LeoG

Hello Guys, I've finally got through it this past weekend, and happy to share the photo diary: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B9x4y8mGP4gWZTViODE5NzMtOWE5ZS00ZjM4LTllYzctNjFiYTcwMWI1YmYy&hl=en Some comments: 1. I've used ALK Research (http://www.alkeng.com/) crossover boards (AP12-AK3 + ES5800 combo) and Fastlane Audio (http://mysite.verizon.net/res12il11/id105.html) horns & grills. Many thanks to Al and Dave for the enjoyment! 2. The replacement drivers are as follows: B&C DCM50-8 squawker (on top of the custom-built Fastlane horn) and the Selenium D200TI tweeter (purchased together with the matchning Selenium horn - Dave has prepared the mounting board & holes for these). 3. To avoid damaging the wall, and also to prevent vibration transmission to the false walls (custom-made narrow CD cabinets on each side - see last picture), I have covered all rear surfaces with a 1/2" weatherstrip (self-adhesive on one side) that is available at any home store like Home Depot or Lowe's, seems to do the job well, and is very easy to install. 4. The side CD cabinets were custom-made on order, and their depth is ~42" to provide an adequate false-wall effect. Overall, the sound has improved dramatically compared to standalone operation, and these false walls work no worse than real ones. 5. I have tried the upgraded KHorns with two tube-based amplifiers: Manley Stringray (first edition) and the Audio Research VSi60 temporary loaned from the dealer. While both work very well, I favor VSi60 for several reasons: a) It doesn't produce ANY background noise even with the super-sensitive KHorns, while with the Stingray you can hear hissing from the squawker and tweeter, even though it is not too intrusive. The VSi60 produces (in my view, of course) a better sound resolution and a richer, more natural, fuller and uniform sound on challenging recordings, such as Bach's organ works. Also, while with the Stingray you get a good presense feeling on, say, live Ben Webster recordings, with the VSi60 this presence transforms into a soundstage full of minor, realistic details... ... Going to check out the Pathos hybrid amplifier soon to make the final choice...

Hello, I do own the RF-3s as well as two pairs of the Heritage line speakers: Heresy II & KHorns, and two sets of B&W speakers: 804s and older 803s. I have also listened to RF-82s several times at HiFi stores with good demo rooms. Conclusion: They are generally BAD speakers. The sound is neither krisp, not transparent and clear as expected. IMHO the whole line is no good and only suits a mid-range home theater setup. The ONLY modern Klipsch speakers that are REALLY good are ... the Heritage series ones. Yes, they look outdated, and are wide/big/tall. But the sound is crisper and clearer by an order of magnitude. Even the cheapest heresy speakers sound considerably better/more balanced than any Reference series speakers. B&Ws (any 8xx series) are also much better (but more expensive as well). So as far as it comes to listening to serious, quality music, I would not recommend any Klipsch speakers besdies the Heritage ones... Kind regards, Leo

Hello everybody, I've had this Manley Stingray (1st generation) integrated tube amplifier for approximately 10 years, and it was doing a perfect job with my ProAc 3.5 speakers. Now that I've finally purchased a 1996 pair of KHorns (going through the board and squaker/tweeter upgrades at the moment and building false corners), I've got an unexpected problem, i.e. background noise. ProAcs are great speakers (and I am going to do an honest comparison test against KHorns as soon as all my upgrade projects are over), but their sensitivity is much lower (89 dB). At that sensitivity I was hearing NO background noise from the amplifier whatsoever. (By background noise I mean purely amplifier-generated noise/squawks/rustle caused by tubes/transformers when Volume is set to 0, and there is no input signal whatsoever). Everybody was surprised that a tube amplifier can work with them at all, but the combination proved perfect... Anyway, while I expected that a tube-based Stingray is also a perfect match for KHorns, it proved wrong. While the background noise is not too strong or extremely annoying, there is always something in the background during pauses, and it is not purely uniform, but I can hear slight squawks etc. (All tubes are in perfect order and matched, and I am checking the bias regularly, so do not blame it on the amp being out-of-tune). I am wondering if anyone has a good advice on an alternative tube stereo intergated amp or a tube-based amp-pre-amp pair that is still within the reach of a person who is not insane (audiophile) enough to spend $10K on a state-of-the-art Ayon model? The idea is to get comparable quality/clarity/crispness, but less background noise. At the moment I am completely set on tubes, just as it was in the times of PWK. Also, a solid-state amp will most probably be over-powered for KHorns given their sensitivity, even though I am not purist enough to miss a good alternative... I am looking at a stereo (2-channel) amp only, and I am absolutely not interested in receivers or multi-channel amplifiers... I have an absolutely separate home theater system in another room... The problem is that the 1st generation Manley Stingray: a) is not switchable to the triod-only mode (A class) and doesn't have the pre-amp bypass mode, so I can't try out another pre-amp or DAC with the same amplifier. (Most noise typically comes from the first cascade...) Thanks a lot for your kind thoughts! Leo

Hello guys, Brief resume: The woofer in one of the used KHorn speakers I've purchased on eBay doesn't work. I am wondering how can I check what's wrong, and how expensive is it to repair the speaker that otherwise looks absolutely fine... The story itself: I've purchased a pair of used Klipschorns on eBay, advertised as fully functional and in almost pristine condition. I've received them yesterday, and the speakers really look perfect. The packaging was completely intact, and it was done diligently, so it is rather improbable that smth. was damaged on the way, especially given that it was packaged so well and there are no visible defects, the item is very heavy, and freight delivery was used. One of the speakers works fine, and on the other one both the midrange driver and the tweeter do work, but the woofer is silent. If you disconnect the circuitry for these two, the speaker gets silent. I've immediately realized that smth, is wrong because sound form that speaker was somewhat hollow... Now the questions: 1. How do I diagnose the whole thing? Is there anything there to get damaged besides the woofer itself? 2. How do I repair it, and how much can it cost? Any advice on whom to turn to? At this stage I do not want it to become an endless DIY, because I need to resolve the matter somehow with the seller. (He might not be aware of the defect if he's not a 2-channel fan or has inherited the speakers, saw that they were working and sold them...) Thanks a lot in advance! leo

Guys, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the useful links, hints, ideas, etc.! I sincerely appreciate your useful and timely help! Now I will try to do it right the first time, and I will definitely share the images etc. when something gets to the stage when I can photograph it! Leo

Hello, Please do not kill me for asking, just trying to find a well-substantiated reply :-) I have got a pair of Klipschorns that I dreamed of for quite some time, but here's the problem: I am putting them in a large, cubic room (approx. 20 x 20 x 20 feet), but the room has got no usable corners. That is, I can place them against the wall, but there is a stairway entrance on one side, and the room is connected to another area on the other. (Other walls are not usable at all for different reasons). So there are no side walls to place the speakers as required, i.e. into corners, as far as the Klipschorn cabinets do not have side walls, and room walls are supposed to close the woofer area. I can currently see two solutions: 1. The most obvious: Add mini-walls on the speaker sides. I have nothing against it, but I am still wondering whether there is a convincing reason why option 2 can't be used: 2. Why not cover the "bare" side (the one not pushed against the wall) with thick plywood and glue or otherwise attach it to the speaker? What is the real big difference of putting it against the wall (same sheetrock) vs. attaching thick plywood to the side? Thanks a lot for your educated opinions and kind help! Leo