KT88

a second picture

"Now I can remind that it had shown one plain and seamless surround, which was on the same level as the metall basket because of the mounting compression." Just after reassembling the K33 I think it is not so flexible and I had just a halluzination about a seamless gasket ten days ago...

The gaskets shape looks like in the first picture Bob has posted. But the material looks identical to the second photo. I must add some info. My post from yesterday evening was very late after work and I actually did not remember how the driver looked directly after removing from the cabinet ten days ago. Now I can remind that it had shown one plain and seamless surround, which was on the same level as the metall basket because of the mounting compression. And I was wondering if this gasket - on the same level - is sealing well, because the material of the gasket does not give a flexibel feel. It´s more like that from a harder cardboard. But now, it is not only divided into 4 quarters of the gasket. It is also about 1 mm more thickly than the edge of the basket. This would mean that it develops a permanent counter acting force to seal constantly well for a long period of time. To me that explains two aspects, first is that I am sure I would have noticed the four sections 10 days ago (which did not show up), but much more important, the material seems to be flexible! in a good but slowly way, still after 29 years. Today I will make a picture of the gasket in is momently shape. Than I will assemble one driver back to it´s mounting board and do a second photo after removing it again in lets say a day or so. If it seals well and the gaps disappear I would think about not to add some material. We will see... Heinz

I have learned from several posts on this board, that a 100% sealed gasket should be a must for optimized bass performance and a good SPL delivered from the K33.. Today I wanted to reassemble my now nicely refinished La Scalas. Then I noticed, that the gaskets (as a part of the drivers) looks to be separated into 4 quater parts each driver. Each quarter round shows a gap of about 1 mm to its neighbour quarter. This causes definitely four unsealed areas of each driver. (Unfortunately I can´t post a picture now cause the speakers are in my office.) Is it NOT necessary to have a perfect seal, or in other words, has this design been constructed the way it shows now (the drivers are 29 years by now)? OR, was it intended to show one perfect round and has possibly shrunk due to aging? If it is so I already have some material to fill the gaps. Should I do so? Thanks for helpful replies, Heinz

"What now worries me is "where to put the tweeter?" The 511B would leave no room to put it along side the mid (like your Trachorn provides), and I really don't want the overall height of the speaker to grow an additional whatever-the-tweeter-is-in-inches." Just a silly question from a laymans perspective. Why is it possible to construct a horn loaded system with the tweeter alongside the squaker without having such issues like interference in the cross over region between mids and highs? In most of conventional hifi speakers the tweeter is vertically on axis with the midrange driver. Only some off them have an slightly offset like the Proac but then it is mirrored between left and right tweeter. On axis is argued with the benefit of avoiding interference in the cross over region between mids and highs. Interference is said to be more obvious to the ear in a horizontal configuration than in the a vertical centered positioning of the tweeter above or under the midrange driver. Al Ks trachorn is not the first one I have seen in a alongside configuration. Just remember EV Sentry 3 and stuff like this having been very sucsessfull. Therefore my question does not mean any critizism, I am just missing some understanding (and have never heard an alongside the squaker construction personally) Heinz

"There are two versions of the ALK: There is the original version which Al calls the Universal Type A Replacement, and what everyone else just calls 'The ALK'. The network has a first order woofer section, 2nd order midrange section, and a 3rd order tweeter section -- and uses some of the best parts in the industry. This network is built and sold by Al." "... a simple solution: Take the things I liked about both networks and put them in one design: 1st order woofer section, 1st order midrange section, 3rd order tweeter section -- with adjustable taps." Dean, I learned that the bass and the treble section remains untouched in the ALKJr. Xover. Is this true also by its values? And further, do you need other values for the cap of the midrange section than in the ALK 2nd. order midrange design or does it stay unchanged. And makes an additional coil in parallel after the cap in series leading to the squaker the difference between the ALK and ALKJr. design? If the cap is about the same value, is it theoretically possible to add a switch which could take the mids coil in and out? Just an idea because I have candle light situations as well as sometimes a party or just crazy moments to crank it up.

