codhead

---------------- On 7/29/2005 7:32:53 PM kev313 wrote: What a deal! I love my Abbys. They certainly are not Klipsch, but the single driver approach is a nice switch. ---------------- They're not the best match for the music I listen to (rock and blues), but they do sound VERY nice on the acoustic stuff. Construction is just beautiful. Would sure love to have Terry Cain build me a set of Cornwall cabinets. I think that would be about as good as it gets.

Special deal for forum members at $500. If none of you are interested, I'll put them on Audiogon for $900 (and I bet I'll get it too). Can accept PayPal, if you'll cover the 3% fee. These are in very good condition, with a few minor marks. I bought them from the original owner in NY, who had them hooked up to a very large HT amp (these were his front channels - don't ask me why). Upon purchasing them, I installed new Fostex drivers (one of the whizzer cones was bent). I also ordered a new set of screw-in brass spikes from Cain & Cain. This is a pick-up only deal. I have the original crate, but I just don't want the hassles of shipping something this large.

---------------- On 7/28/2005 8:34:40 PM mdeneen wrote: ... we have two Subarus ... And they have seat heaters! ---------------- Was doing some work in Hawaii a few years back, and had a Forester for a rent-a-car. We had just picked it up from the Honolulu airport (a "rather large" tech that worked for me was driving), when I looked down and spotted the seat heater switches on the console. Just for fun, I casually reached down and flipped on the driver's side switch. They work very well, especially in hot weather - not even a full dose of A/C could temper the sweat glands of a 350 pounder on a hot seat! I owed the guy for loading a startup sound of a "screamer" on my PowerBook. Nothing like turning on your laptop for airport security, and being greeted by something like that!

If fixing a big nose is known as a "nose job", what would you call the procedure to fix those big hands?

---------------- On 7/21/2005 1:10:54 PM mike stehr wrote: "The problem with SET is that the dynamics will be lost, especially on speakers with less than 104 db sensitivity. Bass will suffer as well. A tube amp with 60 watts and 4 ohm taps would be very dynamic and produce very good bass. An amp with 1.5 watts will not handle transients well." I think that really depends on the particular single-ended triode amp, and room size. Now that comment may be pretty much true, it's not completely true IMO. ---------------- That's a very good comment. I find it hard to characterize a particular speaker's efficiency as being "right" for SET, although higher efficiency is certainly advantageous. In the same room, I'd venture there would be no sonic difference between a 104dB speaker at .10 watts, and a 98dB speaker at .40 watts. As long as your listening habits and music (SPL, dynamic range) fall within the power limitations of your amp, life should be good. My Wytech Topaz 211A has tighter bass than any of the p-p pentode amps I've owned (including Air Tight, VAC, CJ, Cary), most of which were rated at triple the output power.

"Bose once held a Wave Radio demonstration in Boston's South Station, an enormous vaulted complex that is exactly as majestic as a major city's central train station should be. The radio which is a little longer than a foot filled the main part of the station with sound. The demonstrator was actually asked to turn it down." Maybe ... 1) A Klipsch owner was present 2) It sounded like crap 3) The Sex Pistols did not agree with someone's hangover

Remember when the recording industry started suing 12-year-olds for swapping .MP3 files? Of course they offered to "settle" for an average of $3-5K. All in the name of "setting an example". Looks like it's payback time! One can only hope that the FCC shares their enthusiasm for prosecution. Maybe we'll get to see some record execs do the "perp walk".

---------------- On 7/23/2005 9:02:38 AM Ray Garrison wrote: That's a really, really low cost, entry level amp by some standards... Have a look at the Wavac SH-833 monoblock power amplifier, for example... ---------------- For 350 grand I'd sure expect something better than an Alps pot, and resistors sourced from Radio Shack. If I ever win the lotto, Wavac won't be getting my business!

---------------- On 7/23/2005 7:50:29 AM Speedball wrote: Sorry, cant help with the lip smacking as I dont have her cd. To me she seems like someone who does NOT put any effort into singing. ---------------- I have her "The Girl In The Other Room" CD, and I'm not terribly impressed either. I can't help but to wonder how much of her success is attributable to aesthetics vs. talent. I have the Tony Bennett CD "Playin' With My Friends", and even Sheryl Crow can outsing Diana Krall - given the right material (and she's not bad to look at either).

How about an $85,000 SET amp (that only makes 10W @ 20Hz)? Bet they don't sell many of these.

Here's a little insight from PWK: "The beam tube in conventional amplifiers has never found wide acceptance by the users of top-quality wide-range speakers. But note the adjective: beam tubes in conventional amplifiers. There is one beam tube amplifier, decidedly not conventional, in which the beam tubes are used in a peculiar combination utilizing the advantages of the cathode follower while at the same time preserving the high-efficiency principle and high output capability of the beam type tube. This amplifier is the McIntosh, which exhibits such low distortion even at high power outputs that it is doubtful if distortion measuring equipment with sufficient resolving power is available to detect the actual quantity of distortion produced." It would seem that the "classical early HiFi sound of 6L6 tubes" was defined by McIntosh, as earlier amplifier designs based around the same tube seemed less than impressive.

