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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
reynolds853
383 posts
 
Michaelvv,

I had the Mundorf S/G/O in a pair of speakers but changed them out for the VSF copper. The S/G/O had too much emphasis on the high frequencies for me. The VSF, on the other hand, sounded faster and richer, with great detail. In my system and for my taste, I enjoyed the VSF much more than the S/G/O.
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Sorry Duelund

I must have posted late or tired? My English was not clear.

I would expect the Alexander "not" to sound as good as VSF was in reference to what Steen had said about the VSF having to be hand made. I know the Alexander is machine wound. (so I would not expect them to sound as good or why would you do all that work by hand?)

Steen was saying (at least in my reading) that there was no way to machine make the VSF and I understood him to mean now or in the likely future?

Sorry I did not mean the Alexander to sound better. I think you took that from another post I said it would be my only fear that someone (possibly you) will come out with $50 cap or less that sounds as good or better. (meaning machine cap prices)
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Micheal

I first bought VSF for the tweeter and had 2 VSF (in series) and then bought CAST caps. I tried back and forth with the all combinations and ended going CAST followed by VSF. (partly because I already owned VSF but really liked the combination)

CAST and CAST or CAST then VSF were my favourites of the combinations. (wayyyy better than VSF & VSF) VSF can be flatter sounding. They resonate and lose some dynamics compared to CAST.

If you read from a long time ago and I am not sure I would want to go back through all of it. I was shocked when the CAST went in over the VSF to the point of putting my ear to the tweeter to see if it was working! (it is that big and that is coming from VSF) Before I put them in I was wondering would I even hear a difference? After I could not believe it!

I said Tony Gee should rate the CAST a 17 if VSF is a 12. This was before Tony came out with the ratings.

Going to two CAST tweeter caps is something I may want to revist. I think Duelund said it on here before Steen thought the CAST added nothing to the sound and even the VSF does. (CAST tilts to more bass due to no noise)

I find CAST more demanding of upstream components though.

Sorry for the ramble. In speakers CAST are "somewhat affordable" in low voltage high uf's. For tweeters this may be the one spot we can afford to try CAST but there is a very big difference.

Things I wish I could still hear. (if only I was made of money)
1. CAST woofer inductor (I bet amazing and I can not imagine a downside)(mine is VSF)
2. CAST in Electronics.
3. CAST power supply. (complete dream land)
michaelvv
52 posts
 
Volleyguy , just to clear things out.. On the tweeter 2 CAST +
2 VSF would be FINE :-) The Klipsch La Scala guy would get
a heart attach when i told him the price.
Properly stupid in your world , have you tried 2 CAST + 2 Mundorf in the tweeter.
The reason WHY at all , this would give him some GAIN in performance and then later on he could upgrade to VSF.
When i got the pictures from your modified crossover , i will
contact him immediately.

/best Michael
volleyguy OP
789 posts
 
Micheal

Yes I did do some of that to start with. I had a VSF followed by a Mundorf Supreme. Yes much better than stock foil caps. (before that a Mundorf Supreme followed by Sonicap then two Mundorfs)

I am not sure if you have heard of Tempo Electrics cap review but I agreed with them. I thought the Mundorf Supreme was pretty good for the $$$. (way better than a cheap poly cap) I had the Mundorf Silver in Oil (still do) and thought it tilted the sound to the treble and cost a lot more.

It is 1+1 for "AA" networks Klipsch.

My crossover is not modded in the sense it is still a "AA" network of course with a much larger footprint because of parts size but still a "AA". I just replaced parts with the same value.
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