DizRotus

It's very good. Even my 20 year-old son likes it.

Welcome to the forum. If you've already discovered threads that include input from Andy, aka HDBRbuilder, as well as serial number decoding info, you're well ahead of the curve. Unless Andy happens to see your thread, it's unlikely that you'll receive a definitive answer. Perhaps Bob Crites, aka BEC on this forum, could help with the date isssue. In any case, you might want to eventually consider refreshing the caps in the balancing networks; Bob could also help with that. Enjoy them. They're great speakers.

Glenn, Even though we were warned, it's still a sad day for the area. Ernie was a treasure! The Wings and Tigers felt the funk too.

It was probably I've Got The Music In Me that convinced one of my customers that there had been a live drummer in addition to 4 SKhorns and 600 watts.

In the 70s I had several Sheffield Labs direct to disc recordings, including King James Version with Harry James, I've Got The Music In Me with Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker and a recording by Lincoln Mayorga. Unfortunately, I got rid of them the same time I got rid of my vinyl and my AR turntable with an SME 3009 arm and Shure V15 III. That was a mistake! Who is familiar with Sheffield Labs? Are CD versions of the direct to disc vinyl available? I used the Thelma Houston record in my mobile DJ business. The dynamics were awsome. The four Speakerlab SKhorns never sounded better than when that record was playing at live concert levels.

You're an infamous painter from Austria.

Welcome. I agree with the suggestion to listen without a sub for a substantial time period to establish a basis for later comparison. I also recommend that you listen to them as they are for an extended period and then change one variable at a time, with a substantial listening period after each change. After establishing how they sound now, then contact Bob Crites, BEC on this forum, to get new caps to return the networks to stock, before "upgrading." The cost is minimal and it would allow you to establish a baseline before making more expensive changes. After new caps, consider bracing the sidewalls of the bass bins; another inexpensive upgrade. Enjoy your project.

You indicate an increase of internal volume of nearly 50%. I'd be prepared to decrease the internal volume. Perhaps you could use bricks to temporarily reduce the volume while you listen to the results.

Yes. Starting in the 60s and 70s, the availability of cheap high powered solid state amps made the efficiency of horns less important than when relatively lower powered tube amps ruled the audio scene. Now that tube amps, especially extremely low power SET and the like amps are enjoying new found popularity, the need for efficiency is again important. Therefore, horn speakers are being considered by some who dismissed them out of hand a few years ago.

You're right OT, I should have told her I was the drummer. That sorority party at Western Michigan University was the dullest group. Nothing would get them moving. I was surprised that they called back. There were certain songs that were guaranteed to get people dancing, e.g. Long Cool Woman, Back in the USSR, Jesus is Just Alright, that medly by Boston, I've Got The Music in Me (Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker) and others. All failed with that group. Contrast that to a fraternity (Phi Delta Theta) party at Michigan State University on parents weekend. The students and parents danced all night. The old people danced to the then current music and the young people danced to Glenn Miller, etc. They kept passing the hat to buy another hour. That mobile DJ biz was a fun way to earn money, but it took a toll on my hearing--not to mention the transmission in my 442, dragging around all of that gear.. GO WINGS!

I have one in my attic. It works fine. It's not grounded.

I've described this before on this forum, but that was years ago now. In the 70s I dragged 4 Speakerlab SKhorns around to schools, weddings, etc. I used the plywood from the shipping crates they came in to enclose the backs ( I was ahead of the curve). They were painted black. When I unloaded the first one using a handtruck, the waiting adolescents would gasp in amazement. Then I'd tell them 3 more were still in the trailer. With a Dynaco ST400 into the 4 ohm load (four 8 ohm speakers) the Dynaco put out 300 watts/channel. The volume was deafening. Without the cues of distortion, it was difficult to recognize how loud the music was. One advantage of the large speakers was that there was no worry about someone walking off with one. Although, before I enclosed the backs of the top hats with metal screen (hardware cloth), a jr. high kid spun off one of the Atlas squawker drivers. It turned up when the jr.high principal let it be known that there would be no more dances until the driver was returned. That much SS power was hard on the T35 tweeters. I blew many voice coils. In those days, I could call EV on Monday and a new voice coil would be at my door before the weekend, plus an invoice for less than $20. I'd then mail a check to Electro Voice at 600 Cecil St., Buchanan, MI. Can you imagine a business doing things that way today? The one time I met PWK, we talked about Khorn kits, clones, etc. He agreed that the abuse I subjected the SKhorns to was not deserved by true Khorns. Regarding kits, he expalined why Klipsch got away from licensing copies and kits, due to an inability to control the end quality. He then asked, "Do you know what a Patrician is?" I started to say that it was a version of a Khorn made by EV. Before I could get the words out of my mouth, he said, "It's someone who steps out of the shower to take a leak." He was a world class genius and a world class character. Yes, four real Khorns would have sounded better than 4 Speakerlab copies, but the sound was still incredible. These Skhorns had the EV T35 tweeters, aluminum squawker horns and plywood construction. The crossovers were junk, but they still put out tremendous amounts of clean sound, including window rattling bass. One time a sorotiy girl called to book another date. She asked if the price included the drummer. It was all I could do to convince her that there had never been a drummer at the first event; just four horn-loaded behemoths and 54 lbs. of SS power.

