Click here to purchase the entire book in PDF format. Inductors vs. Capacitors So, if we can build a filter using either an RC circuit or an RL circuit, which should we use, and why? They give the same frequency and phase responses, so what's the difference? The knee-jerk answer is that we should use an RC circuit instead of an RL circuit. This is simply because inductors are bigger and heavier than capacitors. You'll notice on older equipment that RL circuits were frequently used. This is because capacitor manufacturing wasn't great - capacitors would leak electrolytic over time, thus changing their capacitance and the characteristics of the filter. An inductor is just a coil, so it doesn't change over time. However, modern capacitors are much more stable over long periods of time, so we can trust them in circuits. There is a group that claims that they can hear artifacts caused by capacitors in a circuit. In fact, some companies will even advertise that they have no capacitors in the signal path as a selling feature. COLLECT PAPERS ON THIS TOPIC AND INCLUDE READING LIST. Deane Jensen on distortion caused by capacitors? Mention ringing and saturation in transformers... Mention audibility vs. measurability...