KanedaK Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Here they are! After years of lusting for them, and thanks to a fellow board member, I managed to get myself a pair of universal networks. God I was so excited to put them in!!... they replace old, rusty, dusty AA networks. they are a kit version with the Fastcaps, and Hovland and Sonicaps where it matters most. So how do they sound? They sound great for sure. I didn't have so much time to listen to them yet -installed them prior to go to work, played a few tunes (arrived late at work...). To be honest the first minutes I was a bit disappointed... they sounded so damn BRIGHT! Not harsh: clean and detailed, but just too BRIGHT. My tweeters are Beyma CP25, and in my setup with the old AAs I already had to pad them down a little. I thought I could leave the same setting with the new networks, but what sounded balanced with the AA sounded too hot in the high treble with the ALK. Now I'm back home with the ALKs. I padded down the tweeters a little bit more -there's no graduation for a reading but i'd say it's just 1dB, maybe 2 dBs less output- and now it sounds great. Clean, balanced, midrange is not all over the place like it used to, classical music doesn't sound harsh anymore, while still sounding "fresh" and detailed. Music sounds the way it' supposed to... with the AAs there was some kind of "warmth", like a "tubey" sound that was an artifact of the networks but sounded "nice" to the ear; with the ALKs, recordings sound the way they are... and the "crap in >> crap out" rule is more true than ever. This is sometimes annoying. Thank god I have more good recordings than bad ones. I listen mainly to CDs, trough a (good) solid state preamp, feeding a powerful SS power amp. That might explain why I had to pad the tweeters a bit more down. I might consider getting a good valve preamp to get that "warmth" back a little bit. Not that it sounds cold or harsh or anything, but I think I liked that "added sugar" quite a bit. I need to listen more, but overall I'm very impressed with those networks. One thing very impressive is drums: in very busy rock songs like Muse, I can now hear every kick on the drums, where before it all sounded like a big mess. Something I didn't expect is the bass can be felt in the chest at lower levels than before... and that's very very nice indeed! more punch down there too! I would recommend those networks, but I must say I'm a little bit skeptical about their use with entry-level AV receivers for example. I have the feeling they let you know about anything that's not optimally matched in your system... old AAs "round things off" more than a bit! More comments to follow... now just wanna sit back and listen Jamiroquai is making the whole room groove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Congrats on the networks! Sounds like a nice overall improvement...... Maybe the "warmth" will return in a few days or weeks........ Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Al's universals run the tweeter wide open so they tend to sound a little sharp. What sqawker horns are you using? I use the universals with CT125 tweeters and a K55M's mated to Altec 511b's. I find this combo to be quite pleasing epseicially when mated to my 299B for 2 CH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KanedaK Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 My squawker horns are EV SM120A... the "sharpness" is coming from the tweeters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Clean, balanced, midrange is not all over the place like it used to, classical music doesn't sound harsh anymore, while still sounding "fresh" and detailed. The following thread goes a long way toward explaining to me why Al K's crossovers don't sound harsh like the AAs: he crosses the midrange via the network instead of allowing it to "cross itself" in the tweeter's passband. http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/p/71428/1455398.aspx#1455398 Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KanedaK Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Clean, balanced, midrange is not all over the place like it used to, classical music doesn't sound harsh anymore, while still sounding "fresh" and detailed. The following thread goes a long way toward explaining to me why Al K's crossovers don't sound harsh like the AAs: he crosses the midrange via the network instead of allowing it to "cross itself" in the tweeter's passband. http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/p/71428/1455398.aspx#1455398 Chris Yes, that's what got me interested in those networks in the first place, instead of considering a recap of my old AAs. I like the idea of a driver "rolling off by itself" but the problem is the old K55V isn't the smoothest up there. Better to keep that solution for higher quality drivers (the K55V is really not a bad driver IMHO but needs a little help from the network it seems). I don't know if it's my ears adjusting to the new -totally different- sound, but the ALK seem less "sharp" in the treble today, more integrated and "organic". Is it possible that they've been in storage long enough to need some kind of "re-burning in" (they're not new, they've been used a lot before coming to me)? probably just my ears adjusting, but whatever... sounds great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KanedaK Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 UPDATE: something still wasn't "right". The midrange is actually so clean with these new networks that it's possible to set the level too high without noticing; my default setting was 2-5; I had tried 0-4, wich was noticeably too "hot", and assumed the next level down 2-5 would be "correct", period. I now tried X-4 (next level down) and I'm in HEAVEN! The warmth is back, imaging is better, better front to back layering, clarity to die for without projection, and transients are fast as lightning without being "piercing". Really amazing. The "sharpness" was not the networks, or my tweeters, or my amp: the mids were just set a bit too hot! I'm relieved... These networks are really TOP NOTCH! MyScalas are soooo much more refined now, I don't see wich other speaker at the price (or even higher) could even come close! LaScala owners, give your ears a treat: EV SM120A midrange horns + Beyma CP25 tweeters (with L-Pad) + ALK universals = PURE BLISS!!!! Good job, mister Al K.! and thank you!!! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 assumed the next level down 2-5 would be "correct", period. I now tried X-4 (next level down) and I'm in HEAVEN! The warmth is back, imaging is better Regarding the imaging - For the heck of it, try 5-2 instead of 2-5. In other words, switch the polarity. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BE36 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 UPDATE: something still wasn't "right". The midrange is actually so clean with these new networks that it's possible to set the level too high without noticing; my default setting was 2-5; I had tried 0-4, wich was noticeably too "hot", and assumed the next level down 2-5 would be "correct", period. I now tried X-4 (next level down) and I'm in HEAVEN! The warmth is back, imaging is better, better front to back layering, clarity to die for without projection, and transients are fast as lightning without being "piercing". Really amazing. The "sharpness" was not the networks, or my tweeters, or my amp: the mids were just set a bit too hot! I'm relieved... These networks are really TOP NOTCH! MyScalas are soooo much more refined now, I don't see wich other speaker at the price (or even higher) could even come close! LaScala owners, give your ears a treat: EV SM120A midrange horns + Beyma CP25 tweeters (with L-Pad) + ALK universals = PURE BLISS!!!! Good job, mister Al K.! and thank you!!! :-) Welcome to the Club! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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