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DizRotus

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Everything posted by DizRotus

  1. Try this link: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/p/104516/1056671.aspx#1056671
  2. Thirty five years ago I sold Bose 901s and a Dynaco 400 to pay law school tuition. Almost immediately I decided to start a mobile DJ business to finance law school, so I needed more equipment I built another Dynaco 400 from a kit, bought a mixer and two Technics direct drive turntables and then considered speakers. I'd heard the entire Klipsch line at Almas Stereo in Birmingham, MI and at Hi-Fidelity Workshop in Royal Oak, MI, so I explored the idea of using efficient Klipsch speakers in the new business. When I discovered that an assembled Speakerlab SKhorn was about half the cost of a Klipsch decorator Khorn, I ordered four of the knock-offs and persuaded Speakerlab to absorb the shipping—from Seattle to Detroit. I dragged those 4 Speakerlab K-horn clones (I know, no match for the real thing in quality, but they weighed the same) from frat parties to JR High dances. With 300 watts/channel of Dynaco SS power (into the 4 ohm load of the two 8 ohm speakers/channel), I deafened adolescents all over the Detroit area. It would have been sacrilegious—and prohibitively expensive—to subject real K-horns to that abuse. I knocked down the plywood shipping crates to permanently attach false corners. As I would roll the first one off the trailer using a dolly, people would gasp at the size of the flat black wooden refrigerator-sized speaker. When I told them that three more were coming, they'd freak. The sound from those knock-offs was loud and clear, although I fried the T-35 voice coils regularly. EV gave me an open account. A call on Monday to EV at 600 Cecil St. Buchanan, MI would have the new voice coil and a bill for less than $20 at my door in time for the next weekend. Nobody does business that way anymore. One time a woman called to again book my services. She asked if the price quoted included the drummer. I had a difficult time convincing her that there had not been a real drummer the last time. She was not used to hearing horn-loaded bass speakers played at high volume. After a couple years I sold the whole setup as an ongoing business. I'd like to see and hear those speakers again. The one and only time I met and spoke with PWK he was diplomatic about the Speakerlabs and agreed that such yeoman duty would be beneath real Klipschorns. The conversation gravitated to his disappointment with licensing Klipsch's patents to other manufacturers, e.g., Electro-Voice. Suddenly, he shifted the topic to the relative merits of various malt whiskeys. Then, just as suddenly, he asked me, "Do you know what a Patrician is?" Before I could reply that it's an Electro-Voice speaker he said, "A Patrician is someone who steps out of the shower to take a leak." Meeting and speaking with him was unforgettable. I never met anyone else like him. Klipschorns, Cornwalls, Heresies and La Scalas have passed this way over the years. Here's a photo of an early foray by Klipsch into car audio.
  3. Another version of a wallet-vac!
  4. I'm not some guy who just wandered into this forum to get a valuation on something I know nothing about. I owned my first Khorns in 1976 and have traded in Klipsch speakers ever since. From the moment I saw them I had a pretty good idea what they should fetch. That figure has been confirmed by several people--Forum members and not--whose opinions I respect. Nonetheless, I feel it’s worthwhile to expose these speakers to knowledgeable Klipsch enthusiasts to get additional opinions as to a fair market value, if the market includes informed Klipsch aficionados. As has been said, something is worth what someone else will pay for it. An eBay auction is not necessarily a good indicator of the value of any specific item to the right interested party. Many times on this Forum, members have posted links to eBay auctions regarding items that might be of interest to other Forum members, only to suffer the scorn of someone who was already aware of the eBay auction and was hoping to steal the item. That Forum member doesn’t welcome the sudden competition from others willing to bid the item up to it’s “true market value,” but the seller certainly welcomes the interest and the bidding. This Forum is not eBay. Klipschorns are not typical speakers and these are not typical Klipschorns. They're more likely to be appreciated by people who frequent this Forum. I’m helping my friend get a fair price for the speakers, not necessarily the highest obtainable price at a real auction (which eBay is not).. There's no danger that an opportunity to sell them for a fair price will be lost while holding out for an unrealistic target price. They'll shortly be offered on the Garage Sale Forum with a stated price. If they’re not worth that stated price to anyone who frequents this Forum, they’ll be listed on Craig’s List. They'll not be “auctioned” on eBay to be eventually stripped and parted out again on eBay.
  5. I take it for granite ... that they're snake oil.
  6. Welcome. Have you hooked it up before? Is there only one? Will it be part of a pair? The two input terminals on the crossover network should be identified as such. If you're lucky, one will be identified as the positive terminal, possibly with red paint. It's also possible, if not likely, that the positive terminal won't be identifiable. If you're hooking it up as a single speaker, polarity and phase will be relatively unimportant and you can hook the positive lead from your amp to either input terminal. If you have 2 Klipschorns, make certain to hook the positive leads to the same corresponding input terminals to preserve phase between the two speakers. Even if the polarity is reverse from the norma, if they're in phase you shouldn't notice any difference.
