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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
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Volleyguy
Yep.. A full on no holds barred crossover will cost more than the raw price of some speakers.. But everytime I have done it, was worth more than speakers costing 3 times more, just do the crossover and your 1000 dollar pair will be easily in competition with a 5000 dollar pair from my experience. Also one thing you did not mention, not only the parts cost and building is a pain to be professional about it, but they will not fit with these kinda parts in any speaker really, you then need to do external crossovers, redoing much wiring, and other issues to get the bi-wire or tri-wire setup to the outboard crossovers.. So this method is only for the hardcore, if you get involved be prepared!
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Thanks Undertow

You are right and I am not that hard core. Linn also does Aktiv and used Aktiv is likely cheaper and for sure more resaleable.

I have moved the CD player back in to the Linn system and can now understand why some were so excited about Sonicaps. They are better than Bennic in my mind. I hear Bennic (that linn uses) is about the same as Solen's which are 6.5 (according to Tony)
The Sonicaps are 8.5 so that would seem like a jump up it that is what you had before. Coincidently the Sonicaps are again much bigger than Bennic.

Undertow every time worth it? Good to know. I could fit the crossover in and the speakers were a lot more than $1k new about $4k+ but that would be the used value. Does it take them into $10 to $15k new value with a $1k in parts?

I am starting to demo Klipsch now on vinyl with the SS to hear if the difference is the same with SS or just tubes.
undertow
1,033 posts
 
I don't know about Linn speakers.. I honestly just put forward an example of a 1 k pair… Yeah sure I could see the linns if they are that good with better parts being on par with something in the 10 k range, why not? That’s all it takes, I mean speakers in my opinion from the range of somewhere in 1 or 2 k a pair up to 25,000 all have good drivers, anything in between is mostly effected with results from better cabinets and damping, and the crossover network or lack of network, so for sure the better a passive network, or NO passive network and running a full range driver, or Active crossover system as you are looking at should in fact be better. What amazes me about klipsch which I mentioned on another thread here is their new Palladium series.. For 20,000 dollars are WAY out of their element, and they use Bennic crossovers, I have seen the pictures of them, that speaker would destroy with a better network for sure, again it has to fit in the cabinet, and of course klipsch will only put in about 50 bucks a crossover not 500 because their profit is very high then.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Undertow a little confused?
The new Klipsch Palladium series if the crossover is so weak what about the rest of the components? What exactly do you mean WAY out of there element?
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Yes the crossover is excessively weak for a 20 k speaker was my point... Klipsch making anything in that range might be way out of their element in my opinion :-)
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