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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
justubes2
203 posts
 
Yes, I feel that in and signal the cast imparts a stronger characteristic. I actually do have a 2% cast also as a mid bypass of 2uf in the crossover, but
didnt find that midrange magic.

Cast can make a digital systems almost sound like vinyl which is the exact reason why I have moved back to digital.

Like on great vinyl recordings, you get it all, smooth natural mids and extension.

On lesser vinyl recordings, here is were I find lacking which the cast pulls the same bag of tricks and sounds overly analogue lacking resolution of digital.

So I can be worth its weight in gold in the right systems or careful matching which I go from bypass psu caps with a mix to get more details and highs but did find it lessened the midrange beauty by doing so.

I still managed to get some midrange beauty that I acheive with aacheive by other brands of caps limited to those I has selected.
justubes2
203 posts
 
Grannyring, do try your silver oils in parallel with duelundstonally to see if it tonally and gain more details, the vocals were still good doing so. The silver gold oil worked slightly better as a bypass to the cast for me together with a small tftf
which allowed a more open soundstage.The silver oils are good in the tweeter cap as well, not untilltftf comparitftf and cast did I find the glare and somewhat uncontrolled highs.
justubes2
203 posts
 
Update on the duelund 0.01uf silver foil meant as a bypasscap.

Finds on getting bore extension is as previously stated.

This is a very neutral cap and balanced sounding which actually does'nt add much as a bypass.

I have retested in a different application, digital input as a small value of 0.01uf is sufficient. The main comparision is the jupiter copper which used on it's own is one cap i find the most neutral and balanced sounding accross the whole frequency range, it was however a 1uf replacing the 1uf electrolytic.

The duelund as a main signal cap is slightly more detailed and clear whcih leads to a more upfront and less open sounding compared to the Jupiter copper.

I must say without critical listening, they sound very similar ,but currently have preference to the more layered and spacious sound of the Jupiter copper although with a penalty of a slight loss of detail of the duelund silver.

The silver duelund does not have the typical lush and analogue mids of the cast cu and still a very fine sounding cap with better extension on both extremes, so it is balanced over the whole frequency band. Does not sound bright or lean. Do not expect the bass resolution of a teflon cap like the tftf.

Do note, unless you can use the small value in coupling, it should help bring good details as a bypass, but likely not additive to tone or high. A very fine sounding cap which probably needs more time to see if the staging can be more open and have better depth, otherwise, it very good in all if it can be used in a very small value.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,646 posts
 
I have not tried the SIO in paralell with Duelund. I typically like using just one Jupiter copper cap in the signal path. Another cap I like to "mix" in is the Jensen copper foil in paper tube cap. These are very warm and inviting and on their own may be a little to dark. If used elsewhere in an amp with the Jupiter cap the sound is very natural and inviting and not the least bright or fatiguing.
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Justubes2

" I have a very itchy feeling it would work very well in the tweeter blocking function".

I have much to read here to catch up but agree with this statement.

The Jupiter is the quietest cap I have heard. I find it lack CAST or RS dynamics but is stunningly quiet.
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