alkemyst

I have found with the above methods you have tried that you may not be 'hitting' the rust. Pits and valleys often keep the cleaner or polish from working. My best success in these areas is with an old toothbrush and polish. This is for metal problems as a toothbrush can actually scratch painted surfaces. Use boar's hair for paint or softer.

Re-veneering seemed to be the recommendation previously...just checking for an easier solution. I have a white pine console, mexican tile and white wood for the surrounding pieces....the dark oak Quartets look out of place.

damn you guys need to get out of the ghetto. On my 30' high ceiling theatre room LoTR was much better than the theatre. I am running 1000Wx25 channels and a line quadrupiler Seriously it depends on room size/distance from the screen...in a 3x5 room a 27" would be overkill....in a 30x40 room you may have trouble finding the picture. I am living cheap so my 32" works out nice

damn you guys need to get out of the ghetto. On my 30' high ceiling theatre room LoTR was much better than the theatre. I am running 1000Wx25 channels and a line quadrupiler Seriously it depends on room size/distance from the screen...in a 3x5 room a 27" would be overkill....in a 30x40 room you may have trouble finding the picture. I am living cheap so my 32" works out nice

let me list a few points.... 1) no one should sue you since what would you be competeing with? Also as long as you aren't copying an Academy down to the millimeter and calling it an 'academy' you shouldn't have problems. 2) I talked to Klipsch and was told it's a 'dead' line for HT....I don't know, I told them their own forums shows it's anything but dead. 3) Once you have the Klipsch components and cabinent size it's a simple project...sure a $2 miter/saw combo unit will look like $()#$*$!!!@!@, but with a proper set of wood tools and even MDF and paper veneer you can make a very nice looking and sounding product cheap....the components run a little over $300 from Klipsch direct for the 2 woofers, midrange, tweeter and X-over. a 4x8 sheet (actually 49"x97") of MDF is about $16...add veneer of you choice (maybe $50-100 at most for high end exotics, $10-20 for paper veneers) and you could market these with profit at $400 all day long...do volume and probably $300 using Klipsch components...find an alternative and you maybe can make them for $200. I have seen Academys sell for $2k, most of those purchasers could probably use a full size Klipsch speaker instead cheaper and with better SQ. I have tried to market hard to find products myself, and the same ppl complaining why there isn't an alternative beat me down in price and support. It's turned out not worthwhile. As far as plots and graphing ?!?! homebrews don't really ever offer that, AS IF we had an R&D department with $100k of metering eq. I do great work (sure everyone says that) and it's still problematic.

I haven't had the best room setups... I really like the way my *really* old RX-V1050 sounds with my Quartets. 110W across the front stage (only 30W for the surrounds in Dolby Pro Logic this has been ok, but I think in the X.1 setups they will be much better sounding). I sold off (was forced to sell) my Rotel/Def Tech/Marantz setup to buy this one and I am happy with it...unfortunately I sold my Academy thinking I could replace it easily.

The Heresy is a great all-around speaker...however consider a more 'bassy' set of mains and move them to surround duty if you are really after HT...or all Heresy and a nice sub or two. It really is going to depend on the room size. I have a really small apartment now, my 'listening room' is 9x11 (shared with my office which is 9x8 and attaches off to the kitchen )...I was going to build my A/V console as two Quartet height units so I could use another Quartet as a center....you don't mount them on the wall or above the TV/Screen you mount them on stands. An Academy is the best match for a true 'shielded' center, but Academys go for more than any other single speaker in the Heritage line up and most others are really better speakers if you have the room...if magnetic interference is an issue bucking magnets can be added cheaply. The best X.1 setup has all speakers the same.

---------------- On 9/11/2003 9:25:56 PM Ou8thisSN wrote: dude, do your own damn research. If you were a serious audiophile, you wouldnt be asking the idiotic questions you are asking. My advice to everyone else, ignore this loser, he sounds like he neither has time, money, taste nor knowledge. I ask the mods to close this thread. ---------------- Hmm to me it doesn't sound like trolling with the old 'open checkbook' start most n00bs give. I think he just has the resources financially and knows his resources to use to find out how to make his wallet work best As a matter of fact I knew a guy who volunteered to go to Pakistan to do some type of network support....he emailed be a 'i want the best ....", he got flamed as a 'towel head who needs to beg for some ' on some board hehehehe. They were paying him a ton of cash + paying all his expenses, he was making the equivalent of $120k+ USD per year, was only 19 (I think) and no college at all....I lost contact, I wanted to find out what he is up to now, it's been about 10 years now, I wouldn't be surprized if he was a millionaire. I am working on a Bronco build up and got some of the same replies...sure it's an older truck (1996) but my father likes it and sold his brand new Tundra to buy it. He is dumping almost $10k into the build up....most of the replies have been 'if money was not an object why not an Escalade?'...the same thing here....we were once out on his boat and the engine died...he was on the cell to have it replaced the following monday ($10,000)...maybe someday I can do it too Good luck on your choices, the reference is a 2nd sure, but almost any of the Klipsch lineups will give you nothing but quality....people ask me where my sub is at for my Quartets, but I personally want one or two (maybe as ends of a coffee table that can also mix drinks while you watch movies).

