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Here's a panoramic view from the listening chair I stitched together. The front wall is actually 6 closet doors, so the Khorns have to be moved to get out the Christmas decorations...

I think this is Jonas Nordwall at the Organ Grinder restaurant in Portland. More information here: http://www.sonicstudios.com/theatre.htm Good stuff. After all, what other musical instrument can be measured in horsepower? - Bill

Remember also that RAID 1/5 isn't a substitute for true backups. RAID will protect against physical disk failures, but not against software / user error or lightning. It's useful technology, but offline backup is also necessary (such as a USB hard drive, stored offsite if possible). Also, regarding hardware vs. software RAID -- software has a distinct advantage. With H/W RAID controllers, their on-disk format is usually specific to the controller (3ware, Highpoint, etc.), so if the controller fails, you'll need to replace it with a compatible controller before you can read your disks again. With software RAID, you should be able to read the disks on any machine that supports the software and the disks.

Are all three facets of that corner going to be veneered? I had a similar problem, and just rebuilt the corner using All-purpose Bondo (in the wood filler section at Lowe's)and a sander to shape.

I had a similar problem in one of my corners with radiant baseboard heat and a windowsill, so I made a gap filler using 2x3 framing screwed to the wall covered with 5/8" particleboard (sort of like half of a false corner).

I dunno why I can't remember the receiver at the moment, but it's supposed to have 7(?) channels of the quality digital amps. A lab partner of mine was mentioning them and how they usually go for like $50 on E-Bay or something crazy like that. I'll try to find out what he was talking about. There are some possible concerns with the digital amps, but nothing that couldn't be remedied with a little DSP. Speaking of which, what DSP software are you referring to? BruteFIR, perhaps feeding an M-Audio or RME 6-channel board (something ALSA supports). The Panasonic XR55 (or XR57) is routinely under $300, and I believe has 7 discrete inputs. However, I think it uses all digital internally, so there would be the DAC -> ADC -> DAC problem.

I don't think ElectronLuv was there, but I did see some impressive horn systems -- see below. I enhanced the picture because my flash couldn't illuminate the large room. I went on Saturday and tried to see most of it, so didn't linger long. Next year, I think Friday would be a better choice -- smaller crowds, so more opportunities to listen to my own music.

Maybe someday... Somewhat. It's not really an annoyance, just something I noticed recently by comparison. Kind of like a PA horn (exponential coloration?), but less extreme. Is this the same sort of audible DAC distortion as reducing 16-bit samples to, say, 12-bit? I have considered attempting this using a decent 6-channel sound card and DSP software driving a 6-channel home theater receiver like the Panasonic XR55. Maybe not ideal, but as an experiment. It's most detectable at the "sweet spot." Elsewhere, not so much. The room is an odd-shaped basement (finished, wall-to-wall carpet). The speakers are about 17 feet apart, and I sit 8.5 feet from the center of the front wall. The ceiling is just a little over 7 feet.

I had the opportunity to visit the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest last weekend, and heard some very impressive top-dollar systems. I haven't done much critical listening of other dealer systems over the years, so this was one of my first opportunities to really experience the top of the line. After comparing with my Khorn system, the Khorns still impress compared to systems costing much more. But, I have noticed some shrillness or harshness in things like trumpets, high frequency violin, etc., that was absent in many of the systems at the show. Sometimes it kind of sounds like there is a kazoo somewhere in the orchestra (subtle, though). So, I have made that critical mistake -- pondering upgrades. To prevent the upgrade path from ending in Chapter 11, :-) I'd like to make modifications that are likely to be effective, so any advice or anecdotes are appreciated. My Khorns are 1981 stock, except for Bob Crites rebuilt AA networks. Cast K-400 with K-55V, K-77M tweeter. Amp is a Crown D-45, and source is Slim Devices Squeezebox 3. Possible changes: - BEC upgrade tweeters. I know my speakers were sometimes driven at high levels during their first 25 years. Never abused, but is non-fatal tweeter damage possible, or likely? How could I tell? - Lowering the squawker -> tweeter crossover frequency, in case the behavior I've noticed is at the high end of the squawker's range. - Vacuum tube amp -- SET or push-pull? The little engineer voice in my head says that any decent amp, thermionic or solid state, should be roughly the same when operating within spec, in their linear range. So I'm skeptical that this really matters, but am willing to consider it. - Outboard DAC. The Squeezebox has a rather good 24-bit DAC built in, but many use a fancier outboard. The Squeezebox is very good through headphones, though, so I'm doubtful there's much to be gained here. - ALK Trachorns + BEC tweeters (+ ALK ES networks?) This is rather expensive for my taste, but there are many positive testimonials out there. - 6 channel DSP crossover + tri-amp each speaker. I think this would be fun to try, but rather expensive. - Do nothing -- Just stop being so analytical and enjoy the music. Your thoughts? - Bill P.S. I think Klipsch should show their wares at next year's RMAF. It's a lot of boutique manufacturers, but there are some larger companies represented -- B&W, JBL (they had a pair of Hartsfields there), etc. I'd love to hear Klipsch's new flagship system in person.

