Jump to content

Back To The K77s


garymd

Recommended Posts

I must admit... I'm not sure what's not to like about the new tweeter. I have over 35 hours of intense listening with mine and think they have it all over the K-77. It appears Larry, Gary and Allan are the only naysayers, and these 3 are all very familiar with one anothers gear, and their own listening habits... certainly moreso than I am.

I just finished comparing the old tweeters with the AL networks with the new tweeters and the ALK's, and here are the comparisons using the Stereophile Test CD #2 and the Rat Shack SPL meter. In both cases 1k hz was measured at 80 db from the listening position.

K-77 w/AL networks

_5000hz-82db

_6300hz-85db + 2db = 87db

_8000hz-81db + 3db = 84db

10000hz-74db + 4.4db = 78.4db

12500hz-66db + 6.2db = 72.2db

16000hz-61db + 8.5db = 69.5db

20000hz-52db + 12.2db = 64.2db

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

and the Crites tweeter w/ALK's

_5000hz-84db

_6300hz-81db + 2db = 83db

_8000hz-80db + 3db = 83db

10000hz-72db + 4.4db = 76.4db

12500hz-70db + 6.2db = 76.2db

16000hz-66db + 8.5db = 74.5db

20000hz-62db + 12.2db = 74.2db

Pretty substantial difference in the upper register in my room. The numbers after the plus sign are the adjustments to be made using the SPL meter. BTW, I have the attenuation set to 6.2 on the ALK's for anyone using the same networks.

Mike

Mike,

well of course with original AL networks your going to see this type of extreme roll off. I suggest you do the same test with the ALK network and your old K77's. I bet the picture changes pretty good. When comparing a single product like this you should change only one thing the product being tested. Gary, Alan and Larry all have updated crossovers that they are running so there rolls off I bet is no where near as extreme as yours.. Alan has ALK with Jensen PIO's , Gary has Dean's ALK Jr. and I believe but not entirely sure Larry has brand new Klipsch AK4's.

Craig

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike,

well of course with original AL networks your going to see this type of extreme roll off. I suggest you do the same test with the ALK network and your old K77's. I bet the picture changes pretty good. When comparing a single product like this you should change only one thing the product being tested. Gary, Alan and Larry all have updated crossovers that they are running so there rolls off I bet is no where near as extreme as yours.. Alan has ALK with Jensen PIO's , Gary has Dean's ALK Jr. and I believe but not entirely sure Larry has brand new Klipsch AK4's.

Craig

All good points and I am in agreement, but to be honest I'm just too damn lazy to put the K77's back in and retest again. I should do that, however, to have a good and proper benchmark. I'm sure others on here have done the same and will update with their results.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I installed 1 Crites tweeter Thursday night in my 1990 LaScala and have been listening all weekend to 1 K-77 and 1 Crites. I have rebuilt AL-3s in the LaScalas right now (+ Peach/VRDs)

I don't really have any startling comments. All the same as everyone else has mentioned. I perceive them to play at a slightly lower volume than the K-77s (nice) and a little smoother. No night and day difference. Preliminary opinion is that they sound better.

Having had a 25+ year relationship with the K-77, love/hate, but mostly love, it's going to take quite some time to REALLY decide how much I prefer the new tweeter. So far I like it. I bought a third one for my center channel. I'm going with them.

This week I'll probably install the others and be done with it.

I'll certainly be keeping all the original parts for stock restoration (and A/B sanity checks) should that ever become necessary.

Nice job Bob.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gary,

At first doing mono A/B testing I could hear a difference between the K-77 and the CT125, pretty obvious. But it was a small difference IMHO.

Over the weekend I used stereo mode and the two blended together very well. The difference between them can be heard, but just doesn't jump out at me as being very different. I think it's a pretty seemless change with an improvement that makes sense to me right now.

We'll see how they fare when I get my other networks back in there. I also have Al's tweeter attenuators that will offer additional adjustability.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gary, going from the old round magnet alnicos like you and Allan have to the new driver is not apples to apples, but going from the K-77-M is (more or less). I think it's really just as simple as the fact that those old recordings you guys like just plain don't sound very good when the top is brought even with the middle and extended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dean, I played CDs and new as well as older LPs, and unfortunately the sound was very consistent regardless. They did bring up the treble, but it was disembodied from the midrange and beyond realism, not something to get used to IMO. I liked your earlier theory that dropping it into an AK-4 network was a cause. I also had the apparently unique bad polar response, which might have been the whole problem I suppose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Larry,

" They did bring up the treble, but it was disembodied from the midrange"

Do you still have the tweeters?

If you are curious try them one more time but this time reverse the phase to them?

'Disembodied' to me sounds sort of like an adjective that could describe an out of phase driver. There would be cancelation around the crossover point but the high end up still be intact.

Shawn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe Gary will loan me his for a week? [;)]

You can borrow mine, Tom. I just pulled mine out after almost 3 days of intense listening. I don't think I'm going to put them back in any time soon . . .

Thanks Allan. I'll let you know when I have some time to do so. Right now I am trying to make time for my new TT.
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...