ka7niq
-
Posts
905 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by ka7niq
-
-
1 minute ago, richieb said:
I'm sure its quick and Dirty for sure. I'll pass. Nelson Pass --
LOL, yes, if you are fortunate enough to have a Nelson Pass amp, no need for this
-
2
-
-
In lived in Seattle, and Bob Carver taught me something I would like to pass on to those of you that may not know about it. Will this make your solid state amp sound exactly like a Tube Amp, not exactly. But, Bob Carver did that, and demonstrated it to Stereophile. In fact, I picked Bob up from Sea-Tac airport when he flew back home to Seattle from New Mexico. I heard it at Bob's home in Snohomish for myself on Bob's Dahlquist DQ 10's. Bob had a Conrad - Johnson tube amp, and his transfer function modified transistor amp he demonstrated to Stereophile, and the 2 amps sounded absolutely identical.
To make your solid state amp sound more tube like, here is what you do, buy some 20 to 25 watt resistors like these http://www.electronicsurplus.com/vishay-dale-electronics-cpwn20-3-resistor-power-0-3-ohm-20w, then place only one resistor in series with one of your speaker terminals. Bob suggested buying 3 of these resistors (6 total) starting at 1/4 ohm, 1/2 ohm, and 1 ohm.
The more resistance you use, the more tube like your amp will become, however, past 1 ohm on most speakers, the bass will get sloppy past 1 ohm. The resistors can be inductive or non inductive, feel free to experiment with both kinds.
This is a quick and dirty little trick that will change your sound, give it a try.
-
1
-
-
On 11/13/2017 at 5:25 PM, Schu said:
Prepare yourself for extremely clear crystal like sound with a very black background. Some people don't like it, I think it's just different is all. With high dampening factor and low distortion, expect the amp/speaker combination to expose any bad recordings with extreme prejudice.
Exactly !
I have a Pioneer SC 87 Elite in the system with the D3 Digital amps right now on LaScala's.
On a good recording, watch out, the sound is simply stunning at times.
However, it is NOT a Euphonic amplifier, like most Tubes are, and some conventional amplifiers.
IOW, it will not hide a bad recording as well as some amps do.
-
On 12/4/2017 at 3:57 PM, derrickdj1 said:
Boy, how refreshing to not be on an Auddysee thread, lol. I don't usually change distance settings. I think what Tom allude it to was changing the time position in manual MCACC adv. EQ from 50-70 ms to something like 30-50ms can make a world of difference on how the top and bottom end of the sound.
I also don't use the ACL, Optimum Surround, direct or pure direct. I do employ the Hbit since 99% of my music is digital. Upsampling is set to 4X. No on DRC, DNR, ASR. This may sound like gibberish to people not using MCACC, lol. We have our own private club on the forum, he, he.
You must use the MISB button
-
On 12/10/2017 at 9:05 PM, TomR said:
Sorry for highjacking the thread but Im looking at the pioneer elites (sc-lx801) and some equiavlent yamahas if anybody knows anything about them.
I finally have got around to hooking the Pioneer Elite SC 87 with the D3 digital amps in it.
I have LaScala's, and I am quite impressed with this D3 amplifier.
I simply can't imagine a Yamaha sounding this good.
Now I see why Onkyo bought out Pioneer, LOL
-
1 hour ago, Marvel said:
That is why the autoformer is is the circuit. I dropped the mids about 3 db in my LS, making the balance a lot smoother.
You could also triamp and use a dsp crossover to you could time align the drivers AND adjust the levels.
Bruce
I have the AL 3 crossover Bruce
How do you go about dropping the mids ?
-
Probably THE worst Power amps ever, were a pair of big Kenwood L 09 Monoblocks, nails on glass on every speaker, pure torture on Klipsch.
-
1 minute ago, Dave A said:
Yesterday I bought what was supposed to be a pair of KP-201's. What they really are I don't know. Inside on the mid horns though was a pair of soldered lug K-55V's. Now researching these led to discussions on K-55M vs K-55V and K-55V soldered lug drivers and how some (K-55M) would sound to bright on, you guessed it, AL-3 crossovers. Different behavior on A and AA crossovers. All things being equal with a pair of La Scalas the AL-3 were brighter than the AA's were with a K-55M driver but I liked the highs the K-55M brought to things like cymbals on this setup. The K-55M on the AA crossover was more muted on mid and high range but sounded better with blues and old pipe organ music. So add to the mix matching the driver to the crossover. Apparently K-55 whatevers and crossovers are not mix and match.
For the first time I had newly recapped crossovers and a pair of La Scalas to play with at the same time and I am finding out the mid drivers need to be matched to them to complete the effort.
I got hold of an old LaScala brocure, and evidently the mid range driver level was adjustable at one time!
It would have been nice of Klipsch to allow adjustment of the drivers IMHO
-
9 minutes ago, Deang said:
Yes, higher ESR creates more loss (because of the higher resistance).
Yes, lower ESR capacitors cause the drivers to sound "louder".
Yes, Floyd is right. He's always right.
If I piss anyone off, please forgive me, but the LAST thing you want a LaScala with the AL 3 crossovers to do, is make the mid range any louder.
