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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
k2_nl
13 posts
 
Hi Frederik,

One 15 uF cap has two soldering joints and 15 x 1 uF has 30 soldering joints?

This is correct of course but do you expect a change in soundquality because of the difference in number of the soldering joints? With capacitors in series I can see the increase of soldering joints can be an issue, however with capacitors in parallel I expect the larger number of soldering joints is less of a problem.

I've experienced the sonic effect of bad soldering joints in speaker xovers and at this point I fully agree with you. I can't be stated enough to pay good attention to it (especially when you use the more difficult to work with high Ag content solder). Bad joints result in lousy sound with strange effects on soundstaging.

The difference in the number of soldering joints I expect however not to be responsible for the good effects that I experienced with multiple parallel caps (a cap built with different values and all being of the same type/manufacturer).

The picture of a multiple parallel VSF-cap (the manufacturer used large values in combination with smaller values) I once saw on the internet (I think it was the Duelund-site) fascinated me. If the results are similar to those I experienced with the Obbligato's, I expect the transparancy of the Duelund cap will increase even further. I would be interested to know how for instance a 10 uF CAST Cu PIO helds up to 2,2 and 8,0 uF CAST Cu PIO.

As this forum is visited by quite a lot of Duelund afficianados that are willing to invest a lot of money on caps I was hoping that one of them would be in for the test ;-)

Kees
jburidan
803 posts
 
Is there a third Dueland cap called 'Black'? If so, where can I find more information?
Thanks.
Jay
reynolds853
385 posts
 
Regarding my last post, I figured out the answer so would ask that no one waste their time writing a reply.

Jburidan,

There is a "Black" capacitor described on the Duelund website:

"The new VSF Black series, designed to fit between our VSF and CAST series. The black finish is the result of a light (or dark...) CASTing, resulting in a more resonance damped VSF cap, pushing the audio performance closer to the CAST."

The website says that it's ready to be ordered.
reynolds853
385 posts
 
Gentlemen,

Is PVC an acceptable material for a potting container?

Thanks,

John
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
I had some kind words from Irish on this thread and how it has helped people. I can say the original intention was there would one guys log on parts (start to finish) I did not think there would be so much great info from so many people or it would be so long.

I just spent so many hours reading on the net before ordering my first parts for testing in the crossover and could not find any on going kind of debate or what the buyer felt about the part after a period of time.

It was a fellow poster on here that got me try a Duelund VSF for the tweeter. I truly really thought I was throwing my money away with an oh well attitude. At the time many people said as long as the uf value was the same anything would do.

I think this thread has if one thing once and for all changed that idea. At almost 200,000 visits it has been seen quite a bit for an obscure subject as speaker parts.

I think we all really owe Steen a great deal. I think even for the ones not using his company's parts he as far as I know he single handily changed the whole notion on parts. 50% of your $ on speakers and 50% of that one crossover parts. (at the time a crazy notion)

When the Silver wire gets here from Irish I will have followed Steen's path almost right to the end. Almost no stranded wire left. (a little in the amp)

Almost no plastic. Just have to get some Duelund IC's some day.
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