The other thread is here: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/804053.aspx I wasn't aware of the ART USB phono device that DrWho suggested in this thread, but I have added it to my Christmas wish list. I plan to digitize several of my rare LPs since I use a server full of FLAC files as my only source, but any transfers like this will degrade the quality. Your best option (for quality, if not convenience) may be just to use the LPs directly as you are currently.

I have successfully used an open-source tool called Gnome Wave Cleaner to perform declicking on LP transfers. It runs natively on Linux, but somebody may have ported it to other OSes: http://gwc.sourceforge.net/ There are also several interesting links on this page about denoising algorithms in general for those with a technical interest. One thing to beware of if using your motherboard's built-in line in is that many onboard A/D chips sample at 48kHz fixed, and if 44.1kHz is requested by the capturing software, it is resampled by the device driver. Many of these resampling algorithms do a poor job. To avoid this, I capture the raw WAV file at 48kHz and then use sox to resample to 44.1kHz using quadratic interpolation. The open-source Audacity tool can handle the capture, initial editing (and splitting tracks), and resampling as well, and is available for Linux, Windows, and OS X: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ - Bill

I assume you're referring to the thickness of the paper backing -- 10 mil or 20 mil. That would be some *very* thin veneer. [] The 20 mil backing makes the veneer stiffer and more resistant to careless handling. I used 10 mil walnut for my Khorns because it was cheap, and had no trouble with it's durability during installation. Even the 10 mil backing is rather heavy -- kind of like a thick paper grocery bag. Also, if your piece has edges you're going to veneer, the 20 mil paper may make a more visible line at the corner. What are you veneering? - Bill

$400?! I assume you're looking at the new Model 1400? I've had a Model 1200 for about 4 years and really like it. Initially, I used it as a source for a SET headphone amp, but more and more I find myself plugging the phones directly into the Stereo-link. The 1400 claims to have an enhanced headphone amp, but the 1200 has no problem driving my 24 ohm phones. The stereo-link's noise floor is significantly below that of my headphone amp, and even at the phones' low impedance is practically inaudible (and far cleaner than the computer's line out). Also, the Stereo-link adjusts its sample rate, unlike most computer's internal DACs now that resample everything to 48kHz (usually poorly, depending on algorithm). It uses the common Philips UDA1321 single-chip USB DAC, and should be compatible with any software that handles standard USB audio devices (I use Linux, so I needed to avoid any goofy proprietary drivers). I originally selected a stereo-link vs. one of the cheaper USB DACs because of the separate power supply. I have never compared it to one of the $40-$60 USB-powered DACs, but the design rationale seems sound (don't source the power from the potentially noisy 5V USB line).

Thanks for all the compliments. This is the first chance I've had to listen to them in a proper room. I first heard Khorns (in fact, these exact Khorns), at a neighbor's house when I was about 8 years old. Of course, I found them impressive then (and *big*), but didn't know about horn loading and such things. The previous owner had them in diagonally opposite corners of an "L"-shaped rec room, mainly used for parties but not set up for critical listening. Then, when I bought them, I had to do the refinishing first due to the mold, so I never set them up as a pair. I sent the networks to Bob Crites to be refreshed while I was doing the veneer. They sound better than I ever expected. My previous speakers were DIY 2-ways similar to the NHT Super One. They were fine in a smaller room, but the Klipschorns sound much more controlled and detailed. I guess a reasonable analogy would be this -- most of us know "flabby" or "tubby" bass (vs. tight or well controlled). Compared to the Klipschorns, my previous speakers have flabby mids and highs as well. Now I'm slowly relistening to a file server full of music, and enjoying every minute... - Bill

