DizRotus

Last Tuesday evening I enjoyed the power and punch of ClaudeJ1's all horn system. I expect Claude will join this thread with the technical details of his powerful system. I'll supply my experiential observations The transient attacks are amazing. Claude's single DIY Danley style tapped horn augments the horn loaded bass, mid and treble perfectly. Whether music or move explosions, the sound was real, even when real loud. The bass was felt as much as heard. A drum recording showed the system at its best. The speed and clarity of the various drums were presented as only horns, big horns, can do. In the sweet spot, the imaging,especially female vocals, was spot on. Close your eyes and the large horns disappeared, but the music soared. Claude's large loft space in Downtown Pontiac was also very interesting. Apparently, Claude's loft is in the upper section of what was a 2-story showroom in a 1930s automobile dealership. The Art Deco architectural features are way cool. Thanks, Claude On another note, Claude's space reminds me of the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museum in Auburn Indiana. I highly recommend the ACD Museum if you ever find yourself on I-69 between Fort Wayne and Indy.

I saw this yesterday and liked it. Detroit, as the attached photo of a lonely solitary house in the shadow of downtown documents, has many vacant lots. Vacant--except for trash, old tires, etc. That's space that could be used for urban agriculture. Part of the solution to Detroit's many problems is consolidating the few remaining residents into viable neighborhoods. Then the isolated, all but abandoned, houses could be demolished to create aggregated open spaces for parks, agriculture, etc. The dilemma is that, no matter how humble, people tend to want to stay in their own homes and neighborhoods and let the other guy relocate. It's kind of NIMBY in reverse.

"Thanks again....CECAA......I will check that link out.... infinitely baffled....." Puns are said to be the lowest form of humor. In this discussion of bass you can't go low enough. I love it.

No. At its low frequency limits, La Scala is already functioning as a sealed box. Adding a tuned port enhances the low frequency output, while still functioning as a horn from ~50hz to 400hz. The tradeoff is slightly reduced efficiency. To my ears, the bass is still "La Scala" fast and tight. Altec's VOT, and others, have utilized horn/reflex hybrid bass for years.

I asked the same question before I vented out the backs of the tops. The short answer seems to be that it makes no difference sonically. At least any sonic differences are way less significant as compared to issues of appearance, ease of mod, ease of reversal, etc. Forum member djk, who first proposed the most often copied mod, seems to believe it makes no difference. Forum member Dr. Who applied his academic credentials in agreement. At least that is how I interpreted their comments. There are many threads regarding the La Scala bass bin mod. In some I started there are links to others. Search this forum and Google for "djk bass mod" and you'll get more results than you're likely to absorb. IMO, if La Scalas alone don't satisfy your need for bass, try the bass reflex mod or add a sub, preferably not a direct radiator.

Reality bump

Almost everyone I've sent this to has thanked me and forwarded it to others who thanked them. If this hasn't gone viral by now, at least it has a bad cough. Thanks again JB for sharing this excellent video.

If I splurge for the TV, I won't be able to afford cable. Does it have an antenna input?

"It's all now in a new place, huge room, it dwarfs what you heard before. My "coffee table" is now standing up in a corner of an 18x24 loft inside of an 18x45 foot room. It goes to 15 Hz. easily. Anyone who has hear this latest setup, same speakers, new room, has commented on the definition, TRANSIENT response, depth, etc. of the bass and the total lack of boominess." Have you moved? I don't recall any "huge" rooms or lofts in your condo. I'd like to hear how it sounds. It's hard to imagine it sounding better than it did before, but if you say it does, I believe it.

While I agree with your subjective assessment of tapped horns, my pedantic side forces me to point out that a tapped horn is not so much a horn as a variant on the tapered quarter-wave pipe (TQWP) concept. In fact, tapped horn, TQWP, "transmission line", "acoustic labyrinth", "Transflex", and "Air Coupler" are all variations on the same theme. And, properly executed, they sound really good, too. I agree the TQWP variant description applies. Nonetheless, in terms of distortion, efficiency, etc. a tapped horn is closer to a true horn than it is to a direct radiator, and better able to integrate into a horn based system than a direct radiator. And while not small, they are small by comparison to a true horn system able to do what they can do.

I believe she was an ER nurse.<p>That interview made me want to slap her. She's a poor liar.

The details are still sketchy, but at least 1 person died in another house explosion. http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130227/METRO02/302270439/1409/metro/One-person-dies-Royal-Oak-house-explosion I was approximately 4 miles from the explosion and heard it while in the basement. I hope it was not "foul play" like the one in Indy. The nearby houses were damaged, but not to the extent in Indy. The houses nearby had their windows blown out. It appears to be a natural gas explosion. Natural gas is extremely powerful. It's almost surprising this doesn't happen more often. I hope the fatality count stops at one.

