rackmeister
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Posts posted by rackmeister
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I also have a pair of Forte 1s that have Crites Ti tweeter diaphragms, modernized caps (Daytons, nothing boutique) and damped mid horn lenses (rope caulk). The latter two are worthwhile. I would say the Ti diaphragms are a taste thing. They are just a bit zingy to my aging ears compared to the originals, maybe good for some genres, not so much for acoustic/symphonic IMO. My experience with my superb DIY "chimeric" (hybrid) La Scala man-cave system leads me to believe the Fortes could be greatly improved by DSP active multiamping and appropriate digital EQ and delay tweaks. This can be done at far less expense than is widely thought if one is willing to work with non-boutique components (not unlike Klipsch drivers, which is a compliment to Klipsch IMO). I might eventually try that with my Fortes too. Other upgrades to consider would be to brace and further dampen the enclosures to reduce the audible boxiness, and to glue-in septum vanes in the mid lenses to further dampen mechanical resonances (even jammed-in trimmed tongue depressors help; think of them as single-ply Baltic birch 😁).
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11 hours ago, Oicu812 said:
Actually, they are pro level speakers costumed as home stereo equipment by adding veneer.Well, apparently so. I'm guessing that most pro-sound and DJ forums would react with more surprise and disbelief/disdain, enamored as they are of the newer high-end pro gear. I have had some good experiences before with "lowly" drivers devoid of pro pretensions such as large diameter edge-wound voice coils, cast baskets, etc., so I shouldn't be too surprised, I suppose. There's also the famous Julian Hirsch review of the original Fortes where he finds essentially the same mid and tweet to be extremely rugged. It kind of takes the wind out of the current rhetoric about how much speaker technology has advanced in the ensuing decades. It would be interesting to compare the KP201s head-to-head against modern internally amplified "speakers-on-sticks" in terms of sound quality and maximum output level---but I think I'll spend my time enjoying what I have. ;->
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I have owned a pair of KP201s in road livery for several years, and have used them mostly as HT mains and for boombox duty for outdoor volleyball with a little class D PC board amp and SLA battery. Recently a friend asked me to provide an amp and speakers for an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception dance, and not wanting to transport my big multiamped DIY system, the KP201s seemed the most suitable candidates for FOH duty along with an 18" B&C sub and a couple of Behringer iNuke 1000s. My expectations for the setup were limited given the difficulty of getting high SPL outdoors, but I thought I would get by if I didn't push too hard. I set up the dance system against an exterior wall, and crossed to the sub at 150hz to limit bass content to the KPs. Long story shortened (a bit), the sound was phenomenal! Clear and musical without a hint of strain at disco/rave SPL levels to about 50 feet out from the system. The audience were thrilled and the dance floor was full and lively all evening long. I really had no idea the KPs were capable of this level of high SPL performance, especially the mid and high drivers running wide open. I kept telling those many who complimented the sound that they should come over and hear my GOOD speakers. ;-> Call me very impressed indeed, considering that I was using what are in essence home stereo speakers costumed as PA.
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https://cosprings.craigslist.org/ele/d/colorado-springs-concert-hall-speakers/6927894952.html
These look pretty rough in the photos. I'd be making the drive myself, cash-in-hand, if I didn't already have an "embarrasment of Klipsches" and other project speakers to feed and water. Happy hunting! -Don
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Guttenberg just did it again on his Audiophiliac channel. His post yesterday was a comparison of HIIIs and some B&Ws. He started by complimenting the B&Ws for the many areas in which they bested the Heresies, but then turned the tables by praising the Heresies' dynamics to the skies and passionately declaring his love for them... not another glance at the B&Ws. Probably a paradigm shift long in the making, as it is finally sinking in that it is okay to have---and acknowledge---a visceral rather than a merely analytical response to reproduced music. Klipsches, in my experience, more often than not enable both.
The brilliant gourmet dinner scene from Babette's Feast comes to mind. The puritanical locals are determined to partake out of kind courtesy while not allowing themselves to experience "sinful" pleasure... but then the wine kicks in.
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Trevalin, if one woofer sounds "good" played in isolation with a complex audio signal (full-range music preferred) and the other does not, then you have all the answer you need. Replace the obviously bad driver. (Observe polarity carefully when you do!)
