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
Hooked the amp back up to main speakers.

One of biggest changes of any that I did was going from vintage power supply electrolytic cap to the Jensen.

I remember being stunned at the difference.

The biggest downgrade!

More than anything I have done.

This vintage amp that sounded good now sounds terrible! I thought it would get better in time but has not even after many hours in the bedroom system.

The Jensen is coming out and the 50 year old cap is going back in! I really wish I could get something better than these 50yr old caps or even as good just for safety reasons alone.

The Jensen is MUCH smaller than vintage and very dry sounding. (shrill and harsh)
I remember back at the start of this thread taking much flack.

I was selling a set of speakers when a guy showed up with a vintage tube amp that looked like junk to me. My first experience of a complete foil signal path amp all through the speakers. I was just shocked at how much better it sounded than my $10k pre amp and amp. (SS) So I begged him for it and he sold me the amp and I kept the speakers. (so started the thread)

The thread started with my wife listening to one speaker each of vintage foil caps vs. modern poly caps. She thought the difference was just amazing. The problem was she did not know which speaker was which and was picking the vintage caps!

What was going on I thought all new parts would be better???

Then the quest started to find better than the vintage foil caps and up the food chain I went to Mundorf then to Duelund VSF then CAST (tweeter caps)

In some cases the Duelund caps were MUCH better in some cases like the VSF in the midrange compared to vintage foil the difference was not shocking but they were consistently better. (I would rate the vintage between 11and 12 for the midrange)

I did listen to the vintage tube amp on modern speakers with a cheap poly based crossover, not good.

Now here we are again replacing a vintage power supply cap with a new Jensen electrolytic expecting improvement and getting the exact opposite!

I know some may laugh but I can not tell the Ampohm Copper foil cap from the vintage Alu foil in Mylar (polyester) I would rate the vintage coupling caps by Tony's ratings at 11+. (the vintage lack dynamics and bass of Jensen and Duelund but not tone)

Why do vintage power supply caps sound sooooooo much better? At least than the Jensen?

I feel this part might be THE most important part of all! I have thousands of $$$$ of Duelund parts and Silver wire after the $50 power supply cap and that ONE part can make it all sound like crap!
There is a pair of Black Gate WKZ's on eBay for $1200. I tried to get Peter (Audio Note) to sell me some before. (obviously no luck)

I have never heard the Black Gates just so much about them.

I think they are my size. Scary even to look!

I had one EL 84 changed to ASC power supply caps. I am going to get that amp back out. I do remember the tone change. Lots of bass though.
Jensen out vintage back in.

Size of vintage is twice as big. Weight is 3-5 times as heavy.
There are some Western Electric caps for sale on eBay for $2100

Just HUGE! Looks like 100uf weighs 5 lbs?

The ad claims best in the world? (sonically)

In my cap testing for coupling and power supply I have not heard a lighter smaller cap EVER outperform a larger heavier one of the same type.

Whether it is Western Electric, Black Gate WKZ, Duelund VSF, Duelund CAST they all have one thing in common they are big and heavy.