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,thanks for the comment, at last I have decided to buy jensen paper tube to replace audionote mylar copper in oil which is shorted suddenly during playing music. Only 6 months of use...
Did you guys ever experience such this thing? I've check the voltage etc, everything normal and right now I use jensen alu tube for a moment.
I write complain to AN uk but no response.

I tempting to try duelund or vcap cutf but they out of my budget right now hehe

You can check on PCX - today they start to launch duelund silver foil 630v with whooping price...I'll wait dor someone here who dare to try it
I just got response email from Martin AN UK, he says that the AN caps I got from PCX was from the very first batch which some of that has troublesome.
So I have to send it back to AN UK and got pair of current production caps for replacement. :)
Eherdian

Interesting you mention that about the Audio Note Caps. When at the amp repair shop he was working on an Audio Note 300b amp and it was one of the coupling caps that went. The copper foil in Mylar type.

I am going to guess it was one of the older Audio Note amps.

Nice sounding amp though. I am glad they are taking care of you.
Volleyguy,

When you compared vintage electrolytic caps with a new one, was the vintage one wasn't dried up? I've been told by my friend that the dried up electrolytic caps sounds distorted
Eherdian

It was the vintage electrolytic that smoked the new one... The old electrolytic was bigger heavier and sounded much better. The new small light Jensen Electrolytic sounded dry. It was like liquid vs. dry and the difference was VERY big in favour of the vintage. I am going to get around to doing a paper in oil power supply some day.

With the amp builder who is a great guy I am asking a ton of questions. If as I understand in an EL 84 circuit the first electrolytic is in the power supply then this would make sense to sound quality...

A comment from someone else talking about old electrolytics in the power supply. I am not aware that I am in any occult?

http://lenardaudio.com/education/14_valve_amps_6.html

"When occult audiophileism evolved during the 1980s, science and technology was replaced with mysticism and many occult followers believed the old rectifier valve and old Electrolytic capacitors contributed to the magical sound of pre 1960 valve amps.   Some valve amp manufacturers today, who cater to the occult market, use rectifier valves and old style electros".