Crossover Capacitors for Accuton Tweeters - Solen -> ClarityCap -> Jupiter -> Duelund


I've got Coincident Pure Reference Extremes with an Accuton ceramic tweeter and have moved through four different capacitors to provide my high pass filtering.  The speakers only have one 4.7uF capacitor in the crossover (no resistors or other components), so it was pretty easy to hear the sound of each cap. 

Started with stock Solen's, then tried Clarity Cap CMR, then Jupiter Copper Foil & Wax, and finally Duelund Tinned Copper CAST.  Just installed the Duelunds on Monday and despite not being broken in, they sound absolutely amazing.  Smooth, sweet, and detailed without any grain or harshness.  Just really spectacular, they let me hear more details while also preventing the tweeters from being aggressive, which has been a problem I've had to work hard on ever since owning the speakers.  

To comment lightly about the other caps I heard, I actually thought the stock Solens were pretty good.  They had a nice sense of color... when I changed out to the clarity cap, things got a little clearer, but felt too neutral.  I read that they are "ruler flat" and found that a good description.  I liked the cleanness, but missed some of the tone & color from the Solens... felt like I got a good combination of those two traits when upgrading to the Jupiter Copper Foils.  After about 6 months of the Jupiters I finally bought the Duelunds as a self-birthday present, and they completely lived up to my (very high) expectations.  Just beautiful, organic music.  Can't wait to see where they go over the next 200 hours.  Only have 10 to 20 on them so far.  

If you've got an accuton tweeter and can handle the stupid cost (and size), I concur with everyone else's recommendations (thanks humblehifi, jeff's place, @charles1dad, & @grannyring), they will make your speakers sound better.
128x128cal3713
@charles1dad Also, I did compare a FW SIT2 (from reno) and the Franks back when I was buying an amplifier for the Super Eclipse IIIs.  I preferred the Franks as well.  I'm sure if the PREs were an easier load I'd never have moved on.  
Hey @railruegas,
You made some interesting points which made me think more of room acoustics and volume.


How loudly we can play music in the home, compared to live, as well as the treatment, or lack thereof, has a lot to do with how a speaker is tuned.  Speakers with a built in U shaped curve can sound a lot closer to live at lower volumes. Rooms with better acoustics also can sound more intimate.  I often suggest people listen to their speakers 1 meter away. The difference between that and the couch is room acoustics. 

Users can adjust this with loudness switches, room acoustics and the like.

I don't find top end Mundorf's to be more like live music so much as adding sparkle which I just don't hear in real life. It's like a scintillation, kind of like a ribbon tweeter. Many ribbons have been shown to add some harmonics and that's kind of what I hear.


As you say though, you really need to make your own choices and buy what you like.

Best,

E

Erik,
I agree with your statement about "added sparkle" not heard in the presence of live instruments. I became aware of this effect from personal experience many years ago and realized that so called hyper detail is simply added upper frequency tilting or emphasis. I’m not knocking those who prefer that type of presentation (individuality must be factored in). Personally I do not hear this emphasis (however other listeners may )  even when in close proximity to live music performances. You final sentence sums it up nicely.
Charles
Dear @charles1dad  : I'm not saying I'm just rigth because if our reference is live MUSIC then no one can be rigth in any room/system combination no matters what.

I know I'm away from that target and I know too that every single link in the roo/system chain has its own distortions and colorations.
Diastortions/colorations that goes according each one priorities.

Each one of us fine tune our room/system according to those priorities that at the end is what we like it but several of our room/systems has its own limitations, limitations that preclude to really stay " there ".
Always exist beterr electronics or cables or speakers or whatever and no one of us already listening all the options out there so the best we can do is try to do our best effort to stay nearer to our targets.

Duelund's through my speaker tweeters just does not performs as I expected and where the Alumen and Mundorf makes a better job.

The Jantzen Alumen is extremely humble cap against the Duelund/Jupiter/Mundorf and many others and it's not Cu. Talking with Jantzen people told me that in this second part of 2019 they will have the Cu version and certainly I'm waiting for after the good results I achieved with this non Cu Alumen version.

Sweet or smooth characteristics are not in my MUSIC vocabulary, maybe at low SPLs but not at 87db-92db SPL at seat position and certainly in a live event seated at near field listening ( 92db-105dbs+! ).

In the other side same audiophile words has not the same meaning for each one of us and maybe could be an explanation of some of my comments.

Btw, I don't try to say that I'm rigth and he or " you " are wrong. Just different ways to " see the life ".

I'm not try to be condecendent with any one and agree with @cal3713  in his statement:

"""  Definitely it's a journey trying to get them to where I think they can go.  ""

Dear @grannyring  unfortunatelly for all of us our room/systems are different and certainly with different room/system whole signature. As @cal3713  and you and other gentlemans I'm where I like to stay where I enjoy the better my listening sessions and this is the must important fact for each one of us.
At the end my opinion is only that: just another opinion with no single attitude to fend any one or diminish anything at all.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
Hello Raul,
I appreciate your last post and the clarification of your stance. I do not disagree with anything that you have just written. My only point was This topic/area is by default purely subjective. Each one of us will pursue what we think sounds right/best based on our respective perspectives.

Sweet and smooth is  not part of your music listening vocabulary and I can respect that as it is simply based on “Your” Live music listening experiences. Ironically sweet and smooth are characteristics I immediately notice in the presence of live musicians playing un-amplified instruments. As you note it's quite possible that these terms have different connotations to us individually. 

You and I are just an example of two music lovers with extensive exposure to live music who perceive things differently. I appreciate your contributions to this site.
Sincerely,
Charles