Rolox

Speaker cables can make a big difference. Try Belden 9497 (cheap) then try some upmarket Nordost, for example: if you hear no difference, it's time to sell your system and purchase some bluetooth speaker. I've owned QED, Naim, Nordost, Belden, Duelund, Leedh, and various no-name cables from department stores. They ALL sound different. That's not to say you cannot be happy with lamp cord; of course you can. But to claim all cables sound the same is pure ignorance. Or you didn't try the right cables, or your ears are shot from listening to AC/DC at 110dB+ for half of your life. That's it.

With much respect, Dean, how can you know if I don't need more / different attenuation settings without knowing what drivers I use? I'm not using Klipsch speakers. As a matter of fact, with my current tweeter / midrange I always wish there was an intermediate position between -3,8dB and -5,5dB. Between mids and bass I'm using an active crossover so it really is a matter of finely balancing the midrange on the tweeter.

It is still unclear in my head how ALK manages to have so many different outputs on a 3619 when the input connections are fixed. Does that mean with a 3636 I could actually get MORE attenuation possibilities than the announced 1dB steps from -1dB to -12dB (sorry I'm still using dBs because I just don't know how to calculate the ratios), possibly in-between steps as well? Sorry if I ask dumb questions, I've been using autoformers in my crossovers seemingly forever, I mean for as long as I've been playing with big Klipsch and now with similarly "horny" speakers - but I've never really wondered how those actually work, not in details at least. Thanks! 🙂

Yes I wrote that wrong, I bypass the whole high-pass section of the midrange. I connect the midrange leaving only its low-pass components and the autoformer.

Hi everyone, I was just wondering: how come my ALK Universal crossovers, with 3619 autoformer, has many different attenuation taps when it's supposed to have only -3, -6, -9 and -12dB? There must be something I don't understand.. Also, and that's the main question, could I put a Crites 3636 in place of the 3619 without having to change the circuit (I know I would have to add some wires for the additional entry taps, if I want the full flexibility, but I don't wanna change the rest of the circuit). Doable? Thanks a lot!

I'm doing it, with a air of ALK original "Universal" networks. I just bypassed the coil in line with the woofer and connected the crossover inputs straight after it to the rest of the network that deals with the mids/high crossover. Works pretty well and the various taps on the auto former allow me to further dial in the midrange with the rest.

Why on earth would you do that? If you disconnect one woofer, you screw with the bow tuning and with the crossover. Better part with the speakers then! Or, better, have them fixed.

I would say 200w per channel is the max you'll ever need. Just to keep the bass in check. You can probably achieve great results with much smaller amps.

I read your system description and I envy you. Must be one hell of a fantastic system! How do you like the Denafrips DAC?

Pardon me if I rain on your parade but 8 feet is awfully close for KHorns... you need a certain distance for the different horns to "gel". I understand the legitimate will to own the Bad Boys, but in the end what matters most is how you can set them up in your room. Just my opinion, of course, and I haven't been in your room to listen, just instinctive feeling and experience with having massive horns in a living room... I'm still thinking the Forte would have been more enjoyable there.

The Forte IV will be easier to position. Forget about the big Heritage speakers if your room isn't up for it - not only Klipschorns but also LaScala as they love to have space. The modern versions sound in general more refined and smooth than the vintage ones. In the wrong room, both LaScala and Klipschorn have the ability to sound absolutely horrendous. The Forte IV is much more forgiving. But please don't power them with an AV receiver! a dedicated quality 2 channels amp is what you need for those.

Well, we just had to pay (on top of our usual monthly payments) an add-on bill of 1250 euro. Half our vacation budget so, we couldn't travel in the end. I have a pretty shitty job (well, I've seen much worse, but I'm still in the "lower income" part of the population) and everything has become much more expensive. Food, electricity, gas... I'm not complaining (yet), we are a double-income-no-kids house, it could be worse, but still.

