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How do you seperate the HF section of a La Scala from the LF section?


jbsl

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Okay I know the quick way is a chainsaw.

So I have a single La Scala I use as a center channel but sometime this year I'm planning on buying a 50 inch tv.

The problem is the tv will be too high off the ground. So I need to do a mod on my center speaker.

I thought about a Heresy but I am use to the midrange horn on the LS. I saw a pic of a home theater with the HF section of a regular LS(may have been the HF of a Industrial but does not look like it) centered above a 100-120 inch screen aimed down. Below the screen are two Heresy cabinets with only the woofers.

So for my mod I have the Heresys on their sides pushed together and put the HF section on top. The Heresys are 15.5 inches wide so in this case 15.5 inches high and the HF section is around 11.5 inches so total around 27 inches and my tv stand is 30 inches

Then need to get a crossover for them. I contacted the person from the pic about their center channel speaker and what crossover they use.

So now I need to figure out how to seperate the HF section from the LF section.

So hopefully there is a way other than a chainsaw.

Thanks for any ideas.

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Of course you are free to do anything you like....

But that said, I am fascinated that so many feel that placing a video screen above a LaScala is too high!

My personal opinion is the exact opposite - they are a perfect height!...but I know that doesn't amount to a hill of beans if you don't agree...

What do you guys do, watch TV while laying on the floor on your stomachs? I would vote instead to jettison the bean bag theater lounge furniture.

And in an off topic, but related issue, I also firmly ascribe to a
seemingly minority opinion on the forum that you want a center speaker identical to
the LR pair, and not some silly horizontal MTM D'Appolito configured center channel speaker.

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My personal opinion is the exact opposite - they are a perfect height

I agree with you 100%. Until I was going to try to put a K402 on top of mine and was going to cut the top down...then decided on laying on side.....then the wife informed me that I wasn't EVEN going to use that side of the room for video... much less a center channel...

So now my 3 LaScalas get upgraded to LCR and my Jubilees get demoted to rear effects... oh, and now I need a K400 instead of a K402...I guess that's a good thing since it saves me something like $900.

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So now I need to figure out how to seperate the HF section from the LF section.

So hopefully there is a way other than a chainsaw.


Since the La Scala HF section is not a speaker "enclosure" in the normal sense, just a baffle for the squawker and tweeter horns, plus a top and sides, why not just make up a new baffle from a sheet of plywood? That would save the original cabinet and allow you to size the baffle to suit your needs.

Unlike cone drivers, the horns have no rear sound to deal with, so there's a lot of flexibility as to how you build the sides, top and back of your HF enclosure.
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Thanks for the replies!

Like I said I don't plan to take a chainsaw to the LS. Islander had a idea that will probably work out best for me.


Since the La Scala HF section is not a speaker "enclosure" in the normal sense, just a baffle for the squawker and tweeter horns, plus a top and sides, why not just make up a new baffle from a sheet of plywood? That would save the original cabinet and allow you to size the baffle to suit your needs.

Unlike cone drivers, the horns have no rear sound to deal with, so there's a lot of flexibility as to how you build the sides, top and back of your HF enclosure.

For those who thought the tv will not be too high how big is your living rooms and how far back do you sit?

My living room is 15 x 15 x 8 and I sit 10 feet back and my eyes are about 40 inches above the ground so looking straight ahead my eyes are not level with the bottom of the screen. This is not too bad but I am looking slightly upward to the picture. This does not bother me but the bottom of the screen for the new tv will be 3 inches higher than the old tv. The top of the screen on the new tv will be 10 inches higer than the old tv.

So I will go from slightly looking upward to looking upward and I do not enjoy that. If I want to look upward at a movie theater I sit in the front row but I do not do that cause my neck hurts. When I go to a movie theater I find a seat so I can look straight ahead at the center of the screen not looking upward.

Believe me I don't want to have to mod my center speaker but if I get this new tv I will have to.

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the tv will not be to far off the ground. i have k-horns with belle center and a receiver on top of the belle. the tv is a 52" flat panel on the wall.

you guys PLEASE do not cut up your speakers

Agreed. Love my plasma on top of my Belle.

Overall, my basement is 26 feet by 22 feet. The Khorns are 22 feet apart, and the seating area is 11-12 feet from that wall.

Pics in this thread: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/t/100003.aspx

Carl.

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Mas said "And in an off topic, but related issue, I also firmly ascribe to a
seemingly minority opinion on the forum that you want a center speaker identical to
the LR pair, and not some silly horizontal MTM D'Appolito configured center channel speaker."

I agree exactly agree here with you mas 100% JOIN THE CLUB! This is one topic I feel 100% of the time when possible people will see the light and come back on here smiling!

Just ask yourself... When something goes from left to center to right you want that to be seamless in the sound for your cinema experience right?

So logically, the same speaker with the same drivers left center n right is critical!

Just ask yourself again... Your watching a concert video... same scenario. Sometimes three singers.... . Don't you want the exact sound timbre wise for the three up front? Yes,you do.

Klipsch and everyone else made center channels to get close to the left n right speakers with a more WAF to go into our homes. They fit on bookshelves under or above our TV's.

If you do cut a La Scala down to the dog house you can make a cabinet pretty simple and place it like I did right next to the dog house (woofer section) and your approx only 22 inches tall. (you already have all the parts necessary too.) Don't forget to add something under whatever you put it on.. (I used a millk crate and some foam to sit it on.. (Woodog would be proud, too, I laser pointed it and tilted it exactly to my sweet spot as well.) Use a laser pointer for your left n right speakers as well.. I promise you.. You will be just amazed in audio heaven when you do.

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Hope this all helps, I realize I had numerous posts in this thread and posted a lot with pics n all.. But it is just my enthusiasm to help the next guy, too, to know he will be happy when it all comes together. BTW the THX sub system with the KA 1000 amp is a just amazing with the La Scala's too!

If you have La Scala's left n right... I feel 100% comfortable "nudging you" a little that another La Scala for the center will make you smile... Go 4 it!

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Islander's idea is probably