pcbiz
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On 6/3/2022 at 12:24 AM, estelegalize said:
Here’s a pic for more context. Thanks in advance, hope all on here are well.
Salud,
E
Welcome to the forum!
I purchased a Heresy and Chorus II pair before I got my La Scalas. So when I began modding my vintage La Scalas, I had a little more experience, and went straight to the high quality stuff. If you followed the same simple mods I made initially, your results would be more dramatic, as you have a substantially more advanced audio setup than I started with. You can follow my La Scala upgrades here:
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I tried changing the midrange settings for the ALK-450, but I put the Volte crossovers back in. They're just right. I'm sure I'll experiment with the ALK-450s again and/or use them for another project.
I also threw a new amp into the mix. A local engineer built this for about $700 in parts and labor. I already had the KT-150s and the rectifier tube from a guitar amp. He had already started when I realized I wanted mono blocks.... so this is how amp accumulation starts. My MP-301 is now used for headphones.
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11 hours ago, Rolox said:
I rewired my speakers (between the passive 6KHz crossover and the mids and tweeter drivers) with Neotech UP-OCC solid core, monocrystal copper. If you have to laugh, laugh, but that wire is a big upgrade. I realize there's a tendency on this forum to mock people who buy audiophile cable, and that is a pity (not talking about you here, just in general). Of course Klipsch speakers will work with lamp cord. They will work with just about any wire you will throw at them. But the context in which those heritage speakers are used may vary greatly. A system with 1970s LaScala and a vintage receiver isn't the same context as a pair of LaScala AL5 used with, say, a high end SET amplifier or a class A Nelson Pass design. They have one thing in common, they are both super cool and sound superb to their respective owners. But that's about where the comparison stops. in the first system, it may seem to make little sense to upgrade the cables. In the second one, it would make little sense NOT to use something, at least, made for audio - and if the user wants to spend a fortune on it, so be it. And then there's everyone in-between those two situations.
I'm a sucker for audio cable. I've tried many, at various prices. I'm poor, so it never costs as much as a small bike. The cable I use throughout my system now is made in China, is multiple separated solid core wires, silver plated, teflon insulated. They make interconnects out of it, speaker cable, power cables. I have an actively bi-amped system and there's a massive amount of wires, all by the same maker. I'v tried many brands (or brandless) before and this is the very best I've owned so far. All in all I must have around 500USD invested in the current cable loom. It may sound like a lot, but it's actually a very small amount for such fantastic wire. But yeah if it was made by Nordost in the USA they would charge you a fortune for it.
I'm not gonna go into a fight with anyone here, but for me cables are just another element of the system. They definitely add a color; they can be "zingy", they can be bright, they can be dull. They can be transparent or they can be thick and dark. The wire I use now is very transparent, a tiny tiny bit bright, and lets the qualities of the recordings and of the electronics shine through.
What I'm trying to saying is, you can't try a "fancy" cable just once, not hear a difference, and then decide cables are a rip-off. And, worse, you can't make fun of something you haven't experienced yourself. Context is everything. Live and let live. It's a free world, and never anyone was FORCED to spend money on "fancy" cable. But if you wanna do it, do it.
Well said!
I just got the GR Research power cable; $287 for five feet. It sounds deep, robust and dynamic, which is exactly how it looks. Kinda funny. So far, the GR Research cable is just a cut above the $90 cables I bought from a local electrical engineer, which are really great as well. Per Gary's advice, I'll run his cable for about 100 hours to hear its full potential.
If you could post a link to your Chinese high end cables, that would be very helpful.
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15 minutes ago, geoff. said:
...I can almost make out Al’s secret woofer filter from the picture of those ALK-450s
@pcbiz, what tap setting are you using for the squawker, -6db?
You may get a little more “distinguishing” if you let the squawker talk a little louder? Or not.
Cheers to your journey!
Hmmm.... I'll try that. To be fair, I adjusted the Volte crossover levels to taste. We shall see.
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12 minutes ago, 001 said:
The Beyma CP-25 , fits very well on the L/R sides of the Elliptrac 400
That's definitely a better idea. Thanks.
