John Warren

LaScala has no bass and a 3W amp gets boring real fast even wired to a pair of Klipschorns so your heading down the "just what the hell was I thinking?" path.

Do you think Paul W. Klipsch would stand behind this statement? "...The Z-Series Monster Cable® comes in three frequency specific designs for enhanced definition and detail. Klipsch is the first and only manufacturer to have made a performance commitment to use Monster Cable in a complete line of products." RF-7 Product Information Klipsch LLC This message has been edited by John Warren on 09-03-2001 at 06:38 AM

Stereo Reviews' statement on amplifiers- "It came as no surprise that all the amplifiers in this group were capable of delivering excellent performance in almost any home music system. And provided we kept all of them running within their power limits, we heard nothing that would incline us to prefer one over another. Although some people strongly feel otherwise, good amplifiers of comparable quality and power that are not being overdriven will sound very much alike under most conditions to most people. If amplifiers do sound much alike (and these did), then why bother comparing them? Because there is more to an audio component than it's perceived sound character. There are differences in operational limits (maximum power output into various loads, for example), construction quality and finish, size, weight, price and features that can affect an amplifier's suitability for any particular installation." High Power Amplifiers Julian Hirsch Stereo Review November 1992

"I credit the success of the speaker wire industry to their expert sales and marketing ability. However, it is my experience that ordinary copper wire, as long as it's heavy enough, is just as good as name brands." Roger Russell Former Dir. of Acoustic Engineering at McIntosh Labs

at the tightening levels I work to, i prefer 13-ply Baltic, Canadian or Finnish. the screw has to pull the joint together at a pressure consistent with a clamp. For me MDF just doesn't "tighten up" like wood does. I use stainless FH sheet metal screws for construction projects. This message has been edited by John Warren on 09-02-2001 at 04:31 PM

"...So what do our fifty hours of testing, scoring and listening to speaker cables amount to? Only that 16-gauge lamp cord and Monster cable are indistinguishable from each other with music and seem to be superior to the 24 gauge wire commonly sold or given away as 'speaker cable.' Remember, however, that it was a measurable characteristic--higher resistance per foot--that made 24 gauge sound different from the other cables. If the cable runs were only 6 instead of 30 feet, the overall cable resistances would have been lower and our tests would probably have found no audible differences between the three cables. This project was unable to validate the sonic benefits claimed for exotic speaker cables over common 16-gauge zip cord. We can only conclude, therefore, that there is little advantage besides pride of ownership in using these thick, expensive wires" Stereo Review August 1983

Ray-I think the Organ symphony is sort of dull.(although I did like it when I was 12 or 13). Like most of "Cammies" works IMO it's largely formulaic. A few pages are memorable but most of the work is constrained, predictable and mechanistic. Cesar Franck, different story. Genius, technically gifted organist, wrote just organ works. Jean Guillou (best organist alive) likely the only person to play Francks' works as he himself did. If you like organ pieces I suggest you audition Guillou's "The Organ Works of Cesar Franck" a 24 bit transcoded to 16 bit Dorian Recording DOR-90135. It's pricey at $30. Best bass I've every heard on a CD too.

no bondo! 1. remove the drivers. 2. clean the entire inside of the enclosure, remove fiberglass and staples, network, use a leaf blower and blow out dust. 3. if cracked mitre joint a)scrape the inside corner clean of dried glue, get down to the MDF or plywood. b)cut a 3/4" X 3/4" rub block about 1" less in length than the inside length of the joint. c) liberally paint all mating surfaces with yellow glue or animal glue. d) work (rub) the block into the joint, until it doesn't move. leave it alone till dry. 4. For the outside of the enclosure, clean the crack (if at the mitre) free from old glue, use a razor. Open the crack to allow filling. Fill with a ebony wood putty. if you need a rub block, buy a sq. dowel at lumber yard and cut it to length. If the LLC has already installed rub blocks (possible since they are manufactured a "tad" better than Emerson) they procedure will not work. If the panel cracked, the procedure is same but instead of using a rub block, bridge the crack from the inside with a 1/2" thick plywood panel about 1" wide and cut the length of the crack, paint both mating sides with glue and two clamps. This message has been edited by John Warren on 08-28-2001 at 05:39 AM

djk-Can you recommend a replacement for the EV 18W-K? I own a KD Patrician IV. I have all the drivers but the woofer. All I know about the "-K" is that is was a 4 ohm, Fs 22Hz driver specifically designed for the horn loaded Patrician. The woofer mounting plate is removable and attached to the front baffle with T-nuts, a nice surprise. I can make a new plate to accomodate any woofer.

