jdm56

I went to IE8 a few weeks ago. So far, it's great; a definite improvement over IE7.

Adam gives me the willies...I wouldn't let him within ten feet of my daughter...or sons. I'm sick of his bobcat yowl too! Every song, no matter the genre it's supposed to be, he finds an arrangement to turn it into a goth-rock vehicle for AdLam...and the judges never criticize him for it. They never criticize him for anything. He's already a "rock God" according to Kara Digiorno...and he's never made a record, afaik... ...Give me Kris or Danny for the win!

How about this: cornwalls to Amrita Reference Standards to klipschorns, klipschorns to B&W 703's to a/d/s/ HT-400LCR's to Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab OML-2's to La Scala II's, La Scala II's to Polk LSi-9's. ...Pitiful, isn't it? I'm a speaker ****.[:$]

To me, the very fact we talk in terms of a "sweet spot" points to the biggest short-coming of two-channel audio. IF all the two-channel recordings we own could be re-mastered from the original multi-tracks and mixed down to three channels, with no panning between channels, and IF we all had center channel speakers in our systems, and IF we all used three-channel amps instead of two, then we wouldn't have to be too concerned about sweet spots and their size. The sound stage would be appropriately wide and images (if you could call them that) would seem to stretch across it no matter if you were seated extreme left, right or dead-center. But, two-channel is what we've got and I don't see anyone trying to do anything about it anytime soon, especially considering multi-channel already has two strikes against it in the marketplace. Most people don't care, anyway. It's only us audiophools that worry over such things... ...oh and btw, mines about three feet wide.[]

bigblaze, I think that, assuming polarity checks out OK, you're looking at a room problem. That's an Achilles' heel of the k-horn - they are almost totally at the mercy of the room, because when you put a speaker hard and fast in the room corners, every room mode will be excited, which is great -in a great room, but not so great in a bad room because of the additive nature of room modes. You end up with very rough bass response, and depending on your seating location, possibly extremely weak bass. I'm not saying your room is bad, but it may be bad for bass. What are you room's dimensions?

I don't know how loud you need to go, but I would think a pair of Fortes, considering their high sensitivity, would have plenty of power available from your Pioneer receiver. True, it probably can't deliver it's rated power to seven or even five channels simultaneously, but I bet it can get dangerously close into two channels. Besides, you'll have a hard time finding an "affordable" integrated amp that can deliver substantially more power into an 8 Ohm load. I would suggest either a powered sub to suppliment your bass, or if your receiver and your Fortes are equipped for it, a separate power amp to bi-amp your speakers.

Eee-oooooh!! I think I may be ill...

Welcome to the forums. And congrats on the Cornwalls, which may just be the most balanced and "user friendly" of all the PWK designs, IMHO.

Adam can sing...but he chooses to yowl like a coyote in heat...on every..tune..he..sings!! Kris Allen is my boy!!!

If not the same boat, then I'm in the same flotilla at least, with ya' there, Joe. Been through too much gear for my modest means. Which was not really a problem in earlier, more carefree years. Now, though, we're all older. Mine and my wife's "upkeep", health-wise is getting more expensive, and the kids are getting to their expensive years (16-??). So, not as much money free to blow -er "invest" in gear for the never-ending pursuit of musical nirvana. What you said that really struck a nerve with me, Joe, was about how different speakers may sound great with certain music, then suck with other kinds of music or types of recording. To me, klipsch has always excelled with "electric" music, but been a little weak with "acoustic" music. Not with the dynamics of it, of course, but with the air or the "3D" aspect. Too much music seems too much of the time to eminate from within the confines of the speakers. It doesn't break free of the boxes. The LS2's I was lucky enough to have in-house for 8 months were, when taken out of the corners a bit, better in this regard than any big klipsch I've ever had. Of course, then they made very little bass...but that's beside the point. I've always thought I was pursuing a sound, or a set-up that would be the "final solution". But looking back over the years, it's always been about the journey itself. I think the journey IS the point, the destination even, at least for me. Oh, I still like to think that ultimate destination is out there, the system that I will be so satisfied with that I'd never want to change anything again, but the further down the pike I get, the less hope I hold for that ever happening, and the more I learn to just enjoy the trip. Just with more moderation, these days!

