brother

"The DHAOxer is NOT an original network, that network was designed by Forum member John Albright. Original La Scala networks are A, AA, AL, AL-2, AL-3, and the current AL-4." With all due respect Frzninvt, the DHAXover is an "original" for me (obviously not a Klipsch original) since I designed and built the first set and let John publish the wiring diagram for it on the forum (with due credits to my brother John and Al K. for their suggestions and advice during the design and build process). The design and building was a lot of fun, but the listening was way the best part of the project. DHA.

I would suggest the LaScalas with a good subwoofer dialed in at about 55 Hz. The results are the most "Klipschorn" like you can get with the having the "bighorn". I am running a pair of LaScalas with the original DHAxovers and a good but moderately priced subwoofer. The results are very satisfying to say the least. With a custom center channel built with Heresy horns, the soundstage and timbre sparkle.

Photos please!

These are my refinished LS's. I like the look of the bass horn on the LS; people always comment on the uniqueness.

Sounds like he may be a friend and is jerking your chain mightly (no one would do that to friend, right!!!!) It looks like he's getting the rise he's looking for, LOL! This is of course since he has very little interest in speakers and obviously knows your distaste for Blose.

The secret is the sonic jelly inside. It makes those little electrons slide in faster!

John Albright used to have one in oak. You might try to contact him about it; I know he is using a Heresy center now.

I hear if you microwave them, they really sparkle.

The OSD will show the volume with the DVD on the 3803. I am not familiar with the 3802, but I am quite pleased with my 3803.

I built this center to match the timbre of my LaScala mains. It is constructed from Heresy horns and a pair of Focal woofers. The cabinet is sized the same as the LS HF section to provide a balanced look. I am very pleased withthe results. The timbre match is perfect and the freq curve center tests solid to slightly below 60 Hz. The crossover is modified with Solen and Hovland components to match the LaScala crossovers I built. I am considering a remake of the cabinet to match the stain color of my LaScalas, in lieu of the black color. If your not in a hurry, we may be able to work something out. Take a look and email me if your interested.

Robert, I built this modified type "A" and have been very pleased with it. The Tweeter protection is like the later Klipsch factory circuits as Al K has recommended. This one is a first order network using the high quality Hovland and Solen components. I understand someone else on the BB has built this network and is very pleased with the results as well. I built this network without any tweeter protection first and then added the bulb as John had previously posted as a later mod. Frankly, I thought the bulb had a negative effect on the HF section and removed it. After listening comparatively for weeks at a time, this is the choice for my LaScalas.

Rudy81, What are you going to do with the other LaScala?

I had the opportunity to tour the Toshiba plant and spoke with the folks there about their market competitors. They have a lab with all the major competitors' units there undergoing testing. According to my eyes (by side by side observation) and the opinion of the techs at the plant, Mitsubishi sets the standard the others use to measure their units.

The dual woofer configuration isn't hard to do, but you will need to calculate the box to get the results you want using the T/S parameters of the woofers you intend to apply. There are several box calculators on the net; formica's suggestion is probably good and Eminence makes one as well. You will almost certainly need to modify the crossover unless you can make a two woofer arrangement match the impedance characteristics of a single Heresy woofer at the crossover point. I had a bit of trouble finding a small woofer that met the performance criteria, particularly sensitivity, at a reasonable cost since this was a bit of an experiment. Given the results I obtained and how well I liked it when complete, I would probably not hesitate to choose a higher cost/quality woofer if I were to do this again. Also, on the crossover network you will want to match the component types for each driver (as compared to your front channels)to help with the timbre match. In my case, I used a Hovland cap for the tweeter and a Solen/Harmony combo for the midrange, and a Solen air core inductor on the woofers. If you keep the stock oil caps you would need to find a crossover to match the front channels and replace the woofer inductor with the correct value to match the crossover point for the new woofer combo. Good luck! I could send more info by email if you like.

If you are using the schematic I posted some time ago, it shows a bulb for tweeter protection. After listening and playing with this for a while I have decided that the bulb makes too large an impact on the sound and I have removed it from the network. Al K. made the suggestion to use a polyswitch for tweeter protection and I plan to explore that option to see what effect it has on the sound. The use of a Hovland cap in the tweeter circuit makes a substantial difference in the quality and especially the detail of the sound reproduction. Again, Al K. has tested these components and has often published the results. My personal experience verifies in my mind that Al is correct in his choices for components. Based upon my ears, I think the parallel circuit first order crossover (modified Type A) provides the best sound in my LaScalas. Personally, I would encourage you to reconsider the decision to not use the woofer inductor. If nothing else, keep the iron core stock inductor to avoid driver interference between the woofer and the squawker. Let us know how it works out.

