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
Duelund

I was talking to Kasper at rabu-acoustics.dk and asked him , If i wish to buy a pair of CAST-Duelund 1.5 uF would the listed prices be the right ones. And he could not say that for sure before he have checked up with "Duelund".
But this raising prices nightmare was also in place for the inductors 2.5 mH for Jantzen so no panic at all.

Im just accepting and comparing it to the gold prices , but still the gold prices can drop , for sure.

Anyway have you heard the V-Cap CuFT caps ???
Micheal

I will let Duelund respond to the price questions but the fact that they are hand made is going to be a price problem. I suspect the reason they came out the Alexander line of machine wound caps.

K2
In comparing the Duelund's VSF vs. Jensen Copper Tube it is in an all Duelund/Jensen signal path. I have agreed a long time ago with Dgarretson the weakest link is the most important. So a crossover with lower level parts will not show the full difference.

If I was looking at a new amp it would be Jensen Copper Paper tube minimum, I share your enthusiasm for the Jensen caps as well. If I was a high end amp builder trying to make a $$$ I would use Jensen Copper Paper tube. If I am going all out and the whole signal is at least that good the only place left to go is Duelund VSF or CAST.

(I have not heard the full break in VCaps Cuft)

Undertow
I had stated a long time ago (like 28 pages ago) paper in oil foil caps do not mix well with Poly. In fact I could not listen to speakers with the two types in each crossover. What did work was Duelund mixed with vintage foil. Jensen also works well with Duelund.

What I meant by this was you can not through one Duelund in the chain and reveal it's full potential.

I have said as well this has been known since the '60's at least. In the vintage Marantz expensive amps they use large paper in oil caps. In the less expensive amps from the time, smaller (physical) paper in oil caps. I suspect why someone is paying $14k for some old amp!

What I would love to compare is a vintage Fisher (like mine) with Jensen caps or Duelund vs. the Marantz. I can not imagine the Marantz being as good? First off the caps are old and I do know the Jensen and Duelund are wayyyy better than the vintage caps used by Fisher.

K2
When Steen Duelund designed these caps (who worked for Jensen) he was very frank that there was no board to stop him. It was his passion for the best that was the motivator not the $$$ to be made from hand made parts. He knew that hand made was NOT the way for a business to go. If you have noticed Duelund has been sensitive to Jensen partly as they are competition and even Frederik admits a Jensen is better than any poly.

I have thanked Duelund on here many times as if it was not for Steen (and his passion) I would not know what is possible in audio.

"I'm very curious to your experiences with the Cufoil V-cap, especially how it performs compared to its tinfoil sister or brother"

I have never heard the tin foil VCaps. I never bought them the reviews were always mixed.

So far the VCap Cuft is fast but thin in comparsion to the Jensen Copper Paper Tube. This "thin" sound does take away from the music. I can say one does become impressed by cymbals etc. but dynamics matter.
Need help

My CD player is not working. (Linn Karik hated it till I got the tube amp and did the caps then really good) Any advice? I did have it over to a friends months ago to compare to the OPPO. On Blu-Ray the Oppo was clearly better for sure but not on Red Book. Any advice what to get? I hear very good things about the Oppo and it would be nice to be able to play formats other than Red Book.
Michael,

Rabu can easily get you quotes, otherwise feel free to mail me.

Best regards,

Frederik