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
sherod
1,690 posts
 
Volleyguy,
The interconnects weren't made by Duelund. They are from a relatively new company. I also installed some new speaker internal wire with special wire containing no plastic, these made for or by Marigo Labs. The speaker wires are one of my next projects.
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 
Consider that the choice of synthetic vs. natural materials may serve different purposes in difference applications. The natural (silk?) wrap around each filament in a Marigo cable may serve to dampen vibration, independent of the performance of the material as a dielectric. Teflon in a cap may be chosen entirely for its dielectric properties. Metalized polypropylene in a cap may be interesting for its ability to be tensioned to reduce resonance, and for the reduced skin effect of thin film. Proper conclusions cannot be drawn without unpacking the many variables of engineering, and of course not all products are well engineered independent of choice of materials.
sherod
1,690 posts
 
I agree. Choosing materials is one thing. How they are engineered into the final product is another.
musicfile
341 posts
 
Has anyone heard the Audiocap PCU and care to share their experiences
I'm in the process of recapping my tube amps and this looks like a really good cap

Opinions appreciated
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
My computer had crashed awhile ago so just getting some log-ins back.

Of course agreed the choice is not just of materials but how they are put together, no one could argue that. Tempo Electric had the old Jensen Aluminum Paper in Oil were Tier F and Duelund was tops and other than copper the material was not that different.

The question would be why the Jensen was rated so poor? My guess is noise (poor construction) and Aluminum not sounding as good as copper. The Poly caps though having different faults. Fake sounding.

So does it not make sense to start with at least natural sounding qualities and lower the faults?

I have one full signal of just Duelund VSF (just one) and rest Jensen Copper Foil Paper Tube and other signal all Jensen except last two still vintage. Dynamics and bass is the only real difference and it is big.

For me I feel I have got all I was looking for. The tone of vintage and the dynamics and bass of modern.

So I guess I mean their is nothing special about a vintage capacitor that has not been bettered in every way today.
More to discover