Q-Man

You could find more information on the Klipsch Forum. I experimented for about a year and I posted results and my opinions almost every few days. I still have a pair of 288 drivers and 805-B horns laying around. I should sell them , but I've been thinking that I'll build myself a pair of speakers to use on the patio one of these days. I kept finding a hole around 400Hz to 500Hz with the 288 driver. There were things that I could hear out of the K-55 and K-401 that I couldn't hear from the 288 with the 805-B and 311-90 horns. I keep a pair of stock Klipschorns set up in one room that I use as a reference speaker. They are good to A/B againts. The 290-16K or 16L drivers are hard to find, but they are cheaper then the 288's. No one thinks about using the 290 drivers, but everyone wants to buy and use the 311-90 horn. I tried this horn after an Altec nut told me that it was the best sounding horn that Altec ever made. Even with these 300 hz drivers and horns I cross them over at 400Hz. This keeps them out of their distortion range. Klipsch would have liked to cross over the 250Hz K-55 driver lower then 400hz, but also had to keep it higher. John warren can explain the reasons why better then I can. Once I decided that the 290 and 311 were the way to go it was time to work on the network. I tried the AK-2, AK-3, AA, ALK, and Warrens hot rod AA. I disliked the stock AA the most and Warrens custom AA the best. I thought things couldn't get much better. this combination was sooooo smooth and real sounding. I decided to send John a horn and driver to test and measure. He found out that the horn has a nasty peak in it. Reflections from the mouth back into the throat. He designed a network with a notch filter in it to take care of this problem. He was shocked and very impressed with the sound of this top end. I was shocked when I did an A/B with his custom AA network that I was using and the network designed for the 290 and 311. I never would have believed that what I was listening to could get better yet. If you go with 290 drivers you need to have John build you this network. You can use the network with the K-77 tweeter for now, but later you have to buy the JBL 2404-H tweeter. The JBL tweeter is another wow factor. By the way, I like the way you mounted your tweeter. It looks alot better then mine. I will have to do that one of these days. I'm about to start working on another mod where the driver can be crossed over at 300Hz and is current stuff instead of vintage. I will have to have John design a network for this when I get farther along and weed out some stuff.

I could care less what the top section sounds like. That can be fixed with different drivers, horns and a network. There won't be any fixing of the bass horn. That's why I am wondering what it sounds like. It might just be good for a bon fire.

I would like to hear your opinion of them, if you can A/B them with your Klipschorn.

I would say a min. of $1,050.00 in black oak, and $1,200.00 in oiled walnut, if I could be convinced out of the walnut pair. The prices are for a pair of tops and networks. I won't sell a single. I'm not 100% sure I want to sell these tops, but it gives you an idea of my price.

Set it to max and forget about it. We want the best dynamic speakers that we can afford and the cut the dynamics with the processor? I don't think so.

I know absolutely nothing about investing. I keep saying that I have to find myself a stock broker or something one of these days, but I have been saying that for years. If you heve a hot tip, count me in.

And that's a good thing. The Klipschorn needs help at 400 Hz.

I know that I'm nuts, and I enjoy tinkering and building things. There is always better, and room for improvement, it all depends how far you want to take it. Get off of this Forum now, before you become addicted.

Bob G was good, he added a lot to the Forum. Tell him that I miss him.

It's good to see that some ugly old timers can still have some fun together. Then again, you did have Nick around in case you needed help.

That's a good start, now replace the 288 drivers with some 290 -16K 300Hz drivers to match that 300Hz horn and you will hear another wow.

I was interested in buying a Theater Grand IV untill I read reviews of it having a high noise level. Right now I don't remember where I read the reviews.

The main left and right speakers are too close together. I would have to move them.

Since you use a projector get a perforated screen and put a Klipschorn behind it. You can build a false corner for it. If you can't do that use a LaScala. The remaining speaker can be used for your rear center. After doing that, work on upgrading your surrounds, then you might say wow. Don't concern yourself with what your friends think, it what you think and feel that's important.

