Def Leper

Here's a rare one which I have on the turntable right now: David Matthews Dune Jazz/funk CTI LP 7-5005 Side A is inspired by the Frank Herbert novel Dune, and the funk Sandworms cut is frequently sampled by hiphop groups. Side B has some strange scifi covers-- Space Oddity, Silent Running, Leia's Theme and title theme from Star Wars. Quite a powerhouse group of performers on this one, including Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, Googie Coppola, Cliff Carter, Hiram Bullock and Eric Gale.

Artto, I understand where you are coming from, but I'm not sure I understand why Khorns must have such a rigid installation. (besides the obvious need to have them couple to a corner.) After all, the tops upbolt and the drivers can be rotated in any direction. The bass coming out of the bass bins seems like it should be largely undirectional anyway, so simply re-angling the horns for different seating positions should solve the problem of room dimensions. Also, I'd enjoy tackling the challenge of building a new cab top to accomodate re-angled drivers. Putting the bass bins on the long side corners in my room would actually solve one problem-- I have continuous walls on the preferred side, ideal for the bass bins, and the seating would be able to face the fireplace, which we normally prefer. It would create a different problem, though-- A center channel speaker would end up in the fireplace. The solution here might be to put the mid and high drivers in separate cabinets mounted inboard 6' of the bass bins, leaving about 10' of separation between them, Has anyone ever tried a split configuration like this? In my experience, the mids and highs fix the sound stage, and my only problem would be the time delay introduced by having the bass bins separated. Than can be corrected with biamping with some time correction in the crossover. The mid and tweeter horns would be housed in a cabinet similar in size to a Bose 901, and on stands that would allow the height/tilt and angle to be set just about anywhere. I'm not trying to be heretical about this but I can and will get a set of Khorns someday, and I see no reason why speakers like this can't be enjoyed in a tiny 13' X 23' poor person's living room.

I mentioned that watching Schindler's list once was enough to last me a lifetime. I own the Pianist, though, and have watched it several times already and enjoy it very much. Comparing it to other WWII movies like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List" isn't really fair though, since the story is a biography that tightly follows one single person, and is probably much closer to being "real life" than either of the Spielburg films. Although all three films are based on real events and people, I think The Pianist is much closer to being a documentary and the others are historical dramas in the genre of "The Lion in Winter" and "Kingdom of Heaven." Spielburg films are always Spielburg first, and story second, and I think The Pianist was not as ego driven a project. I haven't seen Saints and Soldiers and Life is Beautiful. I'll check them out.

A look at the prices will give you a clue. The Khorn is the Klipsch flagship, and the company can make all the THX and ipod stuff they want but those products will never eclipse the brand and name value of the Klipschorn-- It's an industry icon that literally defines the company. If I had a product like that, I wouldn't want pictures of home projects with the name Klipschorn posted for sale on ebay and Audiogon. And no offense intended at all for your woodworking skills. I'm sure they are formidable. Mine aren't, however, and I think they want to keep them out of my hands and the other guys with two hands and four (or more) thumbs.

I was lucky enough to get mine for considerably less but I'm also investing about $300 more on rebuilding the crossovers, a diaphragm replacement, new grille cloth and some veneer refinishing/rework. By the time I'm finished, they should be running at 100% and looking 100% too. I'm waiting for the crossovers to come back (rebuilt by forum member Bob Crites) but even with the speakers needing some TLC, I can certainly say that I consider a clean, working pair of Cornwalls with a good oiled walnut finish to worth $800.

Gilbert, knowing someone on a first-name basis doesn't mean that I'm living with them. I deal with many people on an infrequent basis but still remember them. Your large print hissy fit and desperate attempt to put words in my mouth speaks for itself. One of the more disgusting abuses of forums like this is to use them as places to assassinate the character of non-participants and generally trash people or businesses who aren't here to defend themselves. Bad form and rather cowardly, to boot.

I've hooked up with a forum participant to purchase a Scott 222 that has been reworked by NOSvalves. This seems to be an ideal unit for me to get started, has moderate power output that will work well with my Cornwalls, and is in solid working condition. Thanks to all of you for the great advice.

