Mighty Favog

O.k. I hope this works. By Ken Kessler Pretend just for a moment that you're a civilian, not a savvy audiophile. What exactly would you know about single-ended triodes, or SACD, or cable directionality, or speaker spikes, or...? The answer is: precisely nothing. We function in a self-contained universe, and the arcana and secret language that we take for granted are about as meaningful to outsiders as, say, "weft" and "warp" are to non-weavers, or "chaton" and "Nivarox" are to non-watch-enthusiasts. I tell you this so you'll appreciate that celebrity in our world is not the same as the sort of real celebrity that affects hundreds of millions because of the greater appeal of their milieu. Movie stars, sporting heroes, stadium-filling musicians, and terrorists are known to vast audiences beyond that of their fans and supporters. Our gods are as valid outside of audio as Mars is outside of ancient Rome. Or is that Greece...? Examples: I'd rather suffer root canal work than sit through a soccer match, yet even I know the names Beckham and Owen. Opera makes me cringe, but show me a photo of Domingo and Pavarotti and I'll tell you which is which. I've never subjected myself to an Adam Sandier flick, but I know who he is. Now, ask any schmuck off the street to identify in what field David Hafler, Peter Walker, and Saul Marantz worked, and you'll get a blank stare. The point I'm making is that precious few of the giants of our industry bear names known beyond the pages of hi-fi magazines or the portals of hi-fi stores, which makes even the mere appearance of a biography of Paul Klipsch all the more remarkable. Hi-fi heroes simply don't generate enough interest, let alone romance, to justify books about them. You will never see a Hollywood biopic starring, say, Dom Deluise in Absolutely! -The Harry Pearson Story, or French Saunders as Michael Fremer in Mikey: The Diary of a Vinyl Addict. Most of you could argue convincingly and eloquently that Klipsch deserves more fame, respect, or acclaim than, say, Akio Morita for founding Sony, Amar Bose for creating the biggest speaker only company on earth, or Mark Levinson for inventing the high-end (and more recently for showing what he can do with his dick). You could do so because you love horn loudspeakers more than you care about Sony, Bose, or Mark Levinson wares. You would argue that PWK created the longest-lived product in audio-the Klipschorn-and by ex tension provided credibility for the horn in Wilbur Klipsch: The Life...The Legend, PWK was an occasionally ornery cuss who had little time for the trappings of audiophilia, and went so far as to wear a badge under his lapel which read "BULLSHIT," flashed more often than not in response to some wild hi-fi claim. Having only met Klipsch twice in my career, and being undeniably a part of the audio community element that he explored, I can only say that his civility and respectfulness (shown to a person who was both a total stranger and akin to something he'd not step in if found on the pavement) were the marks of the man. A gentleman? Hell, he oozed the sort of class possessed by a previous generation, exhibiting the very qualities that were almost an intrinsic part of an age when scholarship and etiquette and protocol and respect mattered. He was a throwback to an era so far removed from the crassness of modern times that it's understandable how he hated rock music (which I adore), was skeptical about wires (which I refuse to review but appreciate for their importance in system tuning), was suspicious of most hi-fi claims, and remained wedded to the same basic technology for a half-century-plus. And you cannot fault his consistency: The man wrote a massive rebuttal to all we hold dear, back in January 1958-over 20 years before hi-fi went truly mental. This particular tract is reprinted in full in the book and-I hate to admit it-it's tough to refute what he writes when you're faced with such immutable logic. Then again, I was taught to respect my superiors. Oh, how I wish I'd had the opportunity to ask PWK what he thought of his contemporary Lowther, of the 1990s horn revival, and of arrivistes such as Avantgarde, Edgarhorn, Acapella, et al. He probably would have said that he was pleased that there was a new cult that adored horns, while adding something to the effect of "even if they like them for the wrong reasons" or "It's about bloody time." Klipsch was clearly of the objective rather than sub-audio circles, long before the Japanese revived the concept as an object of cult worship. And this probably affects most Listener readers more directly than, say, Bose's direct-reflecting dictum, or Sony's MiniDisc, or Mark Levinson's maxi-dick. But that would be to adjudge Klipsch's achievements in the context of our tiny world, thus blowing it all out of proportion. If we could quantify it, Bose, let alone Sony, would be shown to possess more brand awareness than all other makes combined, while Mark Levinson's original company is possibly the only (true) high-end make known to civilians. Clearly, their effect on the world at large is far greater than that of any manufacturer in pure audio, with the possible exceptions of Henry Kloss through a series of masterful concepts such as popularizing Villchur's acoustic suspension system and the suspended subchassis belt drive turntable, or Stan Kelly for inventing the flip-over stylus. Which sadly proves my point: Kloss and Kelly were in all likelihood responsible for more products that benefited the world at large-and I mean actual unit sales rather than number of models-than even the gigantic Bose, yet Kloss and Kelly aren't even on the general public's radar. (If you think I'm crazy, imagine how many cheapo "record players" with flip-over "needles" were sold in the 1950s-1970s.) As for