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J M O N

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Posts posted by J M O N

  1. On 2/7/2019 at 2:48 PM, Delicious2 said:

    Oddly, it took a hunt for Khorn upgrades after I finally got my 1990 pair and a return to Waterville and Greg's shop to hear a more valid variation on the cupped hands demo.  Greg held a K400 horn up to his mouth and spoke through it then held up his tractrix aftermarket horn which seemed to have much less coloration.  I didn't bite on Greg's upgrade but later got Dave's Eliptrac horns.  A nice upgrade from the K400.

    I'd guess that demo went something like this:

     

     

    • Like 2
  2. On 1/28/2019 at 3:31 AM, Woofers and Tweeters said:

    It is sad when speakers are parted out and gone, rather than restored. Many times have we seen cabinets needing rescued. 

    I was thinking the same thing.  It would be a shame to see great Klipsch speakers disappear. It's almost like bringing a classic car back to life.   Although the main difference is that most of these great Klipsch speakers are still being produced.  That's not true with classic cars, although some of the new cars are attempting to have the same retro look as those classics.

    • Like 1
  3. On 1/28/2019 at 3:38 PM, Zen Traveler said:

    Too bad. Aubrey, TX is across the street from us and it would be interesting to see his speakers and workshop. I also agree that the exotic finishes look more 'retro' than I would like but older dudes may have that kind of taste and money....Again, nice work and wish I were that much of a craftsman.  

    If you're close by I don't see why you can't stop by and see their shop an inventory.  I'd bet they wouldn't mind.  I actually just had a thought about letting them know about the Lone Star Audio Fest. Maybe they'll sign up and display their goods.  There would be plenty of more expensive speakers there.

    • Like 1
  4. 5 hours ago, Sam S. said:

    Thing that looks off to me is the Forte III badges on what is likely (or is it?) Forte II's. Seems like a bit of false advertising.

    Yeah, I noticed that too.  I wondered where they got it from.  Maybe it came from Klipsch (since they do have the speakers in their possession).  They do advertise the speakers as Forte IIs, so no false advertising.

  5. 16 hours ago, Schu said:

    I commend the effort and think some form of refinish is a great idea for many of these masterpieces (belle, la Scala, klipschorn) It's difficult to see the quality of restoration over the internet, but it looks as though they are accomplished.

     

    That being said, to me there is something that looks off to me... I think it's probably the choice of veneers and basic design choices as being to grandiose and not really cohesive with the product. Volti basically did a similar thing years back and his offerings were EXTREMELY nice and attractive.

    I agree, most of the veneers I've seen I haven't been that fond of but I have also seen some nice ones (e.g., that Zebrawood KLF-20).  I am also not a fan of those metal feet.  I think I'd prefer the stock risers.  However, the bases they made for the KLF-20 is an improvement in my opinion.  I think the best option is to allow the customer to pick the veneer/finish and I'd bet they would offer that option if they were approached.

     

    We have seen several want to buy ads here. For those looking, it might not hurt to give these guys a call.  Their website shows the following speakers currently in stock:

     

    HERESY

    HERESY II

    CORNWALL

    LA SCALA

    BELLE

    KLIPSCHORN

    FORTE

    FORTE II

    CHORUS II

    • Like 1
  6.  

    16 hours ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

    Like 👍

     

    I can see where people see the price as a too high, but are they? A lot of places have a huge markup (100% +) just to have it on a shelf and did nothing value added. $1200 for used Heresy sounds like heresy. How much do they spend / how much work goes into them / how much profit should they be allowed to keep the light on and sock some away for retirement?

     

    Speakers - 300 ish

    Veneer - 100 - 200 - 300 ish

    Xovers

    Grill cloth and wood

    other materials (paint, screws, lacquer, risers, glue and chit)

    Add in the labor of searching for the speakers, transportation, dismantle, installing xovers, whipping the cabinets into shape, making risers, new grills and book matching and applying the veneer isn't done with a rattle can. We know that the woodworking equipment isn't free and the ongoing perishables that the equipment uses and...

