Islander

Thanks for clarifying that, fritz. Anything that can lower the noise floor has to be an improvement. I haven't had the chance to listen to any high-end cables (well, to listen to a system that includes such cables, I mean). Sounds like it's a whole different sort of item. So far, I've just noticed improvements in my system by going to bigger cables, but they're neither expensive nor exotic. The Knukonceptz Karma Kables (8 gauge twisted pair) give pleasing clarity, improved dynamics and fuller bass response and only cost $1.65 a foot, well within my budget. The megabuck cables will have to wait. In your experience, do the exotic cables require matching to each system? What I mean is, can you just assume a respected brand will improve your system, or do you have to try a few "flavours" to see which one matches best? For instance, I've read stuff like "Don't use brand Y cable with brand Z amps or the sound will be too bright, dull, whatever..." Almost forgot, what about those late-model speakers and supertweeters that claim to have treble response up past 40kHz? Wouldn't some of those cables wipe that right out?

Resistance is measured in ohms (or more likely, small parts of ohms) per foot, so the short lengths in the crossover have less effect than the much longer cables from the amp to the speakers. I don't think electrons back up like a traffic jam when they come to a smaller cable or connection. Even so, I did replace the factory 16 gauge cabinet-entry-to-crossover lead-in cables in my speakers with 12 gauge. It was only 10 inches, but why not minimize bottlenecks if it's easy to? Another point is that the various cables inside the speaker are each carrying only part of the power (to the tweeter only, the woofer only, etc.), while the cables from the amp to the speaker are carrying all the power, so it's logical for them to be larger.

I have been in Law Enforcement for 27 years in the same county and I can tell you that Col. Grossman's statement holds true for much of the population. Not only individuals but families fail to learn from their mistakes. I am seeing third generation members of a lot families I dealt with as a rookie patrolman. There are three adult girls currently in our jail that I placed into protective custody over 20 years ago. Don't get me started on CPS, Childrens "Protective" Services! Anyway, they are in for the same thing their parents came to jail for, welfare fraud, dope, theft etc. The recidivism rate is astounding, especially in those who may not be "wired" correctly in the first place such as habitual child molestors. If they did it yesterday, chances are they will do it tomorrow. I am certainly not saying this applies to all but we are creatures of habit. Everyday I get up, turn on the coffee, read the newspaper, go to work etc. etc.etc. Sometimes I think it's a cultural thing, local to a neighbourhood, in that if your family, friends and neighbours don't think crime is wrong, you probably won't, either. "Why don't the cops leave us alone? All we did was (fill in the crime). What's their problem?" Some of these folks never learn proper values, nor even that they're responsible for their actions. When I talk to IV drug users as I evict them from our parking lot, asking them why they do what they do, they'll ask, "You think I choose to live this way?" Their life is not what they do, it's what happens to them. I don't understand that thinking at all. It's very sad to see these people ruining their lives, as well as doing crimes to pay for it.

That's really cool! Thanks.

Nice setup, but what are those Scala cabinets doing? Are they bass traps or something? [*-)]

Try the 12V trigger first. If it doesn't add any noise, that may be all you need. Switching on and off can shorten the amp's life, but leaving it on all the time can, too. Heat is a determinant in the service life of electronics. An added benefit of using high-sensitivity speakers is that the amp uses less power and runs cooler. When I switched to Klipsch speakers, the amp was noticeably cooler to the touch, which should be a good thing. Of course, that wouldn't apply with a Class A amp. With my system, I turn it on when I first want to listen, and leave it on until bedtime. If on and off once a day is too much, it's not a practical amp.

La Scalas have good bass, it just doesn't go all that deep. Although it has a 15 inch woofer, the size and shape of the bass horn has a very large effect on the sound. To get really deep bass, you'd need a really big horn, much larger than the Scala horn. The Klipschorn gets its deep bass by using the room's walls as part of its bass horn, which is why Klipschorns absolutely have to be in the corner, with no gaps between the wall and the speaker. Many La Scala users, including myself, add a subwoofer to fill in the bottom end, since the Scala doesn't go much below 50 Hz. The Scala/sub combo can give really good full-range sound. As Tom suggested, a different location is worth trying. Can you get them into the corners of the room? As for the tweeter, first check for loose or broken connections. If the tweeter is actually out of order, they are repairable, or you can upgrade to a pair of BEC's CT125 units, which do sound quite a bit better. Replacing those old caps is a good idea. The bass will be unchanged, but the midrange clarity will be improved. Have you tried the speakers with a more powerful amp? Your amp may be very clear and La Scalas have very high sensitivity, but it takes a certain amount of power to get solid bass, and 1 watt doesn't allow much headroom. Do you have an amp with 5 watts or more that you could try?