Hi guys, thanks for your thoughts. Very helpful. My decision is: 1) Rebuilt the La Scalas at first without damping the K400 to avoid to many changes at one time. It is a little more effort to take the squaker out again somtime later, but I would like to listen to the effects of the new Xover (and the wiring) first. 2) I will take my Kimber 4TC. Thanks TubeGuy having practised with exactly the same wire by coincidence. I will use spade connectors avoiding to disturb the terminals of the Xover. The stock wire is allready 29 Years of age and the insulation feels fragilly. 3) I am considering the option of an midrange/tweeter upgrade. It sounds very plausible and interesting, but probably not by altering this La Scalas. As I am hot again on hornspeakers I would like to find some old used Khorn with good substance regarding the woodwork. Then I must not make changes to it´s cabinett and can put any squaker upgrade on top of the corner horn that fits the low pass requirements. Thanks Al and J.4Knee for your input. All what I am doing here reminds me on my youth. When I was 19 I built a Khorn, based on old construction papers with a 30" woofer and slightly taller. Great sound (in the remembering), but made from particel board and fired by very cheap electronics. Now I am 47 and there is some money but not the time you wish to have (as most of you will know). Is the Altecs acoustical freq. cut off comparabel, say 400 or 500 hz? I will post some photos after finishing (hopefully this weekend, between such football games). Heinz

Hi everyone if your time allows, you may start here, if not, please have a look at my questions further down. I am new to this board, but have read a lot of threats during the past weeks. Very helpful and competent knowledge from enthusiasted people who enjoy their hobby. BTW I have to appologize for my not so quite good English. I live in Cologne, Germany. My system includes Oracle Delphy turntable with SME, EAR 864 pre and Mac 2102 amp. As I love vintage gear, I have restored Quad II Monos and leaks stereo 20. Speakers are currently Tannoy Canterbury alnico with the only change of one Mundorf silver cap in series to the tweeter. Mundorf is based here in Cologne for my convenience buying and trying his products. Sometimes I use my old Quad ESL 57, it depends on the music and the mood. I do not change the speakers every week. They will play ca. one year or so an then I come back to another pair of my collection if required. The trick: I do not consume for new stuff as my speakers represent different approaches between the "you are there" and "they are here" range of representation of music. And the chose of speaker also determes what I like to listen to. BUT NOW: Klipsch also counts for me to this very original and genuine inventions in his own right. And my relation to Klipsch is a very emotional one in a similar way, described on this board by a lot of others (experience in youth, beeing overwhelming impressed etc.) I have bought LaScalas 6 Years ago. They are built in 1977, with original signature on the wood under the crossover positioning, from the person who builts them. They have K55V (p) with K400 squaker and round alnico T35a. They have been about 2 years my favorized speaker system. Then I wanted to "upgrade" them and bought some parts like solen inductors etc. TBH, I was irritated and after a while disappointed about the result. Harsh in the mids, without good stereo imaging, AND with a lost of there great charme and emotional level. They went stored since 4 years now. Now I know, I did things wrong, i.e. to use solid core inductors for the midrange network (Yes AL K, I have read a lot (and probably learned some) of your writing on your page. I don´t want to waste your folks time with questions allready have been treated here. But may be, that some topics are enriched with more of your experience over the time to deliver an actual status quo. Next weekend is the great moment, I will put my LaSalas together again. They have been stripped of because of seriosly necessery refinishing, to let them show again there wonderfully raw birtch finish. Some stupid preowner had tried to "match" them with his mahogany board. Now, cause everything is in parts, it offers the chance to rebuilt everything very carfully. My Questions: K400: After reading here I can not make a decision for or against treating the ringing. May be I must try both alternatives to match my own taste. Just as a hypothesis I would like to consider, that the add of damping material could cause some time smere due to store some musical information? That would explain, why some of you have the experience of a more dead sound with damping and some others point out a slightly more vivid character without. Otherwise the output level of a horn is sigificantly higher in correlation to ringing or other sort of resonnance compared with conventional speaker cabinets. So the influence should be relatively small. Your updated opinion regarding this issue? Internal Wiring: long discussed over here. My question goes the other way round: I already have some spare meters of not to expensive Kimber TC4 and Nordost flatline. Some experiences? Or should I take normal gauge nevertheless? Crossover: No questions as I have received ALK universals yesterday. May be some of you will say, thats bought without listening experience, but I must start at a point and all I have seen has convinced me to do so. (on the level of feedback here on the board as well as on the theoretical level how this Xover is designed to show real flat impendance to the speakers). Thanks a lot for any reply on wiring and K400. Heinz