scotbuck

Greetings, Well, I've taken the Heritage plunge with the purchase of some mint "Type AA" LaScalas. With these speakers on the way, it's time to let my 1985 kg4's go to a good home. Driver surrounds look clean and the dustcaps haven't been pushed in. Nominal impedance is 6 ohms; overall appearance is about an 8 of 10. They sound quite good but at 94dB sensitivity, they aren't efficient enough for my amps, which develop between 5 and 10wpc. I purchased these speakers last Summer for $325 at Saturday Audio here in Chicago. They're available to forum members for pick-up (and audition) for $275. Let me know if you're interested! Take care, Scott

Greetings, I would think that having two proper corners would be best. Even though the bass frequencies aren't particularly directional, the placement of the *source* of these frequencies often is. For example on many classical music recordings, the double-bass section is located far to one side. Similarly, some stereo jazz recordings have the bass player panned to one channel. I suspect that if the source of the bass notes is coming from the speaker that doesn't have the corner, the fact that the the other speaker does have a corner might not be of much benefit. Just a thought... Take care, Scott

Greetings, I've got this on LP and I agree ... it's a k-k-k-killer rendition! Take care, Scott

Greetings, You can check 'em out for yourself -- cheap -- at: http://www.audioreplay.net/tc754pp.html I use this when I hook up my SI tripath amp. It's got three passive line inputs *and* a built-in phono stage. For under $80 shipped, it's a pretty easy audition -- although you won't get the premium quality volume control which is generally considered essential for a "real" passive preamp. Of course, the "real" ones cost a lot more! I would recommend a better interconnect that the one that comes with the unit, however... Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

Greetings, I just made an offer on the 'Scalas, and it was accepted. I'll be picking up the speakers in a couple weeks after my living room painting project is completed (wouldn't want to get these babies splattered ). Thanks to everyone for your input! I'll give a full report after I've given the speakers their first proper listen. Take care, Scott

Glad to... Hope it helps... Take care, Scott

Greetings, Thanks for all the great input thus far - I really appreciate it! Regarding the bass response, breathing, and volume levels... What I heard is somewhat hard to describe. The balance between highs, mids, and lows was approximately equal regardless of volume, perhaps tipped a bit in favor of the mids and highs at lower listening levels. However, as the volume went up somewhat, the *character* of the bass changed. For example, an upright bass in a jazz combo (ala "Way Out West" by Sonny Rollins) had more body resonance, more "hrumph" on each note almost as if a "sweet spot" was encountered as the bass-horn came alive. (BTW - I never got the impression that these speakers were lacking in bass response!! ) This didn't require ear-splitting volume levels (we really didn't have much power to work with), at least considering size of the room. I listened mostly to jazz played through my little SI tripath amp as well as the owner's 300-B amp, so we were using between maybe 5 and 15wpc. As an aside, I though one of the most impressive things about the LaScala was the way that big squaker sounded; the midband was absolutely gorgeous with either amp ... and even a wailing tenor sax never sounded harsh (as it did in the past when I was using Lowther-based horns). Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!!! Take care, Scott

Greetings, Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear some near-mint LaScalas (with the Type AA crossover and alnico drivers). I was really knocked out by the music these speakers made, bass response included! One thing I noticed, though, was that the volume needed to be at a certain level before it seemed that the speakers came alive and breathed. Have any of you experienced this? And if so, can you say whether this is a function of the room or the physics of the horn? (The listening area in my condo is about 14.5 feet deep by 20 feet wide; the speaker owner's room was about 10 feet larger in each direction and had a cathedral ceiling.) I'm strongly considering buying these speakers but would hate to get them home only to realize that they'd need to be at "bad-neighbor-relations" levels to really shine. Any opinions you could share would be greatly appreciated! Take care, Scott

