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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
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Volleyguy,
I've heard systems where the sound of a drumkit's cymbals have "more" shimmer, sheen and energy than I hear sitting 6 feet from the real thing. So it's possible to voice a system's sound to embellished what is beyond a natural presentation ( unavoidably subjective). This is where I make a distinction between hifi and natural sound and in this realm the CAST errs towards natural. This isn't to dispute what Salectric is hearing at all, just my concept/idea of what sounds right and realistic.

In Sal's system things could certainly be different from mine and his perception of natural/ realism may vary from me. I'd love to hear his system. We're all aware that results can change from one system to another.
Charles,
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
I think the solution to what Salectric is talking about is VSF. Keeps the same super Natural tone but with more what he is talking about.

How many of you guys out there have followed Steen's thinking to as much as possible? Who has gone the farthest?

I have, all coupling caps Duelund (one Jensen Paper in oil just because of room) so all plastic free. (even small value vintage ones)

No electrolytics in the signal path, no electrolytics in the crossover. Output transformers are paper bobbin, autoformer in the crossover is paper bobbin, all crossover caps are Duelund mix of VSF and CAST. Woofer inductor Duelund, tweeter inductor paper bobbin vintage. (I have a Duelund VSF but did not work)

Speaker cable is Duelund Silver 2.0 version II. Speaker internal wire is Duelund Silver 1.0 except woofer is Duelund Copper. (no longer for sale)

I am down to literally inches of plastic covered stranded wire. The only electrolytic is vintage in the power supply. (I would love someone to try a paper in oil power supply)

My comp drivers except woofer are Alnico.

Interconnects are just stock. Oppo is stock so whatever is in there for caps? LP 12 is stock in the sense no changes based on getting rid of plastic.
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Hmmm seems I have some work to do on mounting and insulating some leads. Lots of info on here.
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Ricevs
Holy Smokes some serious work on the Oppo.

Interesting site.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,479 posts
 
Salectric, and others,

I am going to upgrade the parts in my speaker and have one question. My speaker has Zobel networks on the drivers. My speaker is a four way (mid bass drivers as we'll as midrange) so I have four caps and four resistors in my Zobel networks in total. All the resistors are inexpensive sand cast types. All the caps are also inexpensive Solen Fast Caps. The builder and others sure think these have no impact on the sound and should be left alone. I read the comments above on Zobel Networks and want to open up this topic again.

The crossover is said to be a simple first order type so outside of these multiple Zobel networks I have one cap on the tweeter and one on the midrange drivers. I will change these out for sure.

Question, will upgrading the sand cast resisters to Mills MRA and caps to something better like Jupiter Flat or Mundorf, or Obbilgatto in the Zobel networks have any impact in sound in your opinions?
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