I initially intended to sell as a local pick-up only, but after a week or so I was getting absolutely no nibbles. Lots of lookers but no offers. So I decided to open it up a bit and agreed to ship. That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was shipping w/o a pallet. They arrived on a pallet when I bought them, so I shoulda used pallets to ship. But, UPS insured them w/o palleting, so as far as I'm concerned, the damage is their loss, not mine. Reasons for selling? Mainly a major attack of expenses. Expenses of the medical variety and of the 16-year-old son variety. Firstly, Yours Truly had a little round of gall stones which caused pancreatitis. That was good for about a week in the hoss-a-pital. Then I had a back-set of pancreatitis that put me on my back for another five day stay. Yesterday, they took out my gall bladder, so hopefully no more gall stones and no more pancreas issues. The second reason was more serious. My oldest boy recently turned 16 and decided he "needed" something to drive. After haggling back and forth for weeks over what that something should be (he wanted something out of "The Fast And The Furious"; I was thinking more along the lines of "Driving Miss Daisy") we compromised and found a relatively low-mileage '01 Dodge Stratus Coupe. He was happy cause it looks cool and I was happy because it has airbags and some size. Of course, I suppose I wouldn't have had to sell the la scala II's. But when cash gets tight it's hard to look at those big boxes sitting in the family room and not see dollar bills. They are fantastic speakers, though, no doubt! World-class dynamics, clarity and low distortion but my, my they're big boxes! And not much bass for $6000 dollars speakers the size of chest freezers. Anyway, I decided I needed the money more than I needed the La Scala II's. So I sold them but kept the subs I was using with them. Then I bought a pair of "near mint" Polk LSi-9's off eBay for $409. First Polk's I've ever owned. But that's another story for another thread, I suppose.

My beloved La Scala II's sold to a charming lady in Oregon. I suppose she bought them for a sig-o. Which is all completely beside the point... Do you know what UPS charges to ship 4 boxes full of LS2's from SW Missouri to Umpqua Oregon? How about $550-plus, insured for $3000. I did a little figuring and determined I could drive out there and back in my Grand Caravan for $400 or less, allowing me $150 for eats and incidentals. Sleep in the van, I guess. Now THAT would have been an interesting story, but I didn't do that. I shipped UPS. WhaduhfoolIwuz. Packing La Scala II's is really just like unpacking them in reverse. Only minus the fun factor. My gosh they are heavy and big! But I did get'em safely back in their original shipping cartons. I then lowered all the rear seats in the van (gotta love those stow-away seats!) Everything folds down into the floor, so yes, you can haul a pair of ls2's in a Dodge Grand Caravan, with enough room left for the driver and a front passenger. Actually, I could leave one rear seat up, but there was no way to get in it unless you were Olga Corbet or a cat. I hauled the van load of ls2's to the closest UPS store and unloaded them. Then shock of shocks, the lady working got her little black book after weigh-in and measure-in and informed me it would cost over $1000 EACH for the big boxes alone! You can imagine my horror. It was going to cost more to ship the things than I sold them for! the wife's gonna love that little development. Maybe I should just not go home... I ended up leaving the speakers at the UPS store while they investigated other shipping options. the next day I was informed that I could ship them all for "only" $550 or so. A genuine bargain, unless you consider the above-stated fact about how much it would cost me to drive out there my own danged self! After all the paperwork was done and the plastic had changed hands, my lovely, immaculate ls2's began their cross-country trek to their new home-in-waiting in Umpqua, Oregon. Delivery was made in a timely manner, with me following their every move via UPS tracker info. Then the shiite hit the fan. I received the dreaded "My new speakers are damaged" email. And to make matters much worse, apparently the UPS personnel on that end convinced my buyer the damage could not possibly have been done in transit. Leaving only one possible conclusion -Yours Truly is a low-down, scum-sucking liar and cheat! Which while those things may be true, generally speaking, the fact is the speakers I sold were in absolutely like-new condition when I packed them and when I delivered them for shipment. Leaving only two possible explanations: either UPS mangled them and doesn't want to man up, or my buyer is trying to pull a fast one, hoping I'll remit some purchase price. A few days go by and I hear from buyer. She says she does not believe I lied about the speakers. I'm not sure what caused the change of heart, but I was glad to hear it. I did file the insurance claim with UPS and the people on my end have so far, been very nice. But I don't know how this will be resolved. I have contacted the buyer again for an update. AFAIK, she will have the option of letting UPS buy the speakers for $3000 or having them repaired. That's assuming UPS does own up, which remains to be seen. Stay tuned for the final chapter...

