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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
 
Duelund have your caps been used by any recording studios?

I really would like to buy recordings that were done on all tube gear and plastic free foil caps. It is one thing to have your system plastic free but that of course is only half the equation. I am finding out more all the time old tube foil cap recordings are much better. Now tube and high quality Duelund foil cap I bet would be fantastic!

Tempo Electric has changed their ratings based on what has been said here by many of us. I for one think Tony's ratings as a number would be good if ALL caps were adjusted downward. Duelund CAST moves down to 10/10 (instead of 14) and all others dropped as well with a VSF being 9 Mundorf Supreme say being 5 or 6 out of 10 and a Solen being like a 2 or 3. To me this might not be politically correct but very accurate. When I first read Tony's review I did not know why I would want more than 10/10? Could I even hear it? Then I was shocked to hear indeed a very big difference from #1 and #2. (both very good but a clear difference)

I am going to e-mail Tempo to stand firm. To me sites like Tempo and Tony's and Arthur's have helped Audio a great deal. The ad based magazines love everything. (I know they know where the money comes from) I was at Chapters the other day looking at Audio mags. They are a waste of time. I would not buy speakers now without knowing what the crossover parts were.

Would it not be great if Audio mags said stuff like

Company X has dropped product X and went to product Y to fatten the bottom line. etc.

The last 50 years of Audio would all be about lowering the cost of production.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
The partial poly power supply is done and will hear what it sounds like in the next few days.

Lots of stuff coming next while. Duelund inductor, Duelund and Jensen Paper Copper in tube caps and Duelund hook wire.

More ASC power supply caps and coupling caps going to be ordered.
sherod
1,690 posts
 
Hey Volleyguy! Congratulations on getting recognized in the Tempo Electric capacitor shoot-out page. I e-mailed Joseph there recommending he put the Claritycap MR caps in his upcoming shoot-outs. I'm considering getting a pair of Duelund VSF coppers to do a comparison with the Claritycaps in my preamp outputs.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Hi Sherod
When I started this thread it was nothing to do with recognition. Private sites are my source now for info. I hope that when people read this thread they get an idea of what the parts mean on a realative basis. For me the idea that caps are "passive" part therefore not as important as active part will never be the same.

I wish there were more guys running all foil systems. I would love to what they thought Duelund start to end. I can not deny that a V-Cap in the electronics is not enticing at 1/8th the cost of Duelund CAST. The problem is so far the only part that has blown my socks off has been Duelund and now I am getting spoiled. This is where the Jensen copper tube comes in to lower cost but still stay plastic free. I am eagerly awaiting Jimmy's findings.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Got back the EL84 with the partial new power supply.

The sound of this amp was horrible!

Ended the experiment within 15 minutes and will see what the problem is. It might be a poor quality tube. Work done was ASC power supply caps a Silcon rectifier some resistors changed and some caps put in.

I suspect and my hearing is getting very accurate on this that a poly cap was put in and not even a good one. If you want to kill the tone of a vintage amp just put in a poly cap. My tech guy said a couple of caps. I can not believe how far off the mark this amp is, not even close to original spec Fisher. I will be taking off the bottom plate to see. As fast as snapping your fingers you can tell something is not right with this amp. The first thing you notice is things sound fake. There is also a dead sound.

There has been much made of the movement back to tubes. I think (becoming more convinced every day) that the other side of that equation and just as important as tube sound is the foil cap sound.

Foil works best when it is complete no poly anywhere. I was shocked how changing one cap in speakers changed everything and it was Mundorf Supreme. (not a bad cap)
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