PrestonTom

Fantastic project! Very inspiring also. Thank you for photographing all the details. Enjoy them, -Tom

That is a very interesting photo essay. I am always intrigued by these high efficiency systems. Could you tell us more about about the design issues and theory. I suspect you were tempted to add a tweeter at some point. My compliments on your work! -Tom

Rob, There are all sorts of options. Since there is some directionality on the high mid and high frequency driver, being on axis is advsable (that is, you are sitting at the the apex of a 90 deg angle). One option is to build a false corner(s) and toe the cabinets inward. However, I would NOT suggest toeing in the cabinets by not having them snug in a corner. Depending whether it is a "B" or "C" model you might be able to toe in the top section independent of the bottom section. Whether this has an odd or unacceptable look about it depends on the beholder (no doubt you wife or girlfriend will be ready with a strong opinion however). The K-Horns really do sound wonderful, but they sound best when propoerly placed in the corners. -Tom

Fantastic! Those are an absolute trip! You are inspiring me to take on some new projects. Enjoy, -Tom

Joe that is absolutely fantastic news! I can't imagine how relieved you must feel. I also can't imagine the remarkable perspective that you must now have on life and on living. All my best, -Tom

Oh my god, those are absolutely beautiful.... I am going to be up all night wondering if I can do something like that to my K-Horns. I am supposed to be thinking about installing new kitchen cabinets. You have got me all turned around .... Enjoy, they look beautiful, -Tom

Kriton, It looks like there was the usual number of hiccups in project. But rejoice, you like the color and the surface is smooth. If you are disatisfied with the sheen on the surface, you have a number of options. Since I don't know what stain you used (was it in an oil or poly or what), I will suggest a wax finish. This will (probably) remain on the surface and not change the color. The more hand rubing / number of coats then the better the sheen. Two caveats: it will not produce a high gloss and it requires some care (do not put a drink on top or you wil get a ring blemish). Of course there are other options. But you have the color you want and and the surface is smooth. This adds up to success! -Tom

This is curious. If what Mark is remembering is correct, then a DC switch could be a real hot potato. On electronic measurment equipment (o'scopes) and sometimes wave generators and filters there is frequently an otption for coupling the input or output. AC coupled effectively removes any DC component (a non alternating current or biasing voltage). If that is what this switch is doing, I have no idea why they would ever think of providing such an option on home audio (I would be curious to know). Normally the source and preamp would not be sending DC so there would no reason to amplify it (unless there was a microphone preamp that was sending a biasing voltage - although I imagine that would be through a different wire). The reason it could be a hot potato is that if there were ever a glitch you would not want to send much DC to a speaker - this would be a bad thing! Perhaps it was meant for some kind of an electrostatic speaker?? I am curious about this one. -Tom

I hate to be a wet blanket, but judging from the picture neither sanding nor stripping will work. The damage is just too deep. With a stripper or perhaps bleach (this was mentioned above and actually oxallic (sp?) acid is preferred), the stains will not be as noticeable (and they would need to be re-oiled). But the stains would still be quite visible. I know you nixed the idea of new veneer; however, it is not as difficult (or as expensive) as you might think. A nice veneer and finish (I like the Watco oil finsihes) would make these cabinets look superb. Let us know how it goes, -Tom

Hello Kriton, Gil is correct. The 1st coat will raise the grain, which can then be lightly sanded (some folks wet-sand and some folks use steel wool - but there are pros and cons on that one). One concern however is that although the cabinets are "raw" they probably have picked up dirt and various oils and wax-like grime over the years. Not all of this may have been removed by the sanding. If this is the case then the oil will not take evenly. If you are using any stain or pigment, then the darker the pigment is, then any uneveness will be even more noticeable. There are deglossers available (these are actually dillute finish strippers). If you choose this route, use them sparingly and wipe them off with thinner afterwards (as usual, follow the directions on the can). Anytime you use a stripper or deglosser, there is chance of harming a thin ply or veneer (or the glue that holds it on). When you are eady to finish, BLO is a good choice (follow the directions carefully and work methodically). As an alternative, my favorite has always been the Watco products (they used to be danish oil composition - but now they are water based and I am not sure of the composition). As usual the more time/prep you spend - the better the finished product. BTW stay away from any products (waxes/polishes) that contain silicones. Good luck, -Tom

