heavyP Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 just when i was totally at peace and simply enjoying my La Scala, arises the opportunity to get 1981 Khorns and here's that damn bug again: what if the KH sound better ;-) as generally admitted here - than the LS? BUT most important, what if it sounds WORSE - in my environment... i'v been there before. i used to have Altec 19. I tried to make them play right and got frustrated for 2 years before i realized that fighting the basic laws of acoustics/volume/space and house structure is meaningless. no amp, cables, power plugs or snake oils can beat that. then, after some time, the la Scala found their way and cured my audiopath issues effortlessly. So today i visited a friend who has gorgeous sixties KH and a room pretty similar to mine in terms of volume - xcept he has THAT longer wall to place the speakers 12 feet apart - but less space for best Lp. of course i enjoyed the bass and impact of the KH, it's a thrill but this well-known impression of "way too much bass and resonance" immediately started nagging at me. my friend listens too loud for me, i kept lowering volume to match my taste and it sounded great. bass and impact was still there and maybe more articulate than at higher peak. so it's a tough decision. get them and play the odds of a real good surprise or rely on intuition and experience. heres a pic of my room and corners where the KH need to stand. sofa is about10 feet away from this wall and there's bigger space/room behind - but i cant push these side walls away. feel free to comment and advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Did you think his KH sound better than your LaScala? Would a sub help the LaScala is the difference was bass? What is L X H X W of room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 I found the la scale difficult to tame in my listening environment over my great Cornwall, but I finally prevailed. Right from the get go I could tell it was going to be worth the effort because of the wonderful LF section of the la scala, which was way less bloated. KH is not going to sound worse than a la scala. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 Hi derrick ;-) the lower/louder bass makes it a very different experience. it's very welcome on some stuff and kinda noisy or disturbing on other tracks - but there's this global sensation that it's "always there" and can be addictive, for the best or worse. introducing a sub to match the LS would be the elephant in the room i'm afraid. i'd say the room is about 8 meters large, ceiling up to 2,50m, double living-room reaches 15 meters long. listening position is in between, with 2 sofas back to back, one facing the system, another facing armchairs, screen-windows, garden, etc... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 The right subwoofer will make those La Scala's really shine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 (edited) from what i read here, it needs to match the bass wavelength of the LS, hence quite a piece of furniture Jason, your risers would look and sound fine here too ;-) Edited May 18, 2017 by heavyP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 15 minutes ago, Schu said: KH is not going to sound worse than a la scala. if there's too much bass and resonance because they're too close and the room not big enough, it will. maybe not worse - but not their best, whereas the LS sound so natural and easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 5 minutes ago, heavyP said: from what i read here, it needs to match the bass wavelength of the LS, hence quite a piece of furniture Jason, your risers would look and sound fine here too ;-) You could replace that table the equipment is on with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 i've been wondering about these table subs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 There is a Bill Fitzmaurice builder in France if you needed a quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 18, 2017 Author Share Posted May 18, 2017 feel free to send the info please ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 BFM builders >link< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 1 hour ago, heavyP said: if there's too much bass and resonance because they're too close and the room not big enough, it will. maybe not worse - but not their best, whereas the LS sound so natural and easy That doesn't even make sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrc Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 My Klipschorns have never had excessive bass. They tend to sound crisper and more precise than other speakers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 I'm betting your room has some peaks and nulls on the low end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 2 hours ago, Schu said: 4 hours ago, heavyP said: if there's too much bass and resonance because they're too close and the room not big enough, it will. maybe not worse - but not their best, whereas the LS sound so natural and easy That doesn't even make sense Well, maybe. Some amps can emphasize one frequency range over another. I'm not saying that's the case, I'm just bringing it up as a possibility. Depending on the source (ie, movies Dolby Digital sound) my 1978 Khorns have strong enough bass I could genuinely go without having a sub. They can rattle the windows as-is especially at higher SPL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 I may have missed it -- what is the width of the end of the room where the K's would go? IOW, how far apart will they be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 19, 2017 Author Share Posted May 19, 2017 yes look at the picture. the KH would be in these corners, where the LS stand right now. that would leave about 2 meters/6,5 feet between them ;-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrc Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 4 hours ago, muel said: 4 hours ago, muel said: I'm betting your room has some peaks and nulls on the low end. Hi muel. I'm not sure you're replying to my post (directly above yours), but of course my room has some peaks and nulls on the low end. I meant that the bass never was "excessive," IMO. "Excessive bass" was something the OP, heavyP, was worried about. Some other speakers are more "bass heavy,: and many are not as clear. At the Main Listening Position, the bass sounds tight, pure, effortless and very dynamic. Room proportions, room treatments and Audyssey further improve it. 9 hours ago, heavyP said: Hi heavyP. I once had only 6 feet between my Klipschorns, in a very small room, and they were fine, except there was only one small sweet spot for one person only. The imaging sucked for all other listeners, although it was tonally pretty good. They sound much better in my current room of over 4,000 cu. ft.! Is there a way to remove the table between the speakers (no matter what kind you get)? The art work can stay. Can you build your equipment into a closet or something, or put it at the rear of the room? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavyP Posted May 19, 2017 Author Share Posted May 19, 2017 10 hours ago, Schu said: That doesn't even make sense well, you're totally entitled to think that from your own experience. then we probably have different perception of music and frequencies ;-) from what i heard yesterday at my friend's, i'm totally aware of the potential of the KH here at home vs. the possible issues due to room structure. what i liked and gives me hope is that even at lower sound level, the KH convey the whole spectrum with full bass weight and dynamics. but i know there will be an upper limit, as there is with any speaker in any given room. browsing the forum i've seen systems and similar room/placement that seem to make their owners very happy. some people enjoy cranking music at almost live volume level and achieve to find tonal balance or acceptable compromise in it, whereas others would run out of the room and cringe. what matters most is the level of pleasure we can reach and the KH seems to have incredible potential. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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