LarryC

If you treat them right, you might be able to have a 3-way!

---------------- On 2/14/2004 8:32:41 AM playntheblues wrote: Hi, is there a place here or on the net where I can date my Klipschorns? ---------------- Just ask them nicely, send a picture if necessary, and behave like a gentleman!

---------------- On 2/13/2004 11:34:57 AM trey cannon wrote: ...visit amongst yourselves and lets work out a date. I will start it out saying sometime after school is out for the summer. ---------------- Last year's was June 20-21, the 3rd Friday-Saturday in June, seemed to work out OK. Saturday was the tour day.

---------------- On 2/13/2004 8:18:32 AM sheltie dave wrote: ...The woofer has been rebuilt(thanks to CaptnBob's referral) and she is singing well as I type. ---------------- Dave, Is that the blown 15WK you wanted to replace? Can you tell how close it sounds to the original? Looks/sounds like a good outcome! Larry

---------------- On 2/9/2004 1:17:45 PM DrPyro wrote: maxg- I agree that Hayden is often overlooked, but I sometimes find his symphonies a little lacking in the 'emotion' department as compared to some other composers.... Yes, the covers are an absolute must to read or some of the CD buying guides, like "Gramophone Classical Good Cd Guide" for composer background. They can really put the music into context, which CAN help you to connect with the music. For example, I don't realy like piano concertos, since I feel that the piano really breaks up the consistency of the symphony. However, one of the Philadelphia orchestra concerts played Dvorak 1st piano concerto, I read the Playbill and it noted that there is two versions of the concerto. The first version really minimized the abrupt changes between the piano and the orchestra, since, piano players weren't happy with Dvorak minimizing the importance of the piano, it was modified to ‘showoff’ the piano more (I don't remember if it was Dvorak or others). Sadly to say, the first version hasn't been recorded much. But it just goes to show you what you can learn from playbills or covers. Just enjoy the music!!! -Dave ---------------- Dave, You've made a terrific point about the value of liner notes. Much of my "education" came from years of reading liner notes for classical LPs. That value is often still there, but in smaller print, in CD notes. One would have to have a big library of music books and do much searching to get the same info and insights about a piece being listened to. In the emotion dept., I personally find Tchaikovsky symphonies as intense as anything, especially the "Pathetique." I don't have quite your reaction to piano concertos, but do think some composers are better at integrating piano and orchestra. Beethoven, who was superlative at integrating all instruments as far as I'm concerned, did extremely well at this, e.g., all five concertos and the Choral Fantasy. As for Haydn, I think everyone here would agree but just didn't bother to mention it, or maybe it's just me -- the "Creation" is an extraordinary and imaginative work even for Haydn. His world may have been one of elegance rather than the subsequent heroic emotionality that Beethoven spawned. The slow movement of H's "Farewell" (No. 45) is very emtional, but oh-so-restrained. Larry

Max, This probably only works for me, but because I tend to remember my LPs by brand, I sort mine by brand first (DG, Angel, etc.), and then alphabetize by composer. It makes my collection a whole lot more managable. As you said, alphabetizing an LP is a problem with multiple composers, so the best I can do is alphabetize the composer of the work I'm most interested in. I also have a section with a lot of miscellaneous brands, alpha by composer. I still have to hunt for small brandname contingents like Vanguards! Larry

---------------- On 2/5/2004 8:27:51 PM D-MAN wrote: ...I didn't actually notice a break-in period or at least I haven't noticed an time-based improvement. That's not to say that there isn't one! I was convinced that I had a winner in the first few notes when they were new so any further improvement is just additional gravy... but I truly did not notice any change. ...being that silver is subject to oxidation, and silver oxidizing faster than copper, how long do they last before signal degradation occurs due to oxide build up? Are we going to become locked into a cycle of constant replacement (gasp!) ? DM ---------------- D-Man, I feel there's usually a break-in period, sometimes over 100 hrs., for the highs and lows to come into balance (I have Siltech). Hopefully Mozdaman's simply needs more time. Interesting point about oxidation; I haven't seen any where I can see silver, i.e., near the terminations. Though my interconnects are up to 5-10 years old, I've not seen or heard any problems with them. Larry

