Mike 585

Big band like wvo80, which my father turned me onto in the 60s--I'm 65. 40s thru mid-60s r&b, jump music, doo ***, r&r up until the mid-70s when the roll aspect disappeared. I also like some ragtime and early jazz until it evolved to where I can't find the melody. Blues is a big part of my listening and I sometimes like to jam on harmonica, especially after a drink or two. 😉 I like some classical. I don't like metal except for something like early Deep Purple. Actually, fear of being forced to listen to a lot of music I don't like at can't-ignore levels is a reason I have not as yet made the effort/commitment to drive my Miata to a pilgrimage from Rochester, NY. Certainly listening to music I do like and enjoying some adult beverages with some of the regulars around here, that I feel I already know from reading so many of their posts, is the other voice in the deliberation. I will say that having lost my job due to covid has made time commitment/scheduling a non-issue. A two edged sword that.

Just a shot in the dark without knowing the specifics of your listening space/situation but, fwiw I'll give you my two cents from my own audio quest to more or less reproduce the live music experience. I believe you're looking the wrong direction suspecting amp issues--you have nice amps. To get that live-ish satisfaction you need to move a lot of air in the lower midrange and base frequencies. I've not heard CF-3s but even with a good sub(s) for very low frequencies, I'm sure those little woofers in the CF-3s aren't capable of moving enough air to give the feeling I believe you're looking for. All the best and good luck with your quest. Mike

By the way, those 2 single-driver Monoliths replaced 2 Epik's each with dual 12s that I moved to my open-floor-plan main floor.. I know it's hard to believe, but the Monoliths sounds/perform/measure better in my space. If your space is bigger, the Monoliths come in bigger versions with similar performance. I think this is a good route for music if you can't or don't want to go the horn sub route. At least they're worth a look. Best of luck with your quest.

If just or mostly for music, check out Monoprice Monolith subs. I have a 7.2 setup with LaScalas across the front in a 16x22x7.5 basement room. With some eg they are razor flat to around 20hz. The subs are just 10" placed on the middle of the side walls (a good position arrived at empirically by Floyd Toole). Distortion is very low, especially if configured as ported. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24456. Only 3.2 percent ar 105db.

Sounds to me that most of her licks are copied from Johnny Winter And Live.

Dodger was or is from Rochester I take it. Good folks at Rowe. I've bought some used Mac gear there myself and my Belles as well. I hope the connection clicks for you this time around.

I bought one of these before Christmas. Solid as a rock. It's welded so ships truck freight. I can't remember now what the original quote for freight was. I vasilated, revisiting the site over the course of a few days, comparing brands, etc. Then one day it popped up a offer to ship for $60 so I went for it. I've heard others relate experiences of getting offered better deals after multiple visits. So, there is an upside to all the tracking. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/752920-REG/Peerless_Industries_AVL_AVL_A_V_Component_Rack.html

You and this freezer-chilled vodka rocks.

Well, that's a pleasant surprise after a tough day at the office. PM forthcoming.

Sorry to not get back sooner on the K-500s. I snooze, I loose. We had an all-consuming legal hassle come up over our recent home purchase. Glad you found a good home for them anyway.

If you're parting out and they're not on jimjimbo's shopping list, I could use the k-500s.

All my parts are old and of various age. My experience and conclusions are influenced by whatever that contributed. In my experiments, K55Vs and K55Ms were descernably different sounding when mixed in L C R, even when all speakers have the same networks. Even more so with the same drivers but mixed combinations of networks, type A, AB2/AL3, and Crites A4500. I'm curious what others have experienced.

Not currently. We moved to a new house in September and I have a ton of projects to do here. The theater room is down the priority list and pretty rough at this point. I'm just running 3.2 right now. I have all the parts for two more LaScalas (4 actually) so at some point I'll build some cabinets and go to 5.2, or hopefully 5.4 for good bass over a larger seating area. Lots of folks on here much farther down the road with developing their HT than I that can provide greater insight. I just piped in on the timber issue due to my experience with trying different combinations of Heritage and a strong feeling that a matched L, C, R is ultimately the only satisfactory solution. I think that it's best to, as best you can, determine where you want to end up and chart a course. Too many folks spend a lot of time and money wandering. Lots of good info here and elsewhere, the challenge is sorting the wheat from the chaff. Enjoy the journey.

IME a mismatched center is a constant annoyance. For me, on a relatively short 11' spread, a phantom center would be a better solution. For a time, I had a LaScala between two Belles. Same drivers and networks. It was very noticeably different when sound panned across. Now I have 3 LaScalas in the HT. It's wonderful. The Belles are now two channel in th LR.

If I was in that situation, I'd biamp.

You may also want to look at the KI396. K510 2-way in arguably a more attractive package than the KPT-325 and not voiced for behind the screen.

I'll take those off your hands. I'll send you an email. Thanks, Mike

I think I need to move to SB so I can collect KG4's cast offs. :-) I'm still aching for the MWMs you/he offered up a while back and now these to mate with them. Be still my heart.

I agree with what Chris has said and would like to make a couple of additional/expounding points--one more relavent to your RF-3s that the other--based only upon my personal experience. The ir- less-relavent one first. I think an underappreciated, or seen as a negative, aspect of an exponential horn is the decreased output off axis of the horn. In a set up as described above, with a LP slightly behind the intersecting ceterlines of the speakers, as you move off-center of the center LP sweet spot and closer to one speaker, the closer speaker's output is less at your LP since you are off it's center axis. At the same time you have have moved closer to the center axis of the farther speaker therefore increasing the volume level at your position. To me this can be an advantage of this traditional exponential horn Heritage set-up vs. a CD horn. The affect is significant in two channel. My other, and related point, and the other more relavent for you, involves the addition of a center speaker. In my experience (Heritage only), an identical center added to the set up as described above, sitting +/- 20 degrees of the center sweet spot presents no loss in the stereo presentation. It yields sweet-spot performance to three seats on a sofa or three closely spaces chairs. Perhaps or likely with the RF3s this is slightly less effective but the additional of a third main channel imho is indispensible to serious listening, Without a center channel, any movement of the listener off centerline moves the apparent source any content equally present in both channels--vocals and often solo instruments--to the closer side thus destroying any live illusion. Lastly, Chris mentioned Toole's book and I wholeheartedly recommend it to all serious seekers of recreating the live illusion. It is a well-written, easy read of technical issues the encompasses a lifetime of study. All the best, Mike

If they're in good shape and $1800, buy 'em and try 'em, If you hesitate they'll be gone and you'll be left wondering. If you end up preferring the CW, you shouldn't have trouble getting your money back reselling the Belles. Go for it.

Well, I'm half heartedly glad that they're gone Earl. Glad for you that you've been able to move them; glad for me that the temptation is past fto appropriate another, truthfully un-needed, pair from so close by; but sad to see them go to a questionalble future. I used all my persuasive powers (an a good deal of alcohol) on a frend/neighbor in an effort to have him replace his Chous IIs, but to no avail. Ever onward.

Amen brother. Open the pod bay door Hal.

Gil, Is it known what the unnamed "wide range driver" was that he that he graphed in the two way? Mike

Sorry, I wasn't clear; I just want the K-400s. I've got several K-77s laying around.

Hi Claude, I'll take those. If agreeable, email me an address and I'll get a check out to you. I've got some K-horn bass bins and I need to put a top end together. Thanks, Mike