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LarryC

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Everything posted by LarryC

  1. Great in-depth discussion -- but, in addition to often being quite bright, silver wire I've had has taken a looooooong time to break in -- the purchaser could still be waiting (and hoping) weeks or months later for enough break in to mitigate the brightness. By my small experience, I think the new Klipsch/Monster Cable is really very good and he is best off buying them stock. He can always rewire later if he wants.
  2. Gary, Look under the recent thread, "Feedback" under Technical Questions -- a wall-mounted stand largely took care of his similar problems and certainly worked for me, too. If you have room for one.
  3. My understanding is that there is a lot of silver wire out there that doesn't sound good, too bright or something unpleasant like that. Even silver believers think it has to be chosen carefully if it's going to be done. I wouldn't do it either, especially under those circumstances.
  4. ***Yes Target wall mount stands are still made I am gona give this a shot. What are you using to dampen it further with? I was also told that some woofer movement is normal with records in comparison to say cd because of subsonic frequencies. Is this true?*** A Towshend sink (inflatable tubes inside very heavily damped upper and lower plates). I have the older "2-D" model under the turntable. The good news: it smoothed out and purified the reproduction to some noticeable degree. The less-good news: they do leak slowly and must be pumped up periodically (a pump comes with the sink). I'm not sure it's widely distributed in the U.S. any more, there are probably other products that do as well. I can't see my woofer (K-horns) so I don't really know, wouldn't be surprised.
  5. I had big floor-based vibration problems with my turntable until it was moved onto a Target wall-mounted stand, which fixed it. Vibration damping under the turntable was an added benefit. I don't know if Targets are still made.
  6. Gary: I would be interested, please count me in. larryclare@aol.com
  7. I like my Joule-Electra OTL monoblocks (www.joule-electra.com) quite a bit. I can't compare them with other OTLs, but they greatly outclassed my prior Mark Levinson ML-2s. There are noise issues at K-horn efficiency which Jud Barber has been able to reduce -- a low-level buzz from a few feet away and a low-level hum, almost always inaudible when music is playing. To me, it does not seem to interfere with the music, but others might disagree. They are very pricey, not far below Tenor; produced by a very small company (pivoting on Jud); and definitely a niche product: they're turned on by slowly cranking up a variac and hand-setting the filament voltage by meter read-out. My reaction: they have a lot of real-music presence, are fast, full-range, and very detailed. I like the even sonic character from top to bottom of the range, a good match with the K-horn's similarly even character. The input sensitivity was lowered on these to match up with the K-horns and rest of the system. Using 500w. and six 6C33B output tubes for 100w. out per side, they produce noticeable but not overpowering heat. Their appearance is reasonably good, if not quite top-of-the-line.
  8. It seems to me that, in Maryland anyway, Myer-Emco has become less prominent in recent years. SoundWorks in Kensington, MD, (corner of Connecticut and Knowles; apparently no website) displays quite a bit of Klipsch, though not Heritage, in their considerable stock of middle and high-end equipment. It carries Aragon according to its yellow pages ad. JS Audio in Bethesda (www.jsaudio.com) is another excellent store, carries a respectable selection (e.g., McIntosh) but not Klipsch.
  9. Rob -- I'm in the process of remedying a weakness in my K-horns' bass and mid-range fullness apparently due to their not being fully set into the corners, even though each one was less than one inch away from the wall (due to door, window and baseboard moldings). I had no idea such a small distance could make a difference. Most of it was solved by cutting portions of the side grill frames out from under the grill cloth, which lets the speakers slide fully into place in one corner and fully into one wall in the other; for the remaining wall, I have to build a partial false-corner to bypass a vertical molding and partially cover a too-close glass-panel door (I suppose it will still lose some bass). The result for me was a bigger, more characteristic K-horn sound on the completed side, and hope for a similar improvement on the other.