Gil- I was thinking of the Klipschorn owners manuals, instructions, etc which are copyrighted. At the time PWK was running the show, copyright lasted life of author + 70 years so for all intents and purposes its forever. You are correct, however. It is a Federal offense to infringe on a copyright. Just waiting for the day when a E-V or JBL goes after ebay Bozo's that sells Xerox copies of thier copyrighted work. Purchaser is also liable, it is receipt of stolen property. This message has been edited by John Warren on 08-26-2001 at 07:54 AM

PWK allowed DIY horns because the patents were active back then. They've long expired. You can build and sell them if you want. Just don't call them Klipschorns or LaScala, there is no expiration dates on trademarks and copyrights.

the rope caulk is for your ears, not the horn!

the Henry Rollins thing--- sort of like the fat, bald, old guy that wears a earing, a pitiful attempt to appear "hip". JBL has Santana The LLC has The Black Flag Team Leader (good one Fred!) Don't ignore the hype, ANALYZE it, only then will you realize their ideal.

a piano has to be quite good, large and expensive to reproduce the 27.5 Hz you mention.

dwgs r German, the website is Italian

this is a picture of a reinforcement method for the Klipschorn side wall that was developed by PWK and is contained in the original plans. Each "tab" has two screws thru it a glued. Klipschorns made sometime after the 80's eliminated this stiffening method, why I don't know. I have recently completed a second pair that utilize 3/4" side walls and 3/4" V-panels with stiffening ribs down the backs. These don't "ring" like the stock 1/2" units. This message has been edited by John Warren on 08-19-2001 at 06:31 AM

if you read the Italian introduction is states that the builder can make the panels either 16mm (5/8") or 19mm (3/4") thk. the dimensions must be compensated to consider the change. This message has been edited by John Warren on 08-18-2001 at 09:40 PM

here are plans, they are from ISOPHON http://web.tiscali.it/audiofanatic/Piani_costruttivi/LaScala.html

With patience, basic cabinet making skills (clamps, glue, screws) and table saw with 60 tooth carbide blade, the LaScala is not difficult to fabricate AND fun. The MSRP for the LaScala is going up making construction a suitable alternative for some. Before T-S parameters the woofer needed to be 4 ohm, 15" driver with Fs 26-28Hz and maximum excursion no larger than 7mm. The LLC charges $100 for K33E. If you stick with the quality level the LLC uses (recommended), a pr. of AL-3 networks can be made for almost nothing. The autoformer cost $18 and can be purchased from UTC. I built "super" quality versions and heard no difference. To my ears, fancy network components bring nothing to the table, maybe I'm deafening. I have a set of plans for the LaScala. What's your mailing address.

Jim, I did that trick once, and then I had to remove the panel a couple of years later and guess what....

"what was that cracking sound?" thought Ray as he turned the screw of the bar clamp just alittle farther than he should have. This message has been edited by John Warren on 08-15-2001 at 05:58 PM

how the HELL can you play pool in that tiny room?

HornEd-I own no KLF systems. I own horns (Klipschorns, LaScalas, EV Patricians). Just sold a pr. of University Deans. Also own JBL (L200s, L100s) + loose drivers from University, Stentorian, Wigo, JBL, Tannoy, Hartley, EV, Bozak, Permoflux, Jensen and a few others. Most of the stuff is collecting dust but still fun to have around. I'm the only guy on my block that has a pair of NIB T-350 tweeters and NIB EV 15WKs.

IMO, the Ranger/Paragon looks better than it sounds. Hartsfield is a nice system, but for my money, the Jensen Imperial is the hands down favorite.