Congratulations Jeremy, The BLO will certainly help if the wood is dry and the sheen is flat. However it will not darken up the wood to match the other cabinetry. The other stuff is is oak and and has a reddish hue to it. While the walnut is more of a straight brown and has a more subtle grain pattern. I am skeptical you would ever get much of a match. They seem about the same "darkness" so maybe that is good enough. If you did want to change the color or the darkness, the old finish would have to be stripped (chemically). If this is not done, you would get a very, very splotchy finish. There are a number of steps involved and you would never get a great match with the oak (veneer would be the solution). I think you get my drift ... there is potentially a great deal of work involved. However, the cabinets look fine as they are. The BLO will help hide some the discoloration of the chip and help give the wood some protection and shine (read the instructions carefully and work methodically). Incidentally, regarding possible coatings/waxes/polishes that others may recommend - make sure thay do not contain any silicones. Enjoy, they are good looking cabinets and you got a deal that brings out the envy in the rest of us. -Tom

It is best if they are snug in the corner. Additinally, it is helpful to place some pipe foam insulation on the horizontal (bottom of the HF section) between the cabinet and the wall. You may want to do the same on the vertical portions of the tail (against the corner). If it is not snug, you will find a roll off at the lowest frequencies and also a diminished response around a few hundred Hz. The corner of the room completes the final flare of the horn. If placing them snug into a corner is problematic, then consider constructing a false corner or 1/2 false corner. Many have used this option with good success. Enjoy, -Tom

Those are absolutely beautiful. How did the room remodelling go. As I recall there was some sound attenuation issues you were dealing with. Enjoy!

The imaging issue is a tricky one. I have K-Horns that are fairly well set up (in corners along the long wall, listening spot at the on-axis position, and a center channel (L+R)). Even in this configuration (which can still be tweaked) the imaging is not perfect and the K-Horns do not disappear (and certainly the image lacks any depth). My experience is not uncommon. The closest I have come is when I have used panel speakers (Maggies and esp Martin Logans). However, they have their own set of headaches and tweakings when it comes to room placement. However, with a well-recorded source, you can come close to hearing the "sound" rather than hearing the "sound coming from two boxes" (and the in between locations). It is difficult! Although I love the K-Horns, I do not really think I will come close to this expereince with the horns. This is just my honest opinion, if others have come close, then more power to you. More importantly what is your secret? -Tom

Thanks, I followed your advice ... a cabinet was available and good things are in store. -Tom

Gee Triode I thought that I made such a persuasive argument for immediately building a corner that the comparison between K-Horns (without a corner) and the other speakers was so short-lived that it would not be an issue. I must learn to be more assertive. Enjoy the K-Horns, they really are remarkable. -Tom

SUCCESS! As fate would have it, it looks like a Hersey cabinet will be showing up on my doorstep next week. I will be running some "experiments" with my new set up and will keep you posted -Tom

Triode, Let me encourage you to build the false corner(s) "sooner rather than later" There are some excellent threads showing some variations that might be easier/quicker for you to build or to fit into an existing environment. Positioning them in a corner or false corner really does make a difference. I will even pat myself on the back and suggest that you look at my thread on building a false corner - this was a modified design that might be more workable for you and really did not take long to build. Good luck, -Tom

Please Excuse: This is also posted on the 2-Channel forum Hello All, I have a pair of K-Horns that are now positioned along the long wall (18ft apart). I am now confronting the dreaded "hole in the middle". In a perfect world I would get a single La Scala or Belle as a center channel. However life is not yet perfect. Realistically and practically a Heresy would be a good 90% solution. However, I am having problems locating one. The prices fluctuate on eBay and no single ones have been available (with shipping to New England, the prices can then become prohibitive). The short request is: Does anyone have a Heresy that they are looking to sell? Thanks for your collective help, -Tom

Hello All, I have a pair of K-Horns that are now positioned along the long wall (18ft apart). I am now confronting the dreaded "hole in the middle". In a perfect world I would get a single La Scala or Belle as a center channel. However life is not yet perfect. Realistically and practically a Heresy would be a good 90% solution. However, I am having problems locating one. The prices fluctuate on eBay and no single ones have been available (with shipping to New England, the prices can then become prohibitive). The short request is: Does anyone have a Heresy that they are looking to sell? Thanks for your collective help, -Tom