  10. OOps, I didn't scroll to the bottom to find the outcome before sending the above shipping suggestion, sorry.
  11. Triceratops: About 1.5 years ago, some relatives shipped me (I live in Bethesda, MD) an ungainly living room chair via The Letter Box in Portland, Ore., e-mail www.pdxshipper.com. It was well-packed with lots of styrofoam peanuts, and apparently air-shipped as it arrived at my door in only a few days. $262 was the tab.
  12. Did you precisely try db's approach, i.e., turn off everything except the amplifier to see if it's the perp? If it's quiet with only the amp on, but the white noise comes on when you then turn on the pre-amp/processor, the pre-amp is a candidate source. Next step: does the noise change when you turn the volume control up or down, i.e., or is it still there with the volume control all the way down? If the latter, I'd suspect the part of the pre-amp circuitry that follows the volume control. Also, does the preamp have a mute switch, and what happens then? -- it may mute right at the pre-amp output and quiet the noise, whereas the volume control may not if noisy circuitry follows it. If it's from the pre-amp after the volume control, one culprit could be the overall gain of the amplifier -- according to the website, the 3005 puts out 300 watts, a lot for K-horns, and such a high wattage risks a lot of gain. Indeed, the website gives its sensitivity as 1.72 v. or 3.44 v. depending on some feature (?balanced vs. SE...?). If it's 1.72, that's the same as 0.86 for 75 watts, a rather high sensitivity (low input voltage = high sensitivity) for K-horns, which could magnify preamp hiss quite a bit. The other sensitivity, 3.44, might be much better if you can somehow do that. Also, do you have to set the volume control way down to keep the level reasonable? That also would suggest a high sensitivity. If none of this computes, then others' wisdom is better.
  13. Mike: My CAT pre-amp had the same problem (24 steps, 6 or 8 db first step at the bottom) until CAT (Ken Stevens) installed a factory control with the reverse taper -- small bottom steps, maybe 2 dB apart, and big jumps at the top where I couldn't possibly use it. The switch idea sounds great -- can the preamp's manufacturer help?
  14. Dean: Let me try from a rather amateur standpoint to see if I can help out a bit. While I don't know electronics, I have had to deal with this subject to accommodate K-horn efficiency in my system setups. I copied in below what you wrote, so let's see: I'm pretty sure that a "gain" control is actually an attenuation control, and that top volume is wide-open full gain. It seems to me that -65 dB has been a customary range for volume controls (other forum folks will be far more knowledgeable about this) However, this has primarily been an issue for me when trying to match a pre-amp with an amplifier and the K-Horns, and have the volume control sit somewhere between 7 or 8 o'clock and 12 or 1 o'clock. With the K-horn's very high efficiency, some amp/pre-amp setups will cause the volume control to sit at or near the bottom of its range, very limiting in trying to set a low volume without cutting it off (I understand that some volume controls also lose quality at the bottom of their range). This can be a particular problem with fixed-step volume controls with only, say, 24 positions (like my CAT pre-amp), especially because these can be "tapered" to have only large (6 or 8 dB) steps at the bottom of their range! I have long felt that, with this problem, a key way to address it is with a low-sensitivity amp. In my experience, the typical sensitivity of 0.5 volts for full power out, if that power level is 100 w. or more, raises compatibility issues, because it takes so LITTLE voltage for such high power out. For many years, I drove my K-horns with Mark Levinson ML-2's, which had a sensitivity of 0.675 v. for its rated 25 watts -- I believe this would be equivalent to 1.35 v. for 100 w, a lower sensitivity and far more gentle and compatible level of amplification for K-horns. The rated gain of the ML-2, incidentally, was 26 db, which I doubt is very low -- the sensitivity for X-number of watts out seems to work better for me, than the gain figure by itself. Anyway, I've had a heck of a time trying out 0.5-volt amps on my system -- I can't turn down the volume control enough. My current amp probably has close to a 2-volt sensitivity for its rated 100 watts out, much better. One brand of amp I have heard of with good compatibility with K-horns is Quicksilver (I've never heard one); I'd note that the sensitivity of the Q/S Mono 100 is 1.5 v. for 100 watts out -- again, less sensitive -- and the Horn Mono, mentioned elsewhere