" . . . by the time she hears the verdict." I will be extremely surprised if this goes to trial. Soon the three of them will be fighting to testify against each other.

" . . . But, as we all know, it is a real challenge to get that last octave with a horn." Claude's system convinced me that a tapped horn is up to the challenge. His coffin sized unit functions as a coffee table. Tapped horns can be integrated into a system in many ways. They can be in an attic, under the floor, in a closet, in a garage, as part of a bookcase, used as a coffee table, etc.. Despite their size, with a little creativity they can be hidden or camouflaged. They're easy to build and relatively inexpensive. In other words, "We don't need no stinkin' direct radiators."

I've had the pleasure of experiencing Claude's system. It's ALL HORNS (except Cornwall center) and it's superb. Claude knows of what he speaks!

Can you point to a thread where you saw them? I haven't seen any. Could it be a browser issue?

". . . like a huge Cornwall." That is exactly what I would seek to avoid. Cornwalls look great, but the La Scala's best visual feature, it's dog house roof peak, should not be hidden behind a flat grille cloth. If grilles are used (not my preference), I prefer the angled Belle-like look favored by Greg, at Volti, and others. Greg's method of attachment also addresses the stiffening of sidewalls, which is a MUST (your mileage won't vary). It would be a shame for you to do such excellent work and fail to reinforce the sidewalls. I made that mistake. This is only my opinion. There is no correct answer. Your choice will be correct for you.

Stroh's switched to ice cream during prohibition. Stroh's ice cream is now owned by Dean Foods of Dallas.

Stroh's is available again around here, but it's not "fire brewed" in Detroit like in the day. Miller acquired it years ago, which was then absorbed by UK based SABMiller. The Stroh family are clients of mine; nice people, but no longer in the beer or ice cream businesses. Which is why I try to buy local brews from the local market (also a client). I look forward to your review. Attached is a photo (circa '69) of the day I loaded the frat house Coke machine with Stroh's. PBR and Stroh's long necks were $3.27/case. The Coke machine sold 10 oz. soft drinks (pop in Michigan) for $0.10/bottle. By putting an empty bottle between each beer bottle, we sold cold beer for $0.20/bottle. I think it might have been illegal. I'm the one sampling the product. I don't know why that guy's holding my elbow, must be the injury under the band-aid.

The beer is very good, better than it's namesake Stroh's Bohemian. It's a ligtht Pilsner, but not wimpy like the mass market beers, but not as robust as a darker beer either. According to the label, the Detroit Brewing Company is in Whitmore Lake, MI (near Ann Arbor). Layla is playing now.

Working at the computer on a Saturday afternoon is made tolerable by my Klipsch ProMedia 2.1, a bottle of Detroit Brewing Company Bohemian beer and Pandora playing a Buffalo Springfield station, which is a great mix for my 64 y.o. ears. EDIT: After reading another thread about MOG, I'm streaming that. The sounds is nice, too soon to comment convenience or value.

Your question seems to be whether to "upgrade" a vintage plywood unit or spend the same amount of money to get a new MDF unit. In my opinion, the answer to that is a definite, "it depends." The MDF vs plywood is, in my opinion, not an issue. The more important question is whether you're a tinkerer and tweaker, or whether you want "turn key" excellence. If the former, then hot rod a used unit; if the latter, then buy new and support a great company. The BMS, Tractrix, etc. mods are "upgrades" that would be impractical in a commercially viable product, even on a limited production basis. DIY hotrodders will tell you the expense is worth it. If you're even considering that option, then you should probably go that route. On the other hand, most non-audiophools would probably listen to stock new Klipschorns and the best customized, spare no expense (e.g. TAD drivers) vintage Klipschorns and only perceive that they both sound fantastic. If you want excellent sound, a fine piece of audio furniture without second guessing, go with new. If you live for the pursuit of DIY sonic superiority, then buy used and open your check book. Good luck in either case. There is no wrong answer, just different answers.

Now there's a generous offer that seems to be one you can't refuse. I'll be standing beside I-75 with my thumb out, as you head for the Ohio line.

That's good to know. Thanks. It still seems strange that the manual doesn't specifically address the issue.

Is there a way, or a need, to turn off the power to these when not in use? The owner's manual says, "13 UNPLUG this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time." Are these intended to be constantly powered? In addition to wasting electricity, I question the wear on the amplifier.