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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
ricevs
1,543 posts
 
I bypass everywhere....tube and solid state electronics and speakers. Have since 1980. Now using the smallest (5mm lead spacing) stock film and foil Wimas, modded Metalized Wimas and Vishay Rodersteins as they are the smallest and therefore fastest caps. I will be listening to the .01uf (2.5mm lead spacing) FPK-02 Wimas this week...just got them in. The metalized Wimas need to be modded as they have steel leads on them. I dremel off the sides and leads and attach my own copper leads. Most of these small caps are only rated at 63V or 100V so tube preamps/amps are a no no. However, some are made at 400V (low values like .01 max) but are hard to find. I mark all caps for outside polarity before use.
salectric
751 posts
 
For another perspective, I avoid bypass caps whenever possible for the simple reason that I can always hear them. They add a discontinuity very similar to adding a super-tweeter to a full-range speaker system. There is a heightening of treble extension and speed, and the soundstage seems larger and more dramatic, but after a while I find the effects of the bypass cap to be distracting and unnatural. Often, but not always, the bypass cap also causes the bass to become lean. These effects are audible whenever I try a bypass---coupling caps, power supply, speaker crossovers, etc.

Obviously, some folks do not react this way since otherwise no one would use bypass caps, but I am just pointing out that there is another perspective on them. In my view, you should always use a single cap with the correct value, and if the application has important sonic implications (and most do) then use the best sounding cap you can find.
regismc
112 posts
 
Don't know where this leads, but something 4 the holiday reading list.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue65/reader5.htm
ricevs
1,543 posts
 
The audio game is very subjective. Some are always looking for "tone and density".....some want speed and clarity....others are looking for "transparency....ie no sound". The only way to know if something works for you is to try it. And when you try something make sure you are covering all the bases: various brands, sizes and types, damping of part, isolation of part, damping of bare wire, orientation of part (outside foil), burning in of part, etc. etc. If you do enough playing around then you will come to your own conclusions based on your subjective criteria. You will be making your stereo sound the way you want. We need to please ourselves.....so please do not believe anyone.....including me. Please do your own experiments.
sherod
1,690 posts
 
Based on my experiences with bypassing coupling and crossover caps, I'm in the same camp as Salectric. I have always preferred using one only of the highest quality cap( within one's budget and tonal preferences) with the suggested value. I always hear the bypass cap, giving the illusion of this false airiness in the highs, almost like a tilting up or shelving effect. I also believe that good quality caps, i.e. film and foil, need much more break-in time than some people might think. I don't have enough experience with comparing small bypass caps on large eletrolytics in power supplies. That could be another story. By the way, the top caps like Mundorf's SIO and the Duelund VSF copper, need a minimum of 200 hours before they show their true colors. This is just my personal opinion and your mileage might vary. :o)
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