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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
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Room acoustics are at or over 50% of the sound results your system produces. Carpet is okay, but REAL hardwood is better, much better than any other material. Don't use Pergo or that other type of simulated wood floor stuff that is mostly plastic it is the worst sounding I have experienced by doing it once in my listening area before dumping a house years ago.

Once heard on real wood(of course much more expensive, but then again you could probably do a room for 2500 and a Duelund cap costs that much!) you would likely think your hearing a whole new system.

And yes room acoustics have far higher effect on your sound than any one component or trying to balance out via capacitors. I know I pushed this way earlier in the thread originally to posters, but a room is the last to be thought of unfortunately in this game, and really is the first that should be done.

I would take a 30,000.00$ treated room with a pair of 1000.00$ speakers in almost any scenario opposed to a 30,000.00$ speaker and a 1000.00$ room because it can be that a big a difference in most cases! Besides I have heard 1000.00 speakers with good designed crossovers easily compete with nose bleed cost speakers anyway :-)
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,506 posts
 
Strange, my previous hardwood floor rooms have never sounded as good as my current carpet over concrete basement room. Lots of "other" noises from vibrations of the wood floors into the walls etc... make for a mess of sound at higher volume levels. My experience is polar opposite on this matter it seems.

I suppose wood over concrete would be wonderful, but that is not a wise idea in basement rooms! Wood floors are usually on first or second level rooms and they are just plain noisy in my experience. Many factors here that are home dependent. I can’t see saying wood is always the best.

Duelund Alexander caps for $380 total have been the single biggest improvement I have ever made in my sound system. Far greater impact then the various room tweaks I do employ. Greater then cable changes and amp upgrades.

Just my experience.
duelund_coherent_audio
110 posts
 
Volleyguy,

Sound is the same, internal construction is the same.
theaudiotweak
2,801 posts
 
I found recently that carpet pile and weave make a very big difference as does foam or jute under layment. Just like a capacitor. Tom
undertow
1,033 posts
 
Grannyring
Well let me point out, "Floating floors" opossed to on concrete may be exactly as you describe. I have only heard wood on concrete vs. carpet probably a necessary point I did not make.

Also, keep in mind if you go with real wood floors not veneer, you will still absolutely need carpeting in the room! For reflections etc...

So I agree with many points. I may have simplified a little.

You need at least a good solid sized area rug on top of your wood floor out in front of the speakers to add the body to the room, and eliminate a lot of the reflections coming off the floor for sure. Plus most wood floor rooms has some large puffy couches etc... To help sound balance.

Many times in very high end designed dedicated rooms you may even see the wood under the front of the room where most people have the components and of course more importantley the speakers and then the rest of the room carpet(cheaper and effective, but not very resale friendly I am sure).
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