Klipsch? Now his is the sort of saga that defies nearly all precedents, for Klipsch as a manufacturer was neither large enough to be "mass market" like Bose or even JBL, * and wasn't tweaky or insane enough to be part of our borderline-psychotic brotherhood. * * In fact, as illustrated by the recently published biography, Paul follows, one with the missing factual and statistical material. * But, as you can tell, even without such data it's almost of reference standard by virtue of the inclusion of all of Klipsch's patents, the wonderful photos and drawings, lists of his awards, the aforementioned oxymorons, and more than enough anecdotal information to create a three-dimensional image of the man. When I finished reading the book, it occurred to me that it was as if the recently departed Klipsch timed his death perfectly, passing away after its publication, and at the dandy old age of 98. One can only assume that PWK left when he was darned well good and ready: Either he stayed alive long enough simply to be there to read the finished book, or he stayed alive long enough to leave it ended, and thus needing revision within months of its arrival to include his passing. He had that kind of a sense of humor. Most of you won't need a book to tell you just that we owe to Klipsch, even if his speakers were never the most fashionable, rarely topped "Best of the Best" or "Editor's Choice" listings, or even cut much ice with today's salivating horn crazies. But I will tell you two things about the esteem in which Klipsch is held, both personal observations but one that reveals more about Klipsch the Man than his speakers ever will. It involves one of today's giants, one with an appreciation of historical precedents and PWK's worth. When the Klipschorn reached its 50th anniversary and PWK actually attended a CES for the first time in many years, there was a palpable buzz around the show. It was as if Chuck Berry had turned up at Midem. I don't recall precisely quite what role I had ejective school, fully trained and qualified to deal with electronics and things electro-mechanical, "properly educated," and very much NOT of the temperament that in-spires current high-end tweaking. Mumbo-jumbo, black magic, blind faith, and peer pressure played no parts in his life. Where Barrett and Klementovich's book succeeds best is in charting Klipsch's growth and development through both the university and the military, the latter including research in armaments during WWII experience that Klipsch put to good use during peacetime and while manufacturing loudspeakers. Unfortunately, the authors are devoted fans who appear to have eschewed either the talents of a knowledgeable editor or proofreading by an audio scribe. Thus, you will read this book for its content, not for its literary worth. Once you get past their continual gushing-and the feeling that maybe the book was sponsored by a church-the story itself carries you along, for Klipsch was a true polymath, a renaissance man of the sort that rarely emerges at a time when everyone seems to specialize. You can only marvel at the breadth of his expertise, the myriad interests, even his quirks, like collecting oxymorons-the latter listed here in full. It's an easy read, unless you choose to wade through every one of the patents (a full 60-page chunk of the book), and the breeziness makes it feel more like a long magazine article than a book of some 200-plus pages. It is far too easy to criticize this book. A canny editor would have added an index, maybe some "classic" review reprints (I'd love to know how the Klipschorns were received in the 1950s), a comprehensive product listing with specifications-all manner of data that would have made it a definitive reference work. This would have been the icing on the cake, as it's unlikely that another Klipsch biography will ever to play in this, but somehow I got involving in ensuring that Dave Wilson, of Wilson Audio fame and a purveyor of dynamic speakers, which are categorically NOT horns, got to meet the great man. PWK, then in his early 90s, was seated in a comfy chair in the Klipsch suite, greeting all and sundry press, dealers, distributors-and enjoying it immensely. Now, Wilson is no minor player in audio. He has a resume to die for, producing superb speakers, and is respected far and wide. In the nearly 20 years that I've know Dave, I'd never seen him acting as nervous as a teenager on his first date, nor as choked up as my wife when viewing Bambi. '. It turns out that one of Dave's first-ever audio acquisitions was a Klipschorn, and he couldn't believe that he was finally getting to meet the man himself. He greeted the man with so much reverence that I was humbled to a degree I've never experience before, during those memorable occasion when I've been lucky enough to meet a legend. And I swear Dave had a tear in his eye after their brief exchange. My other observation will mean little to you unless I explain first that I despise horns. As I'm new to this magazine, you may now know that my "speaker hierarchy" start; with ribbons, followed by electrostatics, then real-world designs such as LS3/5As, Sonus Faber Homages, and Wilson's WATT Puppy classics. (And you are probably wondering why Editor Dudley is allowing me to sully these pages.) But I've always tried to be open minded and will admit without prompting that-should someone shove an Uzi up my *** and threaten to pull the trigger unless I start using horn-loaded speakers-there are six models with which I could live. And four of them were designed by Paul Wilbur Klipsch. Paul Wilbur Klipsch: The Life...The Legend, by Maureen Bennett and Michael Klementovich. Hardcover, b&w illustrations, 208pp. Published by Rutledge Books, Inc., www.rutledgebooks.com. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