Deans comment is exactly the reason why I don't talk about my stuff anymore. It isn't right, and I don't like putting down the mighty Klipschorn. I've admired this speaker since I was 12 years old, and the man behind it since I was 21. This Forum has given us all many ideas, I just took them farther then the rest of you. I never would have believed that any speaker could best the Klipschorn without hearing and experiencing it myself, so I know how you feel. Thanks to the repeat and rewind feature on some CD players and a receiver with a remote control with an A/B switch to switch back and forth between speakers I could A/B sounds quickly. I got rather good at operating a remote control in each hand at the same time to repeat something over and over again and switch back and forth between speakers. A lot of sounds that I kept repeating lasted for only a fraction of a second. For example, the sound of a drum stick hitting the metal ring on a drum head, or striking a cow bell. I would sit there and listen to these sounds over and over for sometimes up to a half hour. I couldn,t hear a lot of these sounds out off the Klipschorn. I never would have know that they were there if I wasn't using some of these other drivers and horns. On the other hand a lot of the sounds that I could hear out of both speakers sounded muffled coming from the Klipschorn. Not only muffled, but harsh, where the Altec stuff is smooth and refined. This is why I used to say that the K-Horn sounded like it had a pillow stuffed into it. You can just hear things so much better out of some other drivers and horns. I shouldn't have said dirty socks this time. John Warren was even impressed with the sound of this driver and horn, he didn't thing that he was going to care for it. His network also helped a lot. He measured a nasty peak in the 311-90 horn and designed a notch filter in the network to correct this peak. When I got his networks and compared them to my networks and the ALK network it was another wow. You have to design a new network for every driver and horn changes. There is no network that will do it all. Last year I offered to bring my modified Klipschorn to Hope and I offered to bring it again this year for all to compare to a stock klipschorn. I don't think that the powers to be liked this idea, and I may have gone too far by suggesting it. After all a mod like this can add $3,000.00 to the cost of a pair and it's not a fair comparison. The Klipschorn is still a great speaker and great buy for the money. None better! I keep a stock pair in a room of my house to use as my reference speakers. I agree with what Dean has to say about the Klipschorn. I disagree with him about power amps. I think you can use some solid state high powrered power amps with Klipschorns. I find that some of the solid state McIntosh power amps work well with Klipschorns and do wonders for improving the sound of the bass horn. I don't have to worry about blowing a tweeter and mid. driver with the JBL tweeter and 290. They can handle a lot more power then the stock drivers. I now wonder how many K-33's that I might fry.

Some people like to switch the tweeter and midrange horn. Put the midrange horn on top with the tweeter below it. I read an artical years ago about this. It helps for seated listening.

Parts alone were around $450.00 for the networks. I'll look them up later and let you know the amount.

If you do a search you should be able to find a few lengthily topics on this mod and a few other mods that led to this one. This one uses the Altec 290-16K 300Hz driver and the Altec 311-90 300Hz horn with the JBL 2404H tweeter and a custom network designed by John Warren. I sent him the driver and horn to measure and work with. These could be the speakers that I die with. I have 6 of these tops for my Klipschorns. I wouldn't have invested in six of these horns if I didn't like them, because they run $700.00 to $900.00 a pair. I used to post a lot on this Forum, but after being so satisfied with my speakers I found that I had nothing elce to say. I used to say that the University Classic Is a better sounding bass horn then the Klipschorn, so I'm going to see how far I can take it with a new top end. I choose the Klipschorn, because it's good to about 35Hz. Now I'm thinking that that doesn't matter since I use a subwoofer with it. This is also leading to a new top end for the Klipschorn. One that people will be able to do because I'm going to use current drivers and horns. The midrange horn will fit on top of the Classic, but it is too wide and deep for the Klipschorn. The same driver will work for both the Classic and Klipschorn. I may have to build the horn.

Dylan, That is a photo of one of my Klipschorns that John Warren put on his website and called it a super Klipschorn. After messing around with different networks, which did improve the sound, but not good enought. I started trying different drivers and horns. My Klipschorn makes the stock one sound like it has dirty socks stuffed down the throat of the mid. horn and tweeter. Your right to stop fooling around with networks on poor drivers and horns. The Klipschorn bass horn really comes alive when you replace the whole top end. I may have a replacement top with current drivers and horns one of these days. Then you won't have to go the vintage route the way I did. This way others could buy it or do it themselves. Still experimenting. There is also a better sounding bass horn, but it drops off fast under 45 to 50 Hz. You have to be into using a good subwoofer with it.

I guess I won't be renting a van and loading it with my modified Klipschorns and heading to Hope. I was also going to bring the University Classic bass horn. Oh Well!

I place a higher value on Klipschorns then most of the other forum members. You don't appreciate their value untill you build them or other bass horns. I only listen to and like bass horns, that's why I don't like the Cornwall and value it low.

Don't buy anything less the the Signature. The other subs will bottom out on you when you listen at loud levels. It's better to have the extra head room. I started with the smaller sub and had to bring it back for the Signature. It's a good sub as long as you keep it under 60Hz.

The price is too high already, unless someone wants the matching finish on all the speakers. I guess that could be a selling point. I say the price is high because, I value these speakers this way. Klipschorns, $3,000.00 to 3,500.00 a pair. LaScalas, $1,100.00 to $1,500.00 a pair. Cornwalls, $500.00 a pair.

That goes for all non picture tube TV's. Just walk in any store and move your head up and down from the horizontal center line and watch the picture get worse. Then again, common sense alone would tell you that you want the center line of the TV to be at eye level while sitting down. Do you want to look up or down while watching TV? Only if your into doing neck exercises while watching TV. Think comfort.

JMON, I sent you an email.