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
Did anyone try Duelund graphite resistors in their xover? These look interesting.
Dgarretson
I have heard (but not tried) that they are a no brainer resistor and very good.
I use them, bang for the buck is through the roof.

Got this from Parts Connexion:

pcX has a made a massive buy of these resistors...we think so highly of them. All our most popular values will be stocked in great depth. As as result,spcX was able to get a great price - and those savings are being passed on to you, our valued customers !

The "most popular/common" resistor values will be $14.95 USD each

Seems like a stellar deal.
Stormen while your here I sure could use some advice on inductors. Are Duelund's that much better than vintage and do inductors make a huge difference?

I have to put the order in today. (a couple of hours)

I know the caps I want but inductors???? The old ones are iron core but wrapped in something to stop vibration

Thanks
Final thoughts before ordering.

I have got back and forth to listening to Linn speakers same source and Linn with the Lp12. Klipsch with tubes and SS and digital and analog. Not sure why but on vintage my turntable does NOT sound very good at all. Likely poor phono stage.

I keep thinking I am going to wake up and realize what was I thinking. But time and time again the the foil caps vintage tube amp and the Klipsch sound better.

Even the much smaller amound of distortion through tube amps does not upset like SS distortion.

The Klipsch with vintage foil and Duelund VSF's sound so much more like being there.

Foil caps make the sound of real instruments and poly caps make the beat of the instruments but the mind says this is not real.

The distortion in foil caps does not bother one as much as poly distortion kind of like SS vs. tube distortion?

When listening to foil caps and 70% is sounding right (like real instruments) you listen to that and discount the 30%. With poly's you notice the distortion more and I think it is there is nowhere to hide in the music that sounds bang on. So the mind becomes fatigued. I can't listen to poly for long and have to turn it down or off.

My expectation on this is that likely the Duelund Aluminum VSF's (which I am not getting) still sound very real and likely beat any poly cap. The reason I say this is I think the vintage is aluminum and it sounds better in the midrange than Mundorf Supreme.

I had come down to three choices.

1. Duelund VSF's in the tweeters and vintage in the midrange. The Mundorf's were close to $120 delivered. So in my mind the used vintage foil in oil caps are a steal! They are worth more than Mundorf Supreme's except the being already old part. The vintage tweeter caps are just to noisy.

2. Duelund VSF in the mid's and tweeters. (this fixes all worn parts)

3. Duelund VSF and CAST (one each in the tweeter)
Duelund CAST inductor's as well. This one is some big $ and inductors don't wear like caps so if they do not sound better $1k of inductors is a lot of money to me!