Frzninvt Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Not sure if you guys have been following some of the threads in the Updates and Modifications section but Chris Munson (a.k.a. Popbumper) has been putting tremendous effort into designing and fabricating a PCB assembly for some of the extended Heritage line speakers like the Forte, Chorus, and Academy for example. You can build up these PCBs with the components of your choice while leaving your originals intact which makes for an easier swap out. The PCB allows you to install larger higher quality components and you can jumper two PCBs together if more room is required. He just got his first batch of them not to long ago and set out to build up some networks for his front three speakers, two Fortes and an Academy. He posted his findings and was thrilled with the results needless to say. Ever since I installed one of DeanGs Jensen PIO AA networks in my center La Scala I was a real believer in the benefits of upgrading the components in the aging networks. It literally brought the speaker back to life, more intricate detail, smoother overall response, improved bass response, yet the original tone and timbre remains just more of it and with greater precision. That being said I have been slowly upgrading the networks in all my speakers in an attempt to bring them into the 21st century. Chris contacted me and asked me if I would be willing to try one of his worked up Academy networks to see what my impressions would be needless to say I was thrilled at this opportunity. The Academy is certainly an impressive center right out of the box, it really impressed me when I first got the chance to listen to it. Obviously, the opportunity to make it even better appealed to me greatly. When I first got it unboxed I was amazed at the amount and size of the components on it, it looked amazing! Very solidly and professionally put together top to bottom, very neat and nice work Chris! Chris obviously has put a lot of thought and effort into this endeavor and has nice detailed instructions that he wrote up explaining the installation of the network from start to finish. The Academy does have to be completely disassembled in order to install the network but it is plug and play. I pre-read the instructions and thought oh boy what a job this is going to be, but in reality it was rather easy and took no time at all to complete. He recommended leaving the original network in the speaker and hiding the wires, but I was certain that I wasnt going to reconnect it anytime soon. I removed the four screws and removed it from the enclosure, simple. It looks sickly compared to Chriss big network. See photos. I got the speaker reassembled, connected it and fired the system up, now Chris does not do any cap conditioning so there is going to be some break in time before the network really starts to flower and bloom. My initial impressions Whoa! The presentation, detail, and overall response greatly improved. I tried some music channels on the DirecTV dish, CDs, and some FM radio. Then I tried some DVDs that I felt had weak dialogue, but they didnt anymore! The reworked Academy really shined! Looking for some confirmation I asked my wife to sit in the sweet spot to see what she thought. She could tell the difference easily, she said the little intricate details were even more apparent to her. It made the Academy sound closer to the La Scala (that is a feat!). I also realized something else about the Academy it can generate some very nice bass! I have never taken it apart and those woofers in there are beefy! It is set to large and some of those scenes in The Incredibles send bass to the center, it handled it with no issues. The breaking glass in the opening moments of Scooby Doo 2 was so lifelike it was scary. I played the system from early morning until the evening and the more I played it the more the new network opened up and started sounding even better. I am sold! If anyone out there is on the fence about these updates/upgrades you quite honestly do not know what you are missing! If you are looking to bring your system to another level this is certainly a step in the right direction without a doubt. The Academy is awesome without any modification, but man o man with Chriss network in it, it is now in another league. The speaker improved across the board in all aspects, better soundstage, more intricate detail, better bass response, more vocal presentation. I noticed all this in only an eight hour period and I am certain it is going to get better and better. This update is more significant than most source changes that people make and is certainly less costly. Chris mentioned that he had to drop his center channel level a few db when he reconnected his, but I did not have to do that. I did not notice any increase in output just greater detail/precision across the entire frequency spectrum and it improved the longer I played it. Nice job Chris Thank You! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 Side by side comparison of Chris's network to Academy original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 A little closer look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 A view from the top, sorry my photography is terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 How much do they cost and does he have any made for the chorus II that he wants tested? sounds interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 One more look at the two networks. Chris has my wholehearted recommendation on these for whatever its worth. If you run Forte's or Chorus' with an Academy up front if you choose to upgrade the trio, be prepared to be really impressed. I did not have Forte's to try them on but with the differences that I am hearing with the Academy I am certain the Forte's would be equally impressive. It's all good folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popbumper Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Dr. Who: Please write me an email and I will discuss cost with you; I have set up a matrix for the various speakers but do not have the numbers for the Chorus II (which I can figure out if you need me to). I do not have networks of any type preassembled, and would like to prepare should you desire to obtain these. Many thanks for asking! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 FRZ- FOCUS MAN FOCUS!!! These durn digital cameras just cant focus that close... How again is the Sunbeam brewmaster connected to the network? So this academy makes it's own 'GO' juice? Is there a 10 minute warmup period.. LOL Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Chris, You should have an email (possibly two) from me regarding your crossover for the Academy; definitely interested, and FWIW, I have an Academy-Forte front soundstage that, as much as I love, I am always looking to improve upon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popbumper Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Lee: I sent you two responses myself today, if you did not get them let me know, we'll chat. Thanks!! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Anything for a KLF-C7 yet? or in the works? Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 Chris, I found them... I have a secondary email account linked to from the Klipsch board, and it is sometimes slow in getting messages to me. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popbumper Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Michael: I had looked at the KLF20 and KLF30 schematics, but did not look at the KLF-C7. Give me a few days to get a schematic, I'm sure I can pull something together. Thanks! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Not to discourage Pop, but are we at all concerned about running high-wattage through a PC board crossover? Wasn't it one of PWK's ideas to keep everything (not sure of the nomenclature) point-to-point soldering with heavy-guage wire? What gauge is the circuits in the PC board? Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 Michael, the newer speakers like the Heresy II, Forte', Chorus, and others use PCB boards to mount the network components on. The comparison between Chris's network and the original is comical, there is NO comparison. If it was designed to handle all that power with that little PCB and thin wires it should be able to handle double that now if the drivers could support it. The meticulous attention to detail that Chris put into these things is unreal. He even had the leads marked very tastefully with a ultra fine point pen on the white wire ties so you know what lead goes to what driver and so forth. I have an electronic tech background and all the solder joints were perfect, he used high quality caps and coils in the build as well. I know my pictures are horrid, I wish I could capture them close up so you could really see the difference. Chris's network is massive compared to the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Frzn, maybe you should send your boards to Michael so he can take some decent pictures. GD&R, O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 PM me, I'd be glad to take photos of networks, etc. Will do it on film, then scan and you'll have quality like you've never seen. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 Are you kidding I had to take the Academy completely apart (every damn screw, driver and input cup) to put that behemoth in there, no way I am digging it back out again. I can take some better photos of the original though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popbumper Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Thanks for chiming in, Charles!! I have been out interviewing for jobs today, have some good prospects, we shall see! The only limitation on these networks is the "weakest link in the chain" - the lead of the smallest wire (or component wire) itself. Everything gets attached to PLANES, which will flow far greater current than any wire will. Point to point is great but planes are far more robust. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popbumper Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Here's a shot of an Academy network I just built and shipped to Ed Rex....does this help at all? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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