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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
salectric
683 posts
 
My crossover uses 4 resistors, all in the high-pass circuit (tweeter crossover). Two of them are an attenuation network immediately following the actual crossover components (one cap and one choke since it's a 2d order crossover). I use a Mills 12w wirewound for the series resistor in the attenuation network and a standard Duelund for the shunt.

The high-pass also uses a RC network for some equalization of the compression driver. This network is in series with the driver. I use a Mills in this spot. Lastly there is a Zobel network consisting of a small choke and resistor that is in parallel with the driver. I use a Duelund for the Zobel.

I would not conclude from my experience that series resistors are always more critical than shunt resistors. Both resistors in my attenuation network are very critical. The series resistor might be the most critical, I'm not sure, but they are both very important. The other two resistors in my crossover, one series and one shunt, are less critical sonically.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
4,637 posts
 
Yes, all parts in all areas are important. Mills MR and standard Duelund resistors are both good choices for use in the RC networks of your speakers. You will be thrilled!
rodman99999
3,557 posts
 
Good sale on Deuland VSFs: (http://www.partsconnexion.com/capacitor_film_duelund_vsf_speaker.html?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=laura_386104&utm_content=%E2%98%83%E2%9C%A5+pcX%27s+OOPS+Promotion%3A+72%25+Off+Neotech+AC+Plugs%3B+50%25+Off+Duelund+VSF-Al+Caps%3B+Final+2+Audio-Note+Knobs%3B+Demo+Monitor+Audio+Silver+8+Speakers)
rodman99999
3,557 posts
 
OK; The sale is only for the ones they have in stock. They do have some 3.3uF at 50% off. I would have amended the last post, but the site didn't give me the option.
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
4,637 posts
 
This thread is quite sleepy of late. Well, I love the Obbligato cap I put on the tweeter of my Coincident TVIII speaker. All burned in and it sounds far better than the old Solen cap.

I just installed some Jupiter HT flat stacked caps on the midrange drivers. Not sure if other have tried this cap? With only 4 hours the mids are a little dark thus far. We will see where things end up. Very meaty and rich, but a tad too dark and this juncture.
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