     

    I wish my Mahogany KLF30's faces were finished with Mahogany veneer. I like what this father and son is offering. They are doing great work, a lot of it and wish them success.   

     

    I hadn't considered the other "work" they do in terms of tracking down speakers, buying them, picking them up, etc.  But you are right, there is a lot of time involved in what it takes to turn out these restorations.  I'd be curious to know how much labor time is spent in doing the actual restorations.  I'd guess they could do it faster than most hobbyists here since this is their profession, but that doesn't mean they should charge less -- skill and expertise cost more and nobody works for free.  As I mentioned in the other post, I believe their prices are comparable to our forum friend that started a business of restoring Klipsch speakers.  The market will tell them if they are overpriced and my understanding is that they have been able to make sales.

     

    I think it is great that someone is doing this.  I don't believe our forum friend is doing restorations any longer now that his business has taken off.  It's nice to know that if you don't have the time, skills, or tools but want something of this quality, it is available.  And you don't even have to bring your own speakers.

    • Like 2
  7. So, this is a follow-on to a post I made earlier about a father and son team that restores Klipsch speakers (among others) and advertises on the local Craigslist and also on USA Audio Mart.  If you have a request for a specific speaker and would like to order a special finish, I'm sure they could oblige as I was told they have many speakers in inventory waiting to be restored.

     

    I have no affiliation other that I have met them in person.

     

    http://klipschrestorations.com/

     

    Klipsch-Restorations-Header.jpg

     

    2121233-klipsch-klf-20.jpg

    • Like 4
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  8. So I should add that while I have no affiliation with the sellers, I have met them.  They bought a set of speakers from me a few months back.  As has been mentioned before, they are a nice father and son team that has turned their experience as long-time cabinet-builders into a hobby of refurbishing Klipsch speakers.  They do work on other brands such as JBL and Altec, but Klipsch is their favorite.  Now, they don't just refurbish the cosmetics, they also replace drivers and crossovers when needed and use Bob Crites for those components.

     

    As far as pricing goes, from what I remember, they seem comparable to the prices charged by a forum member here that used to do similar work.  He seemed to have made enough money to start his own speaker company.  However, they do not modify the speakers, they refurbish them to what they were like when new.

     

    Here is the kicker -- I was told they had 50 Klipschorns in their current inventory (among other speakers).  They have Klipsch speakers scattered throughout the house.  So, I would think, if you wanted a certain speaker in a veneer and finish of your choosing, I'm sure they could accommodate your request.  Maybe I'll start a new post to highlight this "alert."

     

    By the way, they are not forum members.  When I met them I mentioned the forum to them and they told me they had not joined as they had heard from others that the members here were only interested in buying "Ferraris at Pinto prices."  😉  I told them there were thousands and thousands of forum members from across the world and despite what they were told there is a market for their work.

  9. On 1/12/2019 at 11:02 PM, Ceptorman said:

    He kept fighting with the LA defensive back, even after the game. Just seemed like a poor loser.

    You probably don't know the history of these players.  First, Amari Cooper played for the Raiders and previously played both Aqib Talib (former Bronco) and Marcus Peters (former Chief) twice a year.  Those teams of course have been bitter rivals for decades.  Aqib Talib has been a great player, but he does have some personality issues.  He's gotten into fights with teammates and once even shot himself.  Go look into the fights he used to start with Michael Crabtree, who once was  teammate of Cooper. Talib's had plenty of off-the-field problems which includes legal troubles, not to mention his behavior on-the-field (check his Wikipedia page).  Despite his talents, Tampa Bay, New England, and Denver all let him leave.  By the way, he's the same player that dropped the F-bomb on live TV tonight if you saw the end of the game.  Peters might not be that much better having been kicked off his college team.  So when you see the post-game fights between Cooper and Talib/Peters do consider the history and don't forget that Peters is the one who started things with Cooper during the game, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for starting a fight.  Of course I am a Cowboys fan, but what I have seen so far from Cooper I do like -- he seems to be of high character and is loved by his teammates.  Around here, the media has noticed that he is not the typical "diva" that seems to be common among high-profile wide-receivers (see Terrell Owens, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., etc.).  They actually say he is quiet.  While Cooper isn't the type to start fights, apparently he also isn't one to back down from one either.