Another perspective on this one. At 250 Hz the wavelength is over 4 ft. With wavelengths this large, there is generally very little absorption by curtains & carpets. It is the room geometry that is dictating much of the response that is received - there will definitely be resonances and dips as the waves and reflections add together (constructively and destructively). With a continuous pure tone, 10 to 20 dB variations are not unusual especially in a small room. This is easily verified by finding the location of a relative dip and then moving the mic about a 1/2 wavelength away (about 2 ft in a direction realtive to the nearest wall). Using a third octave band of noise will diminish the fluctuations (as to be expected: the broader the signal the less the variation). I would not worry about the contribution of energy coming from the mid-range driver since it contributes considerably less to the overall level at this low frequency ( I can't remember the roll off, but if it is more than several dB down from the woofer it would offer very little cancellation even if it were 180 deg out of phase). Attempting to equalize is highly problematic. As an exapmle I was listening to a 1000 Hz tone the other day (remember the wavelength is 13 inches) and none of us would consider this to be a "low frequency" tone. This was done over a sigle K-Horn in a typically furnished & carpeted living room (12 x 18 and with many openings into halls and adjacent rooms). Moving my head 1/2 foot or so in various directions had a very appreciable impact. Using the relation that the perceived level of sound "doubles" when the physical level increases by about 10 dB, then I was getting changes in level of close to 10 dB. This is a folksy measure, and continuous pure tones are not music; however it does show the burdensome influence of room acoustics. How could one ever hope to equalize. Would you even try to do that. And remember this as at 1000 Hz (close to 2 octaves above "middle C"). The problem will be worse at lower frequencies. Room acoustics are frustrating, and not easily tamed. All in all, relax, put the microphone away and enjoy the music. -Tom

Hello James This is bringing back some memories! The bottom line is that an indoor antenna really does not work very well (even the fancy active ones). I live in a somewhat rural area of SE Connecticut and I am able to pick up the Boston / Providence / New Haven stations (esp at night) using a Yagi roof antenna mounted on a rotator. You might see if this would work in a attic space if you do not have access to your roof. The basic problems are sensitivity (is there enough signal to pick up) and directivity (are you picking up channels from other loacales) and the ability to reject nearby frequencies. If you are in an urban environment there will be multi-path problems also. In my case I used a radio shack FM antenna. They have two versions one is about $15 and the other about $20 (spend the extra $5). They will not pick up much television broadcast (some around ch 5,6,7) and they are quite directional. The directionality is the advantage since it gets rid of channels on the same frequency, but coming from other locales. However, it also means that you need a rotator (also available from Radio Shack) so you can direct it toward the different transmitters. If there is a single station you are interested in, it can be left in a fixed direction. If the cable length is long (and you can use coax rather than 600 ohm) you may need an amplifier (luckily this is usually not the case). Also any metal in your attic or roof will compromise the reception. Near an attic vet or window is helpful. The funny thing about working with an antenna is that simply snaking the wire around a bit differently can make all the difference in the world. Good luck -Tom

Please, let's not worry about things that do not need to be worried about. If you only hear the hum when your head is inside the horn, but not in your easy chair - then it is simple. There is no problem, 'cause the "problem" can not be heard. A thought: the Klipsch speakers are very efficient. This efficiency has a number of consequences. Many of these are the reasons that we love them. However, it also means that any problems "upstream" will be heard "downstream". It really could be as simple as an interconnect lying on top of a power cord or some such glitch. Please do not spend a lot of money on wire or power conditioners etc. First, it is not clear that there is a problem (i.e., can you hear it at your easy chair) or second, can it fixed simply (re-route your power cords). I get perturbed when I think good folks are being "taken" by those who make a profit by selling (in some cases) snake oil. This is why I am preaching... Enjoy the sound, -Tom

Gee, I am also a very big fan of Van Morrison. I always thought the horn arrangements were fantastic on that album. A few years ago I was intermittently involved with a users group that traded bootleg CDs of Van in concert. There were some very impressive recordings. The sound is frequently "captured" from the sound board (unlike Graeatful Dead recordings by some guy in the hall with a snigle mic). Along with that there was no little or no mxing, compressing, expanding, various studio tricks, etc. So what you got was a quality recording with that feeling of live and dynamic music. Needless to say, the K-Horns at home are a perfect match for listening to those live recordings. I think I will go and play some now ... -Tom

FANTASTIC! Congratulations. This is an inspiration. The photos and chronology make a very nice story - thanks for sharing. My two comments: 1) I also have been a big fan of the WATCO products for finishing wood. That is what I used on my raw birch K-Horns. 2) I was in Camden NJ a few years ago and next to the old RCA building. Near the top of the roof they had a window with the old advertising logo "His Master's Voice" with a depiction of the dog with his ear cocked next to the old phonograph. The photo of your dog next next to the La Scala captures that feeling in much the same way. regarding the sound improving: I remember after I purchased then refinished my K-Horns (which had been out in a barn for a few years - but not in too bad of a condition) I also noticed an improvement in the sound. The placebo effect for me was very strong. In spite of me knowing better, I swear the sound was now more "revealing and detailed" the bass was "tighter and more solid". Wait these are the phrases that folks use when they buy the esoteric (and very expensive) speaker wire.... Enjoy your fruits of your labor. -Tom