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
Hi VolleyGuy a good friend of mine , who have the exact same speakers like yours , the V-cap Cuft has burned for about 400+ hours in his pre-amp and the total result is just amazing.
We have almost the same amps and after the long time on the V-cap i now know what kind of magic you are writing about when speaking about the La Scala. It's just amazing though he only have replaced the tweater caps with Clarity MR instead of the very very pricey Duelund.
He always have some issues now he's just a very happy person.
Micheal
I agree on the Klipsch Lascala or Khorns can be just amazing but also agree with someone who would say they were awful, as they can be with wrong upstream components.

A friend of mine who came over to hear them after we were out listening to new (up to) $100k systems was shocked! I asked what he thought of the stereo and he just had a puzzled look of it does not even sound like a stereo?

I was getting e-mails from him at 4am for days after as he was looking for the same stuff. He drove 9 hours each way to the U.S. To buy the speakers and another 6 hours in another direction to buy the amp which I told him was nothing special.

He has had done a whole room around them for Audio and Video, but is having a tough time with the concept of more money in parts for a crossover than the speakers cost and that certain drivers are better.

That is what I have been doing is getting ready to finish the whole basement but for Audio first not concerned about video.
Grannyring

I have no experience with Duelund Alexander but can say the VSF and CAST have never gone south. The started good and got only better.

That being said I am not sure of the relationship of the two as VSF and CAST are hand made and Alexander machine?
I've the 'Alex's in my 'mig amps' for a couple of weeks now. Probably about
50hrs total. These r the best 'oil caps' I've heard, Mundorf SGO being the others, in my amps. Up to about 20hrs. a 'wee bit' of stridency on some leading edge female vocals that has now disappeared. Compared to the Aeons, they sound is much more visceral & tonally correct. They have more body & 'flesh on
bone', & the family resemblance w/the more expensive Duelands is apparent. They've opened up & become more spatially distinct & both lows & highs seem
clear, tight, & extended. The presentation is more, 'out of the box', and the Daedalus disappear more as the source of the music, the soundstage is also
deeper. Perhaps this contributes to the 'greater body' sensation. Detail is improved across the frequency spectrum & dynamics seem very good, w/tracks
such as Warren Haynes, River's Gonna Rise, pounding out its drum intro. In the 'Migs' they seem organic, natural, earthy & rooted. A bit 'softer' in presentation, but more 'lit from within', at least that's how the 'oils' seem in the 'Migs'.

All said, i'm still at a bit of an impasse looking for degrees of
'more optimization'. I'm wondering if using the Clarity MRs in my pre & 'Alex's
in the amps is the optimal use of such. I don't have experience in 'what should
be where' placement. Am I getting the best of both or half/assed of each?
Any suggestions/experiences? If the MRs aren't as 'transparent' in the pre, yet
bring nice air & extensions high & low is that bringing anything that the more
well toned 'Alex's would in the pre? The Clarity seem a terrific cap for the money, but I want to 'eek out' as much performance via the pre as I can & anything lost in the pre, can't be reclaimed by the amps. Is there any 'consensus' as too using the MRs in say speakers, & the more 'exotics' in electronics, as to being optimal? Am I correct in 'assuming' that going to
'exotic' caps in the pre will pay dividends heard downstream. Matching up
Alex's, or mixing the more upscale Duelands or even the copper Vcaps?
My Duelund Alex caps sound poor after 120 hours and sounded glorious after 30 hours.

My bass. Is now all but gone? I am really fustrated and will let them burn in another 100 or more hours.