One of these speakers had been mold damaged on the bottom, so I replaced the bottom panel and sealed the moldy parts of the remaining wood (front face and sides) with "Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer" from rotdoctor.com. This stuff soaks into wood like oil, but hardens. However, when hard, it's pliable like wood (you can drill it, hammer on it, etc.), and won't shatter like standard epoxy. I filled the area on the front face where the veneer peeled with Bondo "All-purpose Putty" from Lowe's. I also discovered a few deeper flaws in the rotted area (2 to 3 plies into the plywood), and some loose knotholes under the birch layer on the other speaker, so I dug them out and filled with Bondo as well. Bondo works best if applied no thicker than 1/4" at a time, but it sticks to itself, so for thicker patches it just requires repeated application. After curing (24 hours, but Bondo is usually ready to sand in about 30 minutes), I sanded the surface smooth using sandpaper wrapped around a scrap of hardwood flooring (so, very smooth and straight). I had used an orbital power sander, but the foam pad allowed the sandpaper to conform to lumps in the surface rather than flattening them). The veneer is flat-cut 10-mil paper backed veneer from tapeease.com. I ordered 2 4x8 sheets because these veneer strips are already "book-matched" and applied to the paper backer, so I didn't have to align veneer edge-to-edge across the face. I did center the veneer pattern on the speaker surfaces, though, for a nice symmetric look. I cut the veneer using a standard utility knife with a new blade and a metal straightedge. Cutting across the grain is easy, but when cutting parallel to the grain, sometimes the grain will steer the blade where you don't want it to go. In these cases, I found that many passes across the cut (like 10-15), while pressing very lightly, worked best. Each veneer piece was cut 1/8" to 1/4" too large in each dimension, then trimmed flush with a utility knife after gluing. I applied the veneer with Weldwood contact cement from Lowe's (the "Original formula", not the gel or water-based kind). For the large panels (tops and bass bin faces), I used 4 4-ft pieces of plastic water pipe to keep the surfaces separated for alignment, then pressed the cement together along the centerline and rolled the pipes apart, working out air bubbles as the veneer adhered. I was advised not to use a rubber "J" roller, so I just used a 4" wide piece of wood with a sharp corner, slightly rounded, to press the veneer down. At first, I sanded the veneer with the sanding block mentioned above, but found that this caused "shiny" spots where the veneer was harder, such as at knots. So, for the veneer surface, a pliable sandpaper substrate works best (a foam sanding block, or just a handheld piece of sandpaper). I applied 3 coats of Watco Danish oil (the "natural", untinted flavor). After each oil application, I allowed the oil to sit for 20 minutes and thoroughly wiped off the excess with paper towels. In some areas, this can slightly lift the grain, so that splinters tear out tufts of paper towel. So, to remove the splinters and paper I sanded lightly (very lightly) between each oiling. The single most useful tool, I think, was the Internet. Here are some informative links I found: Leveneer veneer application instructions: http://woodworkerssource.net/Contact_Us/links/veneerapplication.pdf Another loudspeaker veneering project: http://home.hiwaay.net/~rgs/ellis1801f/veneering.html And the very informative articles from Greg Roberts: http://www.dcchomes.com/WalnutKhorn.html (see links at bottom of page).

And the right side...

Whew -- done finally! Below are pictures of the veneered and finished left and right speakers, respectively, with my "minimalist" system on top (Crown D-45 -- thanks for the recommendation leok, and Slim Devices Squeezebox 3). Thanks to all who provided excellent advice here. I ended up using stinky contact cement for all veneer -- even the edge banding. To make the edge, I just cut strips out of the 4x8 sheets I had -- it was actually easier than I thought. I sanded the veneer with 220 grit paper and applied 3 coats of natural color Danish oil (I wanted a low-gloss finish). I filled the peeled bottom edge of the one speaker with Bondo wood filler and sanded smooth, and I found a couple of voids inside the face of the other speaker (essentially, knotholes that had loosened beneath the original birch veneer). I also excavated and filled these. I did check each woofer back chamber for leaks, but they were remarkably well sealed. - Bill

Hmmm.. Only one attachment permitted per message? Anyway, my plan with question 3 was to veneer the area outlined below, under the squawker/tweeter motorboard and the top section's side panels.

