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Capacitor log Mundorf Silver in Oil

I wished I could find a log with information on caps. I have found many saying tremendous improvement etc. but not a detailed account of what the changes have been. I have had the same speakers for many years so am very familiar with them. (25+ years) The speakers are a set of Klipsch Lascala's. They have Alnico magnets in the mids and ceramic woofers and tweeters. The front end is Linn LP12 and Linn pre amp and amp. The speaker wire is 12 gauge and new wire.

I LOVE these speakers around 1 year ago they started to sound like garbage. As many have said they are VERY sensitive to the components before them. They are also showing what I think is the effect of worn out caps.

There are many out here on these boards I know of that are using the Klipsch (heritage) with cheaper Japanese electronics because the speakers are cheap! (for what they can do) One thing I would recommend is give these speakers the best quality musical sources you can afford. There is a LOT to get out of these speakers. My other speakers are Linn speakers at around 4k new with Linn tri-wire (I think about 1k for that) and the Klipsch DESTROY them in my mind. If you like "live feel" there is nothing like them. In fact it shocks me how little speakers have improved in 30 years (or 60 years in the Khorns instance)

In fact I question Linn's theory (that they have proved many times) that the source is the most important in the Hi-Fi chain. Linn's theory is top notch source with lessor rest of gear including speakers trumps expensive speakers with lessor source. I think is right if all things are equal but Klipsch heritage are NOT equal! They make a sound and feel that most either LOVE or hate. (I am in the LOVE camp and other speakers are boring to me)

So here goes and I hope this helps guys looking at caps in the future. Keep in mind Klipsch (heritage Khorns Belle's and Lascala's especially) are likely to show the effects of crossover changes more then most.

1 The caps are 30 years old and
2 the speakers being horn driven make changes 10x times more apparent.

Someone once told me find speakers and components you like THEN start to tweak if needed. Don't tweak something you not in love with. Makes sense to me.

So sound
Record is Let it Be (Beatles)
The voices are hard almost sounds like a worn out stylus.
Treble is very hard. I Me Mine has hard sounding guitars. Symbals sound awful. Everything has a digital vs. analog comparison x50! Paul's voice not as bad as John's and George's. Voices will crack.

different lp
Trumpets sound awful. Tambourine terrible. Bass is not great seems shy (compared to normal) but the bad caps draw soooooo much attention to the broken up mid range and hard highs that are not bright if anything it seems the highs are not working up to snuff. I have went many times to speaker to make sure tweeters are even working.

All in all they sound like crap except these Klipsch have such fantastic dynamics that even when not right they are exciting!

Makes me wonder about the people who do not like them if they are hearing worn out caps and cheap electronics? Then I can see why they do not like them! If I did not know better from 25+ years of ownership that would make sense.

For the new crossover I have chosen Mundorf Silver in Oil from what I have read and can afford. I want a warm not overly detailed sound as Klipsch already has lots of detail and does not need to be "livened up" they need lush smooth sounding caps. Hope I have made the right choice?

When the crossover is in I will do a initial impression on same lp's. Right now it goes from really bad (on what may be worn vinyl) to not as bad but NOT great on great vinyl. (I know the quality of the vinyl because tested on other speakers Linn)

The new caps are Mundorf Silver in Oil and new copper foil inductors are coming. I will at the same time be rewiring the speakers to 12 guage from the lamp cord that PWK put in. PWK was a master at getting very good sound often with crap by today's standards components.

The choice of speakers would be a toss up now depending on what I am listening to. Klipsch vastly more dynamic but if the breaking up of the sound becomes to much to effect enjoyment the Linn would be a better choice on that Lp. If I could I would switch a button back and forth between speakers depending on song and how bad the break-up sound was bothering me.

volleyguy
ait
480 posts
 
The Cardas Copper Litz with teflon insulation is between $1-3 per foot at Handmade Electronics, depending on the gauge. It is a bit harder to work with as the insulation must be stripped from the ends on all strands - I have found that a stainless steel wire brush on a Dremel works very well.

For silver wire I've been using DH Labs Revelation teflon coated wire, which is more expensve at ~$9 per foot at PCX.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
My dealer Hi-Fi dealer used to say when customers said they did not notice much improvement in whatever piece of gear to put the old one back in.

That is when the difference shows up.

Well I have done the last comparision with the Duelund Silver vs. stranded copper. The Duelund is MUCH better. I really wish it wasn't as I had only bought the stranded Linn speaker wire around 2 years ago. The problem is the stranded is in a cloud, dull and lifeless by comparison.

The comparison is 5' of Silver (18 guage?)vs. 15' (I think) of 12 guage copper. Yes the shorter length of Silver could be helping. But it is a small guage.

At first I found the Silver fast, vivid but maybe sharp? It is the copper that is slow and dull.

Time to put the Silver into the speaker and I am not to thrilled about having two speakers with stranded wire.

I have already been onto Partsconnexion's website and see Duelund is no longer selling the round copper wire.

Duelund does this mean we will see flat copper? How does it compare for us on a budget?

Thanks
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Congratulations by the way Frederik and no need to hurry with any answers I understand the busy time.

Thanks
duelund_coherent_audio
110 posts
 
Actually, he's asleep right now, so I'll pop one in between feeding- and diaper scenarios...

Thank you. :)

We will be doing flat copper cable, it's been in development for the past couple of years (on/off), we're not quite there yet.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
I just can't get over it. I have spent more time listening to the Silver vs. stranded copper and the difference is big, very big!

The Silver is MUCH more dynamic. It also is MUCH more natural sounding. I have always wanted to know if Steen was correct on plastic giving the sound of plastic. I know it is true his capacitors do not sound like plastic but there could be many factors as construction etc.

Well the plastic coated speaker wire for sure sounds more platic but I still do not know for 100% as one wire is copper stranded plastic coated and one solid flat silver Silk, cotton wrapped.

So is it the stranded wire? or the plastic coating? I really can still only guess.

I suspect the solid wire (Silver) keeps the signal intact.

I suspect the stranded wire garbles, dulls and muffles the sound jumping from strand to strand.

I wish some more guys to test the wire. I think you will be very impressed. Try in a low cost area as yes the Duelund Silver sounds much better but a $25 a foot (two strands for speaker wire) compared to less than $5 for the stranded copper it should.

Frederik I know I have asked before but can you make Autoformers? My whole crossover would be Duelund then or is this something that is much different to make than an inductor?

Thanks

I can say for certain I am really dragging my feet on using the Silver wire as hook up in my other speaker as one fully Silver wired (except woofer) speaker is more enticing than 2 speakers using copper stranded speaker wire.
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