PrestonTom

Congrats on getting the K-Horns. I have a pair of about the same vintage, I know you will enjoy them. Many folks will be giving you advice, may I take my turn now. As you probably already know, the cabinets really must be positioned in the corners of the room. If your situation makes that difficult, there are a number of threads regarding the construction of a "false corner". I am pointing this out, perhaps redundantly, since positioning them in the corners (hopefully with the the listening chair forming the vertex of a 90deg angle) will have the most profound impact. All other tweaks will be secondary to this one. Enjoy your new K-Horns and let us know how you like them. -Tom

Congratulations Dave! The K-Horns are wonderful speakers and I am sure you will love them. Lots of folks will be giving you advice, may I take my turn now? 1. Regarding the amplifier: These speakers are very revealing, so if any of the components are noisy, this will be revealed by the K-Horns. That is both the good news and the bad news. The units are quite efficient so do not worry about getting a large amp. They do not require a great deal of power. In other words, it is difficult to run them up to a level where the system will be distorting (IMHO, that is a major difference between amps ...) 2. Placing the cabinets in the corners of the room is of the greatest importance. If your situation makes that difficult, then by all means take advantage of the various threads regarding "false corners" - there are a number of options. Again, putting them in corners will have the biggest impact (briefly: the corner of the room serves as the final flare of the cabinet and in turn, determines the response of the lower bass). The geometry of how the speakers & chair are positioned is, of coure, also critical for getting the proper sweet spot for listening. Personally I find the imaging on these to be a bit sensitive - but there is ample time to fool around and get it right. Anyhow, those are my 2 cents worth. Once you have got them in the corners, let us know how you like them. Enjoy! -Tom

Congrats on getting the Belles. I had run into a similar problem when refinishing/cleaning up used furniture -this is a guess on why the treatments are not absorbing evenly. There are furniture waxes/oils on the market that contain silicone. If this is the case, it presents a real headache since it is quite difficult to remove (everything is repelled by the silicone). The silicone was used since it gives a nice glistening finish to the wood. As a reminder to others: avoid using furniture products that contain silicone. I hope this was not the case for you. Good luck -Tom

There have been a number of threads on this topic. The general consensus is that you will get an improvement. Common to many of the threads is a recommendation to use Pipe foam insulation (closed cell). It is fairly cheap and easy work with. The stuff that is 1.5" can be used on the back verticals and 3/4" (split in two, lengthwise) along the horizontals. This should fill in any gaps, although in your particular install there may be some other architectual issues. Have a look at some of the photos. Good luck, -Tom

I had always liked Harman Kardon products before. I had been a big fan of their high current amps (I matched one with some Magnepans and Vandersteens that I had with great results) and my girlfriend had some rather demanding speakers and a new HK receiver took care of all the problems. However, tonight I went to pick up a brand new HK CD player(Model FL 8385)since my 20 year old Nakamichi OMS5A was finally shot. When I got home the HK unit was a dud. The thing made a terrible grinding sound when playing CDs. This was not a refurbished unit - it was new, fresh out of the box (and there was no visible damage to the unit or the box). What a disappointment! Maybe this was a fluke, but I do wonder what has happened to quality control. Tom the Frustrated

This one is tricky. I also saw the ad and contacted the seller. That is when I found out about the woofers that had been repaced with JBLs etc. The cabinets are a disaster and I am afraid that if the woofers were blown then the other drivers may have suffered similar abuse. The price is cheap however but it would require new woofers and rebuilding cabinets. I know I became leary at that point.

Good Morning Bob, You have mail ... Thanks, -Tom

I used to have a Heresy cabinet from the early 1980s. As I recall the driver was a K-53. However, I have seen some cabinets on ebay that suggest the mid-range driver is actually a K-55-V. My real question regards the parts I would need to build a LaScala-clone (or perhaps a Belle-clone) for a center channel if I found an old Heresy that was beat up (i.e., affordable). IF it had a K-55 driver (and K-77 tweeter) then I would just need a horn (a new K-401 is affordable) and a K-33 (also affordable). The woodworking would be blast and the constructing an interesting crossover would be fun also. Back to my question: what is the driver on the mid-range of Heresy (and did these change over the years)? Thanks, -Tom