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I received my ALK-450 crossovers and my Eliptrac 400 kit a week apart. The last of the ALK crossovers, and the last of the Eliptrac kits.
So far I've installed the ALK-450s for comparison with my Volte VTK 400 crossovers.
My first observation was that the ALKs gave the tweeters a bit more push, which was pleasant. However, the Volte crossovers are better at distinguishing between each instrument, the vocals are more present and engaging, and the bass is well defined and balanced. Drums and percussion are more detailed as well.
The Volte's are also twice the price of the ALK-450s.
The next experiment will be with my Eliptrac 400 kit. I initially thought about cutting the new horns into my La Scala cabinets. However, a better option would be to create a separate cabinet for the Eliptrac horn, and a separate cabinet or holder for Beyma CP-25 Tweeters. The drivers would also be a nice fit for hot rodded vintage Klipschorns.... maybe later.
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4 hours ago, Tinnitus said:
I’m changing the wiring from crossovers to drivers in several speakers to 12AWG. I’m using PE 095-672 gold crimp (and soldered) terminal 14-12 AWG #8 at the crossover (good fit). The 12AWG fits the holes in the K33 and K22 and can be soldered without need of a connector. The K55V with push pins will accept the 12AWG (tinned).
Anyway, my issues are with the K55V and K51V (both soldered terminals) and the K77s. The holes on the terminals are too small to accept the larger wire and too delicate to attempt enlarging the holes.
Did you use additional connectors at these points to accommodate the 10AWG?
Thanks
I separated the 10awg into two strands on the end. The half strands fit the terminal holes perfectly. You can cut or twist the excess.
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I'm using this for lightning protection. Absolutely necessary around here.
https://www.amazon.com/AC-Power-Filter-Conditioner-Protector/dp/B00XWL2VVK/
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11 hours ago, rszoke said:
And not surprisingly - showing SOLD...
Wow... that was pretty fast. The used market prices are getting back down to normal. Crazy inflation tends to do that.
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I took a similar approach with my Heresys, but I purchased the ALK Universal crossovers, as I have no crossover design skills. Changing out the wiring to 10AWG and upgrading with new SMAHL tweeters were big improvements with my newly capped stock crossovers. However, upgrading to the ALK crossovers was a substantially larger and very engaging upgrade in sonics.
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7 hours ago, Flevoman said:
Is there a point where the EL34 outperforms the KT150 in your experience?
Only when the EL34s are in a better amp than my MP-301. In the same amp, the KT150 always outshines the EL34 in a big way.
I haven't done a live KT150 vs 300b comparison yet. However, I have also listened to a KT120 vs 300b comparison on Youtube. I couldn't tell the difference through my setup. I'm assuming the difference would be more noticeable with KT150s.
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On 5/18/2022 at 1:50 PM, Flevoman said:
I had a first demo at the hifi dealer And I've heard some amps. But I find it extremely difficult to hear the differences properly and doubt myself whether I hear it correctly. I didn't heard the punch in the 300b tubes to be honest.. It was very detailed, Warm and easy listening. The KT150 seemed a bit brighter, more punch and dynamics. I had the feeling I liked the kt150 the best. But I doubt very much whether I hear these differences correctly.
If you heard that, then your assessment is 100% correct.
My first and current tube amp is the MP-301 Mark III. It had a great sound with 6L6 and EL34 tubes. However, it really came to life with KT150s. Your observations of KT150s are pretty much the same as mine. I'm getting Quicksilver mono blocks to better accommodate that KT150 sound.-
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23 hours ago, Antone said:
Thanks for the interest and the info, 001. 🙂
I saw “K-52H” actually stamped in ink on the squawker compression driver magnet structure. My Heresy’s were made in 1981.
Does the K-55V work on the Heresy 700 Hz horn? I vaguely remember a discussion about another midrange horn lens going down to 600 Hz(?) Am I equivocating a K-55V with a larger (La Scala?) model’s squawker driver?
Does BEC (Mr. Crites) sell these?
