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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
ait
480 posts
 
I received the CAST 0.56uF caps for my preamp and installed them last night, then spent about 4 hours listening. The main difference between the CAST and the Mundorf Supremes I was using is in tonal balance. The CAST has more rounded and fuller midrange, low midrange and bass than the Mundorf. The treble is about the same so far.

I do feel that the Duelund sounds better due to the better tonal balance. Sax sounds more like sax, voices are especially nice.

I'm using the 200VAC CAST, not the 630V "electronics version". They are smaller and just fit into the preamp - the larger 630V would not have fit without extensive modification. An added benefit is that they are also less expensive (but still close to $600 per pair). Both Duelund and PCX assure me that these can easily handle at least 200V DC, even though they are marked as 100VDC on the side of the caps; my preamp runs at 175V DC on the plates.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Ait

I should check to see what my amp runs at voltage wise as it is a big difference for the high voltage caps.

The CAST do take a couple of weeks to open up I think.

I am just completing the break in on the Jensen Copper Paper tube caps now that the speakers are all Duelund and all the same.

I am curious as to how the VSF and Jensen compare?
ait
480 posts
 
I'm curious to hear your opinion of the Jensens, and I may want to move to them in the midrange of my Infinity speakers to build on the tonality of the CAST in the preamp. I am getting very addicted to the fuller midrange sound of the CAST as compared to the Mundorfs I had in there previously.
I'm up to ~15 hours on the CAST, and they seem to be getting better bit by bit. CAST in the speaker midranges would be out of the question, as they are 23uF caps - I'd be looking for a new wife if I bought a pair of 23uF copper CAST caps!
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Ait
I will let you know on the Jensen's. They are for sure pretty good. They do not have a plastic sound of poly. I will be comparing them myself against the Duelund VSF the cap that seems to not get much attention anymore and I am not sure why? To me the VSF and CAST sound for sure from the same family. Yes the CAST has much less noise but tonality is very good on both. I think the WPIO inductor is wayyyyy quieter than likely any other inductor barring of course CAST. (maybe the Jensen is good I do not know)

I can say I am starting to appreciate the Jensen Copper Paper tube caps more all the time. (vs vintage and now over 100+ hours)
face
516 posts
 
Ait,
IIRC, Jensen copper foil paper tube style caps are only available to 1uf, so you'll have to pick up either an aluminum, copper or silver VSF for your midrange. I went with an 6.8uf CAST on my tweeter and a 60uf aluminum VSF on the mid and have no regrets other than I wish I could afford an 110uf VSF for my woofer. :)
Mike
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