in these forums, requires an astonishing 9 (!!) volts for its rated 50 w. out, as low a sensitivity as I've heard of. Now, THAT should get those volume controls run right up there! There is sometimes another, related factor: the amplification of tube/electronic noise after the pre-amp's volume control, especially by a high-sensitivity amp plus K-horns. This may not be a problem with most pre-amps, but has been with mine. In that case, reduced amp sensitivity seems to be the only way for me to deal with that issue. The significance of the volume control location is that, while it raises/attenuates prior signals, the circuitry following the control is unaffected and can be quite noisy in some pre-amps. Some other pre-amps like an earlier ARC I had appear to have two volume control locations, one apparently near the end of the circuitry, which can tone down the final output circuit noise quite a bit. Finally, one may have to combine a reduced sensitivity amp with reduced sound source levels to get everything properly pulling together for typical 9-11 o'clock control settings. For example, I have a moderately-low output (.35 @ 5cm/sec) cartridge, have set my CD player at only .4 v. or so output (well below the standard), and got Magnum-Dynalab to change my tuner output from 1 v. to 0.1 v. Hope all this rumination helps, and my apologies for being so expansive. "I'm having a really rough time understanding what is happening here. I mean, if the volume is turned all the way down on the preamp, and there is no sound coming out of the speakers -- there is no 'gain', right? So then you turn it up, there is 'gain' -- which makes sound. Why does it just seem to me that the only thing that should be impacted is how far the volume control knob is turned before before the amp is overdriven? I'm clearly missing something here. "Most preamps supply between 18 and 20db of 'gain'. Is this number a constant then? I just always figured preamps start at 0 gain, and then as you turn the volume up -- the gain is increased until one reaches the 18 to 20 db figure. Hmmm, let me guess -- it doesn't work this way does it? "On the other end of this equation is something like Mike Sanders' Horn Monos. He specifically designed these for Big 'Ole Horns, and they are advertised as being "low gain". "Are low powered amps by their very nature "low gain"? What constitutes low gain in an amp, what constitutes low gain in a preamp, and how does one go about determining what should be matched with what? High gain preamp with low gain amp, low gain preamp with high gain amp, low gain preamp with low gain amp, high gain amp with high gain preamp -- did I leave anything out? "Can these things be explained in such a way as not to cause my brain to collapse in on itself? "How about one of you genius' make up a nice chart for the rest of morons telling us what numbers work best with what numbers. "Oh yes, and then there is the output impedance of the amp and the input impedance of the preamp (or is it the other way around) -- doesn't this relate to this whole issue of 'gain'? "Thanks to whoever takes the time to help out here."
  15. Hi -- Answers follow each question: 1. What Heritage speakers have you owned, currently own, or want to own? I have a pair of Klipschorns, I believe as the third owner, a natural mahogany pair from 1962 or 1963 2. What was your age when you first purchased a Heritage series loudspeaker? I first purchased a pair of K-Ortho-12 Shorthorns, traded back to buy one Model T (K-Ortho-15 only), around 1960. I moved up through unfinished K-horns in the 1970s (using the T's drivers for one), and purchased my current, fully-finished K-horns in the early 1980s. 3. What is your current age? 60's 4. Why did you choose Heritage loudspeakers over another Klipsch model? To me, nothing else ever sounded like the real thing the way Klipsch did, notwithstanding sound purity issues which have now mostly been resolved (for me) thru lots of tweaks and accessories. 5. If you currently own some Heritage loudspeakers, and could purchase some more Klipsch speakers(new or used), which ones would you purchase? Why? I am very satisfied with my K-horns and have no reason to buy other Heritage speakers. However, I just upgraded with the new K-horn update kit (Tw, squawker driver, X-over & wires ). 6. Do you think the upcoming Jubilee should become part of the "Heritage" line, since it was also designed by PWK? Sounds very logical. What do you think the company's plans are for the Heritage line? Thanks for your responses!! Thank you -- Larry Clare