---------------- On 2/4/2004 8:58:39 PM D-MAN wrote: I run silver interconnects and am firmly sold on them... DM ---------------- D-Man, How long did it take your silver to fully break in? I think some of mine took a very long time, maybe well over 100 hrs. Larry

---------------- On 2/2/2004 11:32:08 PM damonrpayne wrote: I am looking to branch out into some new things. I find that I like brass and strings/baroque the best so far... Guidance as to specific recordings are definitely a bonus ---------------- Damon, In addition to the great advice in this and other threads, here are two late Renaissance/early Baroque CDs that I like very much: Venetian Church Music, Taverner Consort/Parrott Veritas 5-61934-2 (2CDs) Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Boston Baroque Telarc 2CD-80453 These are performed on period, not modern instruments, which I think is a great advantage. Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi are definitely worth knowing about. "Classical Music for Dummies" is very good, worth having to keep turning back to, IMO. Larry

---------------- On 2/2/2004 3:59:12 PM dubai2000 wrote: Larry. the Du Pre/Barbirolli recording is indeed a classic. Another recording I like is the Fournier/Wallenstein on DG. On my copy it comes with the Enigma Variations conducted be.....Eugen Jochum (of all conductors!). The other disc on the set includes Holst's 'Planets' (Boston SO/Steinberg) - another interesting performance.... Wolfram ---------------- Wolfram, Darn, I can't find my Fournier! I have the Boston/Steinberg Planets, think it's terrific. Haven't compared with other Planets, though. Toscanini's Enigma Variations sets a high standard of that work for me. Larry

---------------- On 2/2/2004 10:40:56 AM dubai2000 wrote: And: if you like cello concertos, get the Elgar!!! Wolfram ---------------- Wolfram, I DEFINITELY agree on the Elgar concerto. It provided the sad, melancholy musical subtext in the movie "Hilary and Jackie." Elgar's WW I-based mood perfectly captured the viewer's sense of developing tragedy in which Jacqueline Du Pre was cut down (by MS) in her prime. That astonishing upward scale on the cello (was that her recording?) was especially effective in climactic places. I like the Du Pre recording with Barbirolli conducting the London Symphony very much. Larry

Hooker makes quality furniture, well-designed for its purpose. I use three of their open deep-shelf bookcases, to hold books, musical scores, and LP albums. Like what you've done with your electronics, one of them also holds the pre-amp, tuner, and cassette deck. All neat and homey-looking. Larry

Bill, that's great! You must have found a place to put them. Way to go -- Larry

---------------- On 1/27/2004 11:56:10 AM fini wrote: I would go with Larry's technique, making sure you align your fingerprints with the groove, for deeper cleaning. ---------------- Omigosh,I've been screwing up for years! Back to your bathroom, Fini!

---------------- On 1/27/2004 11:08:05 AM maxg wrote: I know it comes up time and time again - cleaning vinyl records. I have about 5 I would like to give a once over. My chemicals available are: 1. Rubbing alcohol (AKA Surgical Spirit). 2. Nail Varnish remover. 3. Hand soap. 4. Washing up liquid. 5. WD40. Choice and dilution factors recommended please - ASAP - I am gonna start cleaning in about 2 hours. ---------------- For many years before getting a record-cleaning machine, I washed my records in very tepid water over a large sink. I ran the water over both sides of the record, lathered one hand with hand soap, and ran my soapy palm over each side of the record in circular motion, i.e., parallel to the grooves (I know, only one groove per side!). I then rinsed the record thoroughly until I felt no more soap, and used the softest possible paper towel to dry it -- I didn't let it air dry. This seemed to work well, with cleaner-sounding records and less record scratch. Be SURE not to scratch the groove(s) with anything like your fingernail, or scrape it against the spout or faucet. Record cleaning machines no doubt are better, but this worked until I got one. I can't imagine using any harsh chemical. Larry

---------------- On 1/26/2004 11:35:09 PM skonopa wrote: ---------------- On 1/26/2004 12:02:45 PM Bill H. wrote: Steven, Beautiful Picture card photo! The green area in the upper center of the Pic- is that from the flash ????? ---------------- That grean area is somebody's outside light. I took that picture at night without flash! ---------------- The green is probably a mercury vapor light. While the human eye and brain can downplay or ignore odd lighting effects, cameras can't without filtering or digital correction. Since this was just a small spot in a normally exposed color pic, the green showed in full. Fluorescent lighting will also usually show up as green.

