Don Richard

The only reason I can think of for a cable to be directional is if it is telescopically shielded. If that is so, the end that has the shield hooked up should be connected to the source. Unless, of course, you get less noise hooking it up the other way[]

I saw on Bob Crites website that he offers crossovers and upgrades to factory crossovers. There is a DIY mod listed there that may be what you are looking for. ALK also has improved crossovers available. Both of these guys have a good reputation around here. Don

I'm not sure that a simple active xover will make any difference on a corner horn. Bi-amping is generally used to increase the output of a loudspeaker or to match the efficiencies of a subwoofer and a top box. Khorns have enormous output capability even with 25 watt amplifiers, and don't require subs. A loudspeaker processor such as the Behringer DCX2496, however, has delays available on each output that can be used to "time align" the bass horn to the midrange horn. Due to the folding of the bass horn the sound has about 3.5 feet further to travel than the sound from the midrange. This path length difference causes audible effects that can be corrected by delaying the midrange an appropriate amount, about 3.2 milliseconds. The results of correcting the arrival times results in a subtle improvement with some types of music, no difference with others. Setup and alignment is tricky and requires, at minimum, a sound pressure meter and an audio signal generator. If you like to tweak, go for it. Don

Look here: www.moultonlabs.com/more/design_considerations_for_an_idealized There is a lot of info here, some of it will apply to your problem. Don

I have been noticing a similar phenomenon where my system sounds better earlier in the day than it does at night. No problem with the equipment in my case, but I have found that my ears are better in the A.M. It appears that exposure to "normal noise" throughout the day shifts the hearing threshold and that is what's happening. Lately I've been wearing earplugs during the day and find that to be very helpful. By "normal noise" I mean less than 80 dBa peaks less than 4 hours/day. Not much SPL, but exposure is cumulative. Don

Are there output differences between the round magnet K-77s and the square magnet ones? When I replaced round with square there was significantly more output (type AA xover). Or is this the output variation described previously between T-35s? Don

I don't know if this has been posted here or not, but this company has a number of improvements for this product. Some of these upgrades seem as though they would be good for home use: http://www.selectronic.fr/dcx2496_US.asp Don

I'm using 2 XTIs powering the top ends on modified Khorns with an XLS Crown on bass fed by an analog xover triamped. The DSP in the XTIs are being used for time-alignment delay, along with limiters for driver protection. There is low level hiss present in the HF horns that is inaudible at the listening position. I like what I am hearing from the system set up this way. I guess the only knock I can put on this amp is that the DSP seems to be a work in progress - the two XTIs I own have different versions of firmware, despite being purchased 1 month apart. I downloaded a firmware update 3 weeks ago, and 2 days after I did so, there was another, newer firmware release on their website. Oh, well. Don

I'm using a DBX231 graphic, or maybe I should say I have one hooked to the system. A few of the sliders are +/- 3 dB or so, the difference is slight. Kind of like waxing a car. It doesn't change the shape of the car, just shines it a bit.

I couldn't put my hands on my copy of the Dope From Hope that described this test, but I found a limited description in "High End Audio", a book by Robert Harley. The demo happened in 1948, and the amplifiers were 5 watt tube amps. No other details. Don

Interesting... I'll admit that when I read your above comment (and the associated CD's with it) the first thought through my head was... "well, aren't the 'audiophile' (with the fancy words & descriptions) doing the same thing? Perhaps not... but that's kind of my take on it. Meaning... take those same CD's and put it through the two speaker brands mentioned in the beginning.... which one is now the reference standard for those same CD's? I wonder if the reference standard can change depending on which CD is in... then how can it really be the reference standard? Another take is, how can Coke and Diet Sprite be a reference standard of the same catagory? Furthermore...regarding the comments about leathery wine & such... I'm not a wine person, but it seems to me that each sip of wine is of itself, an 'original' experience. We however, are talking about a reproduction of an event so in the case of wine... each sip is "reality" but reality in the recorded world is what happened when the note was first made, no? I realize that if made in the studio, you then have additional influences of all the gyrations the signal might go through from string pluck to mixer board etc.. then to CD or LP creation. Richard--- Now you are getting there. The "musical reality" was a guy playing his violin in some 3D space and the listener who heard it at that moment. Whatever happens AFTER that such as using mics to convert pressure to electricity and storing it for later processing and then on to a disc, is NOT THE MUSIC. What is on that disc has never been heard as a musical event - - only an electrical event later on in the mixing room. And unless you have that room, with those speakers and gear, you will not hear what the mixer put on that CD - period. And whatever IS on that disc, is NOT the 3D reality of the guy bowing his violin in a space. Where does that leave you? We should all remember the famous demonstration when Paul Klipsch had Khorns behind the curtain with a symphony orchestra in front. When the musicians put down their instruments in the middle of the performance, walked away, and the curtain was raised revealing the sound source the people were astonished. Thats good enough for me! Don

SWL - you are correct. Power amps with the same or similar specs can sound completely different. I used a Crown XLS-402 full range, and it sounded good. Then I got an XTI-1000 (same power, close specs) and it sounded much better. I feel that the way negative feedback is implemented within power amplifier circuits has a lot to do with the way an amp sounds. So did Paul Klipsch, as described in an old Dope From Hope newsletter in the 70's. BTW, whatever happened to The Dope From Hope? Are these archived anywhere on this website? Don

Thanks for the info. I was hoping that an accurate replacement would be available, but I couldn,t find one that was suitable. I'll check with BEC, thanks again!

I have a pair of '70s era K-33 woofers (square magnets) with severe cone damage. Can these be reconed?