I use exclusively class D amps. On the > 500Hz range I use a fully modded Trends TA10.1 amp (TA2024 chip) with a low noise, high current linear PSU. On the 60 to 500Hz range I use a 25USD (you read that right) AliExpress amp with TPA3255 chip and an external SMPS PSU. only the subs use class AB amps - that's what they came with. I don't find the Trends amp to be aggressive, not at all in fact - and the upgraded linear PSU really raised the sound, making the treble much more natural, less "spitty". Every system has to compromise somewhere; my compromise is to keep the system completely foolproof and having the least electricity consumption possible. It stays on 24/7, barely draws any current, stays cold, and if someone turns an amp oFF or ON there are no dangerous transients in the drivers; I don't need to use a capacitor to protect them. Other people in the house use the system; all you need to do is select your desired source and press "play". The sound is clean, wide open, precise, and transparent - every upstream change (including vibration footers, cables, and of course change of DAC or preamplifier) is heard BIG TIME. The personality of every element comes through with ease. Differences in recordings as well, obviously. The amps are also dead silent which is a huge bonus with 105dB speakers. I've recently swapped the Trends amp for a pure class A amp, it sounded different, sure, a tiny bit warmer, but not enough to have me reconsider. Of course they could be considered somewhat "sterile" compared to other amps but in my system, I feel it's the source and the preamp who give the most personality / signature to the sound, and I rely on them to give me the musicality I'm after. The amps are merely passing up the sound to the speakers. My budget is rather low, I used to own plenty of vintage or second hand class AB or class A solid state, but I grew tired of the recurrent reliability issues, and I did have a big class AB amp killing my woofers once. Now don't get me wrong, if I had unlimited budget, and if I was the only one using the system, I would probably consider class A or tubes (or both) but in the current state of affairs (and having just paid a HUGE electricity bill, a bill that would have been probably double if I was using conventional amps) those little class D marvels are a fine "compromise" and I prefer to focus on the source (my next upgrade will most likely be a new DAC) and accessories. YMMV, as always.

But that's a completely different issue. it's the eternal debate of digital vs analogue. I own an analogue active crossover because I think it just sounds better and I just don't currently need all the bells and whistles of a DSP based crossover; most people nowadays would just jump at a DSP based solution, often the cheapest ones, like miniDSP, thinking that "it's digital so it doesn't degrade the signal" which is just plain false.

Yet with a properly set-up hifi system, you don't need them. Only with some genuinely bad recordings can they help, but how many of those recordings do we actually own?

I haven't once needed a balance control or tone controls... YMMV, I suppose!

good lord...

I see one of your networks has a modern film capacitor, the other one an old oil capacitor. Ideally you'd want to have the same on both channels.

Nope, I haven't; I suspect Marchand units to be very good, no idea if they would be better than the K231 tho. The Marchand would probably be easier to tweak/upgrade as there's more space inside. Stock, I doubt a Marchand would sound better (but I cannot comment, it's just that the K231 is so good, it's hard to imagine "better"). I wouldn't stress too much about the RCA connectors; sure those things matter but what matters more is the circuit and the way the whole thing is put together. as for the TRS jacks, well you can always re-terminate your cables instead of using adapters. I only use the unbalanced RCA ins/outs.

I am not mocking the McIntosh brand. I'm just saying, because it costs so much money and is so easy to recognize even by people outside the hobby, it is ALSO one of the brands that gets purchased by people who just want to impress the guests. And also by those who will never ever purchase something that's not made in the USA. I never said it was everyone's case. I never said it was a lousy brand. Just like I love Rolex watches even tho they are THE status symbol watch purchased by non-watch people when they want to show off, because everyone recognizes a Rolex on your wrist from 20 feet distance, which is not the case with Patek Philippe for example. Doesn't make Rolex a bad brand.

