ALK Trachorn for K-horn?

[Me Loves Khorns]

Daddy Dee,

You are using BEC type A crossovers aren't you?

Paul

[meagain]

Khorns#1 - Where have you been? Last I saw you post was in February looking for assistance with Trachorn install. I was sad when you didn't come back and give your impressions. Sounds like you like them. Are you up for describing the difference between stock and the new horns?

[George Roland]

Paul,

I chose to build my own top end for the Trachorn and Crites tweeter. I am using the K-55V driver on my Trachorn and Bob Crites' network. My listening room is configured such that I have to have my K-horns along the narrow end of the room; the corners are ca. 14 feet apart. I wanted to be able to rotate the top end to send the sound more down the room than the regular K-horn top end would permit. I am going to include some pictures of the structure I used. I borrowed the design of ALK's top end, but mine is modified to be considerabley shorter in width to allow for rotaion as you see in the photos. It is also shorter as I mounted the tweeter to the side as ALK would do with the Beyma tweeter. Right now, I'm listening to it and will at some point in the future decide whether to use it with the tweeters inboard or outboard. I will eventually refinish the K-horns and will finish this top end too.

I made the holder of poplar and 3/4 birch plywood (tweeter holder). I like the proportions of this unit and it allows me great flexibility of placement.

Cheers,

George

[Daddy Dee]

Daddy Dee,

You are using BEC type A crossovers aren't you?

Paul

Paul,

Yep, those are the crossovers I used in my Khorns. Have sold them since I moved last year, though.

Paul, yep those are the crossovers I had in my Khorns. Have sold them

[Deang]

Now, the REAL question would be for DeanG... How do the modified Khorns WITH Al's tractrix horn and modified networks, compare to his bone stock Jubilees?

Funny, I consider my Jubilees Delgado modified.

I feel comfortable saying that going from my modified Klipschorns to the Jubilees netted about the same level of improvement as going from the stock Klipschorns to the modified version. IOW's, it's a pretty decent jump in performance.

[khorn#1]

Meagain, Im sorry, I've been busy with work, family, etc. The trachorns took my khorns to another sound level, the k-400 seems to run out of gas at higher volumns. The trachorns are so smooth at all levels, it really does not sound like a horn at all, it really opened up the soundstage on most all recordings. Along with Alks-es networks and Crites tweeters, it really brings out what this timeless speaker design can do. I'm running Mac power and pre amp and really could never ask for anything more. Alk engineering products are first rate and Al himself is a pleasure dealing with, With Al, its not about making a dollar, its about taking Paul Klipsch great speaker designs to world class levels. I honestly can say that I have the best sounding speakers that I have ever owned and look forward to sound enjoyment for years to come.

Regards,

Randy

[meagain]

Meagain, Im sorry, I've been busy with work, family, etc. The trachorns took my khorns to another sound level, the k-400 seems to run out of gas at higher volumns. The trachorns are so smooth at all levels, it really does not sound like a horn at all, it really opened up the soundstage on most all recordings. Along with Alks-es networks and Crites tweeters, it really brings out what this timeless speaker design can do. I'm running Mac power and pre amp and really could never ask for anything more. Alk engineering products are first rate and Al himself is a pleasure dealing with, With Al, its not about making a dollar, its about taking Paul Klipsch great speaker designs to world class levels. I honestly can say that I have the best sounding speakers that I have ever owned and look forward to sound enjoyment for years to come.

Regards,

Randy

I assume you're saying the trachorn took them to another level in a test only vs. the k-400? Without the crossovers, etc. to influence?

[Daddy Dee]

Now, the REAL question would be for DeanG... How do the modified Khorns WITH Al's tractrix horn and modified networks, compare to his bone stock Jubilees?

Funny, I consider my Jubilees Delgado modified.

I feel comfortable saying that going from my modified Klipschorns to the Jubilees netted about the same level of improvement as going from the stock Klipschorns to the modified version. IOW's, it's a pretty decent jump in performance.

Dean,

I think your comparision is pretty well said. When I first listened to Jubilee's I was thinking wow, it's hard to imagine and describe anything that sounds better than Khorns. What I was hearing in Jubilee takes that sound and kicks it up a notch. That is pretty much of a challenge to do. Doing that for the price of Jubilee is pretty amazing. The Jubilee does an end run around the all to common price to improvement ratio.

[khorn#1]

Meagain,

That, I cannot say because the es-networks were installed before the trachorn install. I will say that the overall midrange presentation was smoother after the trachorn install. I could not do a fair camparison because I had already sold my AK4 networks and of course could not switch out each network to see if the change in networks contributed or not. I'm thinking with ALK ES - NETWORKS, it surely did not hurt or degrade performance of the midrange horn section. I will say this, if your on the fence of wheather to buy the trachorns or not, I would say yes, buy them and regardless of the network your using, it will make a very positive sound difference in your heritage speakers midrange presentation. I've had the benifit of the es-networks and now the trachorns in my 2004 khorns as well as Bob Crtites ct-125 tweeters ( over $ 2000.00 worth of modifications) and again will confess that every dollar was well spent. My khorns sound incredible, I am very satisfied even knowing I have over $ 8000.00 in these speakers which I did buy my Khorns new. I have listened to several much more expensive speakers, B & W, Wilson Watts, focal, etc and would not trade my modified khorns for any of them. This is of course my opinion and we all know what opinions are like.

Regards,

Randy