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
As Roxy54 noted, it seems that both paper-in-oil and mylar are available:

http://jeffsplace.me/wordpress/?p=3794
Dear All,

I got a mail, saying that Lampi's findings were being discussed here.

Long story short - We make a lot of different type of caps. For the sake of competition we divulge some details but not all.

The ones Lampi took apart were CAST630v, which uses a special mixed dielectricum, we are quite proud of.

In essence, the copper foils are separated by two layers of paper, which is vacuum impregnated with our WPIO liquid/oil. Just like a regular paper in oil.

The material inbetween is not Mylar, as speculated, but something Steen discovered would work great in this application. Which is why we use it.

The cap is not in an oil bath - as we found the fully casted foil sounded better, the paper however is permeated with oil.

Incidentally, the CAST100v is completely different, The CAST Mylar we did for the Tannoy project is different again, and it does contain mylar.

On order we also make a myriad of different setups, be it PIO, WP, Teflon, Tin, Polystyrene, metalized. etc. etc.

Best regards,

Frederik

Duelund Coherent Audio
Bill,

You mentioned seeing some pictures of a sectioned Duelund CAST capacitor, are those pictures posted online? I wonder if it was one of the Mylar types but perhaps without the label visible. I also wonder if the resin matrix material could appear as the plastic type substance you mentioned. Regardless, I sincerely believe Frederik's products are as he represents them to be.

Cheers,

John
Bill,

Frederik responded here to my email quicker than I expected, but I should have known he would as I have always found him to be very helpful. And please ignore my previous post!

Cheers,

John
I think this has reached the point that Frederik should shed some light. My original CAST caps had this organic smell the last bunch did not? Or at least I remember the smell of the originals VSF and CAST.

I can assure everyone they for sure are oil as be of mine is leaking. I just have it out and am replacing it today with a brand new one sitting here that I have. I can take pics of the leaking one if someone needs this?

I am sure there is something in the CAST caps for rigidity (helping with the extremely low loss of energy) I was under the understanding they were all natural as well?