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LaScala "blubbering".... any thoughts?


Coytee

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LaScalas are rear channels so they don't get much use.  Noticed some (bass region) blubber or high distortion and began to fear that I've finally worn out my K33's (41 years old).  The sound was highly distorted in the lower regions, mids/uppers seemed to sound fine.

 

Turned my HT unit to 2.1 as I've never been one to focus on the "HT" sound (then again, I've likely never had it dialed in!!)

 

None the less....today's the day.  Pulled speaker out of wall, pulled bottom off and viola, everything looks pristine.

 

There does appear to be some (mold?) growth or dirt on the bottom part of the driver.  I found a petrified mouse in this closet so feared the mouse ripped the driver to shreds.

 

I've not messed around with the crossover yet (ALK extreme slope) so I might have a jiggled wire in there....  nor have I yet put a meter to the leads.

 

While open, wanted to get some thoughts so I could proceed in a logical fashion. 

 

I'm not against finding out that maybe my HT unit has an issue (forget brand/model but can look)  

 

I don't yet have a free amp laying about to simply plug it in as a single speaker in a stereo format.  Trying to figure out how I can access my amps in the closet without having to disassemble everything to pull it out.

 

Noticed also, the driver has a plate affixed to it rather than what I expected to see (a piece of sticky paper with the driver/company info on it)

 

how common is this?  Looks like it's a K33-B AND has a number stamped on the tag 6513

 

Now, to go find a battery......

 

 

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I have had a couple of K33s with round plates, rather than the square like yours.  And yes, I've struggled with the stapled gasket a couple of times as well.  Crazy time consuming......

 

Have you switched the LS to the front channels and put it in 2.1 to rule out the amp?

 

Since the "B" is the designator for the manufacturer, I would think the 6513 is the serial.

 

And, they wouldn't "blubber" if you were nice, and didn't make them cry.....

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My first guess is the surround signal it is being fed. That screws up more often than a k33! (in my little world)

 

But I am curious as to the "mold /mildew" on the cone. That would not surprise me except for the clean dry doghouse. Mold will not grow without a food source and moisture. 

I am going for the long shot here. Remove the woofer to make sure your dead mouse didn't have a friend that may be on the other side of that cone. Would not be hard for those little rascals to find there way in that spot. 

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Has the mold eaten through the cone ? Hold a flashlight on one side and look at it from the other side.

 

If its OK and you're not sure if the mold is dead spray it lightly with Lysol to kill it.

 

Check for leaks and may as well run the drivers out of the cabinet to eliminate those.

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What I've done thus far...

 

Was going to yank an amp out of the rack when it dawned on me (smacks forehead) that I have one sitting free & easy to get to on top of the Jubilee bass bin.

 

So now I'm running some speaker wire to one channel so I can run that channel to the LaScala.  Of course, the speaker (Jubilee) is biamped so Now, I have to either go to my active and program (it's very annoying for ME to do from the front of it) or maybe just mount up my spare preamp & CD player to the amp....

 

We'll see.  Need to find some wires (XLR's) to make this happen.  I know I have some....  but where...

 

 

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Some meandering details (?)

 

Had to patch a second system together.....pulled Peach & old CD player out of closet.  Turns out the CD player has a (very) stretched belt after it wouldn't work and I had to take the bottom off.  No worries, I simply doubled up the belt!!

 

Had some issues like that and finding appropriate RCA/RCA and RCA/XLR wires....  but got it figured out.

 

Right now, I can take the Peach to 100% volume (with gains at 100%) AND, put the Crown K2 at 100% and EASILY stay in room with the single speaker.  You might even be able to carry on a conversation.

 

It's like someone took the entire sound and "divided by 2" so your output is down.  As I now have it on the Peach/Crown, the sound from a quality stand point, seems fine....  volume seems held back.  BUT, the blubber I was hearing before in the bass is gone.  Maybe it was one of the old "check your connections before you do anything else" situations.

 

I've not yet looked too close at the crossover. 

 

The sound now is easily 1000% better in quality than I had before so I suppose I'll look at the crossover (not that I might ascertain something wrong even if it's staring at me!)

 

Right now, sound is "fine" but, when you step into it, that punch in the gut simply isn't there.  So you can HEAR it, just can't FEEL it.

 

Not what I would expect to say about a LaScala hooked to a K2.

 

 

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So, crossover question.....   ( @Deang  )

 

I actually noticed this degradation in sound months ago and simply shut down the speaker (turned it's supplying amp off).

 

Could this be one of those "you need to re-form the capacitor" things??  I never quite got what that meant.

 

Sounds better (and louder) in the last 30 minutes.

 

This is strange and I'm perplexed.   Will be interesting to see what I find (in couple weeks as I'm slow at this) when I hook it back to the HT unit and turn it on via that system)  

 

 

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4 hours ago, MookieStl said:

I am going for the long shot here. Remove the woofer to make sure your dead mouse didn't have a friend that may be on the other side of that cone. Would not be hard for those little rascals to find there way in that spot. 

 

I had put most of it back together before I read this....  (bottom bolted on)  and kicked myself for not going the last bit to be sure.

 

Though I don't think this became their primary residence, I've got to think they vacationed here a couple times.

 

So, any thoughts on what to clean it with?  I've already taken a shop-vac to it and gotten the lose stuff & rubbed some stuff to loosen it.  

 

I suppose I could leave it well enough alone....  (wife won't like the speaker torn apart when she gets home)

 

What might I try to clean this with??

 

Since I've gone this far, I'll rotate the driver when I put it back.

 

First time this has been taken out of its home since it was installed at the factory in 1979.

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5 hours ago, jimjimbo said:

Have you switched the LS to the front channels and put it in 2.1 to rule out the amp?

 

I'm going to have to pull out my instructions for my active.  It is (for me) NOWHERE as intuitive / easy as the old EV unit that I pulled out.  Might not be a cumbersome thing for others but (given I've never put much effort into learning it) I get frustrated with it.  

 

Putting a second system together tonight was a joke.....  not only did the drawer pulley break....  the CD player finally stopped playing anything and swallowed two CD's.  I had to take both the top & bottom off just to extract them.

 

Not sure if I'm just going to dump that player (was extra) or maybe fix....  it's a nice Sony SACD unit

 

When  I put things together in the closet, I cut them fairly close so I don't have a lot of slop in there.  Therefore, it's a royal pain to pull something out...  Guess I need to brush up on the active as converting a leg of that to full signal really is my best option.

 

Wonder if I'll find this stuff in the other LaScala.  Planning on pulling it out tomorrow.

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Likeliest it was the mouse debris.  I've got a bristle brush attachment from an old Electrolux vacuum I use on my shop vac for just such an occasion.  I don't think I'd use straight vinegar.  50/50 with distilled water at the strongest level.  If any liquid...

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