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My Corgi Pup twins - My best buddies by far!!!!!!! They love listening to my Klipsch Forte IVs

Accomplishments? I am not sure what you are asking. I am not in the business of making amplifiers, I have zero interest in sending an amp off to a reviewer in hopes to get a name out for profit. This is just a hobby for me that I enjoy, once you start to have to put food on the table one needs to focus on business and profit and not just the joy of doing something. I have no accomplishments and admit openly. But that doesn't necessarily mean I don't know what I am talking about. My friend Bruce Egnater from Egnater Amplification (guitar stuff) is very successful I would say but why does he contact me asking questions about how to improve this or that in his gear? For example his latest model is a tube preamplifier and he was trying to improve the signal to noise ratio, he remembered something we had discussed previously so he reached out for some help to which I happily provided. A friend of mine that loves vintage tube gear wanted that type of sound but on his budget. He sadly didn't want anything fun but hey it's his amp, he basically named a few amplifiers he really liked and most were Mullard 5-20 circuits and he loves the EL34 tube. Hey who am I to tell him what he likes. He has Klipsch Cornwall speakers btw. For anyone that knows anything about the Mullard circuit it has way too much gain. So I decided to triode wire the EF86 and instead of using a 12AX7 for a phase inverter I used a 12AY7. This dropped the open loop gain to more acceptable levels but more importantly it also dropped the amount of negative feedback from -30db to around -20db. For anyone that has tried to stabilize -30db or more of feedback around an output transformer and one stage of AC coupling (more phase shift) it isn't for the faint of heart. I was able to increase phase margin substantially by lowering open loop gain and subsequent amount of negative feedback. I gave him the classic layout look inside complete with turret board and multisection capacitors that I typically don't use. I had a very small budget to work with and so they are not the most beautiful amplifiers. The inside picture is not completely wired up and ground bus wasn't installed yet. I am trying to look for a finished picture of the inside but can't seem to find one on my computer. Just an example of budget amplifier that can be made and not break the bank. There is plenty of room for upgrades in the future. He absolutely loves the sound and couldn't be happier. Both mono amps shipped across the country was a total cost of ~$1400. Shipping wasn't cheap either.

I was always very fond of music and musicians gear along with the audio equipment meant to recreate it in our homes. The thought crossed my mind to possibly get into the industry but doing a startup is a shot in the dark and is extremely hit or miss not matter how good your product is. At the time it was just too big a risk and I just wanted to start earning money so I could live a comfortable life instead of going bankrupt. This wasn't a personal decision, I had a family to provide for so I took jobs with financial security. I never stated I am a successful amplifier company, I just enjoy making things especially amplifiers. I know I am in the minority in my viewpoints compared to your average audiophile and when one of them hears something from me they don't want to believe well then this is always how the argument starts. When they don't like the message they character assassinate the messenger to try and discredit me. It's fine, I don't expect to change peoples minds over night.

My son and I erecting a flagpole at the school.

A crucifix after Georges Rouault by my friend Esther when I was in art school. Another crucifix painting in watercolor by my Aunt.

After reading the OP, I would say that person should hear the CW IVs before making a decision. And whatever you go with will be great 👍

Just asking a question before I sell. Should I sell the parts or the whole speakers. Because there are so many around and for the most part can't get new parts for them. Cabinets are partial rebuilt and another with Chips. The parts in these are K22, k55v 1 solder one push pin, pair of k52H with 700 horns a pair of k77 round magnet oh, and a pair of k77 square magnet. Also factory rebuilt E2 Network with OEM approved. And a pair of Crites E2 Network. Sent from my LM-G710VM using Tapatalk K24 as well

By Josh - age ? @Invidiosulus

If anyone is interested I have backwards engineered genome code for Pfizer's Mrna Covid vaccine. Not joking, another hobby.

Well there is that old saying that "work defines who you are", but it should be "how you work defines who you are". I've known a lot of people who show up for work everyday. Never miss any days, take their vacation, work extra when needed, etc. However, some of these people are the worst employees from a productivity stand point. I've used the 7 habits mainly for work (probably should incorporate more into my personal life too, but that is a different story) and it has done well for me. 7 Habits-of-Highly-Effective-People.pdf

Staying on the title of this thread I would love to own on of his amplifiers to cherish and pass on to my kids when I am gone. Work of art which if same detail are inside the amplifier it would have to sound excellent. If one can afford one why not? It would be a showpiece. Work of art.

