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 (551-600 of 1935)

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

02-13-09 Wow stormem just got back from holidays and read the revie ... Volleyguy

02-15-09 Volleyguy, i know these guys use them in their tube equipme ... Stormen

02-15-09 Thanks a lot stormen i would love to hear that pre-amp! Volleyguy

02-19-09 Stormen i guess partsconnexion says they lent tony the caps ... Volleyguy

02-20-09 Volleyguy, i would definitely rate them a lot higher also. ... Stormen

02-20-09 Stormen glad to hear i am not alone. i think does hit on the ... Volleyguy

02-22-09 I will chime in here very late to the op. while i have en ... Sgmlaw

02-22-09 I did hit one wrong key above. the 6bq5 is obviously the ou ... Sgmlaw

02-23-09 Olleyguy, yes precisely, if you read the tempo electric rev ... Stormen

02-23-09 Whatever one thinks of the tempo review, i completely dismis ... Dgarretson

02-23-09 Dave confused by your statement? do you mean tempo should no ... Volleyguy

02-23-09 Sgmlaw there are many questions i would like to ask you as ... Volleyguy

02-23-09 Volleyguy, tony gee has a better handle than tempo on how to ... Dgarretson

02-23-09 Volleyguy, stereophile tends to like items that you can bu ... Sgmlaw

02-23-09 Sgmlaw is not the x202 the same pre-amp section as the famo ... Volleyguy

02-24-09 Dave i really liked tempo's reviews more than tony's as i fo ... Volleyguy

02-24-09 Some elements of the cx2 topology can be found in the x-202 ... Sgmlaw

02-25-09 Smglaw i do not know about that on the passive parts the di ... Volleyguy

03-05-09 I have just recently upgraded the caps on the pre-amp sectio ... Fas948

03-05-09 i forgot to mention that for my electronics i’m using vsf d ... Fas948

03-05-09 Fas948, several modders of scd-1 have simply removed couplin ... Dgarretson

03-05-09 Removing the two 2.2uf output stage caps is a big mistake (i ... Fas948

03-05-09 Felix, i was told that by someone who has modded the stock s ... Dgarretson

03-05-09 In the next week or two i should be comparing mundorf s/o, c ... Face

03-05-09 If anyone happens to have a pair of 4.7uf vsf or cast they'd ... Sherod

03-06-09 Dave, i saw a picture of your scd-1 and i’m impress about th ... Fas948

03-06-09 Face,i have done this comparison (i also included v-caps) an ... Fas948

03-06-09 Felix, always good to hear from someone who knows how good a ... Dgarretson

03-06-09: Volleyguy
Dave I take it by what say on system approach you are still not convinced that the crossover is (and according to Steen always will be) the weakest link in the system. You are not convinced 50% of your speaker $ and 25% of system $ should be in the passive crossovers.

I am not argueing just curious as even I admit until I heard the difference from VSF (which was the then king of caps) to CAST no one could have convinced me all the noise that was still left with even VSF.

After hearing the difference I am a Steen believer that there was/maybe still is MASSIVE gains to be made in the passive crossover caps in noise reduction.

After what I am hearing about the CAST in electronics as soon as I can figure out which tube amp to use that is an area I am going to be going. I can not even imagine how they will sound compared to worn out vintage foil caps? I expect massive noise reduction.

I have a gut feeling from what I have read from Steen (no plastic in the chain) a vintage amp with vintage tubes because of the no plastic in the output trannies and point to point wiring and CAST coupling caps for the super natural quiet sound. What do you guys think crazy? Still sticking to foil like the original in the amp but I am sure the CAST are MILES, and MILES quieter. I do see they make 400v VSF's now. A more affordable option
Volleyguy (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

03-06-09 Volleyguy, i don't dispute the significance of quality cross ... Dgarretson

03-06-09 Hi, been following this thread with increasing interest, as ... Duelund_coherent_audio

03-06-09 Duelund_coherent_audio, let us have it please! Undertow

03-06-09 Thanks, while i certainly appreciate the kind words about o ... Duelund_coherent_audio

03-06-09 A well-considered & diplomatic response from the manufacture ... Dgarretson

03-06-09 I want to thank you frederik for your wonderful sounding cap ... Volleyguy

03-06-09 Sorry of course that should say "your" not "y ... Volleyguy

03-07-09 Thanks, i aim to keep my participations in fora low on pub ... Duelund_coherent_audio

03-08-09 Frederik was the cast developed for burt's horn systems? i ... Volleyguy

03-08-09 "frederik was the cast developed for burt's horn system ... Duelund_coherent_audio

03-11-09 Dave i did not replace the series resistor is the crossover ... Volleyguy

03-11-09 Sorry my speakers have a series tweeter inductor. .245mh. ho ... Volleyguy

03-11-09 Since i'm still awaiting delivery of my duelund caps from a ... Face

03-11-09 Your observation is consistent with the difference i've noti ... Dgarretson

03-12-09 The clarity mr's will be as smooth and blow away any mundorf ... Undertow

03-12-09 Wow dave on the fly! care to rate the pio ones? Volleyguy

03-12-09 Dgarretson with all the caps you tried, you have not tried d ... Volleyguy

03-12-09 I'm currently using duelund resistors. they remind me of mo ... Face

03-12-09 Duelund resistors to help out here.... bigger soundstage, be ... Undertow

03-12-09 I also use duelund r and concur with face. duelund r sounds ... Dgarretson

03-12-09 Dgarretson you will have even more shocking results using th ... Undertow

< Prev

<< 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 >>

Next >