Q-Man

I had John post my Pictures to show my center channel LaScala, now look what were discussing. You never know where this B.B. will lead you. I do hope this info. helps, because many of you helped me out along the way. I wouldn't have the system I have today if it wasn't for most of you & this B.B. When I logged I just had one pair of stock LaScalas. Now I'm broke & happy & owe it all to you guys. Q.

John, I never used spray cans, but I would try them before brushing. I guess you can use the same technic as a gun. A guns spray pattern can be adjuster, you normally adjust to spray in an 8"x2" pattern. Then overlap each stroke you lay down by half it's height (4"),with the next stroke. A can may spray in a circle pattern which isn't good, it will lay the paint down too heavy, so move it quickly. Maybe they have cans with adjustable nozzles, any of you guys ever seen any? Start your pass from the upper left corner & don't stop untill you reach the other end. Then come right back half lapping the stroke that you just laid down. This means this stroke is going in the opposite direction. Visualize the country flag. Each stripe is one stroke & each is laid down in one motion from one end to the other. Keep the can the same distance from the surface & the spray stream at 90 degrees to the surface. Walk the distance if you have to, don't turn the can & aim it in another direction. For a rookie, position the surface to be painted parallel to the ground & spray down onto it. This will prevent runs, but means you can only spray one surface at a time. Then you have to wait untill it drys before you rotate it & do another surfase. When you become more skilled at it you can spray a vertical surface. Don't try to cover in one pass. After you cover the surface as discribed above you can immediately repeat it, starting at that same upper left corner. Don't spot paint an area that may not have enought paint on it. Again, respray the whole surface as discribed above untill the paint is thick enought. I hope this helps, Q.

JMON, If you do decide to put a top coat of lacquer over the enamel, make it a thin one. We say, just dust it on. Lacquer has a strong solvent base & will eat into most paints. The enamel can hold up , but make that first coat a thin one. Then sand with 200 grit, and you can put on a heavier last coat. Once your done with the black enamel finish, you may find that you don't even desire to and the lacquer top coat. The enamal looks good on it's own. Good luck, Q.

This is the web site where I found the Jensen Imoerials. It's called Vintage Audio Trader's. http://community.webtv.net/KerrB . It's an interesting site. Q

JMON, There are four reasons that I chose to finish them in black. The first and most important one to me concerns the butt joint construction method of the LaScala. Being a cabinet guy I couldn't stain and finish them the way they look. They are built in a style that requires veneering or laminating to make them look right. There are to many raw plywood edges to suit my taste. They look like they were built by a carpenter instead of a cabinet maker. A cabinet maker would use more sophisticated joints so no raw edges and fasteners will show. A carpenter hides imperfect joints and raw edges with nailed on moldings. Something I can't bring myself to do. I'm not putting down the LaScala, its butt joints are first rate. It's built this way because they had an entirely different goal in mind. The second reason is that most A/V gear is black and I wanted it all to match. The third reason came about after doing a kitchen in knotty pine cabinetry with black granite coutertops and appliances. I found the combination appealing. Forth, I never finsihed any of my work with paint. I thought that someone would wonder what I was trying to hide. When I build things for myself I sometimes experiment with different techniques, etc. It was time to try black paint. In your case black paint won't hide these edges and nail holes unless you do some prep work first. I'll tell you how to do it, but it will cost you. Only kidding, I first want to say that you are right about staining different wood species. For example, birch and maple are two woods that are hard to tell apart when you see them without a finish. You would think they would also look the same with the same stain applied to them. Not so, the stain will look like a different color when used on them both. There are ways to achieve the same or simular color on different species, but by time you compleate it you will feel like a chemist from all the mixing of the various stains, tints, and dyes you had to try. A secret to achieve a good quality black finsih on the LaScala is to use bondo instead of wood fillers. Bondo is a 2 part fill mixture used in automotive body repair. The advantage of bondo is that it adheres better, drys faster, and sands smoother than wood filler. Apply the bondo to all exposed plywood edges and nail or screw holes. Sand flush with 100 grit. Fill all areas again and sand with 150 to 200 grit. Also fill any dents scratched or chips. That's the hard part, but if you take your time and do it right you won't see the joints and nail holes. It will be a better finish than Klipsch's black. I know because one of the black pairs I have was done by Klipsch. You can use Rust-Oleum Black Stain Enamel. One coat will cover. Next tip is to spray it on, don't bother painting if your going to attempt to brush it on. This means you will need an air compressor, moisture regulator, and a spray gun. If you desire more depth in the finish you can give them a top coat of lacquer, after they dry for a day or two. A good lacquer is a Sherwin Williams brand called Sher-Wood, Cab Acrylic Lacquer Medium Rubbed Effect. You will find this in their commercial stores, most of their retail stores won't carry it. This yields a finish similar to a clear coat on automobiles. If you use it mix it with Serwin Williams Retarder Thinner K27. Mix about 1 ounce to 1 quart lacquer. This will provide a clear finsih that won't turn cloudy. Lacquer drys in about 10 to 15 minutes which means it drys before dust gets a chance to settle on it. It sands fast, smooth, and is ready for another coat. I'm not saying staining the LaScala is a waste of time. You can see John Albright's look nice. I'm just giving you a cabinet makers point of view. "What type of poor craftsmanship are you hiding with that molding?" Most people won't know or appreciate the difference, but in my house they will. When I built the Imperials, I built them in the easier LaScala type butt joint construction method. I did so because I wasn't sure I would like the sound. I even built one and listened to it before building the other, which was a waste of time. Now I had to go through all the saw setups again, when I could have cut out all the like parts at the same time. Since they were built with exposed plywood edges I decided to laminate them with a black ash textured formica. I told you I experiment with my stuff. They do look rather nice, but I don't recommend anyone using black formica unless they are experienced. Black formica is very unforgiving. One slip of the router or file and there is no hiding the scratch. Q

