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Help Taming KG4's with Tube Amp


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Hi there, I have a pair of first generation KG4's that have the Crites titanium drivers as well as his crossover networks. These speakers have always sounded fabulous with my old, integrated transistor amp. The top end was always smooth and silky, yet very revealing without any harshness. I recently purchased a high end tube amp and now my favorite speakers hurt my ears! There is an upper-midrange glare that has appeared that makes these speakers very unlistenable and no longer balanced. 

 

Using a spectrum analyzer, the offending frequency is in the 2k - 3.8k range. The caps in the crossover network are 3uF and 8uF. I read online here that the crossover frequency for the KG4's is 1800Hz. I think if I changed the crossover frequency to a higher value, that would reduce or eliminate the glare by sending more highs to the the double 8" drivers, correct?

 

Sorry, I don't know enough about electronics to experiment with changing these values without some guidance. Would any of you know what values I should try to change the crossover frequency? Or, is there another approach to remedying this upper midrange glare?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can lend. 

 

Cheers!

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Correct, just trying to better the sound. Some recordings are fine, others exhibit the midrange glare in the 2 - 4k range. I would like to listen to "all" recordings through the KG4's. So, I'm just asking for advice on how to change the crossover point.  If any of you know how to do that, I'd appreciate any knowledge you could share. Thanks!

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The discussion of cryo'd tubes and other discredited audiophool nonsense in your thread over there makes my head hurt.  It's a wonder they don't get dizzy and fall over from chasing around the audiophool laser dots.

 

Are you still not satisfied after your tube rolling experimentation?  

 

Does that amp have different output taps?  It could be just an impedance mismatch, with less than optimal power delivery.  Dual woof speakers almost always present a 4 ohm or lower load, and usually sound more properly balanced when paired with the 4 ohm taps on the tube amp.

 

Maybe some sort of eq, something you could use for the offensive recordings and bypass for the high quality ones?  I see that amp does have some sort of treble control, although it may not address the offending frequencies.  And unfortunately, the quality of production on many recordings leaves a lot to be desired.  The better your rig, the more the sub-par recording's flaws are revealed.  Some can be salvaged using editing software (Chris has a thread on remastering using Audacity here on the forums, if you're so inclined).

Edited by Ski Bum
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Are you still not satisfied after your tube rolling experimentation?  

 

Does that amp have different output taps?  It could be just an impedance mismatch, with less than optimal power delivery.  Dual woof speakers almost always present a 4 ohm or lower load, and usually sound more properly balanced when paired with the 4 ohm taps on the tube amp.

 

Maybe some sort of eq, something you could use for the offensive recordings and bypass for the high quality ones?  I see that amp does have some sort of treble control, although it may not address the offending frequencies.  And unfortunately, the quality of production on many recordings leaves a lot to be desired.  The better your rig, the more the sub-par recording's flaws are revealed.  Some can be salvaged using editing software (Chris has a thread on remastering using Audacity here on the forums, if you're so inclined).

Hi Ski Bum, in answer to your questions in order:

> When I posted that the EL34's resolved the issue, that was before I played through more of my collection. On the test tracks I was using, they did. Others later on I discovered still had the glare. I would say I'm at 60% now - trying to equalize for the remaining 40%

>Yes, the amp has a 4 & 8 ohm speaker tap - I've tried both and neither has a effect on the glare. Oddly enough, the 8 ohm sounds best - richer/fuller

>Treble control doesn't effect the glare - my issue is more that the 2 - 4k range is "louder" than the other band widths on certain recordings, especially 70's vinyl.

>You are correct in that this amp is extremely revealing and as far as eq'ing with software  and what not, I'd rather keep it simple and see if I can just better match the KG4's to this new amp

And thanks for the good thoughts and serious reply - I appreciate it. 

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try going back to the original tweets and see how it sounds, then try his again. I had the same issue with my Forte II's. You can also try turning them slightly outward some.

Well, I don't have the original phenolic drivers, one was blown and the other crumbled to dust when I took the horn apart to instal the titaniums. I threw away the original crossovers as they were nearing 30 years old... Thanks

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I have an extra pair from my Forte II.If they fit, you can borrow them to see if it helps, and then make a decision on getting another pair. Just PM me and let me know if you'd like to try that.

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