quote: Originally posted by jhawk92: Ray/Tom- I posted a similar topic over in the General questions forum, as I had received an email from one of the book authors that "Listener" had a review of PWK's book. Also one in the Sep issue of "AudioXPress." I have a copy of the latter coming, but where can I find a copy of "Listener?" Will Borders, et al, have one? I'd like to find one or at least get a xerox of the article. Rob JHawk- I'll see if I can get a good scan from my copy. I wonder if you can get it online somehow. I'll look. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

I have a friend that is one of the "finalists" in a local version of American Idol. Her name is Angelica Arejola. Her name is at the top of the third row in the Names List. Click on her name (Not any other name!! Just hers!!) to see the clip. http://kisscincinnati.com/cincinnatiidol.php We would appriciate your vote!! Thanks people. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

A major coinsodence!! I just picked up the last issue at a newstand and this hit home pretty good. One of the writers for Listener, Ken Kessler, wrote an article on PWK himself. Starts on page 38. I only read the first couple pages but reading between the lines (read- some of the language Ken used) it sounds like he knew it was the end. Can't wait to read the rest. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-21-2002 at 02:27 PM

News Release-- "Now for a limited time only! With every pair of Bose sepakers purchased, get a free shrine to pray to Dr. Bose in your very own home!!" ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

Saw on T.V. the other day where if you test drive a KIA they will give you the DVD. Personally I wouldn't get caught dead in one but I'm trying to get the girlfriend to go. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

I was in sales at a store that was known to sell rather nice stuff of everything they carried, from furniture to clothing to children's toys to automotive parts to lawn and garden stuff to carpeting to hardware to sporting goods. Not the best stuff mind ya, but nice. I worked only a few of those depts. in the thirteen years. I outlasted 22 assistant store managers and 12 store managers. After being there THAT long I've learned that the biggest insult that a saleperson can bestowe on themselves is to say to the customer "I don't know..." ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

quote: Originally posted by tblasing: To determine that it would take some rather pricey gear to figure out. I seriously doubt if Pioneer is gonna tell you, admitting that their amps actually do clip and all. The SF-2's are rather efficiant so it won't take but a couple of watts to max them out and at that point I doubt that the amp is clipping yet. Unless your running things like EQ's or a dynamic range expander at some insane level increase, like say +6db! ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

To determine that it would take some rather pricey gear to figure out. I seriously doubt if Pioneer is gonna tell you, admitting that their amps actually do clip and all. The SF-2's are rather efficiant so it won't take but a couple of watts to max them out and at that point I doubt that the amp is clipping yet. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

There might be something wrong with the DD chip, a ground probably. From there it sounds like the receiver is going into it a circuit protection mode to keep from frying anything else out. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

The first Dire Straites album was self titled on the Warner Brothers label, came out in 1978 with a catalog number of BSK 3266. Tracks include: -Down on the Waterline -Water of Love -Setting Me Up -Six Blade Knife -Southbound Again -Sultans of Swing (their first big hit) -In the Gallery -Wild West End -Lions The cover is a difused picture of an empty room with one person standing towards the left. Outside of the picture is a white border. It has plenty of that smokey Washburn guitar sound to it. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-16-2002 at 11:31 PM

