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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
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Grannyring

You can increase the uf on SS rectified? (unlimited) I understand you should not exceed a 50% increase on tube rectified. That is my next project the power supply in the SS rectified amp. Very much a pain in the butt to find the right parts. What is it like to find space in a new amp? The Fisher 500c is awesome for space underneath for working on lots of room for those big Duelund parts. (part of the reason I choose vintage to test on was space and point to point plus low entry price because when I am done I will own these amps no matter what) Space on top for power supply another story. On one of the EL 84's I had a deck made of steel to house the ASC caps. (huge caps!) I have get that amp out again as the poly caps were not shrill like the Jensen. A lot of deep bass is what I remember but a poly tone.

Is it a general rule of thumb but the sought after output tubes seem to always be big? I like the sound of the EH 7591A in the Fisher bigger than the original.

I can not even say for sure the effect of the power supply cap (change) is the same in SS rectified although I am sure it is. Quiet is quiet.

I have a gut feeling that a Duelund CAST is the ultimate power supply cap. DEAD quiet if you could afford it!

I am curious of Dgarretson's Clarity caps in the power supply. If the Jensen is a typical electrolytic now then they have no place in Audio (except space) and I can see why people will go to poly in the power supply.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,506 posts
 
Space is certainly an issue. I am having an expansion chassis being made of wood that expands the depth of my chassis by 8 inches. This is how I can fit all these big can Mallory caps.
houstonreef
74 posts
 
I try to replace cap in the teewter of my Advantgarde Duo 2.0 (currently having mundorf). Please advise me what model of Deulund cap should i buy.
duomike
76 posts
 
the standard duo uses 2 x 2,2 uF mundorf supreme caps. I replaced the 3,3 uF silver/gold mundorfs in my omega dup with teflon v-caps. the improvements are dramatic. the tweeter cap has a huge influence on the sound and I'd like to suggest to buy the best duelund cap you can afford
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
I have placed an order in for a Duelund CAST cap (might up that to two) and will likely get at least 3 more if they sound the way I expect. They are due in on Wednesday from Denmark. Then they will be shipped to me. Maybe end of next week? I live only 1 hour from Partsconnexion.

Houstonreef
It depends on what you like a bit. The CAST are ultra low noise which you should like in horns. I have compared in the Klipsch two in series 2uf tweeter caps of 2 Mundorf Supreme a Silver in Oil and Duelund VSF and Duelund CAST. The CAST when I first put them in I thought I wired something up wrong that is right after the VSF's! I actually put my ear up to the tweeter to hear if it was even working! I tried all combinations and liked a CAST followed by a VSF second choice was two CAST's in series. (just soooo quiet) I could not stand two VSF's as they were FAR too noisy! Also a loss of dynamics with all the resonance.

If I was getting just one cap it would be CAST clearly. I can assure you the difference is something you can easily hear.

I had tried the CAST before Tony Gee had and thought they should be rated 17 (by his numbers) then if the VSF was 12.5. He "only" gives the CAST a 14 out of 10?

I will be able to give another reassessment maybe by the end of next week at least in electronics. CAST vs. VSF in electronics is the coming up comparison. I am curious? VSF is my current cap best over Jensen Copper Paper Tube. I just could not justify CAST till now for small value caps.
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