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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
 
If I had to do it again, unless you feel that there is something lacking
With the caps now, I think I would be contended with either duelunds, vcap or jupiter cu.

I found big improvement using those black bullets at the speaker terminals than what a swap of caps will do given you have good caps there presently.
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Justubes2

"The virture of the cap with the best midrange, always sacrifices the openess and sparkle".

Have you tried the VSF? It is natural like the CAST but has more sparkle as you say but in reality it is noisier.

I do use the VSF after the CAST and at the time preferred it to two CAST's.

I guess my priorities are on the crucial midrange. I do not want to be aware I am listening to a stereo at all and if the mid range is not good? It always feels like a stereo.

I am going through all the posts trying to catch up and am also glad to hear about the Audio Note caps. (power supply)

This thread has worked out wildly beyond my imagination in the beginning! So many great inputs from so many enthusiasts that one can read (yes extremely long) and get a very good idea of what to do and expect.

We also have great choices now in a product (caps) that maybe at one time was thought maybe to not matter or matter much. In here it is the same caps over and over. Duelund Jupiter and Vcap.

I must say VCap's seem to be robustly built.
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Grannyring

"That is my exact finding with the Jupiter caps which are now my go to also. Perfectly balanced. I like the CAST, but have found time and again they are tilted upward in the upper mids".

I find the Jupiter's are bar none the quietest cap out there. To anyone reading this post I think Grannyring's priorities are absolute noise reduction.

To me I would say if the Jupiter was physically 3 to 5x bigger I might have to agree with Grannyring. I find Jupiter lacks dynamics of the Duelund line.

Oddly not many on here talk about dynamics? Where I think Duelund is wildly successful!

Now the blackness around everything with Jupiters is really something to hear if that is one's thing. Everything is carved out of blackness.
volleyguy1's avatar
volleyguy1
343 posts
 
Justube2

"With the caps now, I think I would be contended with either duelunds, vcap or jupiter cu".

Agreed once you reach a level of these caps you are getting to one's preferences, system synergy which someone might have to hear for themselves.

If one reads yours Grannyring or mine one can guess we are all looking for something slightly different?

Mine is natural and dynamic. Duelund gives me that in spades. (especially CAST and RS) VSF were not as dynamic. (but natural)

Now Jupiter I can not imagine a quieter cap. Just crazy quiet. To me unnaturally quiet! Do they deserve a 13 rating by Tony Gee I would say yes. Are they as good as RS, not to me. (both rated 13) Could they be if bigger? Maybe?
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,511 posts
 
Please remember what Tony Gee says about Jupiter caps matters not at all for electronics for one reason. He only used them in speakers! My experience and comments are in electronics. Caps do not necessarily sound the same in both applications.

The Jupiters are just more musical in electronics. I hate brightness and glare. I long for smooth, natural tone. The CAST caps are tilted up in the upper mids and in the end fatigue me in electronics. This is not the case in speakers based on my experience. These caps do not always sound the same in both applications....very important point. In speakers, I choose the flat, pancake style CAST. They sound great and better than the cylindrical CAST caps for electronics based on my experience.

I find the Jupiter caps as dynamic as CAST in electronics....at least in my systems and applications.

Some of this comes down to personal preferences, but I do want to warn readers that Tony Gee's comments are based on speaker usage only!

An ASC oil cap may sound fine in a power supply, but lousy in a speaker. A Solen Fast Cap may sound good in a power supply, but not so good as a coupling cap or speaker crossover cap.
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