I certainly agree with the above replies. As a word of caution however, you can sometimes run into problems if you start mixing balanced and unbalanced pieces of equipment - terrible hum etc can creep in. Good luck, -Tom

Congrats on getting the Belles! I have tried spiking various speakers in the past. It is doubtful that you will get much of a difference. The weight and footprint of the Belles will ensure a stable position (i.e., They won't rock around and produce some sort of Doppler shift). If the cabinet was tall and narrow or on a speaker stand, or on thick carpeting then spiking might help. When spiking into a wooden floor, sometimes energy will be coupled into floor itself and that vibration can produce an "in the seat of your pants" sensation. Which may or may not enhance the listener's experience. Enjoy the Belles, you're in for some fun! -Tom

I have attached another photo of the project. I wanted to thank all of you for all the nice comments, this was especially gratifying since I know some of you have had 1st hand experience at dealing with this stuff - thanks BTW, I know there have been various threads that advocate the importance of getting a good seal when shoving the K-Horn into the corner. Perhaps achieving this with the use of the pipe-insulation (closed cell) between the cabinet and the wall. Let me second those opinions! It does make a noticeable difference and it is a fairly simple and inexpensive thing to do. Alas, my K-Horns are now along the long wall (and forming the 90 deg listening-triangle). Life is almost perfect but I need to do something about that that "hole in the middle". I am on the lookout for a center channel, preferably a La Scala or a Belle. You know, this quest (hobby) never ends. -Tom

I wanted to share this with anyone who might be interested. http://www.robertsav.com/usedequip.html This shop has a small consignment business and they have always treated me very fairly. In fact this is where I got my K-Horns about 10 years ago. Oh yeah, I have no vested interest with the seller ..... -Tom

OUCH! I had a similar when sending a Hersey to my brother in Canada via UPS. The box was well-wrapped and protected with a piece of luan (thin plywood) on the inside/front and lots of bubble wrap and spacers. However it did arrive with a serious gouge, not unike what I saw in your pictures. It was frustrating since I had just cleaned up and repainted the cabinet (the black plywood)and it was part of a Christmas present. Fortunately, my brother so blown away by the sound that he is not terribly bothered by the gouge. I guess when packages are so heavy, even the best of bubble-wrapping is not sufficient and probably does require the pink/rigid foam. Good luck, -Tom

Things are complete. The real wall creates the other half of the corner. And you can move the cabinet along the wall and adjust the distance between the cabinets. This will allow you to adjust the width of the sound field. And in my case allowed me to place the K-Horns along the long wall (which opens up to a front entry way). There are many good threads regarding false corners. But if you have been shy about building something that is very large or may require drilling/cutting into you walls or the K-Horn cabinet, then this might be an alternative. It is fairly simple to construct (in spite of my directions) and can be adapted to various environments. However it is not appropriate for a bringing a speaker away from the wall and into the room or for toeing in a cabinet (you need at least one real wall). However others have posted plans for those conditions. I no longer have ready access to electroacoustic measurement equipment so I can not provide before-and-after measures. However the sound is fantastic. I hope this is useful for someone who has corner horns but has not been able to put them into corners. Good luck, -Tom

Step SEVEN: Attach the pipe foam alng the horizontal surface of the cabinet (this is physically what the false corner will be hugging up to. You may have noticed my K-Horns are on pads. This makes them easier to slide out of the corner. However, it does create an air gap in what should be the final flare of the horn. That is why I stuffed some small diameter foam insulation under the side edges (it can not be seen in this photo). Now the false corner can be slid into position. At this point it is like dancing with a big woman. Because of the weight, slide the structure all the way back into the real wall (i.e., compress to pipe foam on the back edge). At the same time shove the bottom in tight. Now pull the top back to expose the toggles (yes, slide the bolts through the structure then attach the toggle on the inside of the corner and slide the toggle through the plywood plate (attached to the previously installed brackets). Now tighten up the toggles. This sounds deceptively easy - it is not since the false corner must be plumb and parallel with the cabinet and floor and also at a right angle to the wall. However you will get the hang of it. At this point a level will help. You are now the proud owner of a one half of a false corner!!

Step SIX: Attach some pipe foam insulation where the false corner meets the real wall. This helps with forming the corner, it also fills in any gaps since there is base molding on the existing wall. It also helps to minimize any dents or gouges in the existing wall.