---------------- "... On the other hand the function of music reproduction has to be, at some level at least, the accurate protrayal of an existing sonic event. This would imply that adding in a sonic signature, deliberately, is flying in the face of what this hobby is all about. Or is it? If I like Ketchup on my food I should be allowed to have it. On the other hand - with everything? ..." ---------------- Greetings, That's a tough one! Earlier this year the band I was in did a studio demo CD. I found that my little tripath amp more accurately reproduced the sound I heard in the studio when we mixed the recording. As such, it was a more useful tool to hear how the studio mix sounded. On the other hand, my single-ended toob amp gave the recording more of a sense of what it sounded like while the band was actually *playing* at the studio while the mics were live. Which is better? I dunno... A lot typically happens in a studio between the initial recording, mixing and mastering. Microphones (even expensive studio mics) are only so accurate. Each tells its own version of the truth (which is why you'll likely find a mix of Neumann, RCA ribbon, Sure SM-58, etc. mics available for different applications). Then, after the initial sound is captured there's compression, EQ, panning, etc., etc., etc., -- all used to make the recording sound more pleasing. In fact, I was impressed by how much "fake" stuff was needed to make a digital recording sound more "natural"! As far as how to reproduce that studio "event" is concerned, I can't say with any authority which form of amplification is better. As I've mentioned in a previous post: Sometimes we want the truth and nothing but the truth; other times we prefer a little white lie told with the best of intentions... My guess is that, in their own way, they're all good -- which would explain why so many types of amps, cables, speakers, and sources are available... Take care, Scott

---------------- On 6/21/2005 8:23:15 AM maxg wrote: "...clipping is so benign on a tube amp (single ended in this case - not so sure for PP amps) that the listener simply doesnt notice and therefore claims that the thing plays louder..." ---------------- Greetings, This is something that we guitarists have felt intuitively for years. Although it seems counter-intuitive, I've found that I always need a bit of tube distortion from my guitar amp for my guitar to sound natural. And while turning the amp "up to 11" will produce gobs of distortion, turning the volume up to the sweet spot at the onset of distortion makes the guitar sound like itself -- only better. It's as if the amp's distortion acts more as an enhancer; the result is something that doesn't sound like a distorted tone as much as an enhanced clean tone. I expect that's also what I'm hearing when I use my tube stereo amplifier. Take care, Scott

Greetings, Here are a couple of websites that may interest you: http://de.geocities.com/bc1a69/index_eng.html http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?index.htm The first one explains about direct drive 'tables in general. (Using the info provided there I was able to score a great Kenwood KD-500 direct drive 'table.) The second link is for a fellow who does some interesting mods to the Technics 1200 'table, including some modded DJ cartridges for feather light tracking. I've found that I prefer the sound of direct drive (or rim drive) 'tables to belt drive. They just seem to be more solid and dynamic in their presentation. And my Kenwood, with a corian plinth, is easily as quiet as any belt drive I've owned. Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

Greetings, My kg4's are 6-ohm speakers; I believe others are 8-ohms. I'd check to see whether the dustcap on the drivers and passive radiator are ok (a lot on ebay seem to be damaged). Also make sure the surrounds on the cones are in good condition. Expect to hear a nice, fat, full yet fast bass response (40 Hz sounded strong on my Stereophile test CD) along with very clean, smooth highs. As others have pointed out, the lack of a dedicated midrange driver will bring the mids back a bit and not have as much of the in-the-room-with-you quality as speakers which do use the midrange driver. Still, I've never found mine to sound overly dark or recessed. All in all, I think you'll love the speakers. And at $175/pair they're a great deal. ENJOY!!! Take care, Scott

---------------- On 6/13/2005 1:02:20 PM msst wrote: ...Klipsch doesn't make a DOG in any line, all Klipsch speakers are good... -------------- Greetings, Nicely put! After purchasing my kg4's (and hearing both a pair of Cornwalls and my brother's Synergy HT setup) I'm inclined to agree with you. I suspect a lot of us here on the forum are in the "Klipsch 4-Life" club. I've tried other very nice speakers and can say there are some that do imaging better, others that offer more bass extension, and still others that....... You get the picture. But for the money - or even cost aside - Klipsch speakers are really hard to beat at bringing it all together and recreating *music*. In fact I suspect that Klipsch fans tend to be music lovers rather than "audiophiles". You don't often come across words such as "PRAT" on the forum (unless, of course, it's one of our British friends calling someone names!) Rather, you usually hear about folks kicking back and enjoying the music. And ain't that what it's really all about? Take care, Scott

Greetings, I've never heard a Heresy but own the kg4. With that caveat in mind I recommend the kg4. It would seem that, especially for rock music which has a heavy beat, you'll want some bass. I've tested the kg4 with the Stereophile test CD and found that the 40hz test signal was strong (this is about where the low E on an electric bass vibrates). If you want to spend more money, it seems that going the extra mile for a Forte might be the better choice - get the midrange driver (and all of its advantages) without giving up the bass. (If I were tempted to upgrade from my kg4 in my modest sized condo, that's what I'd do.) Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

Greetings, Red Wine Audio makes a Clari-T amp (similar to SI) or a Teac mod - both powered with rechargeable batteries. Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

