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
Supremes are alright the silver golds are much much better but costly. I mostly use silver oil or silver gold
Johnk the reason I like the Supreme's over the SIO is just the tilt. The SIO (in my opinion a very good cap) but a slight (to me) unnatural focus on the high freq. I feel like all I listen to is the cymbals? The Supreme's are only a bypass cap to the Duelund's. (they so far take a slight edge off the Duelund's that may be caused by my vintage mid caps) What is the proper % of a cap to be the bypass cap? The Duelund is much more real for instruments.

While we were talking what is the price of your new horns? Going by latest e-bay sales the last set of same era Khorns (as my Lascala's) was $3500 plus shipping. Then you have to spend on the crossovers and in my mind Mundorf Supreme is absolute minimum. (to compare to vintage) Then you may want to rewire. So for a person who does not already own Klipsch (like me) and had to pay for very costly shipping and a lot of $ in crossover especially Duelund or the more costly Mundorf. You could have easy $6k+ into a set of Khorns. Are yours around that range and are they better? (I am sure you do believe in yours or else you wouldn't be selling them)
A friend of mine had the Silver Gold/Oil installed in his phono stage and he thought it a huge improvement. (from the Supreme's that were there)

I am not sure why the Supreme's are working so well with Duelund's for me? Could be a combintation of them being somewhat softer/quieter. They do take the slight white noise with the two Duelund's away and make the sound more enjoyable. I just do not know if the noise from the second Duelund (in the tweeter) is caused by the worn out vintage mid cap or is something that will be there if I go strictly Duelund in the midrange?

That is why I have been guessing/trying to figure out would I be better to go 13uf Duelund on the assumption that it will take out the white noise? or 10uf Mundorf and 3.3uf Supreme with it's softer sound?

The white noise from the tweeter caps is what caused the rebuild in the first place. That is how I knew the caps were done is much higher noise. The mids could easily being sending noise to the tweeters. Then the (two) Duelund's just shows it to be there. (the Supreme just take the white noise away)
Dear Volleyguy: +++++ " Sorry Raul I do not understand what you are saying??? " +++++

Sorry to hear that because that's all about. Good luck !

regards and enjoy the music.
raul.
Just came back from listening to my "main" system. The Linn speakers who before the tweeter cap upgrade (in the Klipsch) were completely above the Klipsch. (past posts)

Now I am shocked at the Duelund differnce. Makes even very good caps sound rough. The slight white noise has gone away and I will do the Duelund/Supreme test again to make sure.

On Monday I will order the 13uf Duelund. I am very excited to see what that can do for the midrange. That is going to be a tough few weeks of wait!

I might just have to get the Duelund inductor for the woofer in the mean time.

Stormen I can see why you just don't even bother with any other company.

Stormen I view these caps as perfection but they must not be as the cast costs more and must be even better? I can't even imagine!