Step FIVE: The edge trim (the 1x3) on the front vertical and tops was cut, routed and nailed on. Along with various other bits of trim and moulding. Make sure the tops are well secured since these may be the "handles" when you are moving the structure This is your chance to match/blend/compliment the various kinds of interior details of your living room. The WAF is a make or break at this point. Spend some time on spackling and sanding (in the garage and not the living room - there will be dust everywhere) I moved the beast upstairs (it weighs 96 lbs and I am not as young as used to be ...) Ready for prime (two coats is best - I use the BIN products) and then two top coats. We are very close to completion!

Step Four: I chose to fill the voids with insulation. This picture shows far too much insulation being stuffed in there - I eventually removed some (and yes, it is very itchy). An alternative is to fill the cavities with sand. This may be a bit over the top however. Note, since the toggle bolts go thorough a 2x4 brace the sand would not spill out. Next step is to go ahead and attach the MDF on the other side with glue and nails Then : Finish drilling the toggle bolts holes through the other side (MDF) Then: drill a recess through the MDF for the head of the toggle bolt (a cap can fit into the recess and will be flush with the surface). Just make sure this cap or cover is removable.

Step Three continued. This is simply the the edge view from step three. The 1x3 poplar (or pine) will hide the 2x4s and edges of the MDF

Step Three: This depicts the bracing with the MDF nailed on one side. Use plenty to nails and glue to stiffen up this structure. I chose to orient the 2x4s on the thin side so the total thickness is only 2.5" thick (the MDF was 1/2"). This was a design decision and certainly one could use 3/4" MDF and also re-orient the 2x4s in the other direction (if you do so you will need longer toggle bolts). Incidentally all materials are available at Home Depot and if you do not have a truck you can get the MDF in 2x4 or 4x4 sheets ( I used 4 2x4 sheets). By mounting the MDF up on the 2x4s (see bottom of picture) I was able to lift the entire corner to about 51.5" (since the MDF is only 48") before the final trim goes on. Incidentally the bottom pair of 2x4s were oriented in the wide direction so the MDF would fit on top of them. In order to get the proper width, the 2x4 were ripped down their length. This is trivial with a table saw but a bit tricky if you are using a circular saw. However the final trim moulding will cover the 2x4s and most mistakes. This total height will clear the top of the speaker cabinet. The front half was not as tall. This was a design issue since I did not want the back of the corner (which faces my front hall to be too obtrusive - again it is a series of compromises) But the front should be at least as tall as the bass bin. Notice the center/vertical 2x4 runs the entire height (and is notched). If you are using small sheets of MDF (as done here with 2' x 4' sheets) and making the front half not as tall, then make sure this center "post" is constructed this way. At this point you should align the false corner with the cabinet and mark the holes (on the false corner) where the toggle bolts will go through (if you look carefully you can see them in the photos on the right side in the 2nd 2x4 down from the top). Note that my false corner has a strip of pipe foam that is glued (contact cement) on the very bottom of the structure. Put this on now before making the measure. The pipe foam was 1.5" diam and then cut down the middle. This gives an airtight seal on the bottom and allows you to slide the false corner into position.It also adds to the height of the false corner - so take this into account. It also protects my hardwood floors from scratches. It is best to use contact cement rather then mechanical fasteners because they might scratch the floor or snag a carpet. The verticals on the left side (you are looking at the outside of the corner - not the speaker side) will later have 1x3" poplar (or pine) ripped to the proper width and nailed (finish nails) to the edges as well as the horizontals (tops). this will add an extra 3/4" and provide a smooth surface for painting (as opposed to the rough 2x4 material. Include this thickness in your measurements.

Step Two: Use a piece of thin plywood for later attachment to the brackets. Then drill a pair of holes to receive the toggle bolts. I used bolts that were 5" long. By mounting this plate you can be less precise in drilling the corresponding holes in the false corner (that the toggle bolts will go through). Also, by using toggle bolts you are not drilling into the actual cabinet. This a can also be unfastened and re-fastened a number of times without chewing up the wood. Remember that doing this on the right side of the cabinet is easier. If mounting on the left side, you will need to avoid the crossover. You will notice some flex in the plywood plate. This is okay. You are not trying to directly couple the false corner to the cabinet. In fact the pipe foam (attached later to the horizontal) will create the seal and also help dampen the vibration to the false corner (via the impedance mismatches between the cabinet/pipe foam/false corner). You do not want sympathetic vibration in the false corner. This possible vibration is also minimized since the false corner is sufficiently massive and dense (thanks to the MDF construction with loads of nails and glue and bracing) - the beast will eventually weigh 96 lbs. I know since I had to carry it up the stairs.

