Tarheel TJ

3rd pic, for reference:

2nd pic:

I was checking the crossovers from my new La Scalas that I bought off of craigslist and I had a few questions that I thought some of you might be able to answer for me. First, what is the item circled in red in this first picture. It is on the schematic, so I assume it is suposed to be there, but I just don't recognize it. http://tarheeltj.shutterfly.com/pictures/11 Second, I discovered a 7.5 ohm resistor wired across the tweeter leads. This is not on the schematic, so I am assuming it was added by the previous owner. The PO had removed the k77s and replaced them with piezo tweeters (the horror!). I'm guessing he added this resistor when he did that "mod." I have a pair of Crites tweeters that I want to use with these speakers, so I'm guessing I need to remove this resistor, correct? http://tarheeltj.shutterfly.com/pictures/11#9 Third, are there any recomended mods for these crossovers? I plan on re-capping them in the near future, and I've also thought of trying the 4500hz mod, since I will have the Crites tweeters in place. Anything else I should take care of while I am working on them? http://tarheeltj.shutterfly.com/pictures/11#10 Thanks, everybody!

It turns out you guys hit the nail on the head! The speakers were pretty rough. The K-77's were nowhere to be found, and in their place were 3 el cheapo piezo tweeters. The K-55's and K400's were all there, as were a pair of K-43s (I guess that means they are in fact industrials). The cabinets themselves were pretty rough as well, but they seem to be salvagable. The crossovers (AL-3), also appear to have been kludged-up quite a bit, but all of the major components seem to be there. I haven't had the opportunity yet to sit down and check them against a schematic yet. I paid the guy $300 for them. Perhaps I paid too much, but I really wanted a pair of La Scalas, and I doubt I'm ever going to find another pair for this cheap. I don't mind having a long-term project; in fact, projects are one of the reasons I like this hobby. My plan is to rebuild the crossovers, replace the k-77s (I have a pair sitting on the shelf), and eventually go to some sort of tractrix midrange horn (looking at the v-trac). I'm going to sand down the cabs, and probably have them veneered along with my Heresies that I am in the process of finishing now. I'll be sure to post up when I get them done! Thanks to everyone for the information and advice!

Well, I'm going to take a look at them this evening. I'll report back here when I return. I think I'm going to offer $200 and see where I get. The hacked-up cabinets do not bother me too much, as I plan on adding a V-trac or Elliptrac midrange horn at some point (which requires cutting up the cabinets). My main concern is that all of the correct drivers and crossover components are there. I planned on buying a set of 'scalas in the future anyway, but it would take me a while to save up the $1000 that they normally go for. If I can get these for a decent price, I can make a project out of re-finishing them and won't have to cut up a nice pair to add aftermarket midrange...sounds like a good deal to me. All I have to do now is get them for a decent price.

I'm going to take a look at them this week. I'll check the tag on the back. Ive never owned a pair of La Scalas before; don't you check the mid/high drivers from the back and the woofer from an access hatch on the bottom? If all the parts are there, I think I'll buy them. They look a bit rough, but I don't see why they can't be rehabbed into a great looking and sounding speaker. Anyone care to take a shot at giving me a fair market value?

Found these on the local Craigslist. Can someone tell me what I'm looking at here? They appear to be pro La Scalas to me, but what is going on with the three tweeters across the top? Or are those even tweeters? Lastly, what are they worth? Thanks in advance.

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses. It sounds like the horns might be best left like they are. The speakers have new caps, Crites tweeters, reinforced cabinets, rope caulk on the horns, sealed backs, a bit of polyfill (not too much) and new binding posts. In other words, I've done all of the "standard" mods that are recommended on this forum. I am still experiencing a bit of harshness in the upper midrange (lower treble?) though. I thought that addressing the diffraction or reflection might help to smooth out some of these issues, but I could be off base with that assumption. Perhaps I should have framed my original question by describing the symptoms rather than assuming a solution. The speakers just sound a bit "hot" on sounds like high electic guitar notes, the upper end of female vocals, violin notes etc. I'm guessing that these sounds would fall in the 2-6khz range? Is there a mod to address this issue?

Hi all, Been reading this site for years, haven't posted much though. I have a question about my '78 Heresy I's. I know that one of the changes made for the Heresy II's was to front-mount the mid and high horns so that they don't have to fire through the 3/4" baffle. It seems to me that this would reduce the diffraction quite a bit and may very well "clean up" the sound of the mids/highs. Has anyone tried to front-mount the horns on a Heresy I? Could you simple unscrew them from the rear of the motor board and drill screw holes in the front of the motor board? Seems like it would be a pretty simple mod that might yield some noticeable improvements. I just thought I'd ask here before I go drilling holes in my speakers. Thanks, Lee

Thanks to all for the suggestions. At this point, I am leaning towards the quicksilvers. They seem to offer everything I am looking for, and they are within my price range. I still can't seem to get my mind off of those Transcendents though. I'm going to keep my eye on Audiogon, and we'll see how things go. I'll be sure to post up when I make a purchase. BTW, I am in the process of attempting to get my forum handle changed to avoid confusion with forum member "Tarheel". I'll try to post up when the change occurs just to let everyone know.