Another photo.

Here is a smaller version of a Heresy based center using the mid and high section of a Heresy and a pair of Focal 7" woofers. It utilizes a modified Type E crossover that replaces the oil caps with Hovlands and Solens and uses a Solen air core inductor. The crossover points are 800 and 6000 to match the HF specs of the Heresy. The size matches the HF section of the LaScala mains in my HT. It produces a theoretical F3 of 53Hz and has some nice kick on some DVD music tracks. The timbre match (the goal of the project, as well as aesthetics) to the LaScalas is seamless and the small size looks nice in my HT. Good luck on your project, building one of these is a lot of fun. Like Scooter, most any of us would be glad to correspond if we can help.

You are in for an extraordinary treat!

Describe the application.

Good point M@. Also, most stores will close the monthly bookings about the 25th of the month, so late in the month can be of an advantage to help the sales quotas, etc.

TPG, Venting is great...and sometimes necessary. Been there done that. As the years go by and the kids get older, so do the parents. Though mine accuse me of insanity at times, much to my amusement, we still laugh a lot and have fun. There are days when I would almost give my right arm to go sauger fishing and eat beenie weenies and saltines with my Dad like the old times. Enjoy it while you can, life is short. BTW, communication really works. Sounds like you've got many years to go before you can roll them down the stairs in a wheelchair.

This advice may be too late now, but.... 1.Do your research on the products you like. 2. Know what all the specs and sound nuances are before you attempt to buy. 3. Pick your top 3 choices and make sure you find at least one comparable from another store (a less costly choice)- this is vital. 4. Before you attempt to purchase, decide on what the maximum price you are willing to pay and don't exceed that. 5. When approaching the seller, explain the upside and downside of each choice and though you might prefer his product the price is an issue and XYZ has this other fine product. He knows XYZ and will not want to lose this sale and future sales to them. 6. Determine what you think a fair price is (not their list $)and offer about 15%+/- below it and negotiate from there. 7. If you don't try to steal it, they will take you seriously and will attempt to close a sale at a good deal for you and a reasonable profit for them- that's their job. 8. ****Most important***** don't be in a hurry and don't be timid about saying "that's just too much" and returning another day. Be pleasant but firm. 9. Remember people like pleasant interesting people, so learn his/her name, call them by name as you negotiate, and have fun and enjoy the adventure. Most good salepeople will respond to you as you treat them and will look forward to retaining your business as a repeat customer. P.S. Although it isn't fair, your youth may tempt them to think you may not know what you are talking about or looking at in the various products. This is where your hard work in reasearch will pay off and set the negotiation on another level. Don't short cut the educational process. This process has never failed me in purchasing everything from telephones to automobiles, to negotiating with contractors, hospitals, universities, and on and on. Good Luck. If this doesn't work, there's always Fini's approach. Take a change of clothes with you.

Attached is the AL-3 crossover wiring diagram for the LaScala; this may help you. You can also open the cabinet and check the terminals on the driver (woofer) to make sure the terminal connection is correct. For the midrange and tweeter you can check the designed wiring to the plus/minus terminals by direct inspection of the terminal connections themselves.

I used the "z" brackets to flush mount the tweeters on my LaScalas. The sound is truly improved by this mod and it looks better than the disassembly method when complete. I have seen the results of both. As far as the sound difference, there isn't any; they produce identical results.

Rob, The woofers are VB 4212 (7") by Focal. The crossover is a Type "E" that came with the Heresy I bought; I just gutted the components and replaced the motor caps and iron core inductor with Solen and Hovland (for the tweeter) caps and an air core Solen inductor for the low pass. This modification parallels what I had previously done for the LaScala crossovers and provided an amazing similarity to the LaScala mid and tweeter, though that was expected since the drivers are all the same vintage. I kept the same crossover points as the Heresy, but (obviously) had to change the component values as required to match the new woofer characteristics. I am quite pleased with the results. My center is on top of my RPTV and does not cause any distortion. It is too far away from the projectors to have any effect. David