Yes, but you’ve taken my quote out of context. I was specifically talking about output transformers. For example, a $3000 pair of silver MQ transformers are not going to sound magnitudes better than something that cost $400. A good circuit design will yield better results. For someone just starting out, that “best iron” would be a waste of money.

Rigggghhhhhht... lol A friend's son was in Camaroon with the Peace Corps in 2016 and met this artist in the small village where he was stationed. When Max came back to the US he got a tube of his stuff sent to him from the artist. He had about 14 pieces and friends bought them then Max sent him the cash. Think I paid about $150 for this one. Hangs above a small desk my grandfather made years ago. Room for my laptop where his old typewriter sat. Laptop and mouse are thee w/a couple lil wooden draws full of junk. hahaha. I just lean back in my chair and laff everytime. Back to the roots of music. It's just me! lolol THE MORE YOU LOOK THE MORE YOU SEE!

Perfectly put.

Joe Zupko, a friend and artist, sadly departed. These two works were done using crayons and small pieces of plywood he dug out of a construction dumpster. In his later works, that's mostly the way he painted. Edit. This would make more sense if I actually posted the picture of the paintings. Sorry.

For those of you who have heard both in person, how do the La Scalas compare to the Cornwall 4s? There's another dealer about an hour away from me that may have Cornwalls on display so hopefully I can listen to those too before making a decision. The room I'm planning to put them in is 16' by 18' long so its med size. Thinking the Forte' 4s should be big enough and if I'm not happy could always trade them back and upgrade down the road. Side note: it really is crazy how nice these Kipsch speakers sound/image. I went to 3 different "hifi" dealers locally just to check out as much as I could get my ears on. The one place was a Mac dealer and had an over 1MM demo room with $250,000 wilson audio speakers and all the doo dads including a $200,000 turn table set up that weighed 800 pounds. Just crazy stuff; thought my wife was going to have a heart attack when she saw the price stickers. Now I'm sure all the high end audiophile folks would hate me but I swear, that music I heard yesterday on the La Scalas and a pretty nice music hall turntable sounded way more real and engaging than that crazy set up. I demoed about a dozen different speakers at these other hifi shops and its hard to put into words, yes they sounded amazing, they were crystal clear, but they just sounded too "neutral" , almost lifeless. So happy I decided to go for the Klipsch and just have to figure which one to pull the trigger on for now. Bear with me folks, I'm dorking out here . . .

This is just a little venting, so it probably won't be popular, but oh well... Why do people feel the need to mention they work for a non-profit? Why can't they just say I work at "xxx" and leave it at that? Does anybody need to know or care the status of the company unless it is pertinent to the actual conversation? Most times (99.9%), no, it is not pertinent. And when people say (even reading it) they work for a non-profit, you almost feel dirty if you don't work for a non-profit too because you are engaged with a company that makes profit and distributes that profit. Now I realize what a non-profit is: "a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in contrast with an entity that operates as a business aiming to generate a profit for its owners". I proudly own my own (small) business and I am in business to make money. In turn, I provide employees with a paycheck and provide services to customers. I also invest money into the company and after it's all said and done, I leave what is needed to run the company for the next year and take all the profits for myself. Capatilism at its finest. I don't see why people have a problem with it.