Unfortunately the Academy is one of those niche products those in the 'know' hunt and resell. I have tried some leads locally and was actually told by some vendor he has a guy willing to pay $1000 for any he gets in. I should have known when I sold mine for $175 5 years ago and a buyer called the moment the morning paper hit and was at my house in 10 minutes with cash, I had made a mistake selling it...but I was in college and broke, I had already sold off my Rotel/Def Tech/Marantz system so one more speaker wasn't a biggie....I also sold a pair of PSB 300's(I think that was the model number) for too little, an nice asian guy drove 3 hours and brought his receiver to test them in my garage....opera and classical stuff...both buyers thought they were new. The Academy buyer even got the original box/manual....I was an idiot. I will probably roll my own as the parts can be bought and I love woodwork. I just got done building a custom computer workstation (4' x 6' bookcase on one end, 5' x 30" desk in the middle and 8'x30" bookcase on the other end ) and a TV console to get my TV the right height and store my AV gear and movies. My wife was impressed, I hate to think of what she thought the projects would turn out to be . I was thinking of using the identical tweeter and mid from my Quartets and the Academy woofers though....I recommend if other's are going to do this to think about going with their tweeters and mids as timbral matching is important and the tweet/mid determines that. The Academy is the best match as built, but if you are making your own you probably can make it a little better of a match. Now I'd like to make my oiled oak Quartets a lighter color and don't know the best way to do that....I like 'white' woods (pine/spruce) and light tans (alder/aspen/etc)...the oak look just reminds me of cheap furniture and stick on wood decals, to others it looks nice and expensive. With my mexican tile the darker oak isn't a good match. Lighter colors open up the room and the dark Quartets make 'black holes' on the wall.

I will call them tomorrow. Pricing seems good though. I just don't know how practical doing a coffee or end table with their laminates will be, I need to find out more about the process. Thanks Chris

Looking to match up some wood in my home and build a couple tables/stands. Looking for light woods with smooth grains... Doesn't have to be a real wood veneer, although for the key pieces I will need that. Thanks Chris

Thought it was just wipe on, wipe off, but now I see things like 'make sure you use a LINTFREE cloth', 'you need to use 000/0000 steel wool to get the final finish right', etc... I have the Boiled Linseed Oil and Oiled Oak Quartets. May have used some murphy's oil or the like in the past, but nothing within the past two years. Let me know the way to do this so I don't mess up my speakers Just got a new apartment and getting ready to set up my HT/Stereo again. Thanks Chris

Thanks for all the replies...however the main thing I was wondering was with such a demand why don't you see this made. All the components are available new for around $300, you can do them in oak, maple, etc for probably $20-30 in veneer, and $10 in MDF, $5-20 for a nice 5 way binding post set up. pre-cut all the pieces of veneer and wood you need and buy everything in bulk and you should be able to offer the speaker for under $500 and perhaps offer an option for a midrange equipped center.

I have three options, I can try to strip my current Quartets and refinish, remove the veneer, or rebuild them in new wood. I have a woodshop (table saw, radial arm, routers, sanders, clamps, etc) so it's not really a difficult task, but cabinents in 'real' wood veneer is expensive, but to rebuild the cabinets is alot easier than stripping off veneer and redoing it all (at least I think it would be, I am assumming the inside of my Quartets is just a 'box'). Anyone go light colored? Thanks Chris

For my Quartets, the Academy's tweeter is a match save the suffix (K-76-K and K-76-KV) and the woofer is from the same series, however for the other in the line I think there are other differences. I am really debating adding the same midrange as my Quartets, and the exact tweeter....I am debating the 8" woofers vs. 6.5" for the size difference and I will have 1 or 2 subs.

I am debating this route alot....the crossover is really going to be the hardest part...I have all the saws and tools I can imagine I was thinking something with a midrange while I am at it too. The thing is the academy matches nice, but was built before the whole home theatre craze. Nowadays the center does the most of the heavy labor. I was thinking getting some 8" or even 6.5" and the same mid/tweeter the Quartets have.

Whenever a company moves into the large chain arena the small guy is always hurt and the consumer is helped. What will probably happen now is increased sales will add more value to the current lines. There will also be a call for a cheaper line as these stores get the minimalist, no frills customer...you may also see a totally flashy lineup to appeal to the more lights the better crowd...but in the end you should have a better and cheaper product....when you are coming from an established line like Klipsch. Sometimes if a relatively new line up goes from underground to major retail the price jumps as demand is usually higher than supply routes can fill. Usually the people crying sellout are really upset that their little secrets are being shared. Why should anyone turn down money and sales?