I like al-you-men-ee-um (as the Brits say) just fine. Tweeters that many seem to find bright, I usually like. Like B&W's aluminum tweeter -one of my faves. Really, I don't care what the material is, I just like it to be airy and smooth and natural sounding. I want cymbals to sound like cymbals -not white noise splashes. I thought the tweeters on my recently departed LS2's sounded great. So whether compression drivers mated to horns, domes of aluminum, titanium or unobtainium, ribbons -whatever; as long as it sounds good.

Yup, they're gone, gone, gone and on their way to their new owner in Oregon. Only $550 to ship UPS (ouch!). I sure wish I could have sold them closer to home. Coulda saved the buyer and myself some money, for sure. Oh well, I was not getting many nibbles and was afraid to pass up the sale since I have all these witchdoctors lining up for money. So I've had Cornwalls (sold'em), Klipschorns (sold'em) and La Scala II's (just sold'em). What does this say about yours truly? (Be kind) ...I'll tell you what I think it says. AudioBoy trys to run with the big dogs, but needs to stay on the porch with the lap puppies. That and/or I'm one crazy tail-chasing audio dork. Maybe both. OK, enough with tha canine analogies. I'm down to my Velo subs now, currently using them with a/d/s/ HT300's. I saw a mint pair of Polk LSi-9's on the bay. I may try to buy those worth the money. Everybody raves about'em. Dean's RB5's look wonderful, too... The Grand Caravan with Sto'N'Go- you just can't beat the versatility. I wondered if the LS2's would actually fit, but by golly they did. Even left one rear seat up. Of course, to get in it, you would have to crawl over the boxes of sound. The worst thing about the sto n go thing is every time I need to use it, the kids have the van so slimed, I have to spend an hour de-lousing and dis-infecting. Well, maybe someday my finances will be on the upswing again and I can make another grab at the brass ring. Jubes!! That's the ticket!!!

Yes! A pair of boxed-up La Scala II's will fit in a Dodge Grand Caravan. ...just wanted to clear that up

yeah, mo pitchers pleeze!

If I sell the LS2's, I need to know!

OK, could be -I've never had a Mac, BUT...the '69 Bridgestone 50 Sport I had would run circles around your Honda Trail![]

As to the "flame war", may I paraphrase Billy Joel? "I didn't start the fire!" See below: OK, I may have fanned the flames a bit, but as Dave said, the underbrush does need cleared occasionally. Now, where'd I put that flame thrower? Oh yes... My vinyl confession: I came of audiophile age in the mid seventies, and I had typical systems for a kid in those days: Advent speakers, Pioneer components. Perhaps the best turntable I ever owned was a Pioneer PL17D (or was it 117D?). At least it was the heaviest and tweakiest. I did own a Sony and a Luxman after that, but they were both tangential trackers and rather on the plastic-y, flimsy side. Long story short --I never spent serious money on a turntable, or more than $150 on a cartridge. So I concede, that compared to the over-built vinyl-spinning alters of today, I have never had a serious record playing rig. But in those days of Stereo Review and Audio magazines, what I had was getting pretty darned good write-ups, so who knew? And by that time, rumblings (pardon the pun) of something better were already being circulated. So I was primed for the bliss digital would bring. And the rest, as they say, is history. My take on the actual sound of CD? Sure, I have many crappy sounding ones. But I also have many that sound wonderful, so I have to attribute the bad sound of some to something other than the CD itself. Either the original recording or the transfer to CD...who knows? My peeve is why do so many new music releases on CD sound so bad? Of course, thats a whole 'nother can of worms. So in closing, my fellow Americans, let me just boil the cabbage down to this little comparison list: LP = noisey / wear with use / limited dynamics / audible distortions / short playing times / inconvenient / need lots of TLC / fragile / nice for pics and reading! CD = quiet / durable / wide dynamics (available, at least) / no audible distortion / long playing times / convenient / minimal feeding and cleaning / rugged / lousy for pictures and reading. / jewel boxes suck! Now lets just "piss on the fire, call in the dogs, and head it on back to bowlegs".