Dave, you should have a PM.

---------------- On 1/26/2004 4:49:07 PM sheltie dave wrote: Larry, mine is in perfect shape other than the driver or voice coil section being shot. Just so I'm not speaking without knowledge, an audio engineer friend will take a look-see tonight to confirm my thoughts. It sounds like you have two WKs with drivers that are fine and one bad cone, while I have one with a bad driver but a good cone. How easy is it to swap a driver, or are they wax sealed at the back of the bottom apex there? If the conversion is straightforward, we could do a ship swap and I could include money to balance the swap. I will also talk to John Albright, because he is talking about buying or building a shorty. I think you were hearing the difference between a 16 ohm woofer that is advertised as going from 55 hz to 1000 hz w/in 3 dB, vs a 4 to 8 ohm woofer rated at 65 hz to 600 hz w/in 3dB. The older woofer construction was far superior as far as reproducible spectrum. Also Larry, when I was in the Navy, I had some deep conversations with the graybeard Navy EE sonar engineer. He applied a 360 degree "breakage" rule that went like this. Eyeballing the tear, estimate how many degrees it covers of the full circle. 90 degrees would be a quarter, 45 degrees would be an eighth, etc. However many degrees the tear covers, add five degrees on either side to be conservative, and that will be your total signal loss. You could read up on fiberglass and wax glue impregnation on internet websites and do a reasonable job for next to nothing. If you have a ten degree tear, then the worst case loss would be 20 % of your signal if you repaired it yourself - against the 50% or greater output loss you and Gary heard using the 4 ohm K33. I haven't repaired any "speakers" since the Navy days - and the ones I did repair cost about half a million apiece. Due to that EE training me on a gundecking speaker technique, we saved the government about $3.5 million in replacements. I got to hand upside down down doing the repairs for about three hours, off and on. Yours would be easier! PM me and I'll give you a ring at your convenience. ---------------- Dave, I'll e-mail you shortly. The tear is radial, not circumferential, but it ain't much of a tear. However, I had thought that leakage through the tear would be the main problem in using the speaker. You can see the size and nature of the tear in the Ebay pic per my first post. The 15WK is a 3.2- or 3.6-ohm speaker, not 16 ohms. Although reconing has been the only answer I've got so far, I haven't been convinced it's the only way to go, especially with such a small tear. I suppose that might be more true below 500 Hz in a high-compression horn throat than as a direct radiator going up to 1,000, however. Very informative! I look forward to hearing what can be done. Larry

