pzannucci

Parts Express has a whole bunch that are more inexpensive. I'd look there to start if you want a kick around amp.

If they were off, it would likely show itself with changes in the frequency response from the original sound. Very unlikely to make the amp complain.

Too bad someone wasn't close so they could run an impedance sweep on the tweeter.

3 ohm did sound odd. Great detective work!

Considering that it is high frequency, you can typically get away with lower impedance since it doesn't use as much power. The only problem I would worry about if the level is reasonable, is that the crossover point has changed. The crossover may have been made for the other impedance which throws this new one way off.

Interaction of the impedance of the output transformer (and other components) to the speaker impedance.

The answer is both though since that doesn't help, if you are only using the pre-amp as a line switching (line pre-amplifier) then as long as it is clean/quiet, puts out enough voltage, doesn't pick up interference, and has the required inputs, then the amp. Source also has to fit these guidelines. The amp and speaker combo will be key to the sound. If the amp can not drive the speakers appropriately or has a lot of noise, you will notice that immediately. Take for instance, a lot of tube amps, they respond to the impedance of the speaker and don't provide a lot of bass drive like a good solid state. If you like lovely mids and don't worry about the bass tightness and umph, the tube amp will be the most serious impact on the sound (outside of the speakers). If you need the drive in the bottom end, you could use a good high current solid state amp. Be careful with the solid state because more inexpensive ones will be more grainy and have less drive. Also SS amps are typically not as liquid as tube. Just some basic thoughts and overly general but suffice it to say, big Klipsch can run on small tube amps but don't look for head banging and the pre-amp comes up higher in relevance. If you end up with a set of Maggies or Apogee type speakers, unless you have huge power reserves, SS is the only way to go. In these instances the pre-amp definitely drops down in relevance.

Alex, I am trying to figure out how you have the CF4's configured. You state that the CF4s tweeters are a few inches higher than the khorns. Am I missing something since the khorns are very tall with the tweeters at the top.

From what I have been reading, the new horn design in the RP series is a smoother horn and provides less artifacts than the R II series. A lot of what will generate a brittle / harsh sound can be the amplifier and speaker matching. I have just purchased a set of RP-160Ms matched up to a pair of r12sw subs. Unbelievable what $750 can buy. The RP-160Ms had also been described as peaky but using my AVM-30 and REF-1000s, they are very smooth. Not super forward in the mids and very relaxed. Suffice it to say that the new RP series is a very good speaker but what you get out of it will be what you put into it. Component changes, even cables will show changes in sound. By the way I'm not disparaging the RF7 IIs but just pointing out something that a lot of folks forget. Unless you try the speaker in your room with your components, all bets are off. Nobody can tell you if you will like it. System synergy!!

On horns with large path lengths with significant differences in lengths, the best way to do that with active. You need the time delay and efficiency matching afforded by the active crossover. Even the K-horn can be much better executed with an active. Passives to be able to do all the work required in the previous sentences would not be simple and would be power robbing. That is of course not to say that there are pluses to not having any caps or inductors in the speaker / amplifier path. Shorter horns, to non-horns, passives can be wonderful but typically need a lot of tweaking to get right. I've done a ton and typically takes about 6months or more to get happy with them, not counting a drawer full of used capacitors and inductors. Kind of a waste of money unless you consider this a hobby.

The unfortunate part of this is if you don't put the l-pad before the input to the tweeter and midrange both, you will mess up the crossover points and balance. To do this properly, you will probably need to modify the network to be more like the bi-wire networks on other Klipsch speakers so they are kept in sync and the crossover isn't severely impacted.

If they are walnut oil, Tung oil will give them a very nice shine and protect them. Put a few coats on with the same method as described above. For a really deep shine, use 0000 steel wool. It will clean up any old build up and will have a very deep luster. Also protects some against scratching and dampness.

Youthman, You are pretty close and the price isn't bad at if they are in good shape. What ever you can barter off would be extra!

Since you are going analog, I'd do it on the AVR for sure. No need to tax the processing power of the computer. I would switch to the S/PDIF output if at all possible. Unless you have a very high quality add in sound card, the computer output is typically of marginal quality.

