type AL crossovers

[dmethe3]

I recently aquired a pair of 89 Lascals with type AL crossovers. Are these up to date? What is best? Any help or suggestions would be great.

[Frzninvt]

I would have thought the '89 La Scala would have had the AL-2 or AL-3, the current network is the AL-4. I cannot imagine anyone swapping out a newer network for an older one so they must be original. The original AL was not a big favorite among Klipschophiles.

Many people do not like the original AL for various reasons, I would let your own ears decide whether you think its necessary to update or swap out those networks.

The AL is a rather busy networks with alot of pieces to it.

Do some extended listening and come to your own conclusions though.

[J.4knee]

Congrats on the La Scalas. I replaced the AL's in my 84 La Scala's and 86 La Scala with ALK kit Series A networks from Al. It is very likely the caps in your networks have drifted off spec over the years. I agree with FRZN listen to them and see how you like them. I found the ALs to be fairly harsh comparatively speaking. There are a number of folks here (Al Klappenberger (ALKs), Bob Crites (BEC), Dean Wescott (DEANG) who do crossover work that can supply you with updates/upgrades or you can contact Klipsch and see about an AL 4 upgrade. My personal recommendation if you choose to upgrade is Als ALKs. They are incredibly smooth and detailed sounding networks. He sells them built and matched, in matched kits or you can download the material list and instructions from him and acquire the parts and build them yourself.

[colterphoto1]

GREAT, I just tore my Split Industrial LS's apart (pain in butt- had to go through terminal block hole to loosen throat bolt), and I have AL types. Frzninvt- no kidding, these things are a MESS, parts hanging out everywhere. No less than 3 big caps, 2 little ones, like 4 transformers, etc...

Sounds like there is no practical update then? Is it basically throw-away and order new units? Or is there a moderate priced option that replaces some of the parts. I guess I don't understand how the circuitry of PWK can be so jumbled up that it requires a complete rework, but if parts have drifted out of spec and the initial network is considered junk by modern standards, so be it....

Michael

[colterphoto1]

Bob Crites said he can update these, which is fine, since they are 'garage speakers' for me. Luckily I have the terminal type K55, which I think means 2-part phase plug so no need for the 'p' trap, right?

M

[yaffstone]

As a first step you could replace the caps with metalized polypropolyne. You'll hear a big difference, probably not as good as ALK's work though. I've done the cap replacement bit in my type AA x-overs in my khorns and although they were a huge improvement over the 30 year old caps, I'm considering AL's extreme slope networks as they are said to make the sweet spot much larger in the room. They are also said to be a HUGE improvement in detail over even the type A universals. As you can tell, I'm trying to talk myself into this.

[Deang]

The AL network is a "busy" network. I believe DJK thinks the network gets a somewhat undeserved bad rap from what he believes is due primarily to some bad soldering. According to him, heating up the old joints and adding some solder makes them quite liveable. OTOH, John Albright believes they "howl" like the wind. I say if someone has to go through the trouble of resoldering the joints, thye might as well yank the caps and replace them. Even if they are just "garage speakers", they still need to sound good, right?

It is the K-55-V Altas driver with the spring loaded terminals (as opposed to soldered) that benefits from the various available traps. However, the AL network is a "kitchen sink" network, and if you happen to have those particular drivers, there is a good chance the AL network negates the "spike" in the response. Hard telling, at any rate, there is so much going on in that network, that adding a trap would bring unpredictable results. Leave well enough alone.

[Kevmosmith]

I had the same speakers in the same year and the AL is the stock network. I went to a pair of AA crossovers and to my ears it was a huge improvement over the AL network. I have tried the A crossover network as well, but for my tastes, preferred the AA's to both the AL and the A.

Good luck!

Kevin

[yaffstone]

Would it be possible to do a software analysis on the AL network? I've got them in my La Scalas and think they sound pretty good. The seem more lively than the AAs in my Belles

[J.4knee]

How old are your AL's and AA's?

[yaffstone]

AA's are '74 with new polypropylene caps. AL's are probably 79-80.

[J.4knee]

Have you tried the AA's in your La Scala's? My personal recommendation is dump the AL's. To me they sounded harsh when compared to other networks like the ALK A replacement. I have never done a head to head with stock or modified A or AA's because all three of my La Scala's had AL's in them. When I built my ALK A's I was amazed at how much smoother and dramatically more detailed the soudn was. It was like I just swapped out my La Scalas for brand new units. I know this will be disputed but they took about a hundred hours of listening to them until they really stood up and performed their best, however there was an immediate improvement over my 84 and 86 ALs. No doubt some of this was attributed to replacing older networks with new.