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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
 
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.
houstonreef
74 posts
 
Thanks Duomike and Volleyguy1 for your advice.
Volleyguy1: As you explained in the above answer is the combination of one Cast and ona VFS because i need two of them in a tweeter. Do they need to be in order? because i never open the back cover of the tweeter before.
Duomike: Do you have procedure/trick to open the back cover (especially the binding post)?
duomike
76 posts
 
Houstonreef,

just open the 2 screws to remove the back cover. Then remove the internal cable (clip on connectors). The xo circuit board is screwed into the 4 binding posts. very easy to remove. believe the duelunds are too big and won't fit the board so you will have to think about where to put them.

when opening the speakers I'd like to suggest you solder all internal connections with decent silver solder. Nice improvement for no money at all.

believe it is not a good idea to parallel 2 different caps
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
It is just my crossovers that were in series.

I already owned the VSF's which worked out nicely meaning not more money for CAST which are costly.

When I did the basement here the book I used for advice (on doing up the room) was the sales distributor for Avantgarde in the U.S. Jim Smith.

Some helpful tips. I did put down a wood sub floor. I will have to post some pics soon.

Love to hear the Trio's. What is the cap for you mid range horn?
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
I am excited about the CAST for electronics coming.

We will see if my gut is right but I think CAST will be very good. In the Clarity White paper I think it was 30%? of people who preferred high resonance capacitors. I know more preferred low resonance but it was not 100% for low resonance.

Houstonreef asked which Duelund and that is not always clear. What is clear is CAST are mechanically superior BY FAR in controlling resonance over VSF.

I can not imagine (at this point) why anyone would want added resonance in the electronics? Resonance favors the frequency of sound the capacitor resonates at and reduces other frequencies bass reduction can be huge. The resonance is also a loss of dynamics. Resonance can give a feel of more "air" as that is the freq resonance occurs. My "guess" is if one wanted to "add" resonance I think you may want it in certain caps in the crossover likely midrange and not in electronics. (this is if at all!)

In the case with Duelund the harmonic structure gets richer every time I put there parts in. Your brain goes that random sound is a this or that.

In my final tests setting the caps in the amp. The test caps will be (of which I have two of each)
Jensen Copper Paper Tube
Vintage ERO foil in polyester
Ampohm Copper foil in oil
Duelund VSF
Duelund CAST (coming)

Will it be two CAST's or some combination? First test is CAST vs. VSF (my current reference)

Will I be able to get my in series Duelund tweeter inductor in the speaker. The only Duelund part that did not improve sound overall. The change in DCR did not work.
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