Your new speakers may take a week or more to sound their best, but they should not sound bad. Your room is not too small, but you may have to experiment with speaker placement. The first place that seems logical or convenient is not always the best-sounding spot. Are your main speakers on the long wall or the short wall? I don't have any experience with your models, but Heritage speakers generally sound best on the long wall. Also, how is the sound of your room itself? If you clap your hands, do you get an echo? If someone is on the other side of the room, can you hear him clearly? The extreme cases would be bare floors and no furniture, or completely filled with stuff. Either way, the sound wouldn't be good, too echo-ey or too muffled. The dealer's showroom may have been set up to sound good, if it wasn't one of those warehouse shops. As well, is your receiver set up? If it has one of those impedance switches on the back, set it to 8 ohms with whatever speakers you're using, or the bass will sound thin. Some surround programs may not suit certain CDs, so try the Straight or Effect Off setting. A modern AV receiver is pretty complex, plus you've got 5 speakers, is that right? Don't expect to get everything dialed in perfectly the first week. Relax and listen for a few more days, then try some adjustments. You may want to make notes about various receiver settings.

High 60s (18C) in Victoria. I'm wearing a sweater. It was much warmer for the last couple of weeks, though, nearing the 80s.

Moving my La Scalas from 5 1/2 feet apart to 11 1/2 feet apart really improved the imaging, soundstage and general sound. However, going from 8 1/2 feet away to 13 feet away diminished the punch a little bit. Adding a much more powerful amp solved that problem.

List price on La Scalas in 1974 was $525 each, so that 1989 base exchange price was a real bargain.

With all the debate about hearing protection, I never did answer the original question. Depending on my mood and on the music, it's usually around 80-90 dB at the listening position (perhaps 100 dB momentarily during movie explosions and such), but sometimes as low as 60 dB late at night, maybe listening to Sigur Ros or something like that. Today, while the music was playing at 85 dB (90 dB 1 meter from the speakers) in the living room, I went out to the apartment hallway and listened at my closed door. I was pleased to notice that I couldn't hear anything out there. No-one could even tell I was home. Putting lots of weatherstrip around the door and a triple-row door sweep under it has benefits other than getting rid of drafts. Replacing all the window weatherstrips also lowered the noise floor in the living room.

Now that is brutal!!! People like that make you want to be a hermit. At least he paid you back. I wouldn't like to have seen your face if he'd said, "Piss off, ya whiner!"

I'm getting very good sound with a Paradigm PW-2100 and a pair of La Scalas. The 2100 has 400 watts RMS (1500 watts peak) driving a 10 inch speaker. The level knob is only at the 10 o'clock position and it blends really well with the La Scalas, both for music and movies. The bass sounds natural and it shakes the room just fine when needed. This model has a reputation for clean sound and reliable operation. I think the US price for a new one is around $750.

Nice, but does he have it in your size? []

I agree. He might really like a pair of Fortes and they seem to show up fairly often.

If you have the budget and the room, go Heritage. It will really take your listening and enjoyment to the next level and you may be set for years.

I haven't seen Hot Fuzz yet, but I plan to soon. Shaun of the Dead was hilarious! And then there's Reno 911! Miami...

Integrated audio furniture? There's a concept! Heresies for footrests?

Every year is getting better. Don't count the years, count what you did with them. And some days, just being by yourself counts as doing something...

I suspect it might be the pair he's standing beside in his avatar...

I started wearing earplugs when riding my motorbike because the wind noise was fatiguing after a long ride. I wish I'd started sooner. At concerts, I started wearing earplugs when I realized it was so loud that my overloaded ears were distorting the sound. Sooner would have been good there, too. It's hard to convince young people of the need for hearing protection because it takes years for the damage to become permanent. However, hearing loss with age is not inevitable, it's the result of accumulated damage. In industrial society, we take it for granted, but there are primitive societies living in jungles today that have never heard any loud noises other than maybe thunder. Their old folks have the hearing of our youths. Loud music can be really good. I've listened to lots of it. Just remember your ears are more sensitive than they appear and take care of them accordingly. BTW, Pete Townshend is nearly deaf and so are quite a few other musicians.

Really? Well, I should have mentioned that the phase can last for decades...

Well, some bands play really good music, but they play it really loud. If you get stuck near the speakers, you should protect your hearing. In an arena situation, the music will be pretty loud in some places and really loud in others. As well, most people go through a phase where they like the music to hit them in the chest. They like roller coasters, too. Eventually, they find that entertainment doesn't have to be extreme to be good. Hopefull, they still have some hearing left by then.