aaronhirsch

Hi. I don't have a measurement mic. Can anyone tell me what the frequency response of a La Scala I from 1982 should be? A graph would be best, but a -3dB spec would be fine too... Thanks!

Oh, I like it more without! It keeps it more mysterious. This is the speaker David Lynch would use in his films! It's kind of like: what the heck are those things?? And we know exactly what they are. 😉

Contact cement. I had to use bondo and contact cement is the only thing that will stick to it.

Lightly figured cherry. Veneersupplies.com

Before: After: It was BRUTALLY difficult to veneer the interior sections of the La Scalas without taking them apart. Fully 90% of my time was devoted to dealing with the interior of these guys. I thought it would take about 20 hours to do in total. I estimate that it took about 200 hours all in. If you want to do this, you need to take them apart -- at least the sides. I was too intimidated to attempt it, but in retrospect, it's definitely the way to go. In fact the way to go, if I'm being perfectly honest is to get a side gig, earn $18,000, set aside $5,000 to pay income taxes and then buy new La Scalas. Luckily I like the look of the old ones more than the new ones, but jeez, what a project. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, because I really did. But it was a commitment.

Hi. I've been very gradually bringing some La Scalas back from the dead. I'm going to veneer them with figured cherry. I want to end up with a more or less "stock" finish which I gather is going to be more matte/semi-gloss. I was planning on using a spray lacquer and am looking for some suggestions: brands, suggested gloss level, anything else.

Moving to eBay $1 plus shipping and no reserve.

Hi. Square magnet type K-33 woofer from 1981 La Scala. Not working. $50 plus shipping from Maryland 20812 zip code. 17.6lbs 15.5"x15.5"x8" Contact via DM. I have lots of positive feedback on eBay.

Ah, right. Yes. Should I use paper backed veneer with some kind of glue or a peel-off type with pressure sensitive adhesive? I'm assuming that contact cement is too difficult. Aaron

Yeah, that sounds about right. Thanks! So, one more question: what veneering method would work best in this case: considering the task and considering my lack of experience?

Hi. I've gotten into a restoration project of some 1981 La Scalas. I'm most of the way through the removal of multiple layers of black paint and getting down to the plywood. My plan is to veneer them. I've never veneered before, so I'm learning as much as I can before I start. The outside of the cabinet seems relatively straightforward. However, the inside of the cabinet seems either very advanced or impossible. Outside veneering is easy because you cut oversized, trim off with a blade and sand down to exactly meet the edge of the cabinet. Inside the cabinet, it looks like a different game. It seems you can only cut the veneer pieces once and they must fit exactly with no room for error, which presents two problems that I can think of. First, it seems to me that there's no way I can make perfectly straight lines inside the cabinet where the surfaces join, so it's going to be a mess of variable little gaps all along the inside edges of the cabinets. Second, let's say I somehow could actually do an acceptable job of that, I'm concerned about possible expansion and having it buckle if it does. Any thoughts on these two questions? Thanks for any guidance you can provide! Aaron

Thanks for the ideas! Crites doesn’t have them.

Hi. See pic below. I need to refurb my K-55-V drivers and I can't find the larger black seals anywhere. It seems like they'd be real easy to fabricate. Has anyone done this? Recommendations for a source? They look like ordinary rubber 1/8" thick. Thanks!

Slow progress here. I have to collect all the speaker components. I shined up the crossovers and wiped off all the tobacco smoke with some TSP on the wood and 91% isopropyl alcohol on the electronics and horns. The other woofer is lost, so I'll just buy a pair of brand new K-33-E round magnets and sell the square magnet one for someone else to refurb. There's some felt looking stuff inside the magnet sections of the squawker horns, which I'm assuming is supposed to be there (let me know if it's not) and I need to get both gaskets for it. Speaker Exchange doesn't have the gaskets, so I might try Crites or someplace else.

I'm pulling the compression drivers apart to visually inspect them. See pics. I guess they're okay? I'm assuming they're originals. Not sure if they need new diaphragms or not. 10.6 & 10.9 ohms is reasonable? Anyhoo, see the pics below. There's some felt looking stuff in the middle of the magnet section. Is that supposed to be there or is it garbage? Thanks! Aaron

Oh yeah, very faint. "W" indicates 1981. I was guessing early 80s from the look of the caps on the crossover.

