AudiogoN Forums: Capacitor log Mundorf Silver in Oil

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 (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

05-21-08

Responses (501-550 of 1935)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

12-07-08 Danmyers a crazy stubborn. yes maybe! my local high-end dea ... Volleyguy

12-08-08 You are certainly crazy stubborn, but that is not necessaril ... Danmyers

12-08-08 Dan i did listen more than maybe it seems. someone on here a ... Volleyguy

12-08-08 It's not unsurprising that the most expensive cap sounds goo ... Dgarretson

12-08-08 The claritycap mr is just a killer cap.. in most applicati ... Undertow

12-08-08 I just got a vintage tube amp all check over (tonight) and r ... Volleyguy

12-15-08 The x100 i should say sounds good but not very good. there i ... Volleyguy

12-15-08 One speaker with cast one with vsf. have not changed the ... Volleyguy

12-15-08 Volleyguy, exactly, the cast has the lowest noise floor by ... Stormen

12-15-08 Stormen is right but likely correct to temper expectations. ... Volleyguy

12-16-08 I take back any comment that the duelund in the midrange is ... Volleyguy

12-17-08 Have the duelund vsf now in both midranges. the only differe ... Volleyguy

12-17-08 Stormen you are not kidding. when i first put the cast in i ... Volleyguy

12-18-08 Stormen did mention the break in with cast being dark. he th ... Volleyguy

12-21-08 Now that i have found out what crossover caps can do i am re ... Volleyguy

12-22-08 I wouldn't pay too much attention to that url. perhaps the r ... Dgarretson

12-22-08 Here's another cap shootout....i agree totaly about the bg's ... Wavetrader

12-22-08 Thanks dave. those new set's are looking better. thanks wav ... Volleyguy

12-22-08 My experience is that with these ultra low noise caps...they ... Wavetrader

12-23-08 Volleyguy, yes, aren’t the cast just fantastic? i was shock ... Stormen

12-24-08 Stormen the cast are amazing! they are dark and quiet when ... Volleyguy

12-24-08: Matrix
Now it explains it... Well I see where your true issues lie...

Your in need of some real electronics my friend no offense.. Your simply trying to pry some very old and distorted equipment back by now "covering it" with good filtering..and re-capping it. This includes your speakers and old vintage gear.

No doubt your cast caps are good, but the VSF's are just fine in a system with the right amps..

You need to seriously consider not wasting another 2000 to 3000 on more caps to cover up raspy horns driven by mediocre equipment to get this "Magical vintage sound"

To me it sounds that your money will definitely take you furthest with a minimum of getting PURE Class A Mono blocks Solid state or good stereo amp class A, Yes one made in this CENTURY!

I think your fighting a difficult battle on several fronts, not just reviving your old speakers or gear with all this re-capping exercise..

As for vinyl thats almost silly, not sure if your cleaning and setting up everything correctly.. As a matter of fact the Cast caps will take most vinyl to a Higher level not the other way around. Cleaning machine, good vinyl rig, and nice amps to actually drive your speakers will cost you at this point what you want in bandaid approach of capacitors!

Don't get me wrong the right mix of caps especially in the right crossover is great for really getting the most out of your system, but I think you need much more work up front if the VSF cap sounds distorted!!! Ha, thats just insane, or that speaker is really very colored being older horns. Most that do this stuff, amature or professional reading this thread I believe would agree at this point, so please save yourself before coughing up such ridiculous amounts of money on more caps when it can get you a first class system instead of all this shot in the dark hopes of re-viving more!
Matrix (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-24-08 Matrix i am not spending more on caps. cast are much quiet ... Volleyguy

12-24-08 No doubt my post was not very clear.. **first i totally agr ... Matrix

12-24-08 Thanks matrix all clear i am leaning to the new set as well. ... Volleyguy

12-28-08 Gone through 120+ pieces of vinyl to be traded in. the noi ... Volleyguy

12-28-08 Stormen any experience in mixing vsf and cast? thanks Volleyguy

12-29-08 You might find this interesting....kevin hayes being intervi ... Wavetrader

12-30-08 Wavetrader i am very glad to hear that about the black gates ... Volleyguy

12-30-08 Glad to hear that your horns are singing again and that you' ... Danmyers

01-02-09 Thanks dan they are singing like they never have in the 28 y ... Volleyguy

01-03-09 Regarding the era of poor cds, i mean that the cds published ... Danmyers

01-04-09 Dan i came back to vinyl around late '90's. i went to buy a ... Volleyguy

01-04-09 Volleyguy, i don’t know, i find the duelund casts to be so ... Stormen

01-04-09 Your blue note recording from '58 was probably recorded on a ... Wavetrader

01-04-09 Sorry stormen for the confusion. my crossover is 2 2uf caps ... Volleyguy

01-04-09 Wavetrader how would you describe what the cast have done? ... Volleyguy

01-04-09 Wavetrader i have been doing some new vinyl reviews. for me ... Volleyguy

01-05-09 Volley...i'm sorry....i meant your experiment seems to have ... Wavetrader

01-05-09 Indeed the cast do have a profound effect. i can not imagine ... Volleyguy

01-05-09 Wavetrader when trading in the lp's i picked up a few cd's ... Volleyguy

01-06-09 Volley...late 50...early 60's....anything done by rudy vange ... Wavetrader

01-06-09 No don't be sorry for the "rant". i just did not ... Volleyguy

01-10-09 Funny i was listening to a rudy van gelder cd: "red cla ... Danmyers

01-14-09 Thanks dan i am a so so stones fan. i did find out that my ... Volleyguy

01-17-09 Volley, as i said earlier, i do not listen to lps anymore. b ... Danmyers

01-17-09 Volley, as i said earlier, i do not listen to lps anymore. b ... Danmyers

01-17-09 Looks like your guy aurthor s. recommends the krell standard ... Danmyers

01-25-09 Sorry dan slow reply. thanks i have gained some appreciatio ... Volleyguy

02-11-09 Humblehomemadehifi tested the cast: http://www.humblehomema ... Stormen

< Prev

<< 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 >>

Next >