-
4 minutes ago, Deang said:
As for your AL-3s, you could use all Mylars and be perfectly fine. The sound may not be as clean as it could be, but it would be balanced -- which is really important.
I already ordered all Poly, except for the 68uf caps in the woofer circuit, and they are here, but guess what ?
I may just sell them, because my experience tells me they will make the LS more bright/forward
-
5 minutes ago, Deang said:
All true. You'll get no disagreement from me.
I am told that higher ESR can cause insertion loss or a Dip around the crossover point.
And lower ESR Poly Caps can cause drivers to run hotter (brighter) and give a Peak at the crossover point.
Now, Floyd Toole and his team of Canadian researchers, found out it is Far better to have a Dip in the response vs a Peak, if you are gonna have any deviation from flat response !
-
1 minute ago, Deang said:
Well of course, no doubt -- no one would dispute that.
But consider -- the vintage stuff was voiced using capacitors with higher ESR than modern polypropylenes. This is why the older networks produce a sound that is too forward.
B&W actually go out of their way to warn people about replacing caps in their speakers with low ESR Poly Caps !
IMHO, Poly Caps are not automatically better, because sometimes the speaker designer depended on the higher ESR of their Mylar or Electro cap.
I hate to admit how many vintage speakers I ruined, by changing the caps to low ESR Poly ones.
-
Just now, Dave A said:
THAT is the best viewpoint and if you are well pleased with the result this is good and you saved money doing it. I like the polys and have no problem finding any value I need and from all I read they have a longer life than I figure I have left and there is always a noticeable improvement over the old stuff.
Honestly, just between you and me, I almost just used ALL ERSE Electrolytics, to re cap my LaScala AL 3 crossovers. My left and right brain had a knock down drag out fight over it.
-
21 minutes ago, Deang said:
I know you're using hyperbole to make a point, but don't kid yourself -- a paper in oil or film and foil capacitor will always deliver better performance than a metalized type (both measurably and in sound quality).
Really High ESR can sound different, and some of those paper in oil caps have been clocked with off the scale ESR readings.
Ya think maybe, just maybe, the high insertion loss might have something to do with it ?
I have a friend that was into these paper in oil caps so much, that he would actually give the caps an oil change
LOL, I told him he should offer a Jiffy Lube Franchise, where folks like you could take their paper in oil caps, to have the oil changed
Supposedly, he listened to several different brands of oils in the capacitors, for sound quality
There may be something to what you say DeanG, because Panasonic used to make stereo receivers and integrated amps featuring these kinds of Caps http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/everything-else/31776-panasonic-ta-keh-caps-step-forward.html
-
27 minutes ago, Dave A said:
I was referring to the lust for more bigger better different etc not components. Components can be a slippery slope too if you start going for those fancy hand rolled capacitors with mink oil and beeswax between Platinum and Gold foil and pure oxygen free stabilized Silver leads.
I have been a Ham for nearly 37 years, so not into hocus pocus.
Honestly, I think a lot of the differences people hear in Caps comes from replacing bad old caps, with new Poly ones.
I have re capped many vintage speakers, using decent quality bipolar electrolytic capacitors, with excellent results.
My old B&W 801 speakers had some electrolytics in it, as did my old Rogers LS3/5 A
These were world class speakers, so try not to drink too much Kool Aid
-
On 10/31/2014 at 3:03 AM, djk said:
"The OP was looking at $1.60 caps, I figured budget was a major concern. "
My only objection to the electrolytic cap in this circuit is the life span of same, a film cap in this location will not change the sound in any large way.
This cap is more important in two-way speakers with their much higher crossover frequency.
Finally, some sanity here! I need 4 - 68uf Caps for my LS with AL 3 Crossovers, and guess what ? I am going with Electrolytics.
These have a 5% dissipation Factor, most capacitors have 10%
IS a lower dissipation factor best, or does it matter ?
I can get some 5% tolerance caps, but they are 10% dissipation factor, what one is best ?
ERSE has a good deal on MYLAR 68 uf Caps, only 11.00 each http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/PEx250v/68uF-250-volt-Metallized-Polyester-Mylar-Film-Capacitor
These LS are not going to be the speakers I die with (I am looking for K Horns)
Klipsch used electrolytics for these 68 uf caps, so why not me ?
-
2 minutes ago, Dave A said:
That's a slippery slope you are contemplating and you can ask John what your future might be
I am only gonna use the electrolytics on the woofers, the squawker and tweeter will be all poly.
-
Just now, Dave A said:
Probably will be fine. Companies have a habit of cutting corners where they can and if it does not hurt the product to much and meets their "minimum" specs. After measuring what I did with the old electrolytics I decided to do away with them since I could at $38.00 per board. Lots of great sounding La Scalas out there with these in them.
