Rudy81

Colin: Welcome to the world of room acoustics. There is no "perfect" speaker that is going to have a perfectly flat frequency response. There are many reasons why you may be seeing these "bumps and dips" in frequency. One of the major contributors to this type of response is your listening room. So many things affect the sound at the listening position that it is very difficult to get anything close to a flat response. The materials in wall construction, drapes, windows, carpet, room dimensions, etc. will all have an effect on various frequencies. Some will be reinforced and some will be attenuated. Read some stuff on room acoustics on the net. If you stay interested, there are many books on the subject.

If you want a great match, how about three Corns in front? I just saw a single for sale on eBay.

You have a great start for a HT. I would go with the La Scala for center and the Corns as your right and left main. Do NOT skimp on the center channel. For HT, this is your most important speaker. I use Heresy for side effects and they match my Belles and La Scala very well. In time, you will want to upgrade your A/V receiver. The new DSP modes are worth having. I particulary like DTS and THX Ultra 2. Take your time selecting your speakers and enjoy the process.

---------------- On 11/25/2003 7:29:20 AM John Albright wrote: I apologize for missing the tweeter question. The difference is noticable, making the speaker sound more open and "airy" with less harsh or brittle sound on some sounds. I attribute that to fewer reflections and diffractions from the tweeter hole. ---------------- John: I spoke with Klipsch tech support and they recommend against enlarging the opening for Z brackets. I also put my ALK network on the La Scalas, replacing the AL-3, and that made a huge differance. The highs now sounded very much like my Belles, which normally have the ALK and flush tweeter mounts. So, in my case, I have decided to leave the cabinets original and wait for an ALK for that center channel.

---------------- On 11/20/2003 3:45:21 PM michael hurd wrote: Rudy: it would do well if you could find a different spraygun. A wagner won't break up the paint very well. The spray is coarse, and chunky, not to mention how much paint they put out. They are meant for thicker products than a lacquer that is very thin to begin with. The reason the sides came out orange peely is beacuse of too little atomization and too much product. This is because the gun can't break up the particles fine enough, and has a large fluid tip. I don't know if there are other tips available ( maybe for stains? ) to reduce the size of the droplets discharged. The best gun to use would be a high pressure spray gun ( 55-60 psi ) with a small 1.3 - 1.4 mm fluid needle and cap. You will find that this would be easier to use for an amatuer than an hvlp gun. You will also need a compressor and a respirator with organic vapour cartridges for spraying lacquer. Not to mention good ventilation and no sparks, etc, etc. ---------------- Michael: I have found that my Wagner gun has a tip for light materials, lacquer is mentioned. I ordered one and will try that option next. Maybe I will luck out with a smaller tip.

WOW! That just shows how much better your ALK networks are beyond the others. Actually that is good news for you, since I eventually will be ordering the third ALK for that center channel. Thank you AL.

Sorry to jump in guys, but I have been following this with some interest. I have the AL-3 on some La Scalas and the only audible difference between the AL-3 and ALK's is the high frequency. If you have time, can you let me know if this mod would also work on an AL-3 network?

I figured that gun is not what you would call the proper tool. I am going to get their smallest gun tip designed, supposedly, for this type of applycation. I will try in on a piece of plywood and see how it goes. Otherwise, I will have to search for a better option. Thanks for the comments.

I started with lacquer using my Wagner home DIY painter. The top came out great, but the sides got terribly orange peeled. I do agree, lacquer is awesome in how quickly it dried. I may see about getting a better spray gun.

---------------- On 11/19/2003 10:12:28 PM Hallwalker wrote: I have used krylon brand semi flat black matches the klipsh black finish to a T and the spray pattern is linear and quick drying ---------------- Is the Krylon you used an enamel or lacquer?

Many thanks guys. I just finished stripping my mess for the second time. I think whatever step I take next will be preceded by a practice run on some plywood. I was hoping there was some easy to use product readily available. Taking them to a shop won't be cheap. I may try the krylon route and see how that goes.

