Mallette
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Posts posted by Mallette
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"at any rate -- where do you stick this thing?"
LOL:-) Depends upon your attitude towards it!
Really: It goes in your power output lines before your main speakers. It provides a feed for them, as well as the rear. The new one they are selling provides a center feed as well, but no one says (Well, except PWK) you've got to use it.
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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Hmmm...being a horn freak, I don't know anything about RF7s. My ST-70 at 35/channel supplies more than I can ever use (and I do pipe organ as well as Midnight Oil) to my horns and Frazier Monte Carlo's (c. 1970 96 db/watt/meter). I suspect your amp would be adequate with this setup. I am sure yours makes up in clean what your missing in volume. I know I'd prefer clean to loud any day...
Anyway, to use a Hafler circuit with amplification, you'd have to reamplify the signal after the circuit. Probably still better than digital, but sort of defeats the purpose of minimum intrusion.
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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Just noticed you mentioned "...another amp." Absolutely not, either for homemade or the Hafler box. All fed from the mains. Of course, Klipsh owners have way too much amp anyway!
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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The rear speakers are wired with reverse polarity from the front. Just as having your speakers out of polarity from each other, the slight time differential between the two signals emphasizes the slightly out of phase information containing room reverberation. Of course, in the case of L-R speakers out of phase, what you get is less bass and such.
The effect ranges from barely significant to downright startling. Firesign Theatre albums wind up sounding as though they were Dolby 5.1. Classical music gets depth and dimension. Rock ranges from the above to all over the place, as mixdowns add phase info.
The original circuit had a null switch to balance for maximum effect by holding it down and turning your balance control for minimum sound (maximum phase cancelation), plus a rear volume.
So guess what? I just checked, and Dynaco's successor, Panor, is selling a similar box for 49.00. Go to www.dynaco.com and click on "store." It doesn't appear to have the handy null circuit, but it does have a volume control...plus a center channel output. They are billing it as a home theatre decoder. Don't know about that, but the original does wonders for listening without a bunch of nasty circuitry.
Be interesting to know how well it compares. They'd have to go out of their way to mess up a passive circuit!
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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Thanks for the response. You are right about the specs. However, a simple resistive circuit is all that is necessary to provide various scales. The circuit is inserted across the output and is sufficiently high to be invisible to the amp.
I may have to get out my old books and see if I can puzzle it out. It's been 25 years since I dabbled in such things.
Dave (Klipschorns to be deliver MONDAY!)
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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Golly, I thought this would be an easy one. No takers at all. Hope I don't come up with a REAL poser!
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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Excellent review. I've a Dyna ST-70 paired with Khorns. More power than I could ever use.
I suggest you consider the Supre PAS 4i or other Dyna-based preamp from Frank Van Alstine. I've the 4i and am totally happy with it. Price is a bit over 800.00 wired, and about 650.00 for the kit.
See http://www.avahifi.com/price.htm if you are interested.
Best regards,
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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I've a pair of 40's vintage Weston VU meters (such as found in old radio boards) I'd like to show off the efficiency of the Klipschorn's with. My thought was to use a switched buffer circuit to set range to 1/10/100 watts full scale.
Anyone know where to find a schematic for such a resistive buffer? I know this is simple, but I've long forgotten what little I knew of such matters.
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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My favorite LP's would be a lot.
The 1956 stereo recording of the Gabrieli festival certainly stands out, as well as Biggs/Tarr/Boys Choir Columbia of same in 1967. Certainly Sgt. Pepper, Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon."
But shellac sounds great as well!
Spent yesterday listening to 78's on my Empire/Grado TT. Elvis "Good Rockin' Tonight," Benny Goodman "Oh, Baby," Duke Ellington "The Mooche" (about 1929!), Yank Rachel's "38 Pistol Blues" and many more.
Yeah, pretty eclectic. But I like ALL KINDS MUSIC played, recorded, and reproduced well.
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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BTW, what I meant in the original post by rear channels out of phase was reverse phase from the FRONT, not with each other.
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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But are those "enhanced stereo" circuits entirely passive? What I like both philosophically and musically about the Hafler is that it is basically a "straight wire with phase" and a volume control. If there is no out of phase information, it does nothing.
My Denon HT reciever also has a "matrix" decoder, but it is DSP in nature and definitely not very natural. Certainly wouldn't let it near my music...:->
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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Ok, certainly four by definition, but what about in spirit?
I purchased a DynaQuad passive rear channel device in the mid-70's which has enhanced my listening ever since. For those who've not heard of it, it was Hafler's original circuit for "civilizing" the retrival of existing out-of-phase information that exists in recordings and retrieved by many early technofreaks by attaching two speakers in the rear wired out of phase. Hafler made this easy by adding a rear volume and method of optimizing the retrieval, as well as a way to switch it out.