Step One: mount 2 brackets with small screws (less than 3/4"). These do not have to be massive and will be used to pull the false corner to the cabinet (actually the pipe foam insulation on the horizontal - which is removed in this photo). The pipe insulation acts to seal or close the volume (the final flare of the horn). Since the foam is somewaht air-tight (just try and blow through it to see this) it only needs to be a snug fit. You will not need a lot of brute force to make this sufficiently tight.

I am showing off the result of my latest project. The attached file shows a fairly simple false corner. Although it is half a corner, maybe we should call it a "false wall". This was inspired and designed by modifying some very helpful info that I found in various threads. My goals were create a false corner that was 1) portable, 2) somewhat unobtrusive and having some design elements that would compliment the listening room 3) not alienate my girl friend and 4) not cause irreversible modifications to my K-Horns. I'll post the construction details and hopefully inspire some others. It is a fairly simple build. It only requires a single 4x8 sheet of MDF a, some 2x4's and moulding (which can also be chosen to compliment your specific application). Importantly, it allows one to put their K-Horns in a corner (this is critical and if you're not doing this already, you are in store for a big improvement) and perhaps also to space them apart for improved imaging. Again, this capitalizes on the work of others, but includes some details that may solve some individual problems. Good luck and I hope this is helpful. -Tom

I have recently positioned my K-Horns along the long wall (about 18' and forming a 90 deg angle) and I am experiencing the "hole in the middle". Although I am toying with the idea of building a clone of a Belle or La Scala to use as a center, I am wondering about anyone's 1st hand experience when using a Heresy as a center channel (this is strictly for music, not HT). Specifically, is the voicing between the Heresy and the K-Horn similar enough in the mids and highs (I realize this is an open-ended question). Also, do I need to worry about altering the crossover to minimize the blending the low frequencies (which are quite mismatched & I would not want to interfer with the superb bass response of the K-Horns)? The Heresys are frequently avaliable and popular. So if the experiment is not a success, I could always turn them over. Your thoughts and experience are welcome. -Tom

Good Afternoon: I have been lurking for the last 6 months and it is about time to say hello. I have been particularly impresessed with the enthusiasm and level of knowlwedge shown by the members. About 10 years ago I picked up a pair of used K-Horns and I have been hooked ever since (probably not an unfamiliar tale). Last month I made a modified/partial false corner (capitalizing on some of the good information found in the various threads). This has allowed me to put the Horns along the long wall in my listening room (about 18' apart and listening at a depth of about 10', of course providing the suggested 90 deg angle). This has really opened up the listening experience and provides for a better on-axis frequency response. Eventually I will post some pictures of the false corner I constructed since it has some features that others might be able to use (ease of construction, WAF & portability). Now to my question. With the new configuration, I have a much better appreciation of the "hole in the middle" problem. Although in some ways it is also magnifies any fragility in the "sweet spot" . Alas! I am in the process of talking myself into getting a center channel to fill things in. I have fooled around with an extra Vandersteen speaker, amp & pre-amp (with a mono switch) I have available. In terms of the listening geometry the results are a success. In terms of the voicing the results are poor (as one might expect when mixing such different beasts). I obviously need a center that is driven by horns. Using a Belle or even a LaScala would seem a reasonable choice (although an expensive one). However, I enjoy wood working so I am intending to build a Belle-clone and either trying to get "authentic parts" from e-bay or perhaps substituting some interesting components for the mid and tweeter(perhaps altec). This of course brings up a number of issues on crossover-decisions, and would the frequency & phase responses between the modified center and the K-Horns be close enough to adquately match the voicing between the two, etc. etc. I have been long winded. But I think you understand the issues I am struggling with. It is also a nice way to say hello to everyone. I appreciate your thoughts and would value your collective experience. Thanks - Tom