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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
irish65
170 posts
 
Volleyguy,

Please keep us posted with your progress regarding the inductors.

The Duelund silver wire I am selling is left over from all the projects I was doing. When I bought it I purchased 50 meters. I have used around 35 meters of it and have done three pairs of speakers and crossovers, and some internal wiring for electronics. I am keeping some in reserve for any future projects but decided to sell some here.

If you are asking if I like the silver wire then my response is most definitely. I just bought more than I need.

Also I will be selling some of the numerous crossover parts I have. Caps/inductors/resistors. I have enough to compete with Parts Connexion :-)
theaudiotweak
2,801 posts
 
All this DCR stuff I feel is very critical especially in highly damped speaker enclosures with a Q of between .5 an .7...It has been my experience that when you lower the DCR by changing inductor wire guage you also lower the Q of the speaker system. So someone purchased a North Creek 8 guage inductor and it did not sound as good in their speaker system as a foil type. The difference they were probably hearing was the retuning of the bass with the influence of the much lower DCR on the bass and not the actual material or geometric difference in wire or winding methods. There is a definite influence of all things mentioned but the major personality change in the speaker is the retuning of the bass mostly by the reduction of DCR. On my current speaker system there is a external method that allows for the listener to adjust via hex head the tuning of the bass. Variation of DCR values and inductor Q values can be recompensated for within the speaker system I have. Lower DCR values would I think change the time alignment compensation of a speaker so designed. Tom
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Irish65

How much Duelund Silver 2.0 do you have? Is it generation 1 or 2?

I have partsconnexion contacting Duelund now on the inductor. I am curious of the Q.

I know the DCR is going to be much less with Duelund.

My current one is .37DCR. Just not sure what this means, sound wise?

http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/47.aspx

This thread talks about the various parts in the same network. North Creek actually had the lowest Q. I found them to be noisy so can not argue with this thread.

In fact it says what I have said many times the original parts used decades ago like the wax paper inductors (foil capacitors) were not that bad. Consistently it has been Duelund (and sometimes Jensen) that has bettered the vintage parts but this makes more sense than one would think. Similiar construction but to tighter tolerances.

I am going to have to go back and read my inductor tests. I know when I got the Duelund WPIO woofer inductor in 10 seconds I knew it was a keeper. (wished I got the CAST at the time)
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Tom

I am not sure as to why I liked the Duelund over the North Creek in the woofer inductor. (foil vs. wire or resonant reasons or silk and wax paper) The Duelund by the way was VERY close to the original that was Iron core in DCR. (wax paper) So the speaker did not change character.

Now going to the tweeter inductor I am going to get a lower DCR with the Duelund. Simply a much bigger guage of wire.

I am not to sure though how the North Creek deals with resonant vibrations? (electronic) I know it is not vibration for mechanical reasons as it weighs a ton!

As much as I have said many times about really liking Duelund products there is one I did not care for and that was there old solid copper hook up wire. (no longer in production)

Tempo Electric posted here a long time ago that they did not care for the old Duelund wire wound inductor? So it does lead me to believe there is something with foil???
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Sorry mine is a parallel inductor.

That is why I did not change it months ago. Just having a brain fart!

I am still curious as to what the effect will be? or just a waste of money? I think not a waste as Klipsch even then took steps in the inductor to reduce resonance. (wax paper)
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