A few days ago I replaced the original tweeters (K-77M drivers and standard lenses) in my 1986 La Scalas with SMAHL v2 lenses and DE-120 drivers from @Dave A The improvement made by the new tweeters is nothing short of astounding! My La Scalas are as original except: I reinforced the cabinets by laminating 3/8" baltic birch to the sides, top, and bottom to reduce resonance (and to address some cosmetic damage) I replaced the original AL networks with new AA networks from Crites To be frank, having wanted La Scalas for more than 40 years before finally getting a pair (in July), I was a bit underwhelmed by them. Sure, the music was clean and free of distortion, and they could play louder than I could stand, but some music (e.g., Springsteen, U2, Prince) just didn't sound as good as I'd hoped. Changing the tweeters has fixed that. I am absolutely delighted! I used REW to take some measurements before and after changing the tweeters. Because I was focused on the tweeters, I measured a range from 4500Hz to 20kHz. The room conditions, equipment, and all parameters were kept the same. I took three measurements before and after changing the tweeters. I "burned in" the new tweeters for about 8 hours before measuring them. This chart shows the average of the measurements, with 1/12 smoothing: Here are my old tweeters: And here are the new SMAHLv2/DE-120 tweeters: I had planned to paint the SMAHL v2 lenses black, but they look so good I may just leave them as they are. Others might not be keen on such a change, but I couldn't be happier. YMMV, but I wanted to share my experience on the forum. I'm grateful to members of the forum ( especially @ClaudeJ1) for making me aware of the SMAHL and to @Dave A for an excellent product.

Both is OK - Art is art You are in control of your feelings

Absolutely agreed. I was beyond delighted when Captain was kind enough to offer his services to the audio community. Without his offering, I would perhaps not have ever tried another tube amp. They are too damn expensive to just guess on what you like and what you don't. This is based on my experience with only a few tubes amps some years ago. I liked that sound of the frimaon 275 during my brief period with it, but would have been pissed paying full retail or close for it and learning what I now know about it later.... Captains knowledge and what he has been sharing has caught my attention and I have been reading and learning a bit with others contributing as well. This is why I came to this forum in the first place.... Great people and vast knowledge.

Sound even better.

Dave's tweeters look very interesting.....

I think this question is misplaced and assinine. Perhaps the Captain will soon open up a small boutique amp company? If he puts out a product people want and desire, then he can claim he is successful. It all starts with one product and a happy customer.

Must have been the supercharging.

I'm a huge La Scala fan, and I like bass. I just can't get rid of these speakers because they sound "big" all the time. That said, I have never had a speaker that I didn't have a subwoofer for, so I just got a bigger subwoofer for my La Scalas. In my room, I only needed one. Sure, I could crank the La Scalas up high enough that the sub can't keep up, but that puts me at listening levels to where I can't stand to be in my room.

think i recall reading on here recently that the resonance is part of the design on fortes & chorus etc. there was a long thread on the AK forums i posted here a year or so ago where a guy did some major mods to the F3 that included the common internal bracing & lots of added damping material... the results were that they lost bass & upper bass impact. while i do agree forte1/2 & especially chorus1/2 have a lot of resonance/ringing when slapping the sides, i tend to side with the engineers that designed them knowing they did this & it was part of the characteristic of the speaker. adding some damping to the horns & woofer/passive baskets & maybe a little extra to cabinets probably wont hurt, but getting carried away with bracing on a speaker that wasnt designed for it might have diminishing returns.

Your math makes no sense. It’s not a 4000 upgrade. It’s only the difference between the price of the two speakers, also factoring in depreciation for the earlier model. But it’s not 4K. the math was a general comment. however, if someone paid $3000+ for F3 then buys F4 for $4000-- correction $4998 at most places, thats a ~$2000 difference. of course you can sell the F3s to recoup some money but after depreciation you'd get maybe $2000 used, usually closer to half the initial investment. you spent $3000, sell for $1500-$2000, thats a $1000-1500 loss, then turn around & spend $5000 for the F4... so the new number comparison is $3000+ to upgrade from F3 to F4s. each person has a different budget but for the most part i dont see that being a bargain or money well spent.

Was not meant for what you posted. Just talking in general terms. Sorry if taken wrong. I like and use Edcor transformers as best value for buck and yes I have used other more expensive OPT's and have not heard a great improvement of sound spending more.

Price (money) does not equate to the best. The boutique transformers are always much more just because they don’t have the sales volume. That doesn’t make them better. Take Hammond transformers for example, if you listen to the “experts” Hammond is pure junk. My first tube amp I built 23 years ago used 1627’s and the amp sounds wonderful. Especially if you use an 8 Ohm speaker on the 4 Ohm tap for a 5k load. However, a lot of people will spend money on “the best” to make themselves feel good.