FYI it sounds to me like the bad driver has a rubbing/shorting voice coil---perhaps from physical damage from overexcursion---and was probably borderline defective right out of the box. Gently axially depressing the cone while taking a resistance reading might reveal that. You also might do well to set your receiver's center channel speaker size to "small" if it is not already there, and/or set its crossover point to 80-100Hz, to minimize future low bass excursion. Let the mains and/or sub do the heavy lifting. Good luck!
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Peter, well met dude! You know me... Don in Fort Collins, CO here. You have lodged at my house! You have dropped your jaw at the bass from my Fortes! You have made me jerky for my birthday! What are you doing not coming to me with your Klipsch questions???
(Kidding re the last sentence. You are a grown ((borderline old)) man and can make your own way, especially on a bike.)
Tangent 500s are Heresy IIs (exact same drivers and x-over) with a big cheap cabinet and a passive radiator (which I also prefer over ports). I have a friend who has some, and they are a great value if obtained for a good price which means patience, which he didn't have so he paid too much but that is not a big deal as he is very happy. The cabinets are not great, sure, but can be reinforced with Skills You Possess. A pair of Tangent 500's---or 400's for that matter---are usually the bargain way to get very close to Forte performance levels. What you should be considering is converting your Heresy II to "Super Tangents" by making (or converting) some big cabinets for them with proper Thiele-Small tuning. You could even add some volume to your existing Heresy II cabinets and port them (or add passives) to get the bass I know you really crave.
OTOH, a good sub with your Heresies and you are set for life! I emailed you about this recently. I listen to my Heresy IIs with a sub far more often than to my Fortes these days---with great satisfaction---mainly due to basement theater location and late night timing. I'm actually thinking of selling my Fortes(!), as I am grooming/tweaking some vintage (TOA) sleepers to replace the Fortes with massive Altec/JBL-class cold-slap-in-the-face goodness.
You really ought to just mosey out here soon so we can map out a course of action while listening to tunes per your excellent recommendations and quaffing local micros (but you don't drink, right?). And you can listen to my budding super-TOAs and weep. We are soon to be empty-nesters so beds are available.
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First, I have a theory... well I have lots of theories, but here's one. Many pop/rock/country mastering engineers subconsciously attempt to make their recordings sound like good lively high efficiency horn and semi-horn systems (Klipsch, Altec, JBL, EV, etc.) when played back on typical bland direct radiating speakers, e.g. Bose. So this tends to make a typical pop/rock/country recording sound harsh and "honky" on a horn system because the mastering exaggerates the speaker's tonality---like a caricature of itself. Not so much so for jazz, folk, classical, and---especially---cinema, which is mastered on horns for horns. So my demo choices tend to be from those genres.
Moving on, here are but three of my favorite ear-candies:
- Laurie Anderson - Freefall
- Bruno Coulais - Norbu
- Mark Knopfler - Speedway at Nazareth
More can be found here. It's a work in progress; some are destined for the dustbin as I add better selections and/or transfers.
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No matter what Klipsch would want to do with the pic's there online elsewhere after you post them, I have ran across my own pic's while searching subjects not on this forum.
Yep, the only foolproof ways to protect them from unauthorized use are to not post them, or to restrict viewing privileges to trustworthy people only.
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or give Audiovox rights to my photos
Come on now. I'd be really surprised to learn that Audiovox wants the rights to anybody's photos around here.
Thanks for the reply, JL. Yep, I agree that it's a long shot that they would want to do anything beyond hosting them in the forum. But the Terms of Service do award them unlimited usage rights to our posted content "in connection with the Service" which some web services (like Facebook if I mistake not) have interpreted to allow its use for e.g. promotional purposes, so I like to be cautious.
From the TOS:
All Content you submit becomes the property of Klipsch Group, Inc.
We reserve the rights to remove or modify any Content submitted for any reason without explanation. Requests for Content to be removed or modified will be undertaken only at our discretion.
You are granting us with a non-exclusive, permanent, irrevocable, unlimited license to use, publish, or re-publish your Content in connection with the Service. You retain copyright over the Content.
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We got a roast pig for a big family party. I've got a video of the prep, but that might gross some folks out, lol
The pig is making my mouth water! We have butchered locally raised lambs in my neighbor's dining room so the prep photos would be no problem for me. We are due for another butchering session really soon, but will avoid doing it on Halloween night as the trick-or-treaters might take it wrong.