---------------- On 1/26/2004 1:02:08 PM sheltie dave wrote: My assumption is the driver is kaput. There is a noticable buzz and muffled distortion at all volume levels. The speaker physically is beautiful, with no tears, disclorations, or other defects. . . . If I can find a replacement I would be happy, as I could keep the period authenticity going and I could get the driver repaired without time being pressing. The K43 i have a spare of still needs the magnet reattached and it is normally run with the crossover point at 600 hz rather than 1000 hz. There would be an octave missing with this transplant ---------------- Dave, I may have what you're looking for, unless you want to do reconing. However, I'm not sure what to do about price vis-a-vis my cost. The story: a thread, "ebay dumpster find" surfaced here a few months ago -- someone had found a couple of non-klipsch cabinets all broken up in a dumpster, with a K-Ortho-15 driver-crossover system in each, and he was parting out the drivers and crossover. The woofers were 15WKs (this is partly why I asked you earlier if yours was a 15WK), one with a tear in the cone near the basket rim. The woofer ad and pics, including a pic of the tear, is still on Ebay, at No. 3061357551. I snared the two woofers for $305.02 (not more than $2 over the next lower bid!) plus $38.82 shipping, knowing that one had to be reconed. I subsequently was referred by EV to, and spoke with, someone in Michigan who recones EV speakers. She said that reconing kits for 15Ws and 15WKs are, of course, long unavailable, and she would have to use "generic" reconing cones and parts. She could recone with either a standard voice coil or a 4-ohm coil "for horn only." I have NO idea how close to the original that comes -- do you, Frzn? I and a colleague hooked up the good 15WK last week, first in open air and comparing with a K-33E that's hanging around here, and then installing it in one of my K-horns and comparing with the other. The results were unequivocal: the 15WK had much higher output, from the deep bass at the bottom to the top of its extended middle range. The clarity as well as extension was very impressive. However, it was out of balance with the rest of my K-horn, so I had no inclination to try to use it myself -- I guess I spent over $300 just to satisfy my curiosity! But, I believe that your point above, that you should have a period 15WK in order to keep the authenticity, is on target. Klipsch products of that era with the 15WK, IMHO, had a richness and fullness that was hard to capture again, and I think you'd have more than a hole in a narrow range if you put in another woofer. In any case your Shorty's system and crossover were balanced for the 15WK's output. I would be happy to ship it to you to see for yourself without any commitment from you to buy. Again, I have no idea how much a reconing would change what you have now -- in fact, I would be VERY interested in what others think. Frzn?? After all, I have another 15WK that may only need reconing to be perfectly good. Larry

Is the woofer a 15W or 15WK? Thanks, Larry

Tom, I can't find the website (Google has pages and pages on a "Record breakers" search), can you help? Do they have classical? Thanks, Larry

Dave, Others can reply perhaps better than I, but you probably saw a model "S", as the model "T" is quite rare. Go to www.hifilit.com, under Klipsch, then 1957, and then pages l, m and n, to see pics and the driver complements. These came with either a K-Ortho-12 or a K-Ortho-15 driver-crossover system. The 12, with a modified EV SP12B, was good, while the EV 15WK (at around that time) was/is a great woofer in my book. I have no idea if they came with other drivers at various times, but one of those should be the 1959 complement. As you will see from the specs, the "S" bass horn, which really was "short", unloads below about 50 or 60 Hz. I had an "S" for a while, then a "T". Very nice sound, as I recall. Perhaps others will add. Larry

---------------- On 1/21/2004 12:04:12 PM dubai2000 wrote: Larry, I gave those two Brahms Requiem recordings mentioned above a short try. I think I like the Herreweghe a bit better. The orchestra sounds slightly 'darker' which is more to my taste in this piece. But please take my comment with a pinch of salt as I have a cold and my hearing ability is clearly limited. To be honest, I think the Brahms IS very difficult to bring off successfully as most of the music tends to be 'slow', plus I grew up with the Klemperer and the 1963 Karajan (DG Originals) so I am probably biased. Those later versions I have not revisited though. So good luck hunting. Wolfram ---------------- Great,Max and Wolfram. I also think the Requiem is unusually dark and subdued for Brahms -- it's nearly all very slow as you said, plus low strings, few contrasts from almost hidden woodwinds and brass, and vocal writing to match. I think I'll take a flyer on the Herreweghe. Thanks, guys! Larry

---------------- On 1/21/2004 6:49:03 AM maxg wrote: I now own the Brahms - I went to get that record specifically - not to browse. The shop owner cornered me with a deal not to refuse, so I got: Box Sets: Mendelssohn ELijah - EMI.... Albums: Tchaikovsky Symphony 5 (Montreux) - RCA Victor Moussorgsky - Boris Godounov - RCA Victrola (Mono) Rossini Overtures - EMI Johannes Brahms - A German Requiem Opus 45 Teresa Stich-Randall Soprano and James Pease Baritone - Nonsuch ---------------- Max, you have a mighty, mighty collection! I have the old Boris (Christoff in the lead?), EMI Elijah and Rossini overtures and Tchaikovsky 5th, probably the same recordings as yours. The Brahms Requiem seems to present unusual difficulties in effectively recording a felt, lively performance. Thanks! Larry

True -- I hadn't seen that before. A neat visual.