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
Anyone ever try Audio Note copper foil capacitors in electronics?

I really like the vintage foil caps which are Vishay ERO FOL. I do not want to change the supreme tone. Audi Note is not a fan of any poly caps or Teflon. They say every poly or Teflon caps adds to the sound and at least the cheap ERO caps subtract rather than add.

The one dealer I buy some gear from says the Audio Note sounds smoother than Jensen's?

After listening for months now I just want stick with foil. SNS did not go crazy over V-Cap's, says they have a signature? I keep hearing that and that does not inspire confidence. 400 hour break in is not fun either! Also remember what one poly cap did in the crossover killed the whole sound.

I will try some Duelund in areas of room and critical circuit.

Power supply being done this week. Looking forward to that as well
For months I have been confused. As soon as a 50 year old tube amp pulverized my $10k SS amp and pre I have had to know why?

Where was the 50 years of progress?

Why did a capacitor (Duelund) made of nothing more than copper and paper and natural oils sound wayyyy better than any new tech poly cap I tried?

Why did this vintage amp sound so good after all I have heard some of the most exotic new tube amps? I admit I have only heard the tube amps through speakers running poly caps and as I already found all it takes is one to change sound. One of the speakers was Dynaudio which I heard but do not know for sure use Solen caps. If they do how could any amp sound good through Solen's?

Stereophile admitted to vintage being very good with no "audiophile" parts and NO advertising money coming to the magazine. Why?

I thought the vintage amp had foil caps but I think it is metalised polyester I have been told. (from someone on this thread) Audio Note use Vishay ERO in their Level 1 amps. The very same as the vintage amp?

A quote from Peter on the Audio Note website
"In all our Level One amplifiers, such as the OTO Phono Push Pull, we use the green ERO MKP metalized polyester capacitors, these cheap and cheerful industrial capacitors have been chosen through extensive listening tests against practically every commonly available polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyester capacitor on the market. They are far from perfect, but from a sonic standpoint they are purely detractive, meaning that they lose information rather than add it (which every polypropylene, Teflon etc. capacitor I have ever heard does to excess)".

Is that why the vintage sounds so good? A fluky good cheap capacitor?

Tony Gee seems to like them? Though he thinks they are poly? Audio Note says not?
Dave

I have one Mundorf Supreme Silver in Oil and I understand they can be tied into the power supply as a bypass cap? Anyone ever try that?

It would be with the all ASC caps. I figure might as well use the cap.
I wouldn't use an oil cap in a tube power supply. Too hot, too high voltage - better off with the regular Mundorf Supreme there.
Ait I think the voltage is 800VAC. Mundorf's are not really a oil cap. Know do they sound good there I have no idea? It is just sitting here so I thought I might as well use it.