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
Not sure what that means parallel caps are better than in series? I think you mean parallel caps are not as critical and you can buy at much better prices than ones in series.. Series caps are very critical, parallel not really.. So you can save some cash just using one of decent sonic signature with the correct value on your mids if they are in parallel only..

I would still go ahead and run with the mundorf supremes since they are more than premium enough cap for your application, and you seem to be spending that kinda money anyway.. as for your tweeter your hearing the duelund because it is in direct path (series) of feeding that horn and does ultimatley in that application give you the signature of the sound.
Undertow I will post Chris's response from partsconnextion.

CAPs in parallel sound even better......they reduce the ESL and ESR of the
combo.

Sincerely,



Chris Johnson, President
Oh well simply stating the application itself being in parallel will have less effect on the sound, so in a way we are agreeing.. But that does not mean the quality of cap is as critical, because basically it should have less effect on the final sound is the point.. Series are worse and thats because you are forced to use them in a position totally effecting the output, and why you found the duelunds to be better as they are probably just better having the burden of that location.
Wait a minuet, we might be confusing Parallel! You mean parallel as in the Circuit parallel, meaning one end of the Cap is on the positive tap of the amp and one on the negative tap of the amp? Or Parallel meaning using DOUBLE caps stacked parallel to equal the final value needed, if so then yes higher grade caps to bypass could be better, or 2 of equal quality in parallel for the earlier example a 6.8 and a 6.2 making a 13 uF stack yes is using 2 caps in parallel but that is not the same as Parallel in the circuit diagram..
I just talked to Chris on the phone and he thought the Duelund should be bigger and bypassed with a smaller amound Mundorf. They really recomend using two caps to stop the Sonic signature. He of course could not comment on the Duelund/Supreme in this case.

Undertow you are right though getting the midrange is even more important. I am still thinking 3uf Duelund and 10uf Mundorf.

I think I might put in the Sonicap while I guess which is the best combo for mids. I have a 13uf sonicap already here.

Now no vintage caps left in circuit.