Dave MacKay
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Posts posted by Dave MacKay
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I’m also in Canada (just outside Toronto).
+1 on everything @geoff. said.
I tried 5 different networks from Klipsch, Cr*tes, and (user-built) ALK with my La Scalas. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with any of them. I ended up using a MiniDSP Flex Eight DSP and tri-amping my speakers (with inexpensive Aiyima A07 amps). Given the cost of new networks (and even replacement capacitors), going active is not much of a premium.
Although it takes some work to configure the DSP, the results are outstanding. I’ll never go back to passive networks.
Even Klipsch is moving to active networks with the latest Heritage iterations.-
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2 hours ago, Jdiesel87 said:
I did see those but they are local pickup only. I'm located in Canada too which limits my options a bit further too.
Where in Canada?
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3 hours ago, GuyIsDamGood said:
I have the Yamaha R-N 803 and A-S2200. I recognized that both amplifiers will get warm on the Left Heat-Sink. (around 90 - 105°)
Does anyone have that same warm left heat-sink situation with their Yamaha amplifiers or other brand amplifier(s)?I have an R-N803. I hadn’t noticed one side getting hotter than the other.
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5 hours ago, Travis In Austin said:
You are like the rest of us dinosaurs. (I had the advantage of getting up to speed on him when I heard this might be a possibility a few years ago, and then more recently leading up to this announcement is the only reason I found a lot of what is below).
Devon is part artist, visionary, and engineer, I'm not sure I have seen anything like it. Devon Turnbull, like a lot of DIY hobbyist folks, spent years and years messing around with speakers, modifying them, changing them, and experimenting, along with tube amplifiers and other things related to audio. It's a passion of his apparently. The major difference between Devon and even the most advanced DIY speaker builder is he builds and sells his speakers.
Yeah, a real Leonardo. Sheesh!
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Following with interest.
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I’d suggest taking this discussion to the “Klipsch Korner” on Audiokarma. You’ll find several ideas there.
This forum discourages/prohibits discussion of modifications.
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26 minutes ago, Jack Robertson said:
Have type E2 cross-overs and looking for upgrade suggestions on original hereseys, with Crites woofers. The transformer and inductor show lots of corrosion but not sure that is an issue?
living near st Catherine’s Ontario.
Can you post a photo showing the corrosion?
Also, what are you wanting an upgrade to provide? -
3 hours ago, John kal said:
You placed a new veneer on them?
Yes.
I repaired the damage to the cabinets with wood filler and bonds, then laminated 3/8” baltic birch to the top, bottom, and sides. I then applied a ribbon Sapele veneer and used Rubio Monocoat “Pure” as the finish.-
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2 hours ago, John kal said:
I know what you mean. They're not pulling me for some reason. Is it because of the exterior of one? I'll have to think about the complications if any would come about. Do you still have them after your repairs?
Yes, I still have them. They bring me pleasure every time I listen.
Here’s a before photo and an after photo.
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Run and buy them. They’re a steal.
I paid CAD $2800 nearly 3 years ago for a pair. I repaired and refinished the cabinets myself, which was an enjoyable project.-
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Do you know what wattage the subs are rated for, and how many ohms they’re spec’d for? From that it would be possible the calculate a maximum voltage level.
If you have a graph showing impedance versus frequency that would allow an even more precise calculation. -
Seems to me that the only problem is with the midrange horn.
The Cr*tes upgrade should be fine and the Kappa 15C is generally regarded a a little better than the K-33.We’re it me, I’d check to see what it would take to bring back the midrange, and use that when negotiating price.
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2 hours ago, babadono said:
if you don't you're deaf or your speakers are inefficient
Nope. Good amps and proper gain matching = low hiss, even with efficient speakers.
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This is an interesting development. Lenbrook has a number of interesting firms under their umbrella and Cheskly has a great reputation.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
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3 hours ago, babadono said:
On relatively inexpensive power conditioners it is probably illegal for them to isolate the safety ground connection. And it SHOULD NOT be done. If you have a noise problem figure out where and between which pieces of equipment and fix that interconnect/interface.
https://indianaaes.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/indy-aes-2012-seminar-w-notes-v1-0.pdf
review the document at this link..you will then know as much as the greatest minds on noise know.
Very interesting document. Thanks for posting it.
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8 minutes ago, jcn3 said:
looking good! don't be afraid of playing with toe in. i'd consider putting the speakers where the heresys are and toe them in where they cross a few feet in front of the listening position (i haven't had any la scalas, but that's how i got best sound/imaging from chorus 1s and cornwalls).
I agree with @jcn3. You will likely find the sound more pleasant if you toe the speakers in towards your listening position.
However, you won’t need a lot of toe-in. I measured on-axis and off-axis performance of my La Scalas and found that they degrade significantly the further off-axis you go.
Some people say to align the axes so that they meet in front of the listening position and others recommend a couple of feet behind. What works best for you will likely be determined by your room’s acoustics.