Recievers are really just bang for the buck / ease of use. They always have many limitations. However, amping 5.1+ becomes pricey and most people over estimate their power needs...separate amplifiers are usually more robust and sound more dynamic at even 1/10 the power of a big-watt reciever. Buying used is a good way to stretch a dollar farther, and some even avoid almost everything recent in this day of disposible electronics. When you get into the few thousand dollars the latest big name recievers are pulling, it makes no sense to go other than separates. You should also try and keep the amps modular, a 5 channel or more amp is sort of nice and easy, but upgrading = replacing. With stereo and monoblocks or three-way amps (esp those that are multi channel and allow one to combine channels) you can move the main amp to surround duty and the surround amp to a bedroom, etc. Of course more amps require more space, more outlets, more heat sometimes, more maintenance (negligable).

Watch out for the rubber feet (a simple disc of wax paper would work to but may make it slippery, a cloth would work also..the thing is you don't want the reciever to shift and chip the edge of the speaker). Now there is a big debate on whether vibrations effect eq both physically and acoustically...with something like Cornwalls pounding I am sure damage could occur over time..but at normal volume levels probably not. I have a small TV on top of my Quartet with a towel under it...I don't play more than a loud conversation right now as I am living with others...but that will change soon

If all the parts are available from Klipsch (I am not sure on the X-overs), couldn't they be reproduced? There seems a huge demand...I am sure they would have to be changed slightly to not step on anyone's legal toes...but Klipsch doesn't have an equal available product and this usually becomes a sort of 'ok' issue. Chris

I once had the academy but sold it thinking later on their would be a better center (I didn't know it was the actual match for my Quartets). I will be in a small home for perhaps a year or two while I build up savings in order to keep the place for a rental and upgrade...I am in the process of looking but more than likely 20x10/15 will be the biggest room I'd have. I am going to try to find an Academy, but the line ahead of me is long so I am looking for alternatives, I found KV-3 or a KLF-C7 or a RC-3 recommended in the forums, and Klipsch told me a RC35 or RC7 (but I think the RC3 II on paper looks a closer match). This will be mounted above the TV set on a shelf. For surrounds I have only seen the RS7 recommended, but these may be way overkill esp for a small room. I also plan to have them wall mounted to save floor space. Eventually I will upgrade with the very worst moving this gear to my bedroom or another room in the house...I don't think I'd want to part with the Quartets. If date matters they are a matched pair from April 1990. I have a Yamaha 1070 receiver which I'd also like to upgrade, but I may hold off until I can buy a proper preamp/amp combo for at least 5.1 (the sub I will go powered, klipsch's 15" perhaps as I liked that one when I tested it a few years ago). Thanks Chris

thanks I will look into those as klipsch recommended the center RC35 (better) or RC7 (louder) as a current match to my Quartets...The didn't mention the RC3 II's but they seem in line also for a center.

I only saw one recommendation for this line when I searched the forums...the RS7.. Is this the one to go with? I am assuming I will be able to find another Academy to replace the one I sold long ago for equal/less than one of my kidneys on the organ blackmarket. Otherwise I will try for a KV4/3, KLF-C7 or the RC-3 (I believe that is the order too from best match to ok)...still none comparing with the impact of the dual 8" Academy. I will not have an option for another quartet center. I will probably have this high wall mounted or on small stands next to or behind the listening position. Chris

Prior to my divorce I was forced to sell my Def Tech BP20/BP10/CLR1000 Rotel RB980BX/RSP960BX/RB956BX/RT940, and a Marantz CC65SE CD (including the top of the line Mits 36" (corian topped one) and vcr). It was a great system, I was debating going with one PF1500 (or 15 I forget) or two to complete it...never came to be. I was about 25 at the time and Christmas was officially over. I went back to the place I got the eq from (Audio Center Inc in Deerfield Bch, FL), and the owner showed me a Yamaha 1070, Klipsch Quartets (oiled oak), Klipsch Academy (oiled oak) (in box with manual), and some PSB300's that could do surround duty. He had many higher end preamp/amp choices, but my I was going to apartment life and already worried the impact of the Quartets. The best was the whole package was around $800, this was back in 1996/7. It was a great deal as everything was mint+ (I picked up a Yamaha CCD665 new from Sound Advice, 50% off)...the whole package was under a $1000 easy. Anyways I sold the Academy since there wasn't so much I could find on it for about $175 in 1998. I didn't have room for it at the time when I went back to college again...nor space...but I could have made space for it if I knew what I do now. It was like brand new still, in the box with all paperwork. So now I find this forum Chris