A clarification of question 3 -- these are style "C". The ledge is the front 1" or so of the top section's bottom panel, shown below.

I purchased a set of Khorns a few months ago that had been water / mold damaged on the bottom and 4" up the face. I used an epoxy product to seal and strengthen the mold-damaged wood, but the bottom was beyond repair. I have finally completed sealing / replacing the moldy parts (see first pic below) and am preparing to re-veneer both speakers in the set (only one was damaged, but both speakers -- raw birch from the factory -- were stained a strange poop brown color and the varnish was applied across the grain, causing unsightly drip lines.) I have read most of the veneering information in these forums (it's amazing how much expert woodworking information there is in the Klipsch forums), but have a few detailed questions that remain unanswered. So, veneer experts: 1. I plan to use the PVA glue + iron technique to attach 10 mil paper-backed walnut veneer. Has anybody used this technique on a flat surface as large as the Khorn bass bin? Any problems? 2. The bottom 4" or so of the birch separated on the mold damaged speaker. I have removed the loose veneer (see second pic below), but obviously can't veneer over the resulting "step" in the surface. If the new veneer is roughly the thickness of the birch that was removed, I plan to just cut an extra piece to fill in (sanding and using filler, of course). Will I have any problem bonding 2 veneer layers in this area? 3. How should I veneer the small ledge on the bottom panel of the top section (just along the bottom of the grille)? Will veneering only the visible portion (1" or so wide) cause trouble reassembling the top section? I have considered veneering under the motorboard and between the top section's bottom and side panels, essentially raising the top by the thickness of the veneer. Any reason I shouldn't? 4. To prepare the existing surface for reveneering, I have removed the old polyurethane with chemical stripper and sanded. The surface is very smooth -- should it be roughened for better adhesion? 5. After stripping, I used an orbital sander on the stripped surfaces, including the edges. I realized later that the sander's foam pad caused the edges to become slightly rounded. Will this cause a problem attaching the edge banding? If so, how can I re-square the plywood edges? 6. I plan to cut the edge banding out of the same 4x8 sheets I purchased for the primary surfaces. Is it easier to attach the edge banding before or after veneering the adjacent surfaces? 7. I have selected a flat-cut walnut veneer and plan to put only a satin clear finish on it. Any recommendations? Polyurethane, tung oil, etc.? Thanks in advance, - Bill Replacement bottom panel and tailboard: Removed front veneer:

The wood surrounding the screws on the left side panel that hold it to the bottom panel is rather soft. My concern is essentially acoustic -- there are two other baffles above the bottom panel that are undamaged that form the actual horn, but it looks like the bottom panel itself contains the woofer's back chamber. So I wouldn't want leakage around the bottom board. I think I can address that by pouring glue into the small gap, as was suggested, then sanding the whole thing and painting it with primer. I was just looking for additional ideas / warnings / etc. - Bill

Fortunately, these aren't from New Orleans -- I bought them from a good friend and neighbor who, as we found out when we moved them, has a bit of a plumbing problem... I had planned to put a trim strip along the front anyway, so for cosmetic reasons, I could get one wide enough to cover the stained area. I'll try the wood filler / glue on the bottom first, for structural integrity. Cosmetics don't matter there anyway. Thanks for the advice. - Bill

Attached are the following pictures: bottom - overall view of the bottom. lt_side - Left side if the speaker was upright (side with the woofer access door). This is the panel that has the most extensive damage. The stain is about 1.25" wide. rt_side - Right side detail. inside_lt_bottom - inside view of the bottom board, front corner, from the woofer access hole. inside_rt_bottom - inside view of the bottom board, front corner, from the woofer access hole. The bottom board feels solid now that it is dry. The big problem is the right side board -- the damaged section is sort of "spongy." Bottom: Left side: Right side: Left front corner, from inside: Right front corner, from inside:

Greetings! I've been lurking here for a while, and recently acquired a set of 1981 type KCBR Klipschorns. Unfortunately, one of these sat on a damp carpet for a few months and mold has grown on the bottom and wicked about 1/4" up the side and front panels. I've cleaned the moldy wood with a strong bleach solution. It is currently drying, and it looks like the structure is still sound, but the plywood has separated slightly on the sides. How simple do you think it would be to replace the bottom panel? It is obviously screwed together and also glued. I don't see any water damage inside (through the woofer access panel), but very little of the top of the bottom board is visible from in there. Any advice?