It really doesn't have to be RF series speakers. That's just what I was focusing on at the time I started the thread.I've had gall stones / pancreatitis problems lately, with two ER visits, one 65 mile ambulance ride and two hoss-a-pital stays (7-day and 5-day). Plus, the gall bladder has still got to come out, as soon as the pancreas settle down. ...And on the down side, my 16 yr old son thinks he needs wheels. So, as you can guess, I could really use some extra cash about now.

I am just baffled by reading the endless testimonials to how wonderful and magical vinyl LP's sound. It's not that I doubt the writer's sincerity. But I certainly do not get why I can't hear this alledged "magic". I'm not saying that there are no good sounding recordings on LP, but they all have to fight their way through the grunge and the roar and the snap, crackle, pop to ever get to the listener's ears! Maybe I'm just more sensitive to the particular deficiencies of vinyl; especially the noise. But to all who still love and treasure their vinyl, that's great. I share your passion for the music and I'm glad you are enjoying it however best works for you. But for me, the pristinely quiet background of CD is priceless. I could never enjoy classical music before CD due to the previously mentioned noise. So CD is really the key that unlocked that world for me. And to a lesser extent, the same is true with jazz. Maybe if I invested in a multi-thousand dollar record playing rig, I would become a born-again vinyl lover, too. But that ain't happening, cuz I ain't looking for anything better than the good ol' CD. I tried SACD and DVD-A, but the market and the makers pulled the rug out from under me. So, at my age, CD is probably gonna be it. Downloads are fine, I suppose, but I prefer the concept of owning the physical Thing the music exists on. I like to be able to hold it and look at it. It's my hard copy. I like pictures and liner notes. I do wish they were a bit bigger, but they are what they are. To each his own, I say. And I do admire the mechanical designs of many nice 'tables. I just don't choose to seek musical bliss down that particular road anymore, that's all. The digital road is much smoother. But you do have to watch out for the pits.[]

For the life of me, I don't understand the vinyl resurgence. I guess I'm just lucky to have defective hearing, or to have never had a high-end record playing set-up. CD's sound fine to me. I started selling all my LP's after I bought my first CD player in '84, and have never looked back. I only have a few hundred left and will probably have them to the end because either nobody else wants them, or I can't find replacements on CD, or else they're just weren't that good in the first place! Oh, how I loathed the snap, crackle and pop of vinyl! Good riddance, I say!! Having said the above, I have no desire to ignite a flame war over the vinyl/digital divide. If every other audiophile on the planet swears allegience to the wonders of vinyl records, more power to them I say! I just don't get it though. Not for me.

Sorry to post and then disappear, but I got sick again and had to go to the horse-pistol for five days. There a seems to be at least a small contingent favoring the RB75. That may be a good choice, but I don't see too many for sale (not that I've looked that hard!). I'm surprised there's not more response to the question. I thought it to be kind of an interesting subject regardless of whether or not one was actually interested in following through. I see NHT is going into some kind of self-imposed, indefinite limbo. A person might snag a good deal on what AbsoluteSound called the best speaker for under $1000? (the Classic Three) Not too crazy about the low sensitivity, though.

That pretty much says it all. Is there even a concensus? See, I've got these two decent subs (Velodyne DLS4000R's), and if I part with my LS2's, it would be nice to stay with something that will keep me from having too much horn withdrawal. So I'm thinking RB61, RB81, RF62 or RF82. I like the RF63, but it's a bit pricey and probably would overlap the subs too much. But I might go with it and sell the subs. That's a possibility. The RF83 is too tall for my room. And too expensive. (This is a poverty-inspired move after all!) All suggestions appreciated.

That ain't plastic, man! That's a proprietary space-age co-polymer...dude!