scalawag

For your reference, my stands are 3" wide at the base. If I tilt the driver/lens backward (front of "leg" in the air) beyond 5/8" then tip-over occurs; tilting forward tipover doesn't happen until approx 1-1/4" of air space between back of leg and top of 'Scala. With moderate shaking of the speaker I found that the driver tended to slide rather than topple over due to the glass toppers on my 'Scalas, thereby offering a bit more prevention against tipovers. I recognize that this setup is not without some limitations and valid concerns, particularly if you host a lot of social events or have young children in the home, but in my case it will suffice for the moment, perhaps even longer. Thanks for asking, and I very much enjoy viewing/listening to your handiwork. ~

I wanted the HF driver to "float" above the 'Scala and chose to cut up left/right supports out of some scrap wood I had. Though lacking much compared to the design and craftsmanship of Dave's lenses, these will serve their purpose for the time being. ~

Psvane was formed several years ago when part of the Shuguang R&D team split off to start their own tube development/production facility, so there should have been no confusion on the part of the seller in sending you the tubes that you ordered. Ordering from an int'l seller on an auction site can be a bit worriesome, to say the least, for all you have to go by are other buyer reviews and the seller's rating. Sorry to see in your case it has turned out quite unsatisfactory. Fortunately ebay/PayPal is helpful in situations like yours and very likely will side with you in getting the proper tubes shipped or your money back. I suppose I got lucky when I ordered my matched pair of Psvane Gold CV181-tii off ebay back in 2017, but for the price ($137/pair) I didn't think I had much to lose, and they are still working well in my SP-14 Pre. Really hope it all gets sorted out for you. ~

By coincidence, so are mine. It was a height I chose purely for aesthetics, no audio comparisons involved. However, I do have the tweeter driver aligned with the squawker driver. ~

I'm waiting for some small pieces of walnut stock to come in one or two days from now, after which I will trim to a size and shape similar to what I did for Dave's alum lenses and leave on display on top of the 'Scalas. ~

Amazing and impressive! Crossing my fingers that you'll consider crafting a "limited" production run of these.....

"Apologies to you know who you are for taking so long on this and your wait will soon be over." "Whether or not I will end up cutting these as limited offerings I don't know."

A review of the MC-13s posted in the "Wall Of Sound" website - MC-13s - two years ago includes this info: "The four line inputs, and six spade/banana speaker plugs are first rate, as are the volume control and input switch. There is no phono pre-amplifier fitted." The review also mentions that Yaqin offers the MS-12B as a companion preamp/phono stage for vinyl users. ~

Congrats, great choice! I have two "vintage" SL TTs that I still enjoy very much, and I'm confident your 1200G will be a keeper for the long-term as well. Happy listening! ~

Good comment, thanks. However, my 'Scalas are fitted with Fastrac horns using A-55G drivers and are shorter than the K-400 in total length. As such, I have the DE-120B HF drivers sitting fairly in alignment with the squawker drivers, though a bit outboard for experimental purposes.

Rec'd my pair just the other day. Design, fit, and workmanship are impressive. Temporarily mounted them to some acrylic triangles I cut up and set them on top of my 'Scalas for display ~ too nice to "hide" in the cabinet. Difference in sound between these and the B&C horn practically indistinguishable to me, but then my ears are several decades old and a few -db down in sensitivity, so your results will very likely be different. Even so, these are nice to look at and I will enjoy them for some time to come, or at least until the hardwood versions are issued! ~

The PM 2.1 sub I have has a port on the side....

R112SW has a front-facing slotted port; R12SW and R12SWi use rear-facing round ports. For more details go to Klipsch.com. ~

Sent in funds shortly after you posted instructions this morning - hope the 'Scalas arrive safely!

Replying with an update to my original post in April. Last week I ventured into the pursuit of "tube rolling" and acquired a matched set of the Psvane CV181-Tii Premium tubes. These are a newer and "improved" version of the Shuguang Black Treasure tubes that have received very favorable reviews recently from tube rollers, and even VTA's Bob M himself. The Psvane group is an interesting story which I won't get into here, but you can easily read up on them by doing a search. My SP14 Pre performed quite admirably with the supplied Tungsol 6SN7GTB tubes (top pic), yielding a slighly warmer sound signature than the Carver Pre I had been using. But having been made aware of the Psvane CV181 tubes I couldn't resist the temptation of trying them in my setup. Roy at VTA suggested just going with a pair in the driver stage, which made the change-over much more wallet-friendly. The Psvane tubes plugged right into the sockets without difficulty (bottom pic), but because they are wider there is very little air space between them, potentially causing them to run hotter over time. And these grey bottle tubes are also taller, so that the SP14 cover no longer fits properly - I will have to make cutouts for clearance. With about 50 hrs of listening time so far, the Psvane tubes seem to impart a slightly smoother sound over the Tungsols with no loss of detail or dynamics - not dramatic by any stretch of the imagination but evident nevertheless IMO. With more hours to break in the tubes I can only expect a better listening experience - all is good. Thanks for reading - happy listening and Happy Holidays!

