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Fill AL Crossover holes in La Scala?


ebrandon

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Hi All!

 

This is my first post on the Klipsch community forums.  I recently bought my first pair of Heritage Klipsch speakers -- 1985 La Scala's that were in surprisingly good shape considering that they'd spent years in a barn with the pigs & chickens!

 

I received my Bob Crites AA crossovers today and swapped them in for the old AL crossovers.  The sound improvement is incredibly dramatic.  I can't believe how good these speakers sound now.

 

The Crites crossovers are just velcro'ed in place and there are empty screw holes where the old AL crossovers were.  My question is -- do I need to fill in the holes where the AL crossover used to be?  Best way to fill them?  Shorter screws?  Some filling compound?

 

Thanks!

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The crossovers are positioned internally so no one will see the screw holes 

So I would leave well alone 

 

If you do want to do something about it then the best way is 

Take the measurements of the old crossover base plate and copy / replicate it 

Screw it down in the original holes and then screw the new crossover on the new base 

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Welcome to the forum @ebrandon

 

The new crossovers will fit sideways on the other side (right side) of the cabinet. You can leave the stock AL crossovers right where they were. In the (unfortunate) event you sell your LS, they can be returned to stock and you can keep or sell the AA’s separately. 

 

A couple #6 1 1/2” deck screws and a stubby driver will secure the new AA crossovers, a pilot hole through the boards is good idea so they don’t split (!) Other screws will work as long as they are not ferrous (magnet has no effect). Larger ones will be more difficult to hand tighten... You can leave the velcro fasteners on for this. Don’t go longer than 1 1/2” or they may enter the doghouse. No issue if the screws stay in the holes, but if they are removed the holes need to be filled. Stock Klipsch screws do not enter the doghouse.

 

Do a mock up first with the wires before you screw it down. The woofer lead should just make it.

 

You say they were in a barn?

 

Have you cleared the mice rice out of the bug screens on the K-55M’s and the cobwebs and spider nests out of the doghouse? The gaskets on the K-400’s may be compressed into the throat of the horn and may need trimming back with an exacto knife or razor blade and sometimes the woofer screws are loose, so it wouldn’t hurt to venture in.

 

You may be shocked at what you find in there! I know I was...

 

You can’t go wrong with the AA crossovers, when you buy the CT-120 tweeters (and you will, lol) your LaScalas will take the next leap in performance.

 

In the meantime dust off your doghouse and your old music collection and see what you have been missing all these years!

 

You are going to be front row centre for your favourites!

 

 

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When I removed the ALs from my '89 LaScalas, I just left the holes. I didn't even screw down the replacements (DHA2), just placed an old washcloth underneath so it wouldn't buzz/vibrate in the top.

 

You can fill the holes or not.

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5 hours ago, geoff. said:

You say they were in a barn?

 

Have you cleared the mice rice out of the bug screens on the K-55M’s and the cobwebs and spider nests out of the doghouse? The gaskets on the K-400’s may be compressed into the throat of the horn and may need trimming back with an exacto knife or razor blade and sometimes the woofer screws are loose, so it wouldn’t hurt to venture in.

 

You may be shocked at what you find in there! I know I was...

 

Thanks for your words of encouragment!  As for the condition of the speakers, I was quite amazed.  They're 34 years old, and yes they did spend a year in a barn, and when I exchanged the crossovers, replaced the tweeters with CT-120's and the squawker drivers with A-55G's ,I got a pretty good look at all the components including things like the gaskets.  Everything was basically like new -- screws still tight; no rust; no wire insulation, gaskets or anything else dried up and crumbling, etc.  These things are really well made.

 

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Surround sound LaScala... LOL! The tweeter is leftover from the A/4500, CT-125 mod. Thought that would be the safest place to store it!

 

Any time I put something in a “safe place” I either misplace it or compromise it’s condition.

 

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3 hours ago, geoff. said:

Surround sound LaScala... LOL! The tweeter is leftover from the A/4500, CT-125 mod. Thought that would be the safest place to store it!

 

Any time I put something in a “safe place” I either misplace it or compromise it’s condition.

 

you know that you can achieve some very interesting spatial sound qualities with a second tweeter used to generate long bounce reflections off of side walls back walls and ceilings. I am using a EVDH1506 fitted with the extender cups (1" - 2") from my EV DH1A drivers. It replaces the K79 tweeter on the H3. Sitting  horn up in the outside corners it generates a sound stage not unlike a dipole speaker. You need to play with the positioning but when it is correct sound stage snaps into place and the centre fill is excellent and stable. I damp it down a little with a small quantity of well carded (teased out) long fiber wool. Depth image and width of image are greatly enhanced.

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