Rike Audio Q-CAP2 PIO Copper Paper Oil capacitors - new generation of QCAP Paper-In-Oil capacitors

Q-Cap2 (Copper)

This RIKE audio paper-in-oil capacitor reaches the highest standards and is characterized by a powerful dynamic in the entire frequency band. These properties are difficult to find in "normal" capacitors in this quality.

The background for more than five years of development of their "own" oil paper/pp capacitors by George Arsin and his team is based on the construction of a german "real" ultra high-end tube Amplifier, the four-part audio RIKE mono tube amplifiers EDZARD with a price tag in the 6-digit Euro range. A beauty in a number of ways, which is in this perfection not yet been announced or seen. Such an ambitious object also requires ultra-perfect components – no doubt about it. And this is of course and in particular true for capacitors. Since there are very well designed capacitors in the market, these just didn't reach the demanded extremely high bar in terms of sound quality. Therefore an experienced "capacitor-engineer" together with Mr. Arsin developed a new generation of oil paper capacitors. Countless listening sessions resulted in a perfect balance of all relevant parameters. Of particular note are the special oils and the art of manufacturing. All Rike Audio Copper Paper-In-Oil capacitors are manufactured in Germany and seamlessly build on to the decades-old tradition of German engineering in this field. The current oil RIKE paper program includes 2 qualities, S-cap 2 (standard capacitors) and Q-Cap (quality capacitors)

Q-Cap review by Humble Homemade Hifi:
Sound: I found the Rike Audio Q-Cap to be neutral with a nice balance between dynamics and smoothness, sort of snappy, tidy and rich at the same. Switching to the Intertechnik Audyn Cap Tri-Reference seems things to sound a little dull, switching back to the Q-Cap brings you closer to what is happening. The Tri-Reference is strictly speaking closer to absolute neutrality. The general overview of the Q-Cap is very good and also has a tad more dynamic expression than the Jupiter Copper-Paper-Wax, which in a direct A-B comparsion has a fraction more flow. The Q-Cap has plenty of detail although not to the same extent and clarity that you get with the Mundorf Supreme Silver Gold Oil. This does make the overall presentation of the Q-Cap more relaxing to listen to. Comparing the Rike Audio Q-Cap with the very neutral (and less expensive) Jantzen Audio Superior Z-Cap you know what you pay the extra for: the Q-Cap produces a bigger image, especially when it comes to things like the width of the sound-stage. Also there is a more convincing placing of the instruments in an orchestra. Vocalists and solo violin stand at the front of the sound-stage. One of the things I listen for when evaluating capacitors is how well the harmonic overtones, which determine the timbre of an instrument, are portrayed. This the Rike Audio Q-Cap does very well. Listening to traditional Chinese guzheng music on 24bit / 96kHz flac's or Armenian duduk ensembles on multi-channel SACD, I got the impression of a very tangible presentation with rich timbres. In direct comparison it made the Mundorf Supreme Silver Gold Oil sound a tad "plastic" in the top most registers of these traditional instruments. On the other hand the Mundorf Supreme Silver Gold Oil did very well with jazz drum-kits, giving ride cymbals and brushes a bit more "edge". In general when the Q-Cap is compared to other copper-foil types, you could say that the other types that use paper between the copper foil could be described as sounding "traditional" and the Q-Cap that uses polyproylene between the copper-foil sounds "modern". Neither is better than the other, just different and it will depend on personal taste and system matching which character you prefer. All in all I quite like the Rike Audio Q-Cap, a welcome newcomer to the top range of capacitors.