O.k., I've never owned a Chevy in my life but I did go to school for Auto Mechanics. Anyway, I would be sure that's the problem and not other steering parts such as tie rod ends, steering rack and/or pinion (those come in one unit anyway). Ball joints or even A-arm bushings (those would make a bit of a thud when they move). On the steering shaft there is probably a universal joint similar to whats on the trany drive shaft. Yes, those wear out too. I had a Mercury that I could sit in the driver's seat and lift the steering wheel about 1/4" while the rest of the column was perfectly still. Later found out the rag joint wasn't even there anymore Try this one.... http://shop.store.yahoo.com/super-store/19chevfulsiz1.html . ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-16-2002 at 07:59 PM

quote: Originally posted by cluless: Tom - Buckley...I like it, Nope I love it, Better than reality, fractal, or friction... It's a happy thing... Oh, Buckley..... where are you BBB...Buckley? With fiends like me...who kneads eminies.... Now if some one could just explain this Susan B. Anthony thing. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

Man, that's a real shame. That was my only real source of Tube knowledge even though I don't use any. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

I'm using a Monster HTS-5000 and it's been working great. Perhaps the ten outlets aren't enough (is it ever?). Using that let's me know just how crappy my electrical service really is. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

quote: Originally posted by cluless: Tom - I think it's William B. Buckley. Does this mean he's impersonating some one else? William B. (be) Buckley, tee hee, tee hee. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

my god, William F. Buckley just joined the BB. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

It seems to me that if a part like that is discontinued then I would see no problem with Klipsch releasing the name of the manufacturer so you could get one from them or someplace like www.PartsExpress.com . ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-14-2002 at 03:38 PM

OP- One thing you can also do is to set all the bass/treble controls to flat. Not all the way down mind ya, but at the position that doesn't add anything to the signal and doesn't take anything away. Leave it at O, not in the negative range and not in the positive either. If it's a knob that controls this it'll probably just be straight up at 12 o'clock. This will keep you from over driving the signal to the amp and keep it from clipping earlier that it usually would. If you want to do something a little more drastic try this. Take out you tweeters and solder, in line, an automotive light bulb (I forget the number), one that has wires or tabs and not the contact buttons like a back-up or tailight bulb does. The result is that the more you turn the volume the brighter the bulb lights up thus keeping some current from getting the the fragile little tweeters. This came from somebody else on the BB. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-14-2002 at 02:14 PM

K- You may get a kick out of a cd my sister-in-law brought home from work. It's the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's Hollywood's Greatest Hits(Vol. I and Vol. II). The product numbers are (VOL. I) CD-80168 and (VOL. II) CD-80319. They're from Telarc and I'm sure places like CDnow and Amazon can get it. You could still probably get it directly from Telarc's web site. I have both copies but I'm having a hard time finding them on the net. I might just call the sister-in-law (she works for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra) to see if it's still available. Your local library may even have it. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-13-2002 at 11:43 AM

quote: Originally posted by thdrought: fini, thats nothing. My girlfirnd puts the seat up. Was great until I sat down. Hell, I'm too lazy to stand in one place that long and so still so I just sit for both duties. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

I've got a friend that would say things in the car like "Hey, Tim! Raise down your window." or "Put that in the glove department." or even "Turn on your window shield wipers." Granted this guy only has about a sixth grade education but we like him anyway. The biggest one that bothers me is when someone asks me a question and won't wait for the answer before asking the next question Gggrrrr!!! So in retort I start answering all of their alleged rhetorical questions with answers they couldn't think up on their own. ------------------ Tom's Money Pit