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59 minutes ago, bsacco1 said:
Dave-
I took a look at your tri-amping posts....Wow, that kinda blew my mind. Wait, not kinda, nah, it blew my mind.
That is enough research to start your own company producing a line of your own speakers.
Myself, I'm defaulting to adding Solid State amplification to my low end by finding some self-powered SVS subwoofers and call it a day since the rest of the amplification is done via my Decware tube amp. I figure the tube amplification to the Klipsch LaScala woofer dies out at 50htz and will be lost and unheard when the SS subs are employed.
Thanks for your kind words. It was quite the learning experience.
Before I built the THTLP subwoofers I went through two other subwoofers. One was a low-end Klipsch subwoofer that I got at Best Buy. It was not good. I bought an SVS SB1000 Pro subwoofer and really liked it (even though SVS recommended their larger 3000-series subwoofer as a better pair for La Scalas). I expect you'll be quite satisfied with an SVS subwoofer.
Some folks on AudioKarma spoke very positively about the THTLP, so I decided that, rather than buy another SVS subwoofer, I'd try the THTLP. Building (but not veneering) a THTLP cost about the same as buying an SVS SB1000 Pro.
With respect to the La Scala low-end running out at 50 Hz ... that's correct. Also, the La Scala bass bin stops acting as a horn for frequencies below about 104 Hz. However, you'll likely find that the acoustics of your listening room are dominant at those frequencies. You'll be able to experiment with a range of crossover frequencies on the subwoofer.
59 minutes ago, bsacco1 said:Call me lazy but it is a LOT easier and exponentially cheaper. I guess if you wanted to "improve this specific setup" you could buy brand-new drivers for the squawker and mid-horn from Crites? I'm open to suggestions here. I'm just ignorant on where the line is for diminishing returns. That is, just how much better will the squawker and mid-horn sound with new drivers?
The management of this forum frowns upon discussions of modifications to Klipsch products and of other vendors. To participate in a discussion about that, I'd encourage you to go to the "Klipsch Korner" on Audiokarma.
59 minutes ago, bsacco1 said:At the moment my biggest challenge is to find the right finish for the birch plywood that doesn't blotch or darken the wood too much. Also, I'm considering building a speaker grill to cover the squawker and mid horn but can't seem to find the right kind of birch moulding that is flat (not half-round) for the frame.
I'm searching for iron-on birch banding with adhesive back to cover all the front-facing 7-ply birch plywood to give it a solid wood look.
Originally, I had wanted to keep my La Scalas looking as they were when I bought them: Birch, Raw. Heck, a neighbour even nicknamed them "the blondes" on account of their colour and the attention I was lavishing on them. I bought a sheet of birch veneer and tried a number of different finishes (with and without wood conditioner) but didn't find anything that I thought was attractive enough. That led me to consider both painting the speakers (which I rejected) and using other veneers (e.g., walnut, cherry, sapele, others).
My speakers didn't have a grill to cover the squawker (mid-range) and tweeter. Because I was happy with the look of the exposed horns, I just sanded the horns and gave them a fresh coat of spray paint.
If you have a tablesaw (or have a friend with one), you could easily mill suitable moulding for the frame. Or you cut make the grill frame out of fibreboard and cover the edges with the grill cloth. If you search this forum you'll find photos of a number of La Scalas, with and without grills.
I expect you'll be able to find birch iron-on edge banding in widths >- 3/4". (I found some listed on Amazon and at Home Depot). However, if you can't, you could use maple instead. The difference between maple and birch would barely be noticeable.
Good luck.
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1 hour ago, bsacco1 said:
Eh, nice job on those speakers, you hoser;) lol;)
That's was for all you lurking SCTV Canadian fans out there...Long live John Candy...
Here's what I like about your job. Blacking out the bass bin is a personal decision and quite frankly a gatekeeping function since veneering would require quite a bit of skill. Personally I like the lines of the bass bin and plan to use a light-colored oil rub of some sort (still seeking suggestions) on these speakers. I'm leaning toward keeping these speaker light in color to blend with our off-white walls.
My question is how much better does it sound than stock? You decided to add a subwoofer. It that because the stock or Bob Crites x-overs did not provide enough bass? If I remember correctly these speakers' stock only go done to 50htz?
Does the front mounting of the squawker really make a difference? Is it just a process of widening the hole?
Thanks.
At first, I wanted to keep my speakers light coloured. I even considered veneering them in birch to retain that look. After making a few tests using different veneers, I ended up going with Sapele.
I veneered the speakers myself. I didn’t think I had the skill to veneer the bass bin (doghouse) so that painting them black was the best way forward that I could think of.
I used Rubio Monocoat "Pure" to finish the speakers and subs. The “pure” (i.e., no pigments) finish might be worth considering for your speakers. I looked at Danish Oil, tung oil, wipe-on poly, etc. but — to my mind — they imparted a yellowish colour.
