dbailey

I agree with what Mark has said about his mods. I had bought the CT-125 tweeters and expected more from this upgrade. I actually reinstalled the old ones just because I thought they sounded better. I had just changed some interconnects, so I thought maybe that it had something to do with why I preferred the K-77's over the 125's and maybe I just wasn't giving them a fair evaluation. I am keeping them because now that I have the new ALK universals, I'll want to put them back in and give them another listen. The networks have been a great upgrade for me and I would also be willing to change to new drivers, but only if they sound sweet like the original ones. I don't care what anyone else says about the original drivers. I think they sound great. As far as the "Klipsch sound" to me, I would say that it is full, dynamic, low distortion. I don't even care that sometimes I hear dirty noise in the line only because I know that the La Scala is fully capable of reproducing even the flaws. So be it! Overall, with the ALK upgrade, I would say that the sound is better than ever. Even with the stock drivers. Dave

Dean, I know that capacitor use, differences, etc. makes for hot debate on this forum. I just feel that it comes down to one's preference of what sounds good to their ears. I'm sure that the dollars factor in too. I think most people that visit this site are going to spend a fair amount of money on amplification, source components and all the other stuff that contributes to good audio. The upgraded networks just seem like another piece that is worth the expense. I am still with original drivers, but want to listen for awhile before I make any more changes. I know that everyone has an opinion of what tweeter, squawker sounds best too! Dave

I'll be shipping them back to Al tomorrow. That will be a great value for someone. They are certainly a great upgrade! Dave

Al, I think the new inductor makes the bass as good as it can be. Earlier in the year, I had made a major change going from a Denon CD player to an audiophile quality SONY ES707 player that I bought off EBay. There was a huge improvement to my system which really helped in my decisision to purchase other tweaks, like power cords, interconnects and new networks. The reason I say this is because I felt like I would be able to discern the subtle differences of each change. I have also been careful to just change one thing at a time to be able to make a fair evaluation of the change. The new Universals have improved the bass response another notch. Dave

I am the lucky recipient of Al's new Universal networks with the Sonicaps and Hovlands. First off, let me just say that I had ordered the previous version with the Musicap option. Al delivered but had not added the more expensive Hovlands. He was very apologetic of his mistake and then offered his new prototype with the Sonicaps, Hovlands and the new #12 AWG woofer inductor. I agreed to purchase the new, more expensive version. He said go ahead and listen to the Kimber and Solen version and then give my impressions here on the Klipsch Forum. The Kimber version sounds excellent. I was immediately impressed with the clarity of music. The transients so improved, the percussion now sounding more realistic than ever. Vocals improved dramatically with great detail. I would say the my K400 squawker was toned down a bit, harshness removed, and way better detail. The bass was was improved as well. Much more musical than the boomier sound that I had with the original AA network. I was able to listen to this version for a few days before the new prototypes arrived. The new improved versions are in my Lascalas now and I have listened to a broad range of CDs. I would say that they are very much in keeping with the awesome Klipsch sound of the original but improved in everyway. In comparison to Al's previous version I would say that the improvements are subtle, but there. I am not sending them back! I am finding myself turning them up to louder levels and enjoying them just as much as the previous version. The tweeter is every bit as crisp and detailed. The squawkers are more forward than with the others, but everything sounds so good that it really doesn't bother me in the least. I believe that the clarity and separation between instuments has improved. There is a spatial quality that I had not heard before. Vocals and background vocals are very distinguishable from each other and with superb clarity. I would not neccesarily say that the bass has more slam, but has fuller sound and everybit as clear and musical. I heard low level, low electric bass on one song that I had never heard before. The new versions keep with the very dynamic Klipsch sound which has always pleased me. This is just my first impression after a couple of listens, but I can definetely say my speakers are sounding excellent. Al K builds an excellent product and it is first rate in everyway, with precision to all the details. I would have been somewhat dissapointed if I had not had the Musicap option installed. Now, with the Sonicaps and new woofer inductor, I feel like I have the latest and greatest. I figure that if someone is willing to pay the $400 plus range for improvement; why not spend the extra dollars to get the best quality parts? I have always felt that in most cases you get what you pay for. Particularly when it comes to parts that have tighter tolerances that allow for precision design. I'm willing to bet that all ALK network versions have this built into them and worth the expense. At least it is to me. Dave