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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
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Undertow I do have a friend who is going to come over when done to hear the Duelund's and he is also a Khorn owner who wants to know.

I have already asked him to post on here his thoughts.

I feel it is good to have more than 2 or three vintage Klipsch owners impressions.
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Duelunds vs. Clarity cap MR size for size.. Well I know you can get a Clarity MR for about 60 bucks in 1 uF and a Duelund is somewhre in the 120 to 135 region.. So yep half the price of Duelund.. But double what a Mundorf silver would cost I guess.. As for larger sizes like you need on your speakers.. Well a Clarity MR 10 uF is something like 260 each…. But a Duelund I am sure is in the 500 each range.. So there you go. I would not go to such sizes in any cap if not necessary, I have speakers that only require about a 6 uF cap tops, and my components are in the .22 uF to 1 uF range so no need to get silly on extreme cost large values for me as it might be for others.. And yes I was in fact using 100% tube, not totally vintage, they are newer components but have vintage sound along with the clarity of newer components and some better parts.. However I am still using a fully modified custom Tube PReamp and phono, I did now put in some Pure Class A Solid state mono blocks which are the only so far to match up well to the tube S.E.T sound of my other amps in my system.
hifisoundguy
630 posts
 
Has anyone tried Penta Labs Teflon caps yet? http://www.customelec.com
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Hifisoundguy
/Nope once again :-) They look interesting.. Flat body much like the duelunds.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
I am getting a handle on the Mundorf vs. vintage.

Vintage/Duelund sounds MUCH more real. When listening to the Mundorf's there is a tension through the shoulders. The mind trying to figure out what they are playing. It feels like going down stairs on your bum. You want to go turn the stereo down as it is very tiring.

With the vintage/Duelund it gets the music right much more often and when it doesn't sound right for some reason not offensive.

It has been an expensive lesson $250 in Mundorf caps and $100 in Sonicaps that I have no use for but will sell for something.

Foil caps simply sound like music and poly's sound like a stereo.

You can feel the whole body relax when foils are in and you want to listen to music. Now I understand the 30yr fascination with these speakers and NOT all Klipsch as I owned heresy II's (and did not like at all, cheap caps no doubt) Even Khorns after they switched off AA's did not sound so good to me either.

Undertow you are right that Duelund is expensive but at least I feel good about spending the money.

If I was on a tight budget (and who isn't) I would change tweeter caps (to Duelund) and use vintage foil in oil cap for the midrange. Vintage foil mid range is likely better than ANY (in my mind) Poly cap.

Steen's right put those things back in computers or non audio areas.

A real bargain on e-bay would be someone's old Klipsch "AA" crossover and just change the tweeter caps. Sound would be MUCH better than new and wayyyyyy better than any poly cap I have heard.
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