That is simply not accurate. I've been through this more than I care to addmit, I can tell you FIRST HAND that when the adjuster inspect's the damaged contents (preferably at your home) you will at that time need to show proof of the damaged items worth, otherwise, it will be determined by the adjuster, based on HIS knowledge (that's typically a joke) and years of experience of what is best for UPS, and what is the most they can get away with. While my comments were regarding personal shipments, I've already shipped more than $1,000,000.00 worth of vehicles and instruments this year (yes, it's only mid-February) via various carriers, mostly to US addresses but all over the world. Just this week I shipped out several $25,000 instruments and a car worth about $250,000. Incidentally, the instruments I just shipped out were shipped via UPS. I'm very familiar with UPS and the other carriers and know several of the adjusters are on a first name basis. I admit our shipping expediters are experts at safely packaging expensive items for shipment, but sometimes there is a problem and we experience a loss (very rare) or damage. We've never had any problem getting full recovery from any of the shippers, and even though we have a whole building full of lawyers, we've never had to use them with a shipper. Why? Because we pack to their specs (actually better) and they have no reason not to pay a fair settlement. If you've "been through this more than you care to addmit" then I can see where the problem lies. Insufficient and careless packaging. I've seen some amazing things at the local UPS office when dropping off packages, and the clerks tell me that they are simply astounded by what some people think is adequate packaging. Saying that UPS systematically tries to defraud clients of fair insurance settlements is a bit libelous and you should use some care-- Just because this is the internet doesn't mean that you aren't responsible for what you say.

That's illegal, fraudulent, and simply not true. If you buy insurance from UPS, you can't pay for $1000 worth of insurance on a $100 item and collect $1000 if it is damaged in transit. It's a shipping company, not a gambling casino. You will also not collect full insurance amounts for things that can be repaired, collectibles, and other items where the loss is indeterminant. UPS legally can't sell you insurance and then shortchange you because you didn't pay them to pack it. The fact of the matter is that UPS Store operates are trained by UPS in UPS-recommended packaging techniques and when a package is packed by a UPS store, the UPS adjuster knows it was packed to UPS specifications. You must also pack the item properly. In the case of speakers, this doesn't mean to simply shove it in the original packaging, which is probably used (shipped before) and may be weakened with age. Remember, cardboard has plenty of acid left in it, and deteriorates with age. I would never ship speakers in thirty year old cartons and nothing else. They would go inside larger boxes with a good layer of peanuts. UPS rules and insurance policies are reasonable and are the result of a long history of unsavory characters attempting to defraud them in every conceivable way. I package items to a level a bit higher than UPS specs, and have never had a problem collecting on the few claims I've had to file over the years. Inexpensive digital point and shoot cameras have been a big help because I snap a few pictures of the box and internal packaging before sending something off, in case something happens. An insurance adjuster will have an impossible time claiming inadequate packaging when I have pictures of the package and contents at both ends of the shipping process.

This is an auction in my general area and I was interested. I did have a brief email conversation with the seller and I mentioned the unrealistic price. Ebay is loaded with people who don't know what their items are worth, or do know what they are worth but are hoping someone else won't. The net result is that they keep a steady stream of fees flowing to ebay, frustrate honest buyers willing to pay a reasonable price, and generally make fools of themselves. I know, it's annoying, but PWK made more than one set of these speakers and patience is the key.

Although they are not my favorite heritage speakers, I admit I haven't listened to a set of Heresy's in fifteen years or more. I had a coworker mention to me that he wondered if I was interested in some speakers that his wife purchased before they got married. If not, he was going to set them out in his yard sale. He said they were Klipsch but he didn't remember the model number, and by his description and when they were purchased, I told him I was certainly interested. He said he'd take $100 for the pair. They turned out to be a set of 1982 HWO's, still nestled in their factory boxes, and with the exception of a few tiny scratches, perfect in every way. They sure are no threat to my Cornwalls, but my wife and I both thought they sounded much better than my current JBL mains in the home theater system, so there they sit. I've heard so many great stories about some of the treasures you folks have snagged, I'm glad I can add my own.

Thanks all of you for all the comments, and several of you have alerted me to equipment that you would like to sell that might work well for me. Sorry I haven't replied but I'm busily digesting all the information and trying to find more information on a few brands I hadn't heard of before. The most consistent suggestion has been to work with NOSvalves with vintage equipment, and it's hard to argue with so many parallel recommendations.

I loved "The Science of Bass- The Pirhana Concept." It is to science as Algore is to internet. Reads like a Bose ad. http://www.philjonesbass.com/TECH%20INFO/piranha.htm

Bob has my Cornwall crossovers right now for a rebuild. What I like about Bob is that he takes the time to ask questions and the end result seems to be getting the right work done at the most reasonable cost. I also have a damaged diaphragm in one midrange horn and Bob made sure that I'd covered all the bases for possible causes before selling me a new diaphragm. That's refreshing in this day and age when almost everyone with something to sell wants you to buy more than you need.

