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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
 
Reynolds853

I understand what you mean now about being lucky. He is lucky as he gets to hear the cap comparisons first hand without having to part with the $$$ first where else can one do that unless someone has a friend?

He is coming by today as I am trying to get him to fully understand what he is getting into. He is already to drive 9 hours each way to the U.S. (like right away!) to get a set of Khorns and buy a vintage tube amp right away. He has now spent a ton of time on the net checking things out, I am sure we can all relate to that.

I have told him the passive & active caps/inductors/silver hook wire are HUGE part of the equation. The Fisher and the Khorns are the cheap part!

I told him he needs to hear a stock Fisher (which is what he will be buying) and a stock set of Klipsch (Heresy's I have for Alnico drivers) to give a more accurate assessment.

Last time he was here I did not ask him (forgot) which channel was better the mostly Duelund (amp) or the Jensen. He will have no way of knowing so let's see if he can hear the difference.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Well he is off it Indiana tomorrow to buy a pair of Khorns and vintage tube amp.

He was over today and could hear a difference from the Jensen and Duelund and he liked the Jensen signal better. I did not tell him which he was listening too. He was going back and forth but and was confused. Half an hour is not long enough to really form a good opinion.

I disagree and so far like the Duelund better. It has only been a few days. They do sound like the same family though.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Well he bought the Khorns.

Good news for Duelund. He does not mind the idea of another $4k in parts just for the speakers.

We went looking at systems and I just said he should come here mine as a reference to other systems.

That seemed to be it, no more looking. He thinks I am obsessive over internal parts. We'll see.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
The friends comments were interesting.

1 Doesn't even sound like a stereo.
2 Very Clear.
3 Very natural sounding.
4 Didn't know CD could sound like that.
5 He was looking at new DS's but said "I can not imagine better digital sound". (this assumed a lowly CD was a problem)
4 Vinyl not worth it.

He was thinking of a turntable and I can not argue with his comment as Duelund seems to take away nasty's from digital. Vinyl still has of course the ticks and pops and worst of all wear that can be soooo easily and clearly heard.

In fact I will spend no more on turntable upgrades. Not anti analog just vinyl wears to easily.

I have thought about how this has happened to a former vinyl guy? I think Duelund has a smoothing effect. The main difference I can hear with Jensen is Duelund sounds more liquid and natural. Not soft but just liquid. I think the silk oil construction?

This seems to really help digital. (spent the first month pinching myself listening to digital after getting first Duelund caps)

I believe vinyl is already (of course) analog so does not need smoothing. Is some of the vinyl craze merely that vinyl compensates for either SS harshness or dry sounding caps?

At this point though my next upgrade will be Duelund speaker wire either Silver or copper. I hear Rev II is coming out but do not know what that means?

I really miss the Silver wire now that it is used up in my other speaker.

When I upgrade the speaker cable I will get back to the last few caps in the amp. I may even sell the LP12. (mostly sentimental reason for keeping now)
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Friends Khorns have AK-3 network. I seen them tonight but have not heard them. I gave him Steen's paper on speakers link. (the best article I have ever seen on speakers)

It is very easy to understand why many prefer the older Klipsch networks. They had foil in oil caps not poly. The AK's have poly. My CAST caps for the tweeter have to be at least 50x the size of his!

Friend only heard the Khorns briefly and said they sounded horrible. Poor conditions and amp he thinks. Hmmmm? I don't think so.

I read some of the Merlin thread on the Duelund site. He talks about the different things he hears. I do often wonder about other speakers with this level of parts? I would really like to compare mine to other speakers with Duelund parts.

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=speakers&m=291879
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