Doug: Curious as to how your Krylon paint worked out? What is your opinion of the finish vs. the original?

I love the way I spelled "Cabinet" in the title. Anyway, I might look into that option and get it professionally done.

Rick: That was attempt number two. Those sprayers work ok, but the nozzle, which is not adjustable, puts out a very small, round footprint. It left some very "nice" lines all across the cabinet surface. Several coats later, you could still see those lines. Ideally, I would send it to a cabinet shop to be professionally painted, but I have spent enough on them already. I will try a few more options before resorting to the most expensive one. Thanks anyway

I am in the process of refinishing one of my black La Scalas. I purchased the Klipsch recommended laquer, but since I don't have a professional paint sprayer, that became more of a nightmare than I would have liked. I would appreciate any tips from those of you who have refinished your black cabinets. Has anyone used a brush?

Thank you for the suggestions. After much reasearch, and soul searching, I have decided to leave them stock. I e-mailed Klipsch support and they convinced me that moving the tweeter forward would make mininal difference, so no need to risk cutting into the cabinet. As far as wiring. The current wire is in good shape, no green oxydation, and so I will leave it alone.

I am in total agreement. I have made 4 speaker purchases that required shipping. Two of those were less than optimum. The good experiences were due to very diligent sellers, or the original Klipsch shipping boxes. Let us know how it goes and include pictures.

Benton: Congratulations! There is little doubt you made a good decission. How about some pictures? Your center channel set up will be a challange with the rptv. Could be time to upgrade to a projector. Enjoy.

redtop: Don't forget to figure in your financial calculations what it would cost to have them shipped should you find them elsewhere. I picked up my '93's for $911, but then had to pay $350 for shipping and insurance. Still a good deal in my mind. If you can get them locally, you have many advantages. You can audition them and make sure they work, you won't have to pay for shipping, and you won't have to worry about shipping damage, which is more common than not. I'm in the process of refinishing one cabinet due to damage during shipping. My insurance was worthless since the shipping company, Craters and Freighters, refuses to accept responsibility. Negotiate!!!!

John Albright: Forgive my off the subject question, but I saw a post where you comment on updating the La Scala cabinet by enlarging the tweeter opening and using the Klipsch Z brackets to mount the tweeter flush with the baffle. Did you notice improvement when you did that? Do you still recommend that update? I am having to refinish one of my recent La Scala acquisitions and currently have all the horns and drivers out. I figured might as well make some minor changes while I'm at it. Thanks

I currently have a pair of La Scalas with AL-3 networks. I also have a pair of Belles with ALK's in them. I put one of the ALK's in one of the La Scalas to see what the differences were. The low and mid frequencies sounded much the same as the AL-3. The big difference to me was in the tweeter section. The La Scala highs sounded more open and "airy" with the ALK vs. the AL-3. Both networks are very close in sound overall. The ALK's look a heck of a lot better. I plan on ordering an ALK for my center channel La Scala sometime in the near future. Just my opinion...I'm not an audiophile and don't play one on TV.

The latest Pionner progressive scan DVD, SACD, DVD-A looks pretty nice too. I just saw it priced at $179.00 at Ultimate Electronics. The Home Theater Magazine review on it is very promising.

Gotta love that HALO gear!!!! I have the C2 and you need to consider that pre/pro when you get your pennies together.

I don't want to start WWIII on wiring. I am in the process of taking my slightly damaged La Scala apart and noticed the wires from the network to each horn is not what you call large gauge. I am looking for suggestions of wire gauge to put in place of the stock wire, or shoould I leave it as is? Should I leave the woofer as is, or remove the black connection strip that goes from the dog house to the top side? Anything else I should do while I have the thing apart? Thanks guys.

Sorry, I didn't mean to say that an A-51 could be had for $2000. An A-52 probably. There are a couple of A-52's on www.audiogon.com for that or less. The A-51 is twice that.