Yeah, modern amplifiers sound the same, and DACs, and CD transports ("it's just 1s and 0s!!!") etc etc. I wonder why we bother buying nice stuff, when we could just go to the electronic store at the corner of the street and buy a 150$ entry level amp with a DAC inside and be done with it. It measures the same, right? Oh and McIntosh... typical "status symbol, pride of ownership, made in the USA" brand. Not saying it's bad stuff, but when someone has a lot of money and wants a crazy "sound system" to impress guests, that's one of the recurrent brands. Very expensive and very easy to recognize even by non-audiophile people. Just like Rolex is the go-to luxury watch brand for status symbol.

Exactly. I do not MEAN to be a jerk or to diminish anybody. But it is a fact, critical listening is a skill and is something one learns and practices. That being said, just enjoying one's system as it is and just enjoying the tunes without caring is absolutely fine, as long as you don't make fun of those who need to go further. We all have different expectations / needs / etc. Keeping an open mind is mandatory.

Seriously, it is so annoying. I'm glad I'm not the only "believer" (I hate that word) on this forum! Cheers mate.

Do not feel sorry for your friend. You may think he's a fool, which is sad, because he is not. Using an AVR as a two channel preamp in what is meant to be a quality two channels stereo system is like putting an old Chevy motor in a Ferrari. It sucks, and it makes no sense. Yes, a discrete 2 channels preamp DOES sound better. If you cannot hear the difference, fine, but then that's you. Not your friend being an idiot. Speaker cables in my system make a HUGE difference. But, MIT isn't a very good brand (sorry). A high price isn't a guarantee for better sound. Yes, power cords (just like any cable) need a few days to break in. Why? You may dismiss it as foolishry, again, and decide to mock it and make fun of your friend, or you can google the various explanations. Has to do with the dielectric "charging" or something like that. I have experienced it with all my cables. The more complex the cable, the more obvious. I have found that silver plated, teflon dielectric wires take more time than basic copper wire, and you can hear it much more easily. Go ahead, mock me, make a fool of me, I won't change my mind about it. Brand new cables can sound harsh and congested, while a broken in cable will sound MUCH smoother and open. Again, very easy to hear, if you are a serious listener with a good revealing system. Very easy to verify, as well: put a well used cable on one channel, and a brand new identical cable on the other, I guarantee you will have a hard time getting an even, coherent, well centered stereo image. If you hear what a coherent stereo image is, of course. Cable directionality? Yes, it has to do initially with the ground end. But then, as you use your brand new cable, it breaks in in THAT position, and using it reverse kinda screws the break in, and it has to be done all over again (not a big deal, and no it won't destroy the cable, obviously, but the cable will not sound at its best for a while. Again, some cables can be more sensitive to this, depending on the geometry and materials used. That's what your friend was scared about. Ask him. Again, if for you cables don't make a difference, you will dismiss this as foolish. Your loss, if you ask me, not your friend being an idiot). I have an actively tri-amped system, home made, kind of LaScala on steroids with 2inch mid drivers and a larger bass horn, with two active subs for the lows. That's three times more cables than your usual system. I can tell you, being active let's you hear more things, and the more cables you have, the more they impact the sound. I didn't spend fortunes, but I would never ever swap my cables for something else. I'm getting a little tired of the constant mockery about people using "fancy" wires or high-end electronics. We aren't idiots. We don't have crazy amounts of money to waste - I certainly don't! Has it ever occurred to you those "fools" might just have better ears? or just listen to their system with more attention to little details? You might just be enjoying the music and that's fine, probably even something one could envy, but does that make all the MANY audiophiles who find differences in the "small" details FOOLS? Have you ever tried to research WHAT could possibly cause those perceived differences under a different bias than "it's all just bullshit"? Because if you do, you might find interesting information, and you might see things differently.

There is something wrong in the gain structure of your system, I think. Are you sing your Freya + in active mode? Even in active mode, it's not a high gain preamp, if your source is on the low side, it might feel like there is not enough "juice". It's not about the amp's power output, it's about how much voltage you give it at the input.