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New LaScala drivers and horns compatible with vintage?


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1 minute ago, Jvitti1970 said:

Question:
Are any  of the newer drivers and horns used in  the LaScala’s compatible with vintage LS from the 70’s

Mind if I ask what your motivation is in asking this question?  Really, I'm just curious.....

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Of course, in getting them, one would have to jump through the fiery hoops of hell fire to obtain them.  So very doubtful unless you can provide serial numbers plus I doubt they have enough parts in the barn to supply everyone's "upgrade-itis".

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I've never had LS (do have Khorns + H1)  - seems to me the original with capacitors which flavor it best to one's taste (perhaps on the budget, KBG, MBGO or decent motor run poly battery biased) when fed with a good source (for me - no op amp in the DAC or preamp) would be about as good as it gets.  FWIW I would want no particle board, and prefer stiffness from bracing rather than thick walls.  K400 (and 700) seem to do better with rope putty than 511B.

 

Also - if there happens to be a peak in the upper range of the midhorn/driver combo and there's no midrange lowpass L , it would not hurt to apply the old "p-filter" trap using RTA or repeated sweeps to properly center the LCR filter. 

 

K55v was a pretty good driver overall.  Its discouraging to see new chunky compression drivers in the $100-$150 range but none to do the work and lower range needed in the classic Klipsch midrange horn setup.  What the world needs is a great $100 phenolic 1 inch (and larger) format horn driver.

 

(I remember when High Fidelity published their A447 review )

 

Here's that review:  

High Fidelity Magazine review Klipsch La Scala horn loaded loudspeaker 1971

 

V84PN02.png

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54 minutes ago, karlson3 said:

 K400 (and 700) seem to do better with rope putty than 511B.

 

Also - if there happens to be a peak in the upper range of the midhorn/driver combo and there's no midrange lowpass L , it would not hurt to apply the old "p-filter" trap using RTA or repeated sweeps to properly center the LCR filter. 

 

K55v was a pretty good driver overall.  Its discouraging to see new chunky compression drivers in the $100-$150 range but none to do the work and lower range needed in the classic Klipsch midrange horn setup.  What the world needs is a great $100 phenolic 1 inch (and larger) format horn driver.

Use of rope caulk was always a waste of time and money, IMHO!  The easiest and least expensive "fix" for the metal mid-horns was always that "liquid rubber stuff" like you dip screw-driver handles into in order to insulate the handles from electric shock and such!  Since you just need to clean the outside surface of the horn lens...then just take a cheap paint brush and coat the outside of the horns with it!  It accomplishes the exact same thing as rope caulk does without all of the hassle and extra added weight of all of that caulk which will eventually come loose anyway!

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re: liquid rubber dip - that does sound like a better idea as rope putty eventually dries out - if there is a significant peak then that's good to LC(R) trap as seen the magnitude pretty high and peak that forms an interference source with the tweeter ( unless you like the sound - lol)

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1 hour ago, Jvitti1970 said:

  @jimjimbo compatible not comparable. for upgrading purposes assuming the new stuff is better than the old. which may or may not be the case

I think I may have mentioned this about 2 thousand times previously, but, get the CT120 and A55G from Crites, and get the Eminence Kappa 15C woofer from Parts Express.  Wrap the mid horn in Dynamat, change out the old caps in the networks, and Voila!

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The xo points are different. The mid horn is pushed to the 6k range on the older ls to protect the k77. And what I've been told stresses the k55. The ls2 xo is 4500 and the new k77 is better suitable to handle this. This is how Bob and jason str explained it to me. 

 

Bob sells new crossovers A/4500 that change this and bring the xo down to the 4k range. But you need to replace the k77 with his c-125 or c-120 tweet (there are other replacements as well. Dave sells one also). Or it will damage the k77 that are in the ls1. 

 

The A/4500 are 235 for pair and cant remember what the tweets cost (been awhile but I have the c125 in my ls1). Im going to buy the A/4500

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21 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

I think we're getting off track here.....

 

Jim, that never happens around here.  Not sure why you'd even think or say that. ;)

 

18 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

I think I may have mentioned this about 2 thousand times previously, but, get the CT120 and A55G from Crites, and get the Eminence Kappa 15C woofer from Parts Express.  Wrap the mid horn in Dynamat, change out the old caps in the networks, and Voila!

 

I was going to mention that earlier, too, so I will second the opinion. I bought new K-33-K woofers but used the A-55-G and CT120 pairs in my Belle clones. Some day I'll get to deafening the horn and see what I hear different...just glad to have them playing again. Sometimes i swear something is out of phase on minds and highs because some tracks sound crazy holographic, for lack of a better term. Like stuff is all around you...almost weird. Especially a Madonna track I was listening to last night..."Live to Tell". Someone listen to that on similar speakers and tell me if I'm crazy or not.  Lol. 

 

Oh crap...got off track. But just confirming how good that combo sounds. Sorry Jim... 

 

 

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The K-400 is cast aluminum and the K-401 if a plastic composit. You can use either one. There's no real reason to replace with the newer one unless the casting is really bad (mine had some casting marks in the horn flare that I have filed off). Acoustically they are the same.

 

Bruce

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7 minutes ago, Heritage_Head said:

The xo points are different. The mid horn is pushed to the 6k range on the older ls to protect the k77. And what I've been told stresses the k55. The ls2 xo is 4500 and the new k77 is better suitable to handle this. This is how Bob and jason str explained it to me. 

 

Bob sells new crossovers A/4500 that change this and bring the xo down to the 4k range. But you need to replace the k77 with his c-125 or c-120 tweet (there are other replacements as well. Dave sells one also). Or it will damage the k77 that are in the ls1. 

 

The A/4500 are 235 for pair and cant remember what the tweets cost (been awhile but I have the c125 in my ls1). Im going to buy the A/4500

 

I've thought about doing that myself.  Well, not buying them but building them. Was curious in the change of sound bringing down that tweeter some and restricting the mid from going to 6k.   But, it looks to be a different autoformer used on the A/4500 than the 3636's used in my Type AA's. 

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Crying shame that you can no longer get Fastlane Audio's drop in replacement tractrix horn for that K400. This was the biggest pleasing to me modification that I made to my vintage LaScalas. You might try placing a WTB in the Garage Sale section, perhaps someone wants to be free of theirs.

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21 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

I think I may have mentioned this about 2 thousand times previously, but, get the CT120 and A55G from Crites, and get the Eminence Kappa 15C woofer from Parts Express.  Wrap the mid horn in Dynamat, change out the old caps in the networks, and Voila!

 

This may not be good advice. The specs on the K-33 and the 15C are different. The VAS differs by about 10%, the Qts is different and the Efficiency is about 2dB different. Given this is  a horn loaded cabinet, the throat, back volume and crossover would all need adjustment. The K-33 can be purchased form Klipsch and also Speaker Exchange. There are plenty of horns available on eBay. Keep in mind the newer k77's are about 1 db different in efficiency than the older versions (I forget the letter they appended to the model number). Although a difference of 1 dB is only slightly audible. 

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34 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

I think I may have mentioned this about 2 thousand times previously, but, get the CT120 and A55G from Crites, and get the Eminence Kappa 15C woofer from Parts Express.  Wrap the mid horn in Dynamat, change out the old caps in the networks, and Voila!

First time Ive ever read about it. 😉

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