Did you figure that out from my original title and my first post in this thread? [] Sorry, I hit one of your past auction links in the same post and got confused. Happens quite a bit at my age and alcohol consumption tier. [:$]

the same seller has a similar system for $2K: http://cgi.ebay.com/Klipsch-MCM-1900-PA-Concert-Speaker-System-Huge-Sound_W0QQitemZ7388792046QQcategoryZ47094QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'd appreciate some recommendations for a basic tube setup that would work well with my Cornwalls. I don't need or want a high power setup, and I would actually prefer vintage equipment as long as it isn't a nuisance to set up and keep running. I also am firmly in the "music lover" camp and not the gear head camp, so I want to be able to turn the system on without a long and elaborate startup that I know some of you use. I prefer an all-tube solution that I can plug my current turntable and CD player into as sources. Frankly, when I look at ebay, I see so many different tube amplifiers, including many classic names that I recognize like Dynaco, Macintosh, Scott, Marantz and others, that it is hard to even guess at what would be a good place for me to start. New is also a consideration and I notice quite a bit of Hong Kong equipment with attractive prices. I don't want anything exotic though, and want to keep the price under $500 so I can try tube technology and see if I like what I hear. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I have an associated question regarding Khorns and room acoustics. I'd like to eventually get a set of Khorns. My room is 13' wide X 23' deep and the horns would go in the corners on the shorter wall. I can adjust my listening position from 10' to 18' away with no problem. On the left side, though, about five feet out from the short wall, there is an opening into the dining room that is 6' wide by 7' high, which essentially breaks the wall on what would be one side of the LH Khorn's reflecting surface. Is there a minimum corner size needed and would having an opening on one side like this substantially alter the response of the LH Khorn? I know false corners are often built for Khorns and the left corner of my room will almost look like a false corner to the speaker. If there is any chance of a noticable change in response, I could simply install a set of doors to plug this hole.

You forgot to add that you want to pay a ridiculously low price for them. [] []

I enjoyed reading about the flooded speaker and got to thinking about my first good pair of speakers, LaScala's, which I bought back in 1975 for club gigs but also enjoyed at home. One evening listening to music a home, apparently a cap failed in my mixer and I quickly discovered why my Crown amp had the letters "DC" in front of the 300. After a rather unusual and interesting sound, smoke started pouring out of the bass box of one LaScala. Not being very accessible for fire fighting, the speaker was unceremoniously dragged outside and treated to a session with the garden hose. I figured whatever damage I could do with the hose would be less than watching the speaker burn. With the smoke gone, I dried out the speaker and pulled it back into the house, and dropped the bass box hatch. The only thing left of the cone was a crescent on one side, and the remains of the voice coil and dust cap hung by one spider. I called Klipsch the next day and explained what had happened. They were so impressed they sent out a new driver in exchange for the old one. The crossover was apparently not damaged and I continued to used the speakers for several more years before installing them in a club. As far as I know, they are probably still there and working fine, but with the fuses I added to protect them. Anyone else ever torch a speaker?

I did get a reply from the "second chance" scammer, who told me that as soon as I send "confirm" my name and shipping address with him, he'll complete the "deal" through ebay. Of course, a legit second chance offer is already going through ebay and does all that. What the scammer wants is my contact information so he can contact ebay and hijack my account too. As always, con artists rely on the lure of getting something for nothing or practically nothing to get greedy fools to bend over.

Since I have an SPL meter, I could probably tell you. I'm on my community's Citizen Police Advisory Board, and we did a little bit of research on this a few years ago, and the results were interesting: --Most neighbor complaints to police come from people who don't even know the name of the neighbor and have never met him/her. --People making such complaints often reported that the neighbors appeared hostile or threatening. --Noise complaints were almost always valid, and the offending neighbor didn't realize the scope and severity of the noise they were generating or didn't take the time of day (or night) into account. Our community has a noise ordinance and some command cars have SPL meters. We've had a few instances of multiple complaints about certain neighbors, and we try to have a CPAB member visit the neighborhood and try to sit everyone down for a discussion and to give the neighbors an opportunity to meet each other. This has worked out very well and neighbors always seem to come up solutions that work for everyone. If your neighbors feel a need to call the police instead of approaching you directly, perhaps you should take the time to meet them find out why, and work out a solution instead of calling them a-holes and morons. Remember, they are reacting to something you are doing.

Watching it once is enough. I don't know how anyone could watch it more than once. Similar to that morning on 9/11/2001 when I watched the tower collapse.

Actually the word that comes to my mind is .. A55holes Of course. Sure that applies to anyone who objects to your self-indulgence spilling over into their air space. You've got to be a smoker, too. []

How kindly is it to the guy trying to sell them? Honest, that sucks. You should know better. How would you feel if you were trying to sell them?