No, I keep the amps set in A/B operation. My ears aren't sensitive enough to distinguish the claimed difference in audio quality between class A and A/B (consider yourself fortunate if you can!), but I can certainly feel the higher temps when run in A mode. With the SP14 running tubes I like to keep the surrounding electronics as cool as possible.

Sorry 'bout that - I lined up the "markers" for photo purposes only. In normal operation the knobs are closer to the 9:00 position.

I'm happy with the VTA SP14 signaling vintage Yam CA-2010 (La Scala fronts) and CA-1000 (RP-250F rears).

Hey Schu, This is a tricky question to answer, as my ears are well past their prime and what I hear or don't hear anymore may be significantly different than what you or anyone else can hear. With that qualifier stated, I find the SP14 to be no more "noisier" than either of my Yamaha Int Amps. Late at night when all is quiet inside as well as outside the home, with all components on but no music playing, I can hear "white noise" if I bend down and put my ears within 20 inches of the 'Scala squawkers. Beyond that distance, and certainly where my listening position is ( typically 12'-15' away), I hear none of that. The result is essentially no annoying/unwanted interference during softer musical passages or between tracks. So as far as I'm concerned, I would grade the SP14 as having a low "noise floor." But again, YMMV. Hope that helps.

Hey, Schu! Thanks for mentioning the Parks Audio unit as it certainly falls within my budget and warrants looking into! As far as previous phono stages go, I've only had the Yam CA-1000 and CA-2010 and found both to be adequate if a tad "clinical." The Carver C-4000 Pre phono stage is more open and easier to listen to over sustained periods than either Yam, but has recently become redundant with the insertion of the SP14, hence my search for an add-on phono pre.

I thought to include that info in my original post, but supposed that many folks on this forum were already aware or would investigate this component on their own depending on interest level. I acquired this SP14 fully recognizing the "pros and cons" and don't regret the choice one bit. Plus, now I have an "excuse" to search out a dedicated phono pre to add to my system. Any recommendations, any one?

Have been curious for a long time regarding the use of tubed components in my 2 channel system, specifically in the preamp stage, and this Forum has been very helpful to me in weighing the pros and cons of moving in that direction. Well, a week ago I could resist the urge no longer and finally took the plunge and ordered a "plug-n-play" VTA SP14 (Tubes4Hifi). The unit arrived just two nights ago, intact with not a scratch due to the careful packaging of the component. I find the SP14 appealing with its understated silver exterior appearance and its precise and tidy fabrication of the interior. I've only logged in about 12 hrs of listening time with the SP14 controlling my two Yamaha Int Amps, but for the moment what I'm hearing is quite good. I can't express it in bonafide audiophile terms, but it seems as if the sounds coming from the La Scala fronts and the RP250 rears have grown wider and taller, larger but not necessarily louder, somewhat similar to the effect I receive whenever I engage the holographic stage of the trusty Carver C-4000 pre I have been using for some time. I also find that the SP14 slightly surpasses the Carver in its ability to present more details in its audio presentation, particularly when the Carver is in holographic mode. Though the Carver has always sounded good to me, to my ears the SP14 transmits the upper freq signals a tad more cleanly with no harshness and the low freq signals with a bit more oomph and no muddiness relative to the Carver. Overall, I am quite pleased with the addition of the SP14 to my home set-up, and look forward to even more listening pleasure as the tubes (4 Tungsol 6SN7GTB) continue to "break in." Speaking of tubes, I have read the very favorable reviews regarding the Shuguang Treasure Series CV-181Z/6SN7 tubes as mentioned by member Schu in another thread, and I'm tempted to plunge even further into this tube madness. Thanks for reading - happy listening!

You've got my admiration and respect! The Z1-R was a bike I lusted after, but it came and went before I had the means to acquire one. But in '82 I did manage to find and purchase a "wannabe" KZ1000 with the 1/4 fairing attached. That bike was thoroughly enjoyable, and would instantly give you quite a rush with a mere twist of the throttle. I kept mine for eight years, then decided I needed to slow life down a tad and got my first Harley. Here's me and my sig-other riding that black beauty:

Separates allow for more eye candy......

E-5 grunt working the jungles of 'Nam, '70-'71. Carry weapon was an "over/under" M-16 with attached 40mm g-launcher, aka M-203. HDBR: might interest you to know that from time to time we met up with friendlies from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand who came into the country to help the cause - might even have been a British serviceman or two mixed in with them. Nowadays I have more leisurely pursuits. If not listening to my 'Scalas I sometimes jump on the Harley and hit the road.