I've found the sonics produced by this passive system far more immersive and satisfying than two speakers. Further, I could argue that two speakers is only slightly ahead of mono in that few live musical experiences are heard from the front only without rear reflections and such. This information exists in two channel recordings and is recovered nicely by the Hafler circuit.
So what do you think? Since nothing is being added, processed, or altered, seems like its closer to the spirit of 2 channel than DSP and other artificial means, and it certainly seems silly not to listen ALL the information on a recording.
Best regards,
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century
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If throughing lots of money at your system is what you feel is necessary to achieve sonic nervana, then that is what you need to do. However, if you haunt Ebay, and are willing to listen to Mr. Klipsch, then you can do it for a lot less...consider my story.
After 30 years of reading audiophile mags, being an audio engineer (early part of my career), and plowing through tons of audio (to quote PWK) BS, I finally got it. My "dream system" could have been put together the week after my visit to Mr. K's Hope lab in 1972 and would have remained basically sonically unchallenged and unchanged to this day. That day I heard E. Power Biggs at the organ playing his famous rendition of the Saint Saens Organ Symphony via Ampex Reel to Reel in Mr. K's enormous listening room. At the peak crescendo I leaned over to PW's ear and shouted "How much power is this taking?" He looked over his shoulder at said "O, about 5 watts."
I've heard many, many, very, very exotic and expensive systems since that day, but never better. Why it took 30 years for this to really sink in I do not know, but it finally did and now I can put together my dream system and the latest and greatest ways to drain your bank account need not apply. I've thrown lots of bucks at the latest and greatest over the years and never achieved the sonic satisfaction I recieved from my 1960's system consisting of a Dynco STA-35 tube integrated amp and Frazier Monte Carlo speakers. Last week I got the Monte Carlo's down from the attic and place them on top of my present speakers. I was astonished to find them sounding BETTER! They will soon join my newly acquired Khorn's as the rear speakers fed from my DynaQuad (also from the attic and 25 years ago).
Well, I'm rattling on...point is, get yourself a Dyna ST-70 off Ebay and save a lot of money.
Dave Mallett
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David A. Mallett
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Oh...I forgot to say THANKS for all the prompt input.
You guys are great!
Dave
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David A. Mallett
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Well, I've acquired them for 1677.00 delivered. Hope to have them in a couple of weeks. Will report.
Best regards,
Dave
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David A. Mallett
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Thanks for the reply (also to HDBR).
Yep, guess I am old vinyl guy. I've several hundred CD's, but only a few of them and the ones I've recorded on location sound as satisfying as records...that includes 78's. I've never heard a transferred 78 sound as good as the original. Further, at 50 cents to a few dollars each, LP's are the biggest bargain on the planet. Nice to live in a large metro area for that one reason.
As to two channel, I'm not that dedicated to it. I certainly prefer it to crappy digital extraction. As mentioned in an earlier post, I'll be useing my vintage Hafler Dynaquad (a completely passive phase extraction circuit) to feed a pair of Frazier Monte Carlo's (about 1970) in the rear. Very satisfying addition of depth.
BTW, when I visited Mr. Klipsch in 1972, he had a Frazier Midget with a handle on it he used to demonstrate corner bass re-enforcement. As I'd just purchased my Fraziers a year or so before, I was delighted he said that Jack Frazier was one of the few designers he had any use for. They still sound great within their range.
Best regards,
Dave
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David A. Mallett
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Thanks for the response.
The completed system will be driven (temporarily by a Harmon-Kardon 12 solid state) by a rebuilt (Van Alstine) Dynaco ST-70 with a Van Alstine updated Dyna preamp (PAS-4i). I will be using Frazier Monte Carlos (purchased in 1970) in the rear with a Hafler Dynaquad (purchased in 1976 for 5.00) in the rear. Hope to add a Heresy or better as a front center at some point to satisfy the spirit of the Master.
It will be quite a vintage system. I've a Rega Planar 3-Grado LP turntable and an Empire/Grado for 78's.
Going to be quite a vintage system!
Dave
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David A. Mallett
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I am considering a pair of Khorns model KC-BR serial 8P633. Cost would be around 1500.00 plus 200.00 shipping.
Assuming the drivers and cabinets are in good shape, is this a good deal? Should they be upgraded and at what cost?
I join the group in missing Mr. K. Certainly 98 years is an enviable life span. One of life's great priviliges was a personal tour of the Hope plant with him in about 1972. I still have the 8 card and other materials in gave me that great day, and I've been waiting 30 years to acquire these speakers.
Best regards,
Dave Mallett
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David A. Mallett
Is it two channels or four?
in 2-Channel Home Audio
Posted
Good job! Good memory, too. Wish I could remember all the stuff I read in the 70's. Don't suppose you remember how to calculate resistive circuits for VU meters? But that's another post.
Dave
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David A. Mallett
Average system component age: 30 years.
Performance: 21rst Century