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Crossover Capacitors for Accuton Tweeters - Solen -> ClarityCap -> Jupiter -> Duelund

I've got Coincident Pure Reference Extremes with an Accuton ceramic tweeter and have moved through four different capacitors to provide my high pass filtering.  The speakers only have one 4.7uF capacitor in the crossover (no resistors or other components), so it was pretty easy to hear the sound of each cap. 

Started with stock Solen's, then tried Clarity Cap CMR, then Jupiter Copper Foil & Wax, and finally Duelund Tinned Copper CAST.  Just installed the Duelunds on Monday and despite not being broken in, they sound absolutely amazing.  Smooth, sweet, and detailed without any grain or harshness.  Just really spectacular, they let me hear more details while also preventing the tweeters from being aggressive, which has been a problem I've had to work hard on ever since owning the speakers.  

To comment lightly about the other caps I heard, I actually thought the stock Solens were pretty good.  They had a nice sense of color... when I changed out to the clarity cap, things got a little clearer, but felt too neutral.  I read that they are "ruler flat" and found that a good description.  I liked the cleanness, but missed some of the tone & color from the Solens... felt like I got a good combination of those two traits when upgrading to the Jupiter Copper Foils.  After about 6 months of the Jupiters I finally bought the Duelunds as a self-birthday present, and they completely lived up to my (very high) expectations.  Just beautiful, organic music.  Can't wait to see where they go over the next 200 hours.  Only have 10 to 20 on them so far.  

If you've got an accuton tweeter and can handle the stupid cost (and size), I concur with everyone else's recommendations (thanks humblehifi, jeff's place, @charles1dad, & @grannyring), they will make your speakers sound better.
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grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,518 posts
 
The Duelund caps in question are not colored based on my listening and testing. I would also say the Jupiter copper foil caps are not colored. Both are even handed top to bottom and do not exaggerate any part of the frequency spectrum. I have used the Alumen caps and currently have them in my Dali Epicon 6 speakers as part of an upgrade I did. I like these caps as you do. However, they are not more neutral than the Duelund tinned copper or Jupiter, but they are flatter sounding and less dimensional sounding. I wanted to place the Duelund tinned copper CAST in my Dali speakers, but it is simply too costly for me right now. The Alumen Caps are one of favorites in terms of value. I like them more than Mundorfs which to my ears are tipped up in the presence area and not as natural or neutral.

I do not hear a warm or romantic editorializing with the Duelund or Jupiter caps. They offer improved realism over Alumen with instruments, voice and venue sounding as they do ...... not a facsimile or colored rendition. They sound so much more real! Recordings sound unique and fresh with no sense whatsoever that the cap is imparting a sound character of its own to each recording. I have not heard this sort of editorializing in my builds or mods for myself and customers.

Perhaps what you hear as distortions or editorializing is actually the tonal nuances and completeness of the instruments’ sound being fully revealed with the Duelund CAST tinned copper cap? 
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

Very interesting comments regarding listening preferences. Truth is they will differ
with each individual. I can tell you I’ve listened to live unamplified music in small intimate jazz venues (2 feet from the stage sometimes) and peformances in private homes (very up close at times) for many happy years. When I use to practice with my trumpet (can’t get  any closer than that) my ears have just become accustomed to the sound of live acoustic instruments.

I find myself in agreement with grannyring in thaat the Duelund is hardly colored. In fact what so strongly attracted me to it’s performance is just how dynamic, natural and realistic it captured the pure tone, vitality and harmonics of acoustic instruments so convincingly. I understand we all hear and interpret sound in our own unique ways. The Duelund CAST is outstanding in my opinion. Jupiter copper foil are excellent but I like the Duelund even more.

One man’s natural/organic is another man’s colored.

One man’s neutral is another man’s analytical/sterile.

Absolutes in regard to sound quality and perception don’t exist.

Charles

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

Cal3713,

Your speakers are a tougher load than my Coincident Total Eclipse II so I can understand the need for a better matching power amplifier. The Frankenstein has been ideal for my needs. Given your teriffic results with the First Watt F4s I suspect you'll love the S.I.T.3 mono blocks.

Charles

cal3713's avatar
cal3713 OP
1,421 posts
 
@charles1dad when I had the super eclipses, I never had any indication that the Frank's were straining in any way. Bass wise, I certainly had more out of that combination than I've been able to extract out of the PRE's. In part I upgraded because of the seduction of better sound, but I also moved and started pushing the SEs harder than they should. My living room is 19 x 16 with 23 ceilings and the 16 is fully open to the attached dining room, that's a 25' run to the front of the room.  The PREs are certainly capable of much more than the SEIIIs, but I'll always love the way the Frank's played music on the SEs.
cal3713's avatar
cal3713 OP
1,421 posts
 
@rauliruegas I've been a scientist for most of my adult life and certainly am biased towards truth. That said, if I could listen to every speaker/amp/source combination out there I'd probably choose the one that made the greatest percentage of my music "sound good", accuracy be damned. I don' know that system would include the Coincident PRE's though. They are intensely revealing.  I'm glad I have them though, because they don't cover up anything and it's allowed me to learn a lot about music reproduction. Definitely it's a journey trying to get them to where I think they can go.
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