---------------- On 7/21/2005 5:35:09 PM Tom Blasing wrote: Here's MY UPS driver... 211-UPSGIRL.JPG ---------------- Those 211's sure have a nice bottom-end!

---------------- On 7/20/2005 4:32:37 PM Mallette wrote: No, but I will take whichever one you think sux... Dave ---------------- Hey, that's what I'm trying to avoid! Hopefully, I'll get it right on the first try (but from past experience, the odds are not good).

Anyone have experience with either of these units?

Can't imagine that it takes this much hardware to play a record!? I do like the rack of Mac gear. Kind has a "Wizard of Oz" look to it.

---------------- On 7/13/2005 11:02:57 PM jt1stcav wrote: Just curious...I'm thinking of trying out a pair of Loth-X Amaze single-driver (Fostex) bookshelf loudspeakers and I see you have the Abby's. Being single-drivers as well, I was just wondering what your thoughts are on their sonics, especially compared with horn-loaded Klipsch (love my Cornwall's sound...the Amaze won't have any useful bass below 50Hz and will require a subwoofer). ---------------- For me, the single driver speakers still take some getting used to. In addition to the limited bass, they seem to like a fair amount of power to sound their best. With the Abbys, this often ends up being louder than I would prefer - at least for the type of music that they seem best suited to. I don't have a sub, but I've always been curious about how this combination would sound.

Just added the Wyetech Opal preamp. Next upgrade: Cornwalls!

Almost finished the risers today (all except the holes for the mounting screws). Time for a new table saw blade, as can be seen by the burnt plywood edges. A little extra finishing sanding, and they'll be just fine. Restoring these has turned out to be a little more work than anticipated, but kind of fun at the same time.

Finished replacing the bottom panels today, and they're as good as new. Probably a little better, as they have plenty of glue on them, and I reinforced the front corners with glue blocks. The replacement risers are all cut, so hopefully they'll be done tomorrow. I was going to go with the flush front look, but since the trim strips are glued in place, I've decided to leave well enough alone and keep the grilles. After prying off the glued-on risers, I'm not going to tempt fate (especially on the front panels). Attached is a picture with the new bottom panel in place. If you look closely, you can see a glue block in the front corner, next to the port.

---------------- On 7/3/2005 5:44:43 PM triceratops wrote: Codhead, This is a fascinating observation--the cabinet construction with butt-edge corners instead of mitered corners was used on the less "fancy" Cornwalls (e.g. CBR) and these models would not have typically had risers installed. The problem you describe would only surface after risers were added to a butt-edge cabinet by the consumer--and only after the cabinet was stressed by shipping. It would doubtless be no problem for a Cornwall just sitting in the living room. My thought is that any butt-edge cabinet with risers should have the risers removed before shipping. Thanks for your excellent detective work and sharing your insight with the Forum members! Best in horns, triceratops ---------------- My Cornwalls came with the original price list and receipt, and the price included both the optional grilles and the risers. I don't know if the risers were installed at the factory, or by the dealer. They appear to be factory risers, as they have glue blocks installed in the corners with the same air gun nails that were used to assemble the speakers themselves. The bottom of the speaker cabinets have marks where the original metal feet (buttons, sliders) were installed, and then removed. The risers were also glued (and screwed) on, so they came off in pieces. No big deal, as they're easy to replicate. The factory feet were installed halfway on the cabinet side boards, and halfway on the bottom board. This would have offered some degree of shock protection for the feet, which was eliminated when the risers were installed. I'm kind of curious as to why Klipsch did not simply add a small glue block to the front corners, between the port shelf (for lack of a better name) and the bottom board. This would have made for a substantially stronger enclosure, at almost no additional cost. You make a very good point. If you've got flush cornered Cornwalls, remove the risers (if you can) for shipping. Due to the design, they're one good bump away from being damaged - if the risers are attached.

Noticed a problem with my '77 CDBR's during refinishing. Sitting on the garage floor, both cabinets seemed to be canted slightly forward. Upon turning them over, I discovered that the bottoms were both broken loose on the front and sides, where there is nothing (but glue and tiny air gun nails) to support the weight of the cabinets with the risers attached. The back side of the bottom panels do not suffer from this problem, as glue blocks (and the back panels) offer additional support. I used a circular saw to cut the bottom panels out, leaving about 2 inches of plywood remaining on three sides. I then pryed off these 2 inch strips, and pulled out the nails (heads and all) with a pair of plyers. I'm making a new pair of bottom panels & risers, but have decided to install additional glue blocks in the front corners (next to the ports) for added support. Without risers, this would not be an issue - but the design of these speakers seems inadequate to support any additional shocks (i.e. shipping) with the risers attached. I've included a picture of my Cornwalls with the bottom panels removed.

The KI-372 looked kind of like an "A".

Happy 15th, James! Man, I feel like a "Heritage model".

Fascinating music. That really gave the old pliotrons a good workout. Thanks, Dr. Bill.

---------------- On 6/26/2005 10:55:22 PM William F. Gil McDermott wrote: Look at my 2/10/05 post in Technical Questions. You'll find many of them there. Gil ---------------- Gil, Thanks much. I'll go check it out.