To be frank, I was underwhelmed with how the La Scalas sounded stock. I ended up trying 5 networks (Klipsch AL, C***** AA, C***** A/4500, A** Universal A, and A** A/4500). Of those, the AA measured best but I preferred the sound of the Universal A. Even so, I still found the speaker wasn’t living up to my hopes. I ended up tri-amping the speakers using a MiniDSP Flex Eight DL instead of a passive network. That brought them to life! I documented that whole endeavour in a lengthy thread on Audiokarma’s “Klipsch Korner”.
In my opinion, "going active" was transformative for the speakers such that -- again, in my opinion -- they sound far better than stock. The subwoofers made a big difference too.
You’re right, the La Scala peters out of low end around 50 Hz.
I added a subwoofer — then a second sub — because I wanted more low end than the La Scala could produce. I needed two subs in order to address some of the deficiencies of my listening room. The subs were a great addition. Highly recommended.
I didn’t make any changes to how the squawker was mounted. It’s mounted to the back of the front baffle.
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This thread presents what I did with mine.
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6 hours ago, S391 said:
I recently picked up a set of 1983-vintage La Scalas and I've been having some fun with them.
One thing I notice is that my head is higher than the speaker and I'm worried that I am not getting full dispersion sitting that close / above the speakers. I was thinking about making some risers to get the speaker a bit higher and see what that sounds like.
I have similar vintage La Scalas.
I built risers for my La Scalas to raise the tweeters to my ear level (at my main listening position). I haven’t been able to notice — or measure — any diminishment of the low end.
A popular mod is a DJK port. In addition to raising the La Scalas, it improves the low end response.-
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From what you’ve described it sounds like the plate amp in the sub is defective.
Can you take it back or have it repaired under warranty?
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Are you able to test the sub using a different amp to provide the LFE signal. Would like to be able to isolate the issue to either the amp or the plate amp on the R-120SW.
Also, how high is the gain setting on the subwoofer?
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3 hours ago, HPower said:
I would like to think my asking price of $3,500cnd, or $2,550usd is a good price for these?
Or am I not priced properly?
A fellow Canadian (from the GTA) chiming in …
The price is excellent. Whoever buys them will be getting a fantastic deal.
I bought a pair of beat up La Scalas a couple of years ago for $2800. I added SMAHLs for roughly $500. Repairing and veneering the cabinets cost in the neighbourhood of $1000 (no cost for labour since I did the work myself).
La Scalas don’t come up for sale often in these parts. The ones you’re selling are excellent. It would cost more to build a pair from scratch or to try to bring a pair of beat up speakers to the calibre of the ones you’ve listed.
Good luck with the sale.
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I've been reading an old (1972) book (How To Build Speaker Enclosures by Badmaieff and Davis). A topic that I found to be of interest was how the area of the mouth of an exponential horn determines the lowest frequency that the horn can reproduce. I tried applying the logic to my vintage La Scalas, but the answers I get don't seem to be very satisfactory.
I measured the area of the mouths of:
a) the lens used with the K-77M tweeter (4" x 1.5")
b) the K-400 horn used by the squawker (16.75" x 5.75")
c) the La Scala bass bin (22.25" x 22")
I then used those areas to figure out what the circumference of a circle with the same area would be (i.e., Radius=sqrt(Area/pi) and Circumference = 2pi*Radius). The thinking is that the lowest wavelength the horn can support should match the circumference,
I divided the speed of sound (1125 ft/s) by the wavelength to get the frequency (in Hz).
Here's what I came up with for the lowest frequencies supported by the different horns:
a) lens used with the K-77 tweeter ---> 1555 Hz
b) the K-400 horn used by the squawker ---> 388 Hz
c) the La Scala bass bin ---> 172 Hz
I thought the the K-400 got its name because it was intended for use down to 400 Hz, so the figure for it (i.e., 388 Hz) seems reasonable. However, from what I've read on this forum, I thought that the La Scala bass bin was supposed to be good to about 104 Hz, which is well below the 172 Hz that I calculated.
I'd be grateful if anyone would care to help me understand this better.
Klipsch Heresy Series I Manual & Data Sheet
in Technical/Restorations
Posted
Today I learned that my Heresy Is are actually Heresy 1.5s.
I put together this table to distinguish between the Heresy I, Heresy 1.5, and Heresy II:
Heresy I
Heresy 1.5
Heresy II
Cabinet construction
Baltic Birch
Baltic Birch
MDF
Rear panel
Removable back panel
Removable back panel
Fixed back panel
Driver mounting
Drivers are mounted on the rear of the mortarboard
Drivers are mounted on the rear of the mortarboard
Drivers are mounted in rabbets on the front of the mortarboard
Network type
E
(or C for early models)
E-2
E-2
Network mounting
on board
on board
on PCB on terminal cup
Tweeter
K-77/cast zinc lens
K-77/cast zinc lens
K-76/plastic lens
Mid-range
K-55/700
K-55/700 or K53/701
K-53/701
Woofer
K-22
K-22 or K-24
K-24