Reagan Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Wow! No replacement caps worries me a bit. I will need to read on before investing a lot in a piano black refinish. Reagan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Reagan said: Wow! No replacement caps worries me a bit. I will need to read on before investing a lot in a piano black refinish. Reagan --no Worries---------just call JEM Performance Audio 499 Limestone Drive, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania 15102 (412) 401-6915 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 12 hours ago, Reagan said: Wow! No replacement caps worries me a bit. I will need to read on before investing a lot in a piano black refinish. Reagan Don't worry, be happy and congrats! Enjoy your speakers and no rush on capacitors. They will be there when wanted. If they sound good to you, good enough for now. Welcome! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grasshopper Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 if it ain't broke .... enjoy them without thinking something is wrong 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 22 hours ago, Reagan said: I snapped a few pics. Yes...while the ugliness does not directly affect the sound, it impacts my being allowed to place them in the main part of my house. For now they are in my work area. First off, my initial thought after hooking them up to my current system was that the sound was much more alive even at low volumes than my previous main speakers at a fraction of the power. My reference music is Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley. Honestly, it sounded live. At a little more modest power, the highs were a little bit harsh. This is where I think the replacement of some of the 47 year old crossover components may be in order. All in all, I am very pleased. If I can learn the craft, I am considering piano glossy black but veneer would seem to be a lot easier. I only can't wait to put these with my main vinyl-based system. See attached. Reagan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 A couple more 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Reagan said: A couple more these 1973 k447 klipsch speakers were upgraded by the previous owner with the replacement of K77M tweeter and the AA crossover - these speakers originally shipped in 1973 with the A crossover and the K77 round Alnico tweeter - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeloManiac Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 4 hours ago, Reagan said: A couple more Wow, these speakers have a lot of potential! As for the capacitors and the crossover, they seem to be in quite a good state, as far as I can tell from the pictures. IMO, you should first listen to them for a while and enjoy them like they are, and perhaps hook up some different amplifiers (eg a tube amp), until you find their 'sweet spot'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 9:35 PM, Reagan said: I am definitely enjoying this change. Listening to these versus what I have been listening to for 20 years is a major revelation. Reminds me of an ad from many years ago..."...like removing horse blankets from your speakers...". I have been falsely accusing my cartridge, tonearm and pre-amp for not delivering up to potential. Due to the condition, I am leaning towards veneer versus piano black. Also, the current sound and range is so good that I will not likely update the crossover any time soon. I would like to remove the top panel to inspect the woofers, however, I may be able to get at them through the back panel opening. Unfortunately, this older version of the La Scala does not have a removable bottom panel. Does anyone know of a way to identify the age of the AA crossover? On 1/24/2021 at 9:35 PM, Reagan said: Reagan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan Posted June 29, 2021 Author Share Posted June 29, 2021 OK...the renovation took much longer than expected. These 1973 cabinets were pretty beaten up. I am currently driving these with an ARC Ref 110 power amp with KT150's. They sound wonderful! I purchased some Sonicaps and will eventually replace the caps in one speaker for an A/B comparison. After some burn-in, if the older caps sound better, I will put the old oil/paper caps back in. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Very nice! If your cabinets had removable tops, I hope you can still remove them. That is the only way to get to the woofers. There should then be a piece on the top of the (approx.) 2x2x2 cabinet that is removable, giving you access to the woofer. Attached is an exploded view of the LaScala with access from the bottom. (Please note: there is a piece that I didn't get included in the drawing, but irrelevant to this conversation). And you can't get to the woofer through the back, as there is a 3 inch deep cavity to the back of what is typically called the "doghouse". Are you sure thee is not an access panel on the bottom? It would be another 3/4 inch piece of plywood, that is about 1/2 inch smaller than the cabinet. Bruce 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan Posted July 1, 2021 Author Share Posted July 1, 2021 Yes. These tops are removable. I designed them with hidden screws which are accessed through the back. To get to the woofers (if on rare occasion you need to), you would remove the crossovers and cover panel. The originals screwed in from the top. They were so beat up that I trimmed them 3/4” around and attached solid black walnut trim pieces. I initially was going to screw them down with brass screws but decided I didn’t like the look. These older 1973 cabinets were not accessed from the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 They look great the way you've done them. If I had a pair with access from the top, I think I would disassemble them and then open up the bottom and add the bottom panel. Long term it would be easier for access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundbound Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 They look great. You did a fantastic job on them. Congratulations and enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Sheridan Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 They look very nice, well done….Regards, Rod 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.