wire for crossover networks - time to rewire? looks like klipsch is not using lamp cord any more

[Guest " "]

speaker wire - for crossover networks - looks like klipsch is not using mini lamp cord any more

Here is the mini lamp cord type wire used in laScala's with AL-3 or earlier xovers.

[Guest " "]

Here is a second generation AL-4 xover.

The first generation AL-4 for the LaScala used the same black monster cable.

This run has two types of wire.

[Guest " "]

Here is a side by side comparison fo the new cable used in the AL-4 and the old min lamp cord stuff.

[Guest " "]

Now here is 14 guage lamp cord next to the mini lamp cord stuff used the the older xovers.

[Guest " "]

Ok, Klipsch, why did you switch? You guys went from the mini lamp cord, by passed the primo 14 guage stuff, and jumped right into the "snake oil" stuff. Have you guys been shopping at radio shack and picked up their clearence Xp HP stuff in bulk?

[Guest " "]

So what's in ths HP XP cable?

Looks like some wire wound bundles, furthur wound around what looks like a a fishing line. The fishing line apparently keeps the wire cluster at a specific gap from each other. Someone at monster must of computed the magnetic field a varible AC signal generates and determined the optimal placement width for signal transfer.

Now keep in mind, this HP XP stuff is clearence, so it is the older technology.

Whats the new approach?

[Guest " "]

Ok, this is quadra-pole technology. It uses 2 pairs of wire like the Bi-wire approach, has the fishing line approach in each run, and has time correct windings, but not the micro bundle windings of the HP Xp stuff. I kinda liked the micro bundle scheme, kinda reminds me of lintz wire used on high end inductors.

[Guest " "]

Ok, for you graph lovers, here is a graph. Not sure what the scaling is on the left, DB's, tenth of a DB, 1/100th of a DB, etc.

[Guest " "]

Here is a pic of lintz wire inductors. It uses multiple individual runs of wire wound together.

[Guest " "]

Here is a normal inductor. No micro windings.

[Guest " "]

Now the monster HP Xp stuff used to come wrapped in grey plastic and it used to be called Monster MC X 1S.

[Guest " "]

Here is some monster m .75 cable.

It has the bi-wire approach, the fishing line core, one run has the micro windings that th HP Xp stuff has, the smaller run has thicker and stiffer copper cable as well as what looks like a lamp wick. The wick is not plastic as in the fishing line, it's more like a small cord made of mini fishing lines.

[Guest " "]

So might as well re-wire the xovers. Here is a pic of the new wire next to the old wire, and old xovers.

We'll use (all this stuff is described in this thread)

the m .75 stuff from the input terminals and from the the xover to the k-33 woofer.

the Ultra 1000 quadra pole stuff from the xover to the k-55-v mid driver

the HP XP stuff (grey jacket version MC X 1S ) from the xover to the k-77 driver ( we are actually using the T-350 driver).

There are some jumper cables that run across the three boards that make up our crossover, we will use

the Ultra 1000 quadra pole stuff for the jumper from the LF board to the MF board.

the HP XP stuff (grey jacket version MC X 1S ) from the MF board to the HF board

[Guest " "]

Here are the xovers that replaced our AL-4's that need to be wired in.

[Guest " "]

Here is the hookup diagram with all the cross board jumpers and runs to the drivers.

[mark1101]

One thing that bummed me out was the lack of a terminal strip on the AK-3s. They just soldered 12ga. monster cable from the drivers directly to the components on the board.

I'm not saying what I think of that.

Can't really see those AL-4s close enough to tell how those were done.

[Guest " "]

Soldered on xover end, and removable clip on terminals on the driver end.

The wires for the AL-4 are soldered to the xover circut board.

On the driver end, all the wires have female spade terminals that just clip on to the male spade terminals on the k-55-x and the k-77-x.

The woofer cable gets connected with the large spade tougue terminals onto the binding post terminals recessed into the bottom of the xover area floor.

[Al Klappenberger]

Humph... It seems to me I have seen some of this stuff someplace before!

Al K.

[Coytee]

Humph... It seems to me I have seen some of this stuff someplace before!

Al K.

INDEED!!! It seems one man's trash is another man's treasure... [6] [6] [6]

[Al Klappenberger]

Coytee,

I know how you feal. You keep trying to get rid of this stuff and it keeps coming back!

Al k.