2. speakers
  3. 1211428524

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
 
Elviukai
What I should have said with a SOLEN Bypass used even on top of the best electro is better than the single Electro alone in many cases... That being said obviously in most electrical applications of a power supply a solen 1000 uF or whatever does not exist anyway, but a Black gate with a solen bypass can still make it better..

But hey in some applcations maybe a flat black gate with no bypass is the better solution, neither here nor there from my understanding as the BG's are not even made anymore so taking some cheaper electros bypassed by a decent film is the best route for most cases. Thats my clarification. Proceed with caution!
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Undertow
What is that proceed with caution. You almost say that like you have had something explode?

The ASC at 4000uf do you mean 40uf? Confused?

North Creek inductor is huge. The size make the original look like a toy. I do not know what that will mean to sound. Should be interesting.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
In one of the amps I bought had Mullard's in for EL84. I had no idea they were that much money. They sound awesome!

I almost feel quilty using them.

http://www.mullardtubes.com/MullardPowerTubes.aspx
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Volleyguy
Nope never had an issue, but I made sure I was WELL above any voltage ratings... And again this is stuff you are playing with that with different power supplies nobody can tell you directly what to do with it.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Undertow

I should say I am not playing with the power supply. (that kind of work is over my head) I am having it done by a guy who has worked on tube gear his whole life.

Installed the North Creek 10 guage inductor.

It is as I suspected not going to be near like the tweeter cap change.

George at North Creek said the biggest change I would notice would be in the midrange. This is not what one would initially expect from a woofer inductor change.

I suspect that is a reduction in boominess (because of no hysterisis) and lower DCR allows the midrange to sound cleaner?

Bass lines are easier to track but the midrange become too prominent. More detail yes, hearing things I never heard.

I have this theory on resonance. We are used to it many systems. Lots of it. When friends came over when I first had the Duelund VSF tweeter caps in for the first half hour they would all pick the vintage tweeter caps. (I did not tell them which speaker had which cap) then after half an hour on each speaker going back and forth they would all say what's wrong with the vintage cap speaker? You can't hear anything just a blurr. Then they just could not believe the difference after awhile but at first they did like lots or resonance.

In this complex relationship between drivers is where speaker designers earn there money!

One speaker has (and this is on purpose) vintage inductor, VSF midrange cap and CAST tweeter caps. The other speaker has VSF tweeter caps, VSF midrange and North Creek 10 guage inductor.

You would not believe these were even the same speakers! The difference is enormous!

This is very complex stuff!

The CAST set one lots of bass warm with great detail and balance.
The VSF/North Creek thinned out but even more detail (caused by 10 guage indcutor) but too much emphasis on midrange.

The CAST in the tweeter caps cuts noise by a massive amount. Oddly enough the tweeter cap seems to cut midrange output.

I expect that the best combo will be (that I have) the North Creek inductor with the CAST tweeter caps.
More to discover