JMON, Lets see here, Nine questions to answer. If I run out of time, I will finnish later tonight. Amplification is from a Yamaha RX-V2092 receiver and an old 105 watt per channel Phase Linear stereo power amp. Also a Sony pro logic receiver which mixes and powers the rear center channel. The Yamaha has 7 channels plus the LFE channel, 100 watts each for the mains, center, and rears, 25 watts each for the front effect channels. The LaScalas on top of the K-horns are the front effect channels. They arn't for increased volume. The effect channels don't reproduce the same signal as the mains. It't more of a center and main mix with reverbera tion & a time delayed signal. It's to produce a larger sound field for a broader front stage. The rear LaScalas are powered by Yamahas rear speaker terminals. The rear Imperials are powered by the Phase Linear power amp which is fed the Yamahas rear pre-out jacks. The intent here, again isn't for increased volume. It's for a larger sound field & more envelopement.Yes , every speaker has it's own amp. I have to add that I'm going to buy the new Yamaha RX-V3000, that just came out, It adds a 7 channel stereo mode, inputs for the new DVD audio players, and a center rear channel. These 3 itams are important to me. I have to stick with Yamaha because I'm spoiled by the difference the front effect channels make. We can't have too many speakers, now can we? Oh almost forgot,I have a "Y" adapter coming coming from the yamahas rear pre outs. They feed the P.H. power amp and the pro logic receivers CD inputs. the P.L. receiver is set to 3 channel logic to mix the rear left & right signals & outputs this mix through it front center channel. For music only, I don't just listen to the K-horns in stereo. Every now & then I'll switch to stereo & then switch right back. I wonder how I ever listened to just plain old stereo. I find the Sunfire Signature more then enought for this system. I was going to add one to the rear channels , but the Imperials took care of that problem. I now would like to try a center channel sub with the LaScala. Have to go for a short while, I 'll pick up again with your cabinet questions. Yes I'm a cabinet guy, (Q's Cabinetry) to be exact. Q.

John W., I think you & I discussed the Imperial cabinet while I was building it, maybe it was with someone elce. I wrote about it in more detail in a few post. I don't remember what the post would be under. Anyway, I got the plans from some vintage horn website. the guy was selling the plans for $25.00. This is the site that talked about cabinets from the 50's & 60's, like the E.V.Patrician, Jensen Imperial and the Klipschorn. I'm not at home now, and I'm very busy this weekend installing home theater cabinetry, that I built for someone. So, I may not be able to get back to you untill monday. Then I will find the website for you & I could mail you a copy of the plans. I did modify my cabinets from the plans so I could fit the K400 horn. The K400 is mush bigger then the one Jensen used. I needed to allow for the same volume of air to be pushed out of the top of the cabinet, around the horn. Thats one of the reasons they say that "Jenson got it right". A lot of the low freq. waves are mixed with the mids. & highs as they exit the top of the cabinet around the horns. When you stand in front of this speaker it's simular to standing in front of a fan. You could stick to the plans & just mount the horns on top of the speaker cabinet. I could't do this because, the LaScalas have to sit on top of them. This cabinet is bigger then the Klipschorn. Q.

First of all, thanks John. I'm not as computer savvy as the rest of you. As I told John I have been getting emailed from members on this B.B. asking me how I put a LaScala over the T.V.. I thought the pictures would help & save me explaining it over & over. The center LaScala sits in a cabinet thats reinforced with angle iron, so it won't sag & touch the T.V. It's angled down toward the sweet-spot & held from falling forward by the crown moulding. The K-horns have falce corners so they can also be aimed at the sweet-spot. John is right, the rear channel LaScalas sit on top of Jensen Imperial replicas that I finished building in August. One pair is powered by a seperate power amp & the other pair is powered by the receiver. The Jensen Imperial cabinet is a back loaded base horn design. I chose to build it for two reasons. One, I read that that it was a better sounding cabinet then the k-horn. So curiosity got the best of me. the second reason is that I don't have any rear corners to support K-horns or room for falce corners. The Imperial is more forgiving out of a corner, but would sound better in one. After building it, I took one of my K-horns out of the front corner & put in one of the Imperials so I could check out the sound differences between the two of them. The Imperial is loaded with all Klipsch parts left over from upgrades. It has K77 tweeters, K-55-M mid drivers, K-401 horns & AL-3 crossovers. I hate to admit it the Imperial does have a stronger & lower bottom end, but isn't quite as clean sounding some where in the mid bass area. They sound remarkably simular. The LaScalas that sit on top of the Imperials are there because Bob G. suggested that I try it for more envelopement. They do help alot, especially for the front side seating. I still have to finish them in black. The rear center is a KLF-C7, It really needs to be replaced with another LaScala. I just haven't figured out how to fit one in yet, give me time. The sub is a Sunfire Signature, hidden from view in these pictures. Now it's almost time to order a pair of AL- K's crossovers to try in the Klipschorns. I'll be glad to try and answer questions. Get this, my wife wants new carpet in this room. Anyone care to help me move this stuff? Q.