The closest SS amplifiers that sound like tubes to me are the ones like Nelson Pass builds using mosfets on the outputs and simple circuits. Listening to my PP V-fet amplifier at the present time and it has a very tube like character. The advantage of tubes is cost. Tube amplifiers with our speakers can produce outstanding sound for less money then a class A SS amplifier. Mystic character also with those glowing tubes to look while listening to music. Adds to the entertainment experience which is what our hobby is all about. Transistors have been trying to mimic the tube sound since invented. Mosfets have curves like pentode tubes. V-fet transistors have curves like triode tubes so they have a triode tube character.

Not to cut your dealer out but you might call Cory first before you buy.

Thanks jjptk, I really think this is my last stop on the amp merry go round..... I'll be sure to post pics.

I think you'd find a buyer for those K-55Vs pretty quick around these parts.

Hope this has uploaded ALK Uni Installation Guide.pdf

Just start 🤪 Think I have close to 50 art pieces that I have collected over the years Some still not framed

I can't speak to the modern versions of the LS and the CWIV...but having just switched from a pair of '85 Cornwalls to a pair of '85 La Scalas, I can attest to the difference in bass. I had high expectations, and I have to say, I was not blown away. Don't get me wrong--they sound amazing...more detail than the CWs, tighter bass (but not as deep). What this makes me realize, is just how special the CWs really are, that they're not that different from the La Scalas in quality--and this is the conclusion that seems to be drawn between their contemporary iterations as well: You trade maybe 10% in detail for a lower octave or two of bass.

LOL... I'm still alive and kicking. Little older, a few more wrinkles. I still have all my Reference 7s. I just have not been here in a VERY long time. You know, life changes, move from one place to another, divorce a long time ago, new things and hobbies. Yadee Yadaa. 😁 I still have my Harman Kardon AVR7200... Which I would like to replace actually. Get something more modern that has updated technologies in it like bluetooth, wireless etc. Want to be able to go into the receivers settings without having to use some kind of RGB output. Would be nice to be able to use an android app to modify settings... But hey... That's an entirely different post!

As for this.......... I somewhat agree, you can find and read, and disseminate as much information as you can get your hands on, develop a more-than-passable working knowledge of advanced mathematics, crawl down the rabbit-hole of endless forum "suggestions" until you become part of your computer chair, then order up $20K worth of resistors, caps, power transformers, chokes, output transformers, signal tubes, power tubes, rectifier tubes, vr tubes, solder, switches, tube sockets, wire, etc........... and solder together all of the circuits you've read about and see how they sound................. so about 5,000hrs and two marriages later you can be somewhat satisfied? Maybe if it were a hobby. Certainly not the suggested methodology if you've got four kids to feed. I feel eternally blessed to have the help I've been given...... and express it every chance I get. The "help" is usually in the form of not wasting precious time chasing a topology that's been tried by others and is ultimately not good enough. This kind of direction is most welcome. Bad habits..................... Hmm.... well, everyone knows that audio designers have the capacity to grow like any other human being. Changing one's perspective is part of the human condition. I welcome change................ as long as it sounds better. My recommendation for those wanting to DIY, is to find a topology that several people have used, build from a valid schematic, then rub on it till it shines. You'll learn much in the endeavor. I absolutely believe in empirical evidence to support what I'm hearing. Word of advice: buy the best iron you can afford. There is a difference. Good Luck! Matt.

Reminds me of an old Tubes album. "In thru the out door" 😂

If you can find a well setup pair of Cornwall lV it might really be the sweet spot for you. They truly fill the gap between the Forte lV and La Scala AL5 miketn