Your photos are boosting my desire to visit the Phillipines and Malay Archipelago, a long standing fascination. Cheers! -Don -
I love the west! Feel free tho post more of those! Nice work!
Hi and thanks, Bruce. Center pic is from historic Nanxun Town in (I think) Zhejiang Province. It is between Huzhou and Shanghai, just a bit south of Lake Taihu. We arrived there late in the (December) afternoon and the low sun was filtering through the broken overcast and warming everything up nicely... great shooting conditions! There are many touristy old water villages in the vicinity of Lake Taihu... I've been to three of them and I found Nanxun the most photogenic. Cheers! -DonDon,
Where was the center pic taken? I like it, although grand kids are also nice.
Bruce
Hey, thanks jo56steph74. Not sure I want to or ought to turn this into a photo sharing site or hijack the thread (or give Audiovox rights to my photos). What I really ought to do is set up an online gallery to share my "body of work". I'll be sure to send you a link when that happens and then you can peruse at length. BTW I also enjoy your "word pictures" of the West. California Coast is indeed a national treasure. Sadly I have no pix from my HWY1 trip several years ago as my camera bag with all my exposed film was stolen from my car at Santa Cruz. Happily the camera and my best lens were not in the bag! Cheers! -Don
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Don,
Where was the center pic taken? I like it, although grand kids are also nice.
Bruce
Hi and thanks, Bruce. Center pic is from historic Nanxun Town in (I think) Zhejiang Province. It is between Huzhou and Shanghai, just a bit south of Lake Taihu. We arrived there late in the (December) afternoon and the low sun was filtering through the broken overcast and warming everything up nicely... great shooting conditions! There are many touristy old water villages in the vicinity of Lake Taihu... I've been to three of them and I found Nanxun the most photogenic. Cheers! -Don
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You "should" have to look farther afield to find a more bastardized pair...
Well, it must be admitted that they are sons of birches.
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Klipsch audio is a little obsession of mine. Photography is a huge one.
Favorite subjects: American West, Asia, grandkids. Photos by the hundreds.Don
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Not sure why I looked so far afield, but there they are. Wish I could justify the cost and drive time! And the house addition... they're too nice for my barn.
http://santafe.craigslist.org/ele/5226078785.html
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Jim, here's my favorite configuration of my favorite rack design (it's very configurable).
That being said, I like your rack. I'm a drummer, too, at least I was a long time ago.
Do you know what a drummer says at his job?
Well, the drummer I used to room with mostly said, "Am I rushing my fills?" But I bet that's not what you're looking for.
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I try....
Any pics of your drum racks? Would love to see that.
Down to $475 btw....
Jim, here's my favorite configuration of my favorite rack design (it's very configurable). I think I will use it as my avatar (to avert misconceptions
). I have pix of this product in live shows by Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band), Dave Garibaldi (Tower of Power), Teddy Campbell (American Idol), etc.-
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Aha!, thanks for the clarification. I was wondering whether someone might go there; didn't take long! My forum name is re-used from the Pearl Drummer's Forum where I am called Rackmeister because I have designed drum racks for famous drum manufacturers. Hardware, not "software".
Good one, Jim!
Don
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Thanks for the welcome, Jim. Not a plastic surgeon, just a ghost of my former self (if you are referring to the absent thumbnail
). -Don -
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Your photos are boosting my desire to visit the Phillipines and Malay Archipelago, a long standing fascination. Cheers! -Don
Favorite subjects: American West, Asia, grandkids. Photos by the hundreds.
). I have pix of this product in live shows by Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band), Dave Garibaldi (Tower of Power), Teddy Campbell (American Idol), etc.
). -Don
Open Baffle with a La Scala Bottom
in Technical/Restorations
Posted
As a data point for your experimentation, I'm running stock '80s La Scala industrial bottom bins with humble old Eminence PA woofers from the '70s, T/S parameters unknown, and am unexpectedly getting really nice non-shouty hi-fi sound out of them up to 700hz. Seems the horns are quite capable of that, which I guess would make sense if the general rule of thumb of 3 octaves useful horn operating range holds true for them. On the other end, I'm crossing to a sub at 100hz. La Scala bins are magical.