  16. Austin, I copied your reply below so I can answer you point by point: "Larry, It seems pretty consistent from your experience and some others that have commented here in the forum and elsewhere that the "2002 Khorn" or newer is better all around. Since curiousity will get the better of me, I will definitely listen to the new Khorn. How would you characterize the sound of your speakers after you changed the internal wiring to Siltech? Ever listen to Atma-Sphere OTL's? Listening to tube gear with my Khorns ranks very high on the list of things to do. I have a Pass Aleph 30 amp and Pass Labs X2 pre-amp (both pure class a) with a Theta Miles on the way. Not sure how it will sound when everything is in place, but that's part of the fun. Wow....a 30+ year search for the holy grail....which Joule-Electra do you have? While were're on the subject, what other gear are you using with your OTL? Thanks. Austin Austin: I waited until the new Monster Cable wire was broken in (better bass and sound started really coming in at 20-30 hrs.), then alternated tweeter and midrange MC and Siltech to do the comparison. The difference was not a strong one, and might not even have shown up without the OTLs and all the accessories and tweaks that I've installed the last few years (see list below), but it was enough for me to decide on the Siltech sub. The difference is difficult to describe, but there was a noticeably greater crystalline (?) clarity and purity with the silver, which brought the music more into its own right as sound. I had to get new wire as the old lengths were not compatible because of different crossover locations, etc. That said, I thought the MC was really very good, and a great match for the drivers and overall balance and sound of the K-horn. No, I didn't listen to Atma-Sphere -- many of these amps are not demo'd in this major metro area, and I was reluctant to start having manufacturers (and myself) ship a lot of stuff around. I did try out one better-known tube amp which was not a rewarding experience, and I couldn't even lift another volunteered for a demo which I declined. I have the VZN-100s, actually a low-gain version. The clarity and you-are-thereness added by this amp is almost astonishing. My major other stuff is: CAT Signature Mk III (with 2 pr. Tubesox) Basis Ovation,w/debut bearing upgrade, Graham TA and Benz cartridge Wadia CD PS Audio P-300 ESP power cords Siltech interconnects and speaker cable I should re-emphasize that even things like the P-300 and the Tubesox, which I all got prior to the J-E and Klipsch update, seemed to add clarity to the system, so I don't know how to estimate what silver would do over the Monster Cable in a more standard system, it might not be that much. Larry
  17. You wrote (see my comments below): "...his ONLY solution to me was to buy the upgrade kit @$900 per speaker. At first, I felt completely sick. I thought: I love my K-horns just the way they are. What am I supposed to do if I blow a driver? Where am I supposed to go? In fact, I remember asking him who he recommended I send my drivers to for repair. He didn't recommend or know of any company. "I have to admit, when I got off the phone with him, I was really ticked off. Then I started doing some reading about the 2002 Klipschorn and thought: if I would even contemplate doing the upgrade, I would want to FIRST listen to what the new K-horn sounds like. Of course it's difficult to come to an intelligent decision when you factor in that their environment and equipment are different from your own, but what the hell can you do? I have plans to listen to the 2002 Klipschorns in the next few months and will consider the upgrade if I like what I hear." Hi -- While I don't have a lot of driver, etc. experience, the following may be of interest: I've owned since perhaps 1980 a K-horn pair made in the 1960s. After poor results from "updating" drivers and crossover in the early 1980s, I sent the tops to Klipsch for analysis and re-working -- they re-set the tweeter position and I got somewhat better sound. NOW: I bought and installed the new $900-per updates a few months ago, and got MUCH better sound: more bass, a more even mid-range and upper bass, and smoother transition between the tweeter and midrange. I thought it was a great improvement. The principal differences seem to be a new, much more complicated one-piece crossover, and new Monster Cable wire that seems much superior to previous Klipsch wire (I've since re-wired them with Siltech, but was nearly satisfied, for a change, with the new Klipsch wire). So, I'd second your interest in listening to the new Klipsch system to see whether you like it. Incidentally, my sound via Joule-Electra OTLs seems very realistic to me, after a 30+-year search for same. LarryC
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