Thanks again for actually reading my post. (It is a slog,I know;)
The K-55V will definitely work on the Heresy 700 Hz horn. That's what I had in mine. Crites sells them as the Atlas PD-5VH Alnico Midrange driver. $365/pair.
I also got a nice boost in presence, detail and volume from my K-55Vs by swapping out the steel crossover to driver wiring with 10AWG pure copper wire. It actually improved every driver in perfect sonic proportion. Give it a try if you'd like, and share the before and after measurements if you can.
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On 5/16/2022 at 7:25 PM, Antone said:
This is by far the sweetest, best imaged and most transparent and neutral sound I have achieved with my Heresy’s.Good work. Materials definitely make a sonic difference. I changed the tin terminals on my 'crossover to driver' connectors with copper terminals for my vintage La Scalas. The sonic upgrade was pleasantly surprising. I need to start taking measurements like yours so I can quantify these experiments.
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My Chorus II risers were pretty beat. I replaced them with modern Klipsch solid risers. They actually tightened up the bass very nicely.
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14 minutes ago, geezin' said:
Also do I have to have a farcebook account? I don't and do not want one.
Maybe not. Try it and see. As far as paying, you and the seller probably both have Zelle in your bank accounts. It's fast and free. I used it to buy my La Scalas at $600, and they are a work in progress.
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Ad title says $600, the actual ad says $800.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ele/d/bethesda-klipsch-forte-ii/7480220695.html
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On 5/4/2022 at 9:58 PM, JimMeader said:
The good news is for about $20.00 you can by the mat and try it. If you do not like it then take it off no big deal.
I did it to my 1987 La Scala's. Was there a difference to me, yes was it a big difference No. These type of changes make minor changes to the sound at most.
The single biggest difference you can make to your system is speaker placement in YOUR ROOM. Go to YouTube and do a search on speaker placement, it may not seem like a big issue but it will make the biggest difference in any system.
Enjoy the Music
For my Heresy I and Chorus II pairs, damping material on the mid horns made a substantial difference for the better.
For my La Scalas, not as much. However, when I used the Dynamat brand for damping my La Scalas, the difference was substantial. The off brand I used for my Heresy and Chorus speakers was too thin to make a difference in my La Scala mid horns.
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13 minutes ago, Dave MacKay said:
If you do, and if you have the necessary gear, would you please take some measurements with REW before and after making the change?
I'm interested in this topic but (unless I missed something) all of the feedback about improvement has been anecdotal and subjective. I'd find it interesting to see the actual difference that the damping makes.
Sorry, I don't have any measuring devices, but I'm sure someone else doing the mod has.
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On 5/3/2022 at 11:32 PM, Audible Nectar said:
Agree with this. I double-dynamatted my new Cornwall midrange horn rebuilds and am rather surprised at the results. I did the same to my new stamped metal woofers to even more good results.
Wow! Never thought about two layers of damping; I've always used one. I think I'll try that on my vintage La Scalas.
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4 hours ago, amheck said:
Is the Willsenton r8 even something to consider? It seems to get a lot of praise and last nite I saw a couple comments which caught my eye.
One, that the Willsenton and Primaluna were both from the same factory (I was drolling over the PL 100 integrated)
And two, someone else said the China concern for hifi is really no longer valid as they make so much good stuff there.
Some China amp distributors have inventory in the US. Click around Amazon to see what you can find.
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8 minutes ago, amheck said:
What sort of wait are are you looking at with those? For $1500 they seem reasonable. Theres a pair of "prototype" horn monos listed on usaudiomart about an hour away. Not sure the small discount is worth not buying new, though.
Can you use a DAC with a volume knob as a preamp with those? Was looking at the Black Ice DAC FX which had a volume knob and curious if that would play nice with those mono blocks
The wait is about six weeks. I definitely prefer the new QuickSilver designs.
A DAC with a volume knob would work, but you would probably prefer a preamp if you did an A/B test.
Good amp for Chorus 1
in 2-Channel Home Audio
Posted
A solid state rectifier for your ST70 amp would be perfect for him.