  10. 9 hours ago, dtel said:

    It's better than other names, like the Cowpies, juvenile, yes but it can be funny. The NFL loves it, anything to get fans fired up about one of their franchises= more $ all the way around from fanatic fans. 

    Yeah, it can be fun.  The problems tend to come when those throwing mud can't take it when it comes back to them which I've found to be common.  As long as it's just fun and games and nobody takes it seriously then it's fine.  I do think it's more fun when people are creative though.  "Cowgirls" and even "Cowpies" are so old and unimaginative that there is no humor value there.  Be creative when making fun of my team and I will still laugh.  If you want to have some fun at the Cowboys expense, or more specifically Jerry Jones, go do a Google search for "Fake Jerry Jones."  This is a skit that one of the local sport radio shows does and some of them are pretty hilarious.

  11. Yes, I'm obviously a Cowboys fan.  But even with that, I don't like seeing bad calls even when it benefits my team.  The referees are human and mistakes are going to be made.  The NFL game is so fast that it's actually amazing that they don't miss more calls than they do.  It's easier for us to see the errors on replay and slow-motion.  As long as the missed calls aren't one-sided, they usually offset each other.  If missed calls don't determine the outcome of a game, I can live with them even if that means my team loses.  An unearned victory is not very satisfying.

  12. 16 hours ago, Marvel said:

    These may have been the pinnacle of Mark's creations. Would have loved to have heard a pair of them, they are beautiful amps.

    You just might be right!  These amps don't get mentioned much anymore.  I think it is primarily because there were very few made.  But make no mistake, these are some of the best amplifiers out there.  I have a pair and they may be the best sounding amps I've ever owned.  I've actually thought to myself in the past, if my house caught on fire, what would be the list of things I'd try to take with me and these amps made that short list.  However, I've had to rethink that because they are not easily carried and are not close to an exit door.

     

    I can't remember the exact power output, but it is either 20 or 25 WPC -- way more than enough power to run our efficient speakers.  pCAT stands for Pure Class-A Triode.  When Mark designed these amps, the goal was to have a mid-range that would match SET but with a bit more power. Having owned SET amps, I think his goal was met.  I recall several years ago several forum members gathered somewhere in the Bay Area to compare amplifiers.  The consensus seemed to be that the best sounding amps were a close call between the pCATs and Welborne Labs Moondogs (3.5 wpc SET).  Those results should be posted somewhere on this forum.

     

    I would be buying these amps if I didn't already have a pair and let me say that I haven't completely ruled that out but I do need to resist the temptation.  Whoever buys these amps is going to be very, very happy.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  13. Yes, there were some missed calls in the Cowboys/Saints game, but it wasn't one-sided.  In fact, from my seat the calls seemed to favor the Saints.  Cowboys had 8 penalties called against them and Saints had 5.  While the Cole Beasley play and Jaylon Smith hit to the head were missed calls, don't forget the missed calls that favored the Saints (such as the non-call on the pass interference on the Saints touchdown, the non-call on the facemask on Dak Prescott, and the very questionable offsides call on Randy Gregory that negated a sack/fumble that was recovered by Dallas).  This seems to have been the theme of this season.  A few weeks ago against Philadelphia, the Eagles had zero penalties called against them -- Dallas won anyway.

     

    Bottom line -- Dallas played better than the Saints and the game really wasn't as close as the score indicated.  If you watch the game and are objective, you'll come to that same conclusion.  I wasn't surprised that Dallas won but it was surprising that the Dallas defense was able to dominate like they did.

     

    I once sat near a Houston media member back when the Cowboys were winning Super Bowls in the 1990s and he started talking about the Cowboys next game, which happened to be a home game.  He then incredulously questioned why the Cowboys always seemed to be playing at home.  Every NFL team plays the same number of home and away games -- he should've known that.

     

    And can we stop using the term "Cowgirls" -- it's not very creative and quite frankly is juvenile.

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