Kenratboy- I'm not a GM person but that may be your best bet. NOS parts are all over the place and the aftermarket scene in bustin' at the seams. Just watch TNN on cable on Sunday mornings, that's all they ever have is GM! Ticks me off really. Mopar (my fav) was in that era as much as anyone else. Just try to find a parking brake cable for a 67' Charger....back before restoring Mopars got popular (again). If I ever get back into that "hobby" again it'll have to be a car I don't have to get fixed that night so I can take it to work tomorrow! Strickly a garage project. Wes- Yea, had the chance to get a TSi AWD when I bought my ES. Sometimes I wish I did and more times I'm glad I didn't. I guess practicality won out over fun. Although I did do few things that got the ES 30 more hp than stock. You should visit the Diamond Star Motors Club site sometime. There's quite a few members that have Conquests as well as products from Diamond Star Motors. The only so called hot rod FOUR CYL I could think of from that era was a Chevy Vega Cosworth Twin Cam. Black with gold pin stripes. Can't believe they actually made that thing ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-11-2002 at 10:19 PM

Once owned a 70' Superbird with a 440 six-pack. Couldn't keep it but a year or so (in high school), had to hide it from my parents. Speakin' of Shelby's, a close buddy of mine's whole family is loaded with the one's Carol made with Chryler. His- 86' Shelby Charger Turbo (Blue over Silver making it 1 of 386) Brother's- 87'Shelby Charger Turbo Mother's (now 72 years old!!!)- 86' Omni GLH, 85' Shelby Charger(ultra rare automatic trans) My brother- 72' Road Runner w/383 Magnum and in Plum Crazy Purple (radio delete from factory, couldn't hear it anyway) This is not to mention various older Dodge Charger just lying around.......69' Charger SE w/small block 318 (rare, most SE's had big blocks), 67' Charger w/383 Magnum and only 38k miles, 73' Charger red w/ white top and interior, 72' Charger black with rally hood and a 400 (I had a cop not 25 feet behind me just 1 week after I got my license, just daring me to floor it). Tim's (the buddy) mother is quite a hoot. She is most kind motherly type woman I know. But in the late 60's and early 70's she had NOTHING but hot rods. 421 Pontiac Catalina, 69' Chevelle SS 396, 70' Mach I, 72' 440 New Yorker and a few others I can't think of. Never drove any of them over 45mph (her children did that for her when she wasn't around!). I'm now driving a 94' Eagle Talon ES(classic? I doubt it). I like it alot better than my girlfriend's 86' Saab 900S (POS auto transmission). Like Wes' this thing gets 40mpg on the highway and was stickered at only 27mpg. Just had it E-checked (Ohio's version of an exhaust gas inspection) and it passed with more than flying colors. It too gets a few heads turned because I bought it new (paid cash) when I was 29 (now 36) and all the kids can't understand why someone my age is driving a "kid's" car. Little do they know... Getting a 300M (or whatever letter it is by then) in a couple of years. Hey Wes! Michgan to Texas in a Conquest?! Man! That must have hurt the ol' backside with 50 and 55 series tires!! ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-11-2002 at 10:00 PM

If your still looking for a pair you may go for it all and look to see if they have a warranty as well. You see, Klipsch only offers a factory direct warranty if they were purchased through an authorized dealer. The internet is a good place to look but only ONE place on the net is an authorized dealer and that is Ubid . So I would start looking there. Keep in mind though that Ubid is outrtageous in their shipping charges, it's about $1 per pound and those 20's go about 86.5 lbs. unboxed.....each! The good part is that you can call 1-800-KLIPSCH if you have a problem. If you buy then from someone else (that claims they have a factory warranty) that isn't authorized then you'll have to send the speaker, parts, or whatever to where you bought it from and they, in turn, will send it to where THEY bought it from (either another dealer or Klipsch). All this ads up to taking alot longer than dealing with the factory directly. Also, be a little weary if the serial number tags were removed on the back of the speaker cabinets. There is a big red flag that should go up fro this. It's usually done so Klipsch cannot track the origin of the dealer that is probably selling them in bulk at a reduced cost. Just a bunch of questions to ask. To check out the dealer status check out the "Dealer Locator" on Klipsch's home page. I got lucky with my 20's (mahogany) when I got them. I bought them over the phone but I found out about them over the net. I got them from Uncle's Stereo in NY. About two weeks after they arrived Uncle's lost their Authorized Dealer status so I'm still covered. In a nut shell, ask a lot of questions before you get them!! BTW- With the right rear and side wall placement you'll get bass-o-plenty. Maybe not chest-pounding but plenty. Good luck! ------------------ Tom's Money Pit This message has been edited by tblasing on 08-11-2002 at 12:27 PM