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
I've had the Jupiter Cu foil capacitors in my amplifier for 6 hours and my "early" impression, this is a very good cap. Its insertion into the Frankenstein is less initially dramatic than with the CAST in my DAC and speakers at this same early stage. Is it the capacitor or is it due to different component/circuit location? One thing is clear however, it has a very natural character and the music flows realistically. The Jupiter reminds me more of the Duelund CAST than my experience with the V cap tin foil I've used. V caps are exceptional IMO but the CAST are just extraordinarily natural and right sounding, more emotion, harmonics and tone. The Jupiter seems cut from the same cloth. I'll have further impressions as they aquire
more playing time. I certainly understand that they need to burn in. I think
they could "potentially" equal the CAST or get very close. I'm not so sure
about toppling them however. Again, just quite early thoughts on an obviously fine capacitor.
Charles,
Charles
For sure the Jupiter's more like CAST than the VCap's. I think they have some fine traits as well. I wonder if we all put different weights on different things? Plus is there a measurement of how much energy is stored in a cap? When replacing the vintage ones with Jupiter's the noise level dropped which is good the resonance dropped as well but not big change in dynamics...
Volleyguy,
There's no question that we all have different listening criteria priorities, that's why this is such an enjoyable individual pursuit. For certain some listeners will prefer a V cap or another good teflon capacitor (could depend on specific applications). For my taste, give me Duelund CAST or the Jupiter copper foil, they are so beautifully natural. If a component or part can't produce realistic tone and timbre, I'm not interested. The music has to have breath of life and emotion.
Charles,
If the Jupiter was 5x bigger...
I have not ever yet found the smaller type cap of the same type to be more dynamic.
Sonicaps vs. Mundorf
Jensen vs. vintage
CAST vs. VSF
Vintage vs. vintage.

Even in the sought after vintage amps the caps were bigger than the not so desirable vintage amps...