Erik Mandaville Posted November 9, 2002 Share Posted November 9, 2002 To All Who May Be Interested: With rare generosity from a fellow forum member (I'll keep his name with-held just in case it is preferred), I am in the process of comparing, side-by-side, both the AL and AA neworks in my 1 month old La Scalas. A school-related chore out of the way, I can take time to carefully listen to both. The La Scalas (vintage 1989) came with the AL networks, about which I have heard mixed impressions. Temporarily on loan are a well-cared-for pair of the comparatively more simple AAs, and only one is now installed and playing in the system. It doesn't usually take me long to notice differences in my system (even with my increasingly poor hearing from previous drumming days...), and such was the case with a first listen this afternoon. Immediate impressions in comparing the AA to AL are as follows: AA is less closed-in and constricted. There is an obvious increase in the sense of space and 'air,' and I find the overall presentation literally less filtered and more transparent. Intersong hiss is a bit brighter with the AA network, and easier to detect -- this subsequently results in greater retrieval of subtle detail(this is just my opinion, mind you...). I very much enjoy hearing certain indirectly related details important to the sense of realism -- fingers plucking steel and nylon guitar strings, over-tones of toms and snare on drums, the decay of hi-hat, ride and crash cymbals, breathing of players between phrasing, etc. -- and all of these have so far come through to me more with the AA networks. I hate to use the ubiquitous 'lifting of a veil' to illustrate the comparison, but that analogy works in this case. ...more to come by tomorrow. Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 9, 2002 Share Posted November 9, 2002 Did you ever put any grippers on the bottom of your LaScalas? Just wondered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted November 10, 2002 Author Share Posted November 10, 2002 Hi, Well, Wal Mart was out of the Grippers last week when I looked. I went again this morning and they had some new stock in. So I picked up two packs, so I can add as needed. They look like they could be pretty effective and damping resonances, and are thicker than I expected them to be. I'll try 'em out soon and let you know. Hope you get some takers on your fine cabinet work. Would you be up for a commission sometime early next year? Thanks, have a good Sunday, Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted November 10, 2002 Share Posted November 10, 2002 Eric, Your impressions mirror mine quite closely, especially the part about overtones and after ring of drums. With my modded AAs, I can often tell, or think I can, the material used in the drum head, if it is something unusual like skin rather than mylar. The Type AL left everything muddled together like leftover beef stew! Al K's xovers are another step out into the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted November 10, 2002 Author Share Posted November 10, 2002 John: I'm curious about what modifications you made to your AA networks. Al has mentioned the disconnection of the two diodes (really just one to break the circuit), and a couple of other things. Did you also do the diode mod, and what was the result? Thanks, Erik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted November 10, 2002 Share Posted November 10, 2002 Yes, I disconnected one diode. That removes a lot of hash at high dB caused by the diodes turning the HF waveform into square waves above 2 watts to the tweeter. You then have full responsibility for the health of your tweeters! I have replaced the caps with Hovland musicaps. I have air-core inductors for the woofers, but have thus far been too lazy to install them. I experimented with the tweeter inductor's screw, but put it back in because I didn't like the extra brightness at 6k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted November 11, 2002 Share Posted November 11, 2002 Erik, As for a commission sometime early next year...e-mail me at Jahren60@aol.com and give me the details...we can see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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