I like the LaScala's so much, now I want K Horns
LOL, I have the LS in the room corners, sounding great
The ERSE Electrolytics are better quality then the originals
-
10 minutes ago, Dave A said:
I just finished recapping a pair of AL-3's and I used the Erse 68uf Pulse-X at I think $19 and change each. The old electrolytics measured right at 120uf and bad ESR. I happened to have a set of AA's recapped at the same time and the difference between the two types in La Scalas is pretty significant. I been told and have read that the electrolytics are OK to use like this but after seeing how degraded the electrolytics were compared to the other capacitors which were OK (no not as good compared to new polys with ESR higher than I choose to use) still I decided to change them all out and future proof this crossover for decades to come. I always figure that design specs are there for a reason and the closer I can get the better and polypropolene beats electrolytic.
I nearly always use ERSE Poly PULSE X Capacitors, and have all but the 4 68uf caps I need to begin re capping my AL 3 crossovers. ERSE makes excellent Non Polar Electrolytics, and since the original crossovers have electrolytics, I will probably use those.
-
1 hour ago, billybob said:
Lol, it is all good I bet. Hooked the H/K avr 40 on Sunday and cannot seem to get enough of the FM tuner. At 65 wpc with the LS it is just really sweet.
Have hooked an H/K FL 8300 cd player to it after first removing some cd's from it and reconnecting a ribbon cable for the carousel. Sounded alright but thinking it is not up to snuff.Also hooked an H/K TD-202 cassette player. Very nice. Will have to find the cassettes around here somewhere.
Kept coming back to the FM. Pipe organ especially nice with the tuner. Loving the bass.
Next will be hooking up 2 or more power sources. Plenty of time for that.
At least you have it and more besides.
Moving my LS into my rooms corners really helped, and not just the bass!
The LS are imaging very well, and the big surprise has been this monster Apogee SA 800 B amp. I have a NAD amp I want to throw in there, but the big Apogee sounds really good. LOL, I sure as hell didn't buy the LS to use a 450 watt RMS amp on them like the Apogee SA 800, but the Pioneer Elite VSX 94 THX did not sound so good, all by itself, and it has Pre amp outputs, so first I tried a QSC PLX 1802 amp. It was better than the Pioneer, and the Apogee blew away the QSC.
-
1
-
-
My LaSacala's are sounding very very good, in the corners. If you look in the pictures right above this post, you can see the 4 ft tall bass traps, almost right next to them. The bass traps went in my corners, but when I placed my speakers there, it made my bass traps homeless
So, I placed the bass traps next to my speakers, mostly because I was too lazy at that time, to move them out of the room.
It is said that sometimes, even a blind Pig will find Corn, and I have found my Corn, because the LaScala's sound wonderful, in my room corners.
And, wonder of wonders, they are imaging very well, to my surprise!
The big Apogee SA 800 B amp has also been a complete and total surprise. Since the big amplifier from California has been hooked up to the LaScala's, it has remained undefeated. I do have a few more amps to try, but at this moment, I am just enjoying the LaScala's, and looking for Klipschorns.
-
1
-
-
57 minutes ago, billybob said:
Lol, did the spirit move you?
Actually, no
The Harman Kardon AVR 247 is out of my car, but 2 things have happened.
#1 - ONKYO fixed and returned my ONKYO TX NR 809
#2 - My Son gave me his Pioneer Elite SC 51 with the Pioneer D3 digital amp!
I am crazy though, and MIGHT try to figure out a way to hear it w/o fully hooking it up. I has Main In's, so if I run my pre amp output to it's main inputs, I may be able to hear it's amp section.
-
1
-
-
9 minutes ago, Chris A said:
The material only needs to cover the edge of the mouth itself as it terminates into the mouth flange. Having a little extra material around the flange will help, too. The material can be anything thick, dense, and fuzzy. I use Auralex Sonofiber material (basically it's made from compressed laundry lint).
La Scalas have the forgiving characteristic of having the midrange horn closer to the floor than the other two corner horns (Khorns, Jubs) so for low ceiling rooms, adding absorption on the floor in front (at least 3-4 feet depth) and fuzzy material across the entire top of the top hats of the La Scalas will help.
You can try out absorption on the side and front walls closest to the midrange horn mouths, and perhaps an inch of absorption (or thicker if using diffusion devices instead) on the ceiling at the first bounce point to listen to the effects (fuzzy blankets will work temporarily to hear the difference). If it's worth it in terms of sound quality, then you'll know what to do.
Chris
Here are my LaScala's in my room corners, and yes, those are 4 ft tall bass traps next to them on one side, and diffusors on the other
Sorry about pic quality
-
2
-
-
1 hour ago, Emile said:
Jeez; you have to "crawl" in your space? How do you place speakers in it?
Cheers, Emile
6.5 feet
-
1
-
.jpg.801b0de38a5eb1011b3562dcf889ebca.jpg)
.jpg.7c4473bd6b05792f6f3a2ef10d64ca76.jpg)
Tube Sound From Your Solid State Amp ?
in 2-Channel Home Audio
Posted
I left Seattle in 1989. My friend Mark Ormiston owns Definitive Audio, that is how I met Bob. I was a Pacific Northwest Audio Society member back then.
Bob and Diane Carver had a home in Snohomish.
I also breifly met Paul Klipsch at Cobo Hall in Detroit when I was a teenager ( I am 63 now)
He had a big Bullshit button on