Thanks to all for the responses and advice. I don't think 2 watts will be enough for my listening needs, but I have discovered some new options and would love to get yall's opinions. I think I have narrowed the selection down to four options (unless anyone has any more suggestions) in no particular order: 1. A restored Dynaco ST70 or a new kit. Price $250-$750 Advantages: That "classic sound", legendary components & designer, affordability, power, 6bq5 output tubes Disadvantages: Unknown origin/age/condition requires full restoration, that "classic sound"?, not as resolving as a newer amp??? 2. A Glow Audio Amp One Price ~ $550 Advantages: Brand new, single-ended design, attractive, supposed to sound great, incredible value, 6bq5 output tubes Disadvantages: Made in China, Low power (though probably sufficient), integrated design, unnecessary LEDs under tubes (minor concern) 3. Quicksilver Mini-Mite Monoblocks ~ $1000/pair Advantages: Monoblocks, made in America, powerful, supposed to sound great Disadvantages: A little more expensive, ???? 4. Transcendent T-16 ~$1550 with tubes Advantages: OTL design, made in America, supposed to sound phenominal, Bruce's support for his products, they look great Disadvantages: At the very upper limit (really a bit beyond) of my budget, you have to put it together (minor concern) I would really love to get everyone's opinions on these amplifiers. My main question is what are the sonic differences between these. They are all very different designs so they should sound different. Which would be the best match for Heresys? Which are more likey to have high resolution and which are more likely to sacrifice resolution for warmth etc.? Any general impressions or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. At this point, I think I have narrowed the field down to a restored vintage amp of some sort (Eico, Dynaco, Scott or Heathkit, others?) or the transcendent. That is, unless you guys can convince me otherwise. I would still consider a good SET if I could find one at the right price (really wish the paramour II's were still available). I really like the vintage gear, but I am a little leery about buying something that old in unknown condition ( I am a hi-fi buff, not an electonics technician). Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for the advice. That makes a lot more sense now that you elaborated. I will take a look around for some of the bigger Heritage speakers, but I have just finished restoring my Heresys and I'm a bit attached to them. I probably would not sell them even if I get another pair. I was doing some searching on here and came across Bob Latino's site. He sells a Dynaco St-70 kit for $695. I've heard a lot about the old Dynacos but am not really interested in an amp restoration project (a bit over my head I think). This kit solves that problem though (this raises an interesting point, am I crazy to think that I can put together an amp kit but a restoration is too hard?). To those that have listened to a Klipsch/Dynaco combo; how would this compare to the Transcendent T-16? I know the T-16 is a bit overkill for the Heresys, but at least I could upgrade speakers in the future and still have a worthy amp. Ideas?

I appreciate your advice PrestonTom, but the problem is I need an amplifier. My AMC is dead, so if I invested in new speakers, they would have to be powered by a $100 Sony reciever as that is my only currently working amplifier. Having heard Heresys with tubes before (and with the Sony), I know the Heresys w/ tubes will sound better than say Cornwalls with the Sony. Do you agree? Do you have any other amplifer suggestions that might be a bit more reasonably priced compared to the T-16?

Well I just checked the Bottlehead website and it seems that the Paramour II has been discontinued. Bummer. Does anyone have any equivalent SET suggestions for a similar price range? Should I just stick with the t-16 and call it a day?

I will soon be purchasing a new amp to drive my Heresys I's. I am fairly young and do not make that much money so my choices are limited. I have been using one of those AMC tube amplifiers that were floating around ebay a few years back. I know it wasn't anything special, but it definitely made my horns sound a lot better than a cheapo sony receiver (like I said, I'm on a budget here). Well I'm finally in a position where I want to upgrade, and my AMC is crapping out on me and not really worth fixing. I want a tube amp of some sort, and I want it to be a substantial upgrade from what I've been using. The options I have considered so far are the Bottlehead Paramour II's, or (for over twice the price) a Transcendent Sound T-16 OTL. I have heard a few SET's over the years and I love the warmth of the sound, but I am not sure I would want it all the time (I have very diverse music tastes). Although I have never heard an OTL, I have heard excellent reviews from others, and the design concept is very appealing to me (fast, uncolored). The only other issue is that I sometimes like my music loud. Most of time I listen at reasonable levels, but what is the use of having 98dB speakers if you cant crank 'em once in a while . With my 30wpc AMC, this was never a problem; they had plenty of headroom. My main questions are: Will the paramours at 3.5wpc be capable of louder volume levels? Is the (assumed) better sound quality of the T-16 worth the extra coin (@ $1550 w/ tubes they are a stretch for me)? Are there any other <$1500 options that I should be considering? FWIW I am proficient enough at slinging solder to put together a basic DIY kit (I think), but I would not want to tackle a totally home-brew project. Also, I use a powered sub for under ~70Hz if that helps. Thanks a lot in advance.