DJ is right, the back is rather stiff. I just recomend the bracing vs. plywood if you feel you must do this. I would just stiffen up the sides if it was me. If you remember, I told you in a post sometime back, to temporarily wedge a 2x4 between the V & side. This would stiffen up the side good enought to let you know if you want do do this mod or not. I know that site you just turned us onto has got you thinking again. And if he's doing it , it probably will help. Q.

Doubling up plywood helps, but it still flexes more then you would think. I would cut up some pieces of hardwood (like oak). Cut two pieces 2"x2"x23 11/16" & glue them horizontally across the back. Q.

Gil, No apology necessary , we all have Klipsch in our blood. I would like a copy of that article. If its alright with you, I'll email you my address. Also let me know how much and I'll send you a check. Thanks, Q.

Gil, I like my Klipschorns & respect all that Paul put into the design. They have given me years of pleasure, I couldn't live without them. I was reading an artical about Vintage Horn speakers and Bruce Edgar and a couple other horn designers, who's names escape me right now , had this to say. " The Jensen Imperial is the one folded horn that got it right." That statement aroused my interest, since they compared it to the Klipschorn and some other brands. Being a cabinet builder & Klipschorn nut, I just had to build a pair to see if they were right. Now I was just reading about the old Electro Voice Patrician. This speaker is said to basically be a Klipschorn bass bin scaled up by 16 and 2/3% and uses an 18" woofer. The bass is said to be solid & powerful down to 25Hz. So guess what my next project is going to be. This one shouldn't annoy you, since it's just a larger Klipschorn. John, I will be using 3/4" ply. for its construction as I did with the Jensen. It should be fun trying to adjust the measurements in Pauls design to work with 3/4" material & then increase its size by 16&2/3 % . Q.

I built the ones, as you say, shaped like a corner. They are shaped quite a bit like the K-horn, only deeper & taller. I may try a good 20Hz woofer in them someday to see if they can go lower then they do now. As it stands I think they sound better in the 27Hz. to 150Hz & 300Hz to 500Hz range then the K-Horn. The K-Horn may sound cleaner inbetween these areas. I built them to use as rear speakers along with a pair of LaScalas to give me a little more low end. The K-Horns still serve as the mains with LaScalas on top of them for the front effect channels. The Jensons could be your main speakers & sub. Mine are loaded with the K33E, K55M, K77 ,& AL3 networks. These were all left over parts from updating my other speakers. You would just need to find that good 20Hz woofer. Q.

It's not the K33E, it's the Klipschorn cabinet. The horn cabinet is tuned to 35Hz. The K33E is a 27Hz woofer. The LaScala uses it and only goes down to 45Hz. I just built a pair of Jenson Imperial back loaded horn cabinets that are tuned from 20Hz to 600Hz. I'm using K33E's in them and I must be getting the 27Hz out of them in this cabinet. A-B-ing them with my Klipschorns really shows off the lower end in them. The K33E is a good woofer, it can move a lot of air. I hate to say it ,but I might like this Imperial more then the Klipschorn. It's a design from the fifties.My son likes the K-horn better. Were still doing listening test. Q.

John, where have you been? haven't heard from you in a while. Thanks for asking this, I would also like to see it. It was also said you can clip it on the newer models, just how new ? which x-overs can be clipped & which ones can't ? John can you take a stab at my question on the new subs ?, it's under technical questions on the 12th. Q

Phil & JWG, I have always been content with the sound of my horns. Maybe because I thought that you couldn,t do any thing to improve them. My oldest pair of LaScalas have an AA x-over. the two newer pairs of LaScalas have the AL x-overs, and the Klipschorns Have an AK2 x-over. I notice a diferance in the sound of the older AAs compared to the others, So I might update them one of these days. I called Klipsch & it will cost $800.00 for new tweets, mids. & AL3 x-overs. Are any of these new enought for the clip JWG is talking about ? To me it sounds scary, more like a castration then a little clip. I guess I could try the dynamat wrap on one of them, if you think it worth a try. I kind of hope that I can't hear an improvement since I have 4 pairs to wrap. But since I can hear the differance in the AA system maybe I can hear and appreciate the differance in the dynamat . I can't say that I prefer one X-over over another, but then I never bothered to really do a side by side comparison . Q.

Filmofreddy, Just wanted to let you know, that I like reading all your post. Q