Jump to content

LaScala - To Refub or "Upgrade"


brad0112

Recommended Posts

On 9/1/2020 at 11:20 AM, scalawag said:

 

 

If your LS-s have lived primarily in a residential setting, then most likely there won't be much "dust or debris" to be found in the bass bins.  A few months ago I changed out the original K-33s for a set of Crites woofs and was surprised to see how clean the insides were - see pics.  But then, I've owned these from Day 1 which was back in '76, and my 'Scalas have always been inside the house.  If yours have been stored away in a shed or barn for any length of time, then the interior of your bass bins might look quite a bit different.

 

Nice. Thank you for the info and pics. That is good to know. I only known the last four years or so since I’ve had them. The previous 36 years were I believe spent indoors in residential duty, but who knows. They were clean enough when I got them, just needed a little TLC to shine ‘em up. I’m now in less of a hurry to open them up, and I wasn’t in much of a hurry to do it at all.  
So did you replace the woofers as a repair, or update? How did they sound?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, M_Klipsches said:

"So did you replace the woofers as a repair, or update? How did they sound?"

 

In complete honesty, my ears did not distinguish any significant differences between the Crite's woofs and the K-33s, though the Crite's do seem to have just a tad more "punch" in them.  Regardless, no regrets on my part, as now my LS updates are complete from top to bottom, incl Crites AA X-overs, CT-120 Tweets with Dave's wood MAHL lenses, A-55G mid-drivers with Fastlane Fastrac horns.  Thx for asking - happy listening !

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/4/2020 at 8:45 PM, brad0112 said:

OK, so if I go that route, do I stay with the AA crossover or get the a/4500???

 

You cannot change to the 4500 crossover without changing the tweeters as well. The stock tweeters will burn up. They cannot take frequencies below 6,000hz. The old established best crossover frequencies were 500hz and 5000hz for 3 way speakers. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ideally, the correct crossover points also took into consideration the polars of the different components. They should match at the crossover frequencies. This would also mead the polars on the horns involved.

 

1 hour ago, henry4841 said:

The old established best crossover frequencies were 500hz and 5000hz for 3 way speakers. 

 

Is this a generalization for ALL three way speakers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Marvel said:

Ideally, the correct crossover points also took into consideration the polars of the different components. They should match at the crossover frequencies. This would also mead the polars on the horns involved.

 

 

Is this a generalization for ALL three way speakers?

Of course not because of drivers or speakers being used but it was considered a good starting point for designers. I forget the hows but I do remember it was recommended way back when research was done on crossover points. It can be a very complex subject to research more if one wants to. It has been years since I read the articles. I do probably still have the papers around somewhere, pack rat. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, henry4841 said:

Of course not...

 

I didn't think so, was just curious. It was probably to get the midrange on one driver.

 

I had never thought about it much until someone had mentioned matching the polars of direct radiator speakers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take the K-horn for example with original Xover. The bass drops off a lot after 450hz so it was decided to be the bottom crossover frequency. The tweeter used would not take frequencies below 6000hz before self destruction so that was the compromise on the design for it. It pretty much follows the 500hz, 5000hz with the above exceptions or compromises.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those old cans need to go. It looks like you are not slobbering oil from them which is good but the ESR on those will be quite high and they are adding unpleasant sound qualities to your speakers. After that the K-77 is the weak link and is shrill sounding compared to aftermarket tweeters using the  B&C DE-120. Do yourself a favor and get a set of crimpers and use crimp connectors on your barrier strip. EBay will get you set up for under $30 and that will last you for many years. When crimping since you will be new to this I figure make sure the "crimping" side of the tool is on the solid side of the crimp and not the split side before crimping. Those AA crossovers are the preferred Klipsch OEM crossovers for La Scalas judging by the number of people who use them.

 

On 8/10/2020 at 6:33 PM, RandyH000 said:

They look  excellent  , the  2nd crossover  shows a bit of masking  tape next to the AA logo--otherwise perfect

Looks have nothing to do with how well they are working. I have had dust free like new looking crossovers that were garbage until recapping. By the way, in what way are these perfect?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/11/2020 at 8:15 AM, DizRotus said:

 

If you open the doghouse to find dust and debris, I’d be very surprised.

I have not found things large enough to hurt sound but I have found loose speakers so it is worth doing just to make sure your wiring is right and the speaker screws are tight and then button it up for the next 30 years. Another thing to check is to make sure the speaker wire can't bump up against the woofer frame because keen eared people will hear that.

 

  Yes by the way I have found things in behind the speaker but it was on LSI's where the repair guy got sloppy and left debris in there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Marvel said:

 

I didn't think so, was just curious. It was probably to get the midrange on one driver.

 

I had never thought about it much until someone had mentioned matching the polars of direct radiator speakers.

Hi Marvel, I am like you and when I hear "they say" I want to know who they are. I read about Xover frequencies of 3 way system networks from the book How to Build Speaker Enclosures by Alexis Badmaieff and Don Davis. From what I could find Alexis was the head Acoustic Engineer at Altec Lansing years ago and and what little I could find Don Davis was a producer of a few books on engineering sound equipment this being one of his books among many.   https://www.amazon.com/Sound-System-Engineering-Third-Davis/dp/0240808304   From what little I can remember, old timers setting in, it is a complex subject dealing with interactions of frequencies and phase shifts in a crossover network. The book I have is an excellent one that I have went to many times since I bought it, probably around 50 years ago. It is still available and it does not get too technical, just some of the basics. It still can be found used, published 1966. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/11/2020 at 6:35 PM, DizRotus said:

 

Bob Crites sold me some of the last ones he had several years ago.  If readily available, I would use them again, but they’re harder to find.  So, that’s a qualified yes.

Genteq's are readily available.  I've used them on 2 sets of AA's and loved them.  I even sent a crossover that I rebuilt with them to Bob and he was impressed.  He said they measured better than the GE's he used in the past.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...