Cover them when not in use when in the sun. You won't recognize the damage until it is done.

Depends on if it is done in the digital domain in hi-res or not. Changing the volume when in lower resolution will steal bits and drop the resolution. If everything is running at 32bit resolution (may depend on the application and hardware), then you can EQ in the digital domain with minimal problems, as long as you don't overload which means it's best to remove than to add. Make a negative image of what you want so you remove around the areas you want to raise raise in reference to others. Considering you have 32bit processors made just for the task in the AVR, it is likely making the changes in the AVR makes more sense and will be better. Changes on the computer will require horsepower that you may need for other tasks depending on the processor.

There is no gap in a crossover since there is no brick wall. The simple coil on the top of the passband for the midrange will introduce a 6db electrical attenuation. This is a slow roll off though may be enough to help clean up some of the coincident overlap of the mid and tweeter (associated time domain problems running them both together) and allows pushes any of the nasty output of the mid down to a more tolerable level on the high end of the passband. If the version of the k55 actually has trailing off output in that frequency and no bounce back then perhaps the acoustic rolloff may make it to 12db. Makes sense if the drivers don't have natural roll offs at the frequency extremes dictated by the crossovers.

Need something close to 103-104db. G1 with autoformer may get it there. Arash, where are they for $145? I need to order some more. Good to have spares.

What type of adhesive is on the woofer? Did the rubber have to be re-glued or something?

Coytee, provided you have the same gain structure or sensitivity in the amplifiers. If you are dealing with an Older IcePower amp with no input module and it takes 3.6 volts (balanced probably half for unbalanced) to get to rated output. Something like Rogue Audio 90 has an input sensitivity of 1 volt. Now in theory if you know the input sensitivities you can apply some of the math you are talking about but you may not be close in the end. Give me a pair of knobs to vary the sensitivity and output of each amp :-) Active, removing the crossovers, a whole different story dictated typically by the active crossover arrangement. Arash, I believe the Auto-former idea, as PWK stated in one of his patents, is a good idea as long as you are not thinking of using it on the woofer. If you do you will have to recalculate it's impact on the damping, enclosure, and other things (at least what I have read, I haven't tried it). Probably why I have not seen auto-formers on woofers to raise efficiency though it sounds like an interesting idea.

If you like hotter high end, you can use an autoformer to get rise in the efficiency of the ribbon (using the G1 - on sale for $297 at P-E) Similar to Klipsch describes in his patent - http://patents.justia.com/patent/4237340 The ribbon would provide very clean output if you decide to try it, though not an inexpensive trial and you need to set up the crossover well because real ribbons like the G1 are easily destroyed. Good crossovers above around 1.5k-1.8k, they can get seriously loud, band crossovers they will be flapping in the wind.

If you are just unhooking the straps from your speakers and passively biamping, you will need to have something to adjust the volume on each of the amps or gain controls built into the amps themselves. You could also be using a crossover in front of the amps but that wouldn't be a very good idea in the passive case as then you have conflicting roll offs and crossover manipulation. Individual volume controls or gains are the only good way if you want to fine tune it cheaply. More expensive way is to buy a bunch of line attenuators.but you can't fine tune unless you buy a bunch. http://www.parts-express.com/harrison-labs-12-db-rca-line-level-audio-attenuator-pair--266-244

Sensitivity too low I guess. Only 92db Way too low. The G1 is about the only one that can get close.

I thought the MyBook and the BDP had an ethernet port? If they are close enough, go buy a cheap gigabit switch and wire it up. Your wireless router serves up the addresses via dhcp so you could just use it in a wired capacity if close enough and if it's not an eyesore. And yes, back them up multiple times. I have a ton of concert DVDs and I have them ripped in raw across several 4TB drives for redundancy. I've had my share of failures thank you....

The G1 have a very different presentation than horn tweeters and you also need to be on vertical axis for them to present sound properly. You may what to tone down the mid horn (which I think is too hot in the La Scala anyway) and the ribbon should keep up. They are very good sounding ribbons by the way though you will need to make the appropriate crossover for optimum sound.