---------------- On 4/5/2005 11:46:40 PM scotbuck wrote: This isn't to say that one is, overall, better than the other {between my Sonic Impact and Audio Note amps). Sometimes we want to hear the truth and nothing but the truth; sometimes we might prefer a little white lie told with the best of intentions... ---------------- Greetings, I've been happily going back-and-forth between the "little white lie" (Audio Note) and "nothing but the truth" (Sonic Impact using the "preamp out" on the Audio Note). If you've got an amp with a "preamp out" function, getting either a Sonic Impact or Teac -- or even a Red Wine Audio Clari-T for that matter -- is a great and inexpensive way to double your listening options ... and have a whole lot of fun in the process. Take care, Scott

---------------- On 5/28/2005 9:47:26 PM ben. wrote: Scott, would you please stop posting here? Every time I see your signature, I want to spend money. ----------------

Greetings, You can get some very inexpensive phono preamps at: http://www.audioreplay.net/index.html These will let you go from the turntable into your PC. The higher-end models (still only about $75) have a volume control that will let you attenuate the input signal. Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

Greetings, I have several MoFi's and, in general, I don't think they really *are* very special. I got better sonics when I later purchased early "regular" pressings of the same LPs. If the MoFi's are sealed, of course, at least you're not buying someone else's scratches, pops, clicks, warps, etc. I would simply recommend keeping the purchase to a reasonable price-point (and 25 cents certainly qualifies in that regard!). Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

---------------- Do you believe what I may be able to purchase in a ten watt or below amp. will give me better sound than my competely gone through ST70? ---------------- Greetings, I'd recommend trying a SonicImpact tripath amp ... at a whopping cost of about $30. There ain't no more bang for the buck anywhere! If you find that a low powered amp (the SI develops about 5wpc) works for you, you can move on from there without having sacrificed too many $$$ in the process. One thing you'll notice in any low-powered amp, when compared to a ST-70 (I owned one which was modded to develop about 40wpc), is that you'll definitely lack some "slam" in the bass and overall dynamics -- depending, of course, on how much power your speakers demand to fill your room at your preferred listening level. On the other hand, you'll gain quite a bit of "rightness" in the overall presentation with a low-powered amp. I found that going from the fixed-bias ST-70 to a cathode-biased Knight to my single-ended Audio Note gave me increasing amounts of musical mojo. I still haven't sold my 10wpc Audio Note (although my first impression of the tripath made me wonder about that ... longer-term listening tests have proved valuable in this regard), and I find that in my condo with kg4 speakers this is sufficient. (It also keeps the volume at "good-neighbor-policy" levels.) However, if I wanted to really get some serious dynamics or volume, I'd need waaaay more power or much more efficient speakers -- like your LaScalas. Hope this helps... Take care, Scott

Greetings, I tried some foam under one of my old 'tables (a Thorens TD 160). I found that it ate up some of the "slam" in the bass more than anything else. I really don't know whether it silenced any motor noise since the 'table didn't have much motor noise to begin with. I'd recommend trying some inexpensive alternatives to test the theory before spending your $$$. You may find that what some describe as "better" may simply be "different" (but more expensive). Ditto on the troops!!! Take care, Scott

Greetings, Interesting comments. I've got kg4's in my small condo and find that they do very well at relatively polite "condo-level" listening levels. On the other hand, I've heard Cornwalls in a big basement and thought they sounded awesome - but thought that they really came into their own only at higher volume levels. I wonder whether there ever was a conscious decision made at Klipsch to have a series of speakers that sounded their best at lower volume levels and a series that were intended to really perform at realistic volume levels. BTW - congrats on the Forte purchase! Take care, Scott

Got an offer ... looks like this amp will be going to a very good home!!!

Greetings, I recommend kg4's. Since you're used to the K-Horn, you'll likely not be happy with smaller speakers that have an overly truncated bass response; the kg4 goes down to within 6Hz of the K-Horn. Further, since you'll be using them only as a temporary solution, you can save some money on these over the classic Klipsch speakers -- the kg4 can typically be found on ebay for about $300, and you can sell them for what you paid for them when you go back to the K-Horn. I've been using mine for about a year now and am still knocked out by how much bang for the buck they give me. While they won't be the last speakers I ever purchase, they'll continue to make me very happy until I have the time/space/$$$ to upgrade ... to another Klipsch system. Take care, Scott

---------------- On 5/22/2005 3:41:37 PM Chris Robinson wrote: Shoot me a note @ crobinso@eea.epson.com. ---------------- Greetings, You've got mail. Take care, Scott