Hi. I picked up some well worn and very dirty La Scala industrials in need of a substantial amount of work. See pics. I'd be interested in hearing recommendations/advice on what to avoid, etc. I'd also be curious to know the best guess for the year they were made. I couldn't find a serial number anywhere and the AA crossover My plan is to first get the drivers and crossovers up to snuff. Tweeters: K-77-M reading 6.3ohms & 5.8ohms, they make tweeter-like sounds, so maybe they're fine? Squawkers: K-55-V reading 10.6ohms & 10.9ohms, they make sound too, I guess that's good? The gaskets are completely toasted. I'll order new ones from Crites or someplace. Woofer(s): K-33-E with the square magnet. One is missing for the moment at least. The one I have reads OL on my multimeter and there is no continuity. I guess that means the coil is burned out? If the previous owner doesn't find the missing driver, I'll have to get another K-33-E. Do I need to get a matching square magnet or can I just get one of the round ones? I was also thinking of just getting a brand new pair from the Speaker Exchange, though they require a serial number (which I don't have). Crossovers: See pic. After the drivers and crossovers are sorted out, I'll clean them up and put them in my living room in all their banged up glory and see if me n' my spouse like the way they look in our living room (not likely). Mostly likely: I'll pull the handles out, replace the holes with plywood & Bondo, Bondo all the worn off edges, replace the bases with baltic birch plywood and replace that tape that seals the opening to the doghouse (what is that spongy tape anyway?). Then I'll sand them down and veneer them in walnut, cherry or something else. Then me n' the spouse will decide if we keep them or the Cornwalls I have now and we'll sell the ones we don't keep. Thoughts? Warnings? Etc? Thanks!

The preamp controls the volume.

Hi. I just got a 80-watt NAD power amp and streaming preamp combo. There's no volume limiter built into the pre-amp software (coming soon they say). I'd rather not have to buy a passive volume pot. I need a stopgap solution and was thinking an inline fuse would do the trick. Do I just get any old fast fuse and put it on either positive or ground of the speaker wire? What fuse spec do I need? I don't think I'll be able to "hear" a fuse, so I'm not concerned about that. Just trying to protect my speakers and the ears of my family. Thanks! Aaron

Very helpful. FWIW, I calculate my Schroeder Frequency at 102Hz. It's a very large room. So, with that in mind, maybe I could add one or more subs to help manage the bass? I actually have one in an opposite room corner: a Hsu VTF-2 MK4. I've got a MiniDSP 2x4HD and REW, which I'm finding very difficult to use. I'm getting an NAD C 658 preamp with Dirac Live, which I hope will be easier to figure out.

Hi. Something has been bugging me lately. I have Cornwall I's in the corners of my very large listening room (I can't move them and I can't get Klipschorns 😔 ). They're pretty good, but gosh that bass blooms. I have them EQed down in the LFs with a MiniDSP. It helps a lot. I've developed an interest in the La Scala, initially because I just love the way they look. Upon closer inspection, they're reputed to have less bass than the Cornwalls, which sounds ideal. So, why is it that the Cornwall is/was marketed as an acceptable corner speaker and the La Scala is not? Or am I wrong about this? I see that some people are putting La Scalas in corners. However, the last thing I want to do is take my rather good Cornwalls and replace them at great expense with all the logistical acrobatics and regret the swap. My sense is that the La Scalas would actually work a bit better and would be great eye candy. What do you think? Thanks, Aaron Glen Echo, MD

Okay, thanks!

Hi, I'm considering a purchase of an AK-4 K-Horn. I've got room corners, but it's going to be a close fit, I think. Are there some dimensional drawings of the speaker somewhere that I can look at? I'm particularly interest in a top-down view. Thanks! Aaron

Here's the ASR review: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-neurochrome-modulus-286-amp.6443/ On reddit I saw the all-in price for a Modulus-86, which I assume would have measurements similar to the 286 would be only about $380 and a lot more fun than buying a used amp! https://neurochrome.com/collections/power-amplifiers/products/modulus-86 Still the question remains. How will this be on the Cornwall I's? I saw one or two heritage horn owners give it a thumbs up over on ASR. But, the best way to find out is to... BUILD 😁 Aaron