Thebes, Thanks for sharing this interesting article. What is up with the high-lighting of "in" and "the"?

It's possible they left Hope, AR that way, but more likely were switched later. I'd make certain that all connections are clean, tight and the same in both networks. As to the polarity of the squawkers, be certain they're the same in both networks, and then listen with them "reversed" (like you found them) and as youve changed them. If you can't notice a difference, I'd leave them the way you changed them, not "reversed." In any event, I'd suggest speaking with Bob Crites (BEC on this forum) about refreshing the capacitors in those decades old balancing networks.

USNRET I agree with Gary, Vonski Speaks and Von Freeman are acquired tastes that some will never acquire. While I enjoy the CD, I don't like it as much as Allan does. My wife can't stand to be in the room when Summertime is playing. There are many great jazz albums, but, IMHO, if someone has only 5 jazz albums, 2 of the 5 should include Kind of Blue by Miles Davis and Time Out by Dave Brubeck. If neither of those appeals to you, then jazz might not be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if they strike a chord, you've opened a door to a plethora of music that can be characterized as jazz. Remember the story of the emporer's new clothes. You don't have to agree with the majority--or a minority. Listen to what appeals to you, not what someone else (including me) says is worthy of your time.

Coytee's idea about signing the vault is a great one. From now on, each user or custodian should sign and date the vault, including location.

The included nut driver and some spare screws are supposed to be in a heavy duty bag taped to the outside of the vault. You're right. It would be of little use inside the vault.

The CD arived yesterday and I'm just getting a chance to give a listen. As expected, I like it so far. It's especially encouraging to see that it was produced by Nessa Records of Whitehall, MI. Whitehall is on White lake near Lake Michigan.

My guess is that it flew, but it's seriously UGLY. Things like that remind me of why Cosmonauts had to be some of the bravest people on Earth. To allow yourself to be shot into space by a country that couldn't build a decent copy of a 56 Packard, took real nerve.

Thanks Allan. Amazon sells another copy. How's the Studepopper?

I agree with Rudy. Other things being equal (including a space large enough for Khorns), the Khorns should beat the La Scalas regarding bass, even with the bass reflex mod. That said, with a space not suited to Khorns, the modded La Scalas would probably do a better job. In any case, don't worry about a hypothetical Khorn, just enjoy your really excellent speakers.

They look fantastic. If they sound as good as they look, you must be pleased, as well as justifiably proud. As to comparing the soiund of La Scala to Klipschorns, that's very subjective. The difference in bass that you describe might better describe the difference between stock La Scalas and stock Cornwalls. Stock Khorns go lower and probably sound fulller to most ears than stock La Scalas. Each has tight horn-loaded bass. With your speakers, all bets are off. They could very easily sound better, to most people, than stock La Scalas or stock Khorns. The modifications to the bass, midrange and tweeter sections, compared to stock La Scalas,would make it difficult to compare. I've owned Khorns, La Scalas, Cornwalls and Hereseys. The Khorns and Corwalls were stock. The Hereseys had Crites tweeters and the La Scalas had the bass reflex mod. In my opinion, the Khorn, given the right room, will produce the best overall sound. You can't cheat the laws of physics. The other heritage speakers are more tolerant of lesss than ideal rooms. They can all be made to sound great, but there will always be compromises. The fundamental truth is that "better" is in the ear of the beholder. Don't sound waves cycle differently south of the equator? I'm probably thinking of something else.

We don't need no stinkin' 6 x 9s!

Like Coytee said!

It looks interesting. I'm also curious to hear about others' experiences with any of the designs on that site.