  7. This University tweeter is in the newer '56 model. That causes me to think that the EV T-35 was added to the older '54 model after manufacture.
  8. "...hope I didn't make a peace, love, happiness thing out of it." Duder, Not a problem. It's art. Everyone is free to get from it what they feel.
  9. Everyone I've spoken with, who has viewed and listened to this video in its entirety, has enjoyed it a lot. If you want to view the video and the link above doesn't work, the You Tube link is below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUG-T47yBIU
  10. The Zip file attached to the initial post contains several photos. If you can't open the Zip file, or if you'd like higher resolution versions, please send me an email or private message through the Forum, I'll send the photos via email. The photo attached here shows the EV T-35 tweeter in the 1954 (left) speaker. It surprises me that the older speaker has a T-35 while the 1956 speaker has a University tweeter. I'd be interested in informed explanations for the difference.
  11. A friend recently inherited two Klipschorns from her father, who bought them new in 1954 and 1956. I've offered to help her place a reasonable value on them. Unfortunately, she already got rid of the McIntosh tube gear that powered these. When a fair price is determined, they'll be offered first on this forum. If they don't find a good home through this forum, they'll be listed on Craig's List. As the photos demonstrate, they're in decent cosmetic shape but they don't match. Remember, in 1954 stereo was not yet a reality so speakers were rarely purchased in pairs. That being said, her father bought the second one in 1956, still prior to the general availability of stereo. All of the drivers are functioning. The crossovers are original, i.e., they're crying for new capacitors, although there was no evidence of leakage. I didn't open the bass bins (which gave no evidence of ever being opened since built) to confirm the woofer manufacturers, which would probably be University or Stephens, as I don't believe Eminence were used in '54 or '56. There's no better place than this forum to get informed opinions regarding the value of these vintage Klipschorns. While I understand that opinions are like navels (everybody has one) please resist the temptation to merely suggest what they would be worth to you. I'm not soliciting bids at this time. When a fair market price is determined, these will be listed in the Garage Sale Forum with a stated price and they'll go to the first person who agrees to pay that price. I want to avoid a situation where Forum members bid against each other. The attached photos identify the left speaker (1954) and the right speaker (1956). The front of each seaker will be displayed below in separate posts.
  12. An old friend sent this link below via email. She thought I would enjoy it. She was right. You might enjoy it also. So turn up the speaker volume and [Click Here].
  13. Craig, You've probably mentioned this elsewhere, but where in Northern Michigan are you now? I always intended to get to Burton some day to meet you in your natural habitat. Too late for that now. Since you didn't indicate UP, I'm guessing you're still below the bridge.
  14. Gary, I understand your excitement. Thanks for sharing the experience and the photos.
  15. I agree with both Mike and Gil, but I wouldn't assume that the factory always did it the same way. I'd confirm polarity with a battery as Mike suggested, whether or not red paint is still discernible on the terminal strip. With the grill removed you should be able to watch the woofer move front to back. As Gil suggests, take the backs off and confirm the connections at the newtorks. It's a hobby. Take your time, Make sure everything is as the factory intended it, not merely as it might have been made.
  16. Follow this thread Ported La Scalas? and it will direct you to many threads about ported La Scalas. I would do it to any vintage La Scala, whether ot not a sub was also felt to be necessary.
  17. With a bit more information, you will receive help from many of the friendly and knowledgeable members, but first welcome to the forum. A photo or two would help immensely, especially when it comes to providing a range of value.
  18. Artto, That's exactly the kind of feed-back I was hoping to get. I didn't think Crown ever made an integrated amp. My friend is not a serious audio enthusiast. He's more into nostalgia than measurable performance. After speaking with Michael Colter and reading your thorough response, I'm going to advise him to reconsider. The fact that he asked about an integrted amp indicates his desire for minimal hands-on involvement. He seems to want plug and play. Thanks,
  19. Bump with a more descrptive subject.
  20. A good friend of mine wants a vinatge Crown amp, integrated, if available. He's not a hardcore audio enthusiast, but he wants a vintage Crown amp. I told him that I have a bunch of friends (this grerat Forum) with knowledge and opinions about things audio, including vintage Crown amps, and that I'd get some suggestions for him. Any recommendations of models, years, etc. to look for or avoid?
  21. Nat King Cole - "The Christmas Song" aka Chestnuts Roasting .... EDIT: Jerohm and Picky- Great minds think (and cut and paste) alike. It's too bad the cigarettes that gave him that voice also took his life too soon.
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