La Scalas are wonderful speakers. I have a pair of 1970s original La Scalas, and a pair of 2007 La Scala IIs, so you know they’re my favourite speakers, next to Jubilees, which wouldn’t quite fit into my place. However, as you noticed and accurately described, they don’t put out much in the bottom two octaves or so. There are some mods which claim to fix this, but the length of the bass horn on the Scala is what it is, and the only really effective cure is to add a subwoofer or two. Since these are premium speakers, it only makes sense to use premium subs, with fairly high power that can reach deep into the bass zone, down to below 20 Hz. Some will point out that the lowest note on a 4-string bass guitar is at 40 Hz and the lowest note on a 5-string bass is at 30 Hz, so you don’t need to go super low on the subwoofer’s rating. The reply to that is that when the sub is operating at its absolute limit, the sound will indeed be limited. If it’s down 3 dB at 30 Hz, trying to bring it up so that its response is sort of close to flat at that point will require double the amplifier power. Not an ideal situation. The sub should be operating in its linear zone, reproducing those deep bass notes with no more difficulty than the higher notes. So the sub that seems to fit the bill in your system is too expensive? You can either buy a used one, or keep adding to your stereo account for a bit longer. I’ve done both in my sub journey, and each choice seemed right for the circumstances at the time. I first got a sub that was pretty good, so the overall sound of the Scala/sub was pretty good. I was happy with that for years, but eventually I swapped out that sub for a much better one, costing around double the price of the first one. Wow! That’s what I said about that. It went way deeper, so now it was easy to hear every note in a tune equally accurately, not rolled off like it had been with the old sub. The feeling was “Now, this is the real thing! This is the ‘you are there’ effect that we’re all after.” Now, when I’m listening to some music, there’s no more feeling that this or that piece needs an upgrade, or the sound is pretty good, but... Now the sound was really good, and I was hearing notes I hadn’t been able to hear before. That was great, but my plan at the time was to get a second matching sub as soon as I could afford it. The shop gave me a good discount on that sub, and they were good enough to agree to sell me a second sub at the same price in a few months. Four months later, I went in and got the second sub, at the same good price. The shop was happy to get the business (this was in 2020), and I was happy to get a pair of these fine subwoofers. That’s not to say that if you can’t afford mighty subs at the moment that you shouldn’t bother. Get what you can when you can. Very few of us can afford to buy our dream systems all in one go. Most of us build them up a piece at a time, and the sound gets better and better, until it reaches a point where the feeling is that it’s just fine as it is, with no lust for more or better. Part of the logic was of this was to be sure that the subs should be as sharp on transients as the La Scalas, plus having the two subs means that the drivers only need to move half as far to produce the same total volume. Half the cone movement should mean around half the distortion, getting them closer to the very low distortion of the horn-loaded La Scalas. It’s been pointed out on the Forum a number of times that La Scalas plus subs equals a system that can sound better than the Klipschorns, the top of the Heritage Series. As well, they give much more flexibility in positioning. La Scalas are fine speakers that can be the heart of a great sound system, one that you can enjoy from the first day you have them, and improve pretty much as far as you want to take them, and the rest of your system.

I'll just keep reminding myself it's 2022...

Again appreciate the responses, I am not looking to really sell them, just kind of threw it out there, sure do enjoy them.

Here are the pics of Mr. Klipsch signature, they were on strips that I can apply to the speakers.

No reason to use a banana plug unless you're constantly unplugging the wire. Bare wire will always give the best signal transfer.

My new MoFi Fender PrecisionDeck sounds even better than it looks and it looks fabulous. it is the best sounding turntable I have ever had in any of my systems . Really deep bass, rich, clear, clean Midrange and sparkling highs. I enjoy this hobby very much! Music - it moves me!!!!!!!

You can see Paul and Tony and some whisky on the Museum webpage. WMcD

Then that is your goal and nothing wrong with that. I happen to hate 95% of subwoofer bass solutions. I think they sound like crap and don't integrate well with bass horns. Unless of course you toss a horn loaded sub and then I am right there with you. I spent alot of time listening to vintage drivers and speakers from the 40's - 60's RCA, Lansing, Stephens, and Tannoy. Many of these don't really have a great range very limited in fact but I thought many of them sounded more Hi-Fi and pleasant than modern extreme frequency range speakers or solutions. This lesson of getting over the specs was an important lesson for me. The quality of the range covered was more important than stretching to cover extremes.

You would need dual woofers to punch like LaScalas. BIG ones at that. LaScalas also image like nothing you have ever heard before. The thing about KLIPSCH is that there is a world of sound you have never heard before distracting you from the bass... In another week or so you will have difficulty listening to the Vegas without noticing the distortion and lack of midrange detail. You could try stacking your D-9s on top of the LaScalas for the best of both worlds... your welcome!

I hear ya, and agree 100%. LaScalas reproduce real music and not the electronic noise that they are passing off as music these days. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk