Greg .au Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 (edited) Advice sort: I have just pulled my La Scalas out of storage after something like 20 years. They were purchased brand new back in the early '80s and have had a very easy life with minimal use. I felt it advisable to check the 15" bass drivers. With the inspection I feel the cone has, over time, deteriorated a little in appearance. I'm wondering if I might be best to apply a coat of something like Bostic EVA over the face to prevent further loss of the original surface. This product has been used as a glue and also, thinned a little for application, used for weather proofing cone drivers. The crossovers are type AL. They appear to be in good condition with no sign of swelling or leaking of any kind from the components. What checks can I perform on these? I'm looking forward to running my La Scalas up again and shall do so cautiously. I welcome your advice - thank you - Greg .au Edited January 17, 2020 by Greg .au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Unless the woofer voice coils are rubbing, leave them alone. A little color change is not detrimental. You could gently vacuum the dust off with a brush attachment and not harm them. One of my pair had Type AL crossovers and I thought they were awful. They made a howling sound near the crossover point, in the range of a French Horn. Consider modifying them to AL-3 (maybe -2) configuration. Al Klappenberger's Universal crossover makes them sound good, too. You can probably test most of the components of the crossover network by disconnecting some of the terminals and not have to unsolder each component. However, at about 35 years old and unused for most of that, the capacitors are likely in need or renewal. Use a good film and foil capacitor; they will be worth the cost. Crossover schematics are available in one of these forums. Be sure to inspect the cabinets for water damage and repair. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glens Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Since you'd need to remove the woofers (sounds like you have already?) to dust them, I'm a fan of the idea of reinstalling with a 180-degree rotation since everything sags to some extent over time... assuming they've been stored in a normal, upright orientation. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glens Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Reverses the pull of gravity on the cone and suspension. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg .au Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 Thank you all for your advice. I'm very happy to report they're still stock standard and up and sounding just fine. Thank you "glens". I had rotated the speakers. I read your suggestion on this site some time ago, perhaps an earlier entry you made. It makes good sense. Thank you "JohnA". I shall research crossover components over time and make sure I purchase Quality. I ran them for about an hour and half quietly before asking them to sing which they did bringing back fond memories. Now my dilemma is what pre-amp amp direction do I choose. Lots of reading ahead I guess. I have had offered, as near to new, a McIntosh MA252 which appears very nice but lots of money here in Australia. Unfortunately Hi-end components are not readily available for trial where I live. There's always some uncertainty I guess. I still use Perreaux from the late 80's in my pro-audio systems. I believe there's new product from the new owner that may suit? Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 I'm what part of Oz do you live? I sent a fine 2 weeks driving around southeast AU in the mid '80s. Wanna come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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