Bossman

Im surprised nobody has mentioned the NAD 3020. I like mine with all my Klipsch speakers. I am alone on this one? I had a few Marantz 2230's and liked them a lot, but they always seem to need repair.

I have the exact same amp. Got it from the bay.. 12 or 13 watts per channel.. I have used with my my cornscalas and was very impressed. Im currently using with my RF-3's and it does sound very nice. A good bang for the buck tube amp.

How do you when you need new caps? The age of the cap should be the first way of determining if replacemts are needed. As far as hearing the difference, its subjective but what I can notice about old caps is a lack of focus in the soundstage. Its there, but in a somewhat blurry type of sound. Old caps can sound decent to some people, but when you install new decent caps, you will immediately notice an improvement in realism. A much sharper true sound, and more full sound. Some say new caps can provide a brighter sound, but the new brightness is just the sounds that were lacking from the original old caps.. so you are actually missing out on a full sound with the old caps.

Im not a pro here, but I have experimented with different tweeters in original klipsch crossovers.. Some say tweeters are interchangeable, but if the non K-77 tweeter is not the exact same specs and frequency response (which it most likely is not), it would require serious crossover mods. Yeah they might drop right in, but you will probably change the exact crossover point and in some instances, you might have both the squaker and tweeter playing the same frequencies... Just my amature experience and 2 cents. Hope this helps.

Dont forget to put rubber feet on the bottom of the cabs or use some sort of anti vibration isolation foam to keep them from making rattling and vibration noises..

Listen to them as they are, then in a week or 2 replace the capacitors in the crossovers and experience an even better sound. The capacitors are cheap from PE. Just get 4 of these bad boys: http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-pmpc-20-20uf-250v-precision-audio-capacitor--027-214

I have used Heresys for near field monitors as well in my small office at work. They sounded nice to me in near field locations. I had to bump up the bass on the eq just a bit, but sounded very nice. If they sound good to you, leave them there and enjoy.

I have had a couple pair of KG3's that had a bad woofer.. Curious to see the input of this thread. The woofers look the same but different colors..

Possibly a bad tweeter or two? Is there any sound at all coming from the tweeters when you put your ear right up to them?

I use my tone controls all the time. Usually up a few ticks on the bass when listening to rap or hip-hop, and down on the bass for Norah Jones and Tracy Chapman etc.. I would suggest if you have them, use them and adjust them to what sounds best to your ears... not to what others say to do ( flat, off, or pancake ).. All music is recorded differently. If flat sounds best (and sometimes it does), then go with it.. if minor adjustments on your tone controls sound better to your ears, then dont let others tell you they don't.

Yes I have read that article.. I just wanted to hear different opinions.

Has anyone compared the sound of a A-55G to that of a dual phase plug soldered K-55? Is it a big difference or small difference?

Thank you all for all the great replies and helpful info.

I would try Mothers Polish and see how shiny it can get.

wdecho, thanks for all the helpfull info. The reason I am after a SET is because many people here on the forum recommend using a SET amp with Klipsch speakers. But like you said, as long as it sounds good to my ears (which it does), that's all that matters.. I just wanted to start this thread for those who are are the fence about trying tubes with Klipsch speakers. It is a great way to experience that tube sound on a low budget.. even at 3wpc, it has enough power to drive efficient Klipsch speakers with authority.

Not to veer off from the topic, but I went from a similar setup to yours and switch to a pure 2-channel system. I have no regrets doing so.. I am currently using a tube amplifier and use it for both music and movies. I love it, and it is a very simple setup. My speakers are the RF3's, which are very similar to yours.. a dual 8 inch woofer and a horn tweeter.. These speakers can both handle the very low octaves with ease, eliminating the need for a subwoofer. Just my thoughts, you can take them as a grain of salt and it won't bother me .

So I recently aquired a new to me original Miniwatt tube amplifier. I know these have been around since 2013 or so, but being that I am new to tubes , it's all new to me.. After reading a lot of good reviews online and seeing people using this mini tube amp with very expensive high end speakers, I was inclined to purchase one and see what all the hype was all about.. The original Miniwatt can be purchased for about $150 or so on fleabay. After initial setup and letting the tubes warm up for about 15 minutes I played some tunes from Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, and Elton John, and wow this little booger can sing! A great little amplifier for $150. This is my second tube amp, as I thought my first tube amp was SET and turned out to be SEP Pentode... Now someone correct me if I'm wrong, this thing is a SET Triode right? The tubes used are: 6J1+6P1 . Does anyone have any experience with this amplifier? So far I'm loving it.

Now that's reeaal Nice! Great work Maynard.

Can't comment on the DE-120, but I am using the B&C DE10-8 in a pair of Super Heresys and it sounds very nice. Much cleaner, airy, open, and clearer compared to a K77. It is more sensitive compared to a K77 so a minor adjustment to a crossover might be needed. The DE10-8 to my ears sounds a lot better than the Selenium D220Ti that it replaced also. So thumbs up here for B&C drivers.

So is this specifically an issue only when listening to Dish Network? What other sources are in your system and do they all sound good?

Nice detailed work!

istics, I have have done what you want to do before and have had great results. There are couple ways to go about it.. 1. Dave Harris at Fastlane Audio has come up with a speaker cabinet design to use with the Heresy II components ( http://www.fastlaneaudio.com/ported-heresy-ii-project..html ).. I am currently about 95% done with my set. 2.There is the John Albright Heresy Mod that utilizes the stock heresy cabinet modified with a port tube and crossover changes.. If you build a custom cabinet, i would recommend using a larger mid horn to open up the sound.. Upgrading the tweeter would also be an option. I am currently using a B&C DE10 for a tweeter and it sounds great. You can also use Bob Crites CS1.5 Cabinet also..

Deang and Schu, you guys seem like pros around here in the technical speaker section.. Just curious as what amplifiers (solid state or tube) are you guys using to listen to music with?

Maynard, Im interested.

Nice posting Maynard. This article has some good info. I find it ironic that some people pay more attention to the specs and measurements of music equipment than they do to how the equipment actually sounds. That goes for amps and speakers. When I build a pair of custom speakers, I use testing equipment to measure the frequency response but I don't necessarily use the measuring tools to finalize the product. Once I get a frequency response close enough to flat or in the ballpark, I then turn off the testing tools, turn on the music, close my eyes and listen to music critically. From there I make judgements and adjustments and use the tools to see the adjustments made. People would be surprised how well a pair of 3 way horn loaded speakers can sound with with a frequency response that is not perfectly flat. Just my 2 cents..