure that, aesthetically, it would make much difference on the top side if these caps (together) faced toward one end of the PCB or if they faced the other end, if you see what I am getting at. In spite of this, they do always seem to be facing the same way, at least in all the samples I have or have seen images of.
With regard to the Mark III circuit, the outer foil of those caps seems to always be facing in the direction of the KT88s. I am wondering if Dynaco possibly did a test and found the noise level was lower one way in the Mk. III, and the other way in the ST-70?
Of course, we’ll never know what Dynaco had in mind, if anything. But, I thought it might be interesting to discuss.
Thanks.
Peter