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consistent

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    Anybody Use First Watt Amps with Klipschorns or LaScala's

    in 2-Channel Home Audio

    Posted

    Hi

    I am using a J2 and it is simply magic! Have used a number of amps over the years but this and the Volksamp Aleph 30 (re-branded Pass) have integrated very well with the Khorn and the gear I use. Pass occasionally has a demo price (through Reno HiFi) on First Watt gear. Another amp I have is the Altmann BYOB amp, this uses a 12v battery and gives the Khorn what it needs when reaching crescendos, the top end is a bit lean but the bottom end is enormous and extracts some deep bass. Pass does love horns!

    Good luck

    Cheers

    Rec Crossover Freq for Altec 511b/902-8T and Klipsch BassBin

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Hi

    In my 2004 Khorns I have added a 291-16k (replaced K55) dropped it down by 4db, added a tractrix horn of my own build and put in a Crites tweet- what a combination! The detail of the midrange and blned with the bottom and top ends is outstanding. I have learned to 'tame' the 291 as it may outpace everything else. Use a tractrix, its better than any other horn I have tried.

    By the way if you have looked after your hearing you may still be getting to 12k-14k...the mind will take care of the rest. At 56 I tested at 14k in one ear and 12k in the other less a few db.

    All the best

    Steve

    Klipschorn room treatment suggestions?

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Welcome

    Lots of info on the net about reflective/deflective/absorptive/diffractive materials. For me was ensuring the Khorns were tight in corners and pointed into within 1 metre forward of your listening position. My room was 15' x 12', much smaller, I used the short wall, lots of bass traps and diffractive material and yes mid range is very important but if you get overblown bass you may as well listen to music with your head in a bucket of water!!

    All good fun...don't take math too seriously, it is important but most times your ears are your best guide, they start where math leaves off!

    Good luck

    Steve

    Khorn tractrix upgrades and crossovers advice

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Hi

    I built a few tratrix horns then found these http://www.azurahorn.com/ 10 minutes away from where I live! I used different lengths to try a few things out with the stock K55 (have 2004 horns AK-4) and Altec 288's with imporved success over std config.. Now am using Altec 291 with Bob Crites tweet or the K77F (in vertical). Thanks to Bob's help I built an Lpad (fixed resistors) to suit the 291's and what a sound with the Le Cléac’h...it has become a very revealing combination and the AK-4 has not gotten in the way. I can hear mic shifts and front to back is more isolating than the stuff I have built.

    Good luck with your quest

    Steve

    I had been after Martin's 160 horn for a long time. I was never able to get a pair in the states. Having a set shipped from down under is just cost prohibitive these days.

    I expect the Le Cleach is a great sounding horn. If you ever get bored, try an active crossover and a two way set up with the 160 Azurahorn.

    Yeah, the cost of freight to/from can be a big disincentive!

    Khorn tractrix upgrades and crossovers advice

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Hi

    I built a few tratrix horns then found these http://www.azurahorn.com/ 10 minutes away from where I live! I used different lengths to try a few things out with the stock K55 (have 2004 horns AK-4) and Altec 288's with imporved success over std config.. Now am using Altec 291 with Bob Crites tweet or the K77F (in vertical). Thanks to Bob's help I built an Lpad (fixed resistors) to suit the 291's and what a sound with the Le Cléac’h...it has become a very revealing combination and the AK-4 has not gotten in the way. I can hear mic shifts and front to back is more isolating than the stuff I have built.

    Good luck with your quest

    Steve

    Taming the Altec 291-16k in a Khorn

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Thanks Chris...that is a big loop of impedance. My thinking was that as the K55 is nominal 16 that the 291 (nominal 16) would be a good fit dropped by a few db as it is about 3db more efficient/w/m. I am not sure what damage (if any) I am doing to the network or driver load (the amp should be spared) but by dialing what my ears perceive to be the right balance (ohm meter test also) with the 8ohm L-pad it sounds pretty damn good with a good balance of tone in peaks.

    cheers

    Steve

    Taming the Altec 291-16k in a Khorn

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Hi Guys

    Some advice please. I have swapped out the K55 for Altec 291-16k, what a beautiful driver but a little hot for the K77 and K33 in the AK4 network. So I added an L-pad attenuator (50w 8 ohm). Works well be the K77F which surprises me. The pad seems to work well but not sure if it should be 16ohm for the driver?

    Also if i have a fixed L-pad of say 3db and 6db should it be 16ohm and what should the wattage be?

    Thanks

    First Watt Amps - Nelson Pass

    in 2-Channel Home Audio

    Posted

    Hi Guys

    I have his J2 amp and an Aleph 30. Had so many amps over the years...ended up with First Watt (Pass Amps) cause there was no other amp that I beleived mated with the Khorn so well. The J2 is sheer marvel to grab detail, match the 'pace' that a Khorn can provide, the J2 provides a realistic sound stage and even better (3D) when you have a great CD player, the amp doesn't get in the way of the music!. Forget what you think you know about SS amps until you hear the J2

    Cheers

    • Like 1

    Klipschorn Mods

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Hi Rod

    I think here is fine. By removing the 'top hat' of a Khorn and replacing with a mid and high driver motor board config, that you can more easily move around and point to the 'listening position', you get better perception of the sound and 'dimensionality' increases. Some don't need to do this in a room where the corners point to the ideal position. What is the ideal listening position? There is math and 'methods' but I just use my very experienced ears! Yes it doesn't look at pretty unless you rebuild a 'rotateable' top hat, but I'm lazy and I just love to play with different lenses I have built for the mid and high drivers (K55, K77 and Crites). I have used some Altecs and Beyma's but not happy with them in current config and would have needed to play with the crossover...which I avoided as I am simply not qualified and again lazy!

    As to treatments, probably the single most cost effective & impressive improvement you can do to any listening environment...even makes a cheap system sound really good when done right. I have spent a great deal of time building bass traps and lookng at materials and ways to 'scatter' rather than cause unwanted reflections. Again using my ears with a little help from friends and relatives (does this sound better or worse...what if i shift this...etc). Lots of my ideas come from people experimenting with their ideas. There are no rules if you have a loving partner who doesn't care how the room looks. But if you don't have that luxury there are plenty of great looking products from a growing business 'Acoustic Room Treatments' -Auralex, Realtraps etc. Once I was able to control enormous bass in a small room I concentrated on diffussion to take out 'slap' and uneccessary rings & nodal interplay.

    Keeps me off the streets and out of the wife's way!

    All the best

    Steve

    Klipschorn Mods

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    G'day

    I have been using Klipsch gear since 1977 and have run all of the heritage models and a few others. I currently run 2004 Khorns with a tractrix horn I built (thanks Al for the drawings) an Bob's tweet on a separate motor board. Didn't play with the crossover just aligned the mid and tweet more to centre of room and listening pleasure and kept bass bins tucked tightly into proper corners. Did lots of room treatment (key to getting the best out of a Khorn particulalry in small rooms). What a sound, the artists are in the room with me, it's almost 3D! I still get goose bumps and so do any that listen with me!

    All the best

    Power conditioner necessary ?

    in Technical/Restorations

    Posted

    Hi Guys

    From my understaning and hearing, if your power source is poor a 'conditioner' will improve the quality of power to the point that the manufacturers of the devices hooked-up to the power are unable to predict errors/issues when when they built their devices. If your manufacturer has provided a poor power source (very noticeable in computers) you would benefit (possibly) but don't underestimate a really good power source already built in to your gear which is not hard to achieve these days. The biggest single impact I have ever heard in a power source is the use of a battery (12v) instead of mains power.

    Cheers

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