greg928gts

They must have spent countless hours with calculators and slide rules. We have it so easy today by comparison. Take a program like Hornresp. With the slide of a mouse we are doing the equivalent of a days work for an engineer back in the 50's. I think the art is in listening as well as analyzing the data. I've been analyzing the LS a lot lately, and I'm finding its peak to be at about 150Hz with a moderate roll-off down from there. Not much energy in the low bass. It seems the moderate roll-off (as opposed to a roll-off that would be sharper and more in line with the size of the horn) is from the volume of the rear chamber being greater than would normally be the case for the K33. Using Hornresp you can see this response change clearly when changing the Vrc. Making the Vrc smaller results in a more pronounced "shoulder" in the bass, and takes away from the already quiet output of the low frequencies (40 - 60Hz). Just yesterday I was sitting in my shop with four bass horns in front of me, one LS and three prototypes I'm playing around with. The LS is just aweful compared to the prototypes. I think the fact that a "hack" like me can produce better bass horns than the Klipsch LS is a testament to just how far we've come in the design of horns and in our ability to model and measure. I'm able to converse with more than one engineer to help me with the process and I use computer modeling and programs for testing that the guys at Klipsch would have loved to be able to use back in the day. You never know, old Gadfly might have been counting the pennies saved with the reduced amount of wire! Greg

Sorry if I jumped on you about this, I've been pretty defensive on the forum lately. It would be nice to have a reasonable discussion with speakerfritz about this issue. Unfortunately I don't think that's possible. It seems to me that if there was an issue worth being concerned about, it would have been brought up here on the forum long ago regarding the ALK Universal networks. As you say, it has probably been explained away as being negligible with these gentle slope networks. Greg

I don't consider speakerfritz, Mark1101, or Speakmeister enemies. I don't even know them. I actually feel bad for them. I wonder what motivates these guys to spend their time to come into a thread and speak so derisively and in such a nasty way. They must live in a very dark place. I feel bad for the OP. He just wanted to come here and share his excitement with someone. Greg

To those people who are reading this thread and may now be confused about these very, very versatile networks and how one chooses different midrange attenuations. There is no more problem with choosing various midrange outputs with an autotransformer and swamping resistor than there ever was with any ALK Universal network ever made. Sure, there are compromises with this approach, as there are with every design out there, including active systems, but it works, and it works well, especially for the intended application. There are compromises with all things audio, it's just the nature of the business. Whether passive crossovers are designed to be technically correct or artistically pleasing, or as is most often done, a little of both, the result is the same. They are put out to market and they work with the rest of the speaker design to provide a characteristic sound for the speaker they are designed for. Some will really like it, others may not. Audio is a subjective artform, regardless of how technically correct something may or may not be, and that will never change. I use a combination of technical evaluation and art to design my speakers. For some of the techies here on the forum, I may lean a little too much towards the artistic side. When you get a combination of "techie" and "bully" here on this forum, you get the kind of offensive behavior that I've had to endure from a few. Unfortunately, enduring criticism is a part of being in the audio business. It's another one of those "compromises with all things audio". Greg

I own several of these tweeter attenuators. They are very nice units. They are not included in the ALK Universal networks. I have no idea what you're talking about - "you did raise the question to the existence of the technical short comings in comparative products that you brought up" Have you been drinking? You're being argumentative and confrontational and I have news for you, most people here can see it for what it is. So while you're looking foolish, trying to discredit me, I'm appreciating the attention given to my business. It gives me the opportunity to say that it's hard to argue with success, and these networks have been very successful so far. Greg

As I was designing these networks, I consulted with two engineers and did a series of tests on stacked inductors. Bottom line is that the distortion created by stacking two inductors, both being used for the same woofer, were proven to be insignificant and inaudible. It would be different if one inductor was being used for the woofer and another for the midrange. But in this setup, it's a non-issue. Unless you're trying to discredit Volti Audio, and then it becomes a fan for the flame. Why are you hijacking the thread with this? The OP didn't ask for this. Do you do this to everyone here who is happy and excited about a new product they just got and want to share with the group? Or do you just do it to Volti Audio customers? Greg

SF, you're just trying to cause trouble here. Please stop. Al does not use "an additional transformer to level adjust the high end" on the Universal networks as you say. I built ALK Universal networks under license for Al. The wiring and parts I use in my VT networks for the autotransformer on the midrange are exactly the same. ' What is your point in bringing this up? The OP didn't ask for this, he just wanted to say to the group that he's really happy with his very versatile crossovers. Let's top hijacking his thread. If you want to try and discredit Volti Audio, start another thread, and I will thank you for the attention you draw to my company. Greg

If what you are saying is correct, it must be the case with the ALK Universal network as well. Greg

Droooooool. Greg

Yes, I got the idea for using a swamping resistor on the autotransformer from ALK. Of course you do know that ALK got the idea from someone else, don't you? It's all good. This is how things are designed and built. ALK has made his crossover designs available to the public for years. Eventually it becomes common knowledge. I appreciate ALK's efforts and thank him for his contributions to the crossover designs of our speakers. I personally have benefitted from his designs for many years. Greg

The Crites woofers are 4ohms and should have been slightly louder than the 8ohm ones they replaced. The Crites woofers do take five to ten hours to break in however. Greg

Anyone here have them? I guess there were a few from that year. Greg

They ARE more like La Scala II's. In fact, the dimensions of the bass horn is almost identical. I don't believe they go any deeper than the LSII's. I do believe the bracing makes more of a difference than the thicker material for building the bass horns. Now that I've had a chance to build both 3/4" and 1", and test them, I can definately say the bracing is the key to eliminating resonances of the sidewalls. I was not able to detect any difference in sound quality between 3/4" and 1" bass horn construction with both being braced. REW tests were identical. More pictures of the Vittora speakers here www.voltiaudio.com/vittora.shtml Greg

Cool idea. I don't want to be near it though when the paper decides to unstick from the pad! I wonder if that's ever a problem? That would work great on my Felder with the sliding table. Greg

You are very talented Jordan. I'm always amazed at the work you're able to do out of a garage. I'd love to see what you'd create working in my shop! Greg

What's a ballpark 'great price'? I paid $4,600 for my pair of Klipsch Jubilee bass horns, and that included shipping. That was a few years ago, I don't know if prices have gone up since then. They should have. Greg

Near the airport, down a rocky dirt road, and a 15 minute walk, is a secluded beach at Kekaha Kai State Park. We spent an entire day there and only saw one other person walk down the beach. White sand, warm green/blue water with a gentle surf. Took a plane ride over the hill to see the lava flow. That was a pretty cool trip. The pilot worked the plane up the slope on the way back to the point where it just wouldn't climb anymore, and then turned to go around the mountain. Just a little disconcerting. The Big Island is quiet and friendly. We also spent two days in Maui, and had a great time there as well. Were I to go again, I wouldn't bother with a luau. Also, I would do something - anything - to avoid sitting on a plane from Hawaii to NYC. Gawd that was aweful! Next time we'll spend a day somewhere along the way to break up the long flight. Have a great trip. Greg

Today I cut the meat and let it marinate all day. I skewered and grilled it tonight for dinner. Overall it was very good. I couldn't stop eating it while grilling. The sirloin cost about $5 per pound, but the flap steak was $7 per pound! But the flap steak was much better. It was more tender and had more flavor. The sirloin was good too, but more dense and it didn't capture as much of the marinade. When I do this again, I'll use a different marinade recipe. The one I used was ok, but not really the right flavor. I think it can be better. I cut the meat too thin. Next time I'll concentrate more on getting the slices a little thicker and I also will not try to cut at an angle, which is not necessary, and actually made the pieces too wide and hard to skewer. The sirloin was not as thick as the flap steak and it was also denser, so the sirloin pieces were easier to skewer and kept their shape better. The flap steak was falling apart as I was trying to skewer it, and when I put it on the grill, would fold over onto itself. I ended up getting about 1.8lbs of sirloin ($9) and 2.2lbs of flap steak ($15). The cost of the ingredients for the marinade was about $5 and the skewers $2,50. Total cost was about $32. I ended up getting about 25 neat skewers and some odd pieces that just went on the grill because they really couldn't be easily skewered. So $1.28 each not including the tidbits. My local Chinese restaurant charges $1.33 each for their teriyaki beef skewers, so I'm really not saving any money, especially if I consider my time. Although the flap steak I used is a better quality meat than what the Chinese restaurant is using. I like their flavor better though. Another little bit of info - be prepared ahead of time to do something with the small pieces of beef that aren't used for the slices. Greg

I asked my wife to pick up two cuts of beef today. I was very specific about the size, thickness and cuts - one sirloin and the other flank. The butcher told her that he makes teriyaki beef all the time and uses a flap steak. He said sirloin would be his second choice. Not sure what a flap steak is, but that's what I got, so I'm going to give it a go tomorrow. 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb flank flap steak 1 cup Kikkoman teriyaki sauce 2 Tbsp brown sugar 1 Tbsp honey 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 8 inch wooden skewers Soak wood skewers in water for an hour before skewering Cut meat against the grain Soak in marinade in zip lock bag for at least 6 hours - or overnight Skewer and grill Discard excess marinade Greg

Sorry, I was at a concert. Cameron Carpenter on a fantastic pipe organ. Wow. I concur with checking the fuse in the network. I would proudly call them Khorns. They are the world's best sounding pair of Khorns. They're along the lines of what Klipsch should have done to them a long time ago instead of playing around with funny looking woofers in ported enclosures and calling them a flagship. IMHO of course. Greg

Thanks for the responses so far. I guess I'll need to try a few different cuts of meat. The varied suggestions here mirror what I found in my search. Apparently there's no right cut of meat to use. (whatever walks down the alley near the back door!) LOL The marinade is a whole nother thing. Greg

I did a search on what type of beef to use for making Asian beef Teriyaki steak, and I could not find a consensus as to what cut of beef to start with. I'd like to make my own beef strips on wooden skewers like the kind you get at Chinese restaurants. I have an indoor grill to cook them on. I can see that the beef is cut fairly thin, maybe 3/16" - 1/4" inch, and across the grain. It also might be cut at an angle. What cut of beef should I start with and what thickness? Greg

Regarding the imaging - For the heck of it, try 5-2 instead of 2-5. In other words, switch the polarity. Greg

I tried it without the plywood top in my small listening room and it sounded fantastic. My small room has an unusual bass node that really sounds nice with La Scalas. Just a freak thing I think. Sh*t luck, whatever you want to call it. But it is still one of the most impressive sounding systems I've heard. These are custom split LS's that I restored from old beaters and then sold to a customer in the UK. I built them so the tops could easily be mounted either way. The grain on the veneer even lines up between the two sections when the backs of the bass bins are facing forward. As you can see, they aren't at a 45 degree angle. I got the best imaging and overall sound with them in this position. Greg

I agree with inked, hand-rubbed poly is a good way to go. I have used the wipe-on polyurethane from Minwax, and it is a very easy finish to apply and the results are very good. But you did say you wanted a high gloss finish, and the wipe-on doesn't look that way. inked also said that you can't brush or roll on lacquer, and he's absolutely correct. You could always try lacquer from a spray can. Minwax makes the best spray-can lacquer there is. It's very easy to apply, and the quality of the product is excellent. It is a nitro-cellulose lacquer and is therefore very easy to wipe out and repair with lacquer thinner if that's necessary. Plan on buying a respirator, even for outdoor use. As for the staining, the scratches and bits that are too deep to sand out have a color to them, usually from the previous finish. If you clean the wood with a solvent, you should get an idea of how dark that color is. Any stain you use is going to catch in those little scratches and bits and they will show up even more because they will be darker. If you can do some experimenting and figure out ahead of time what that darker color is going to be when the stain catches in the scratches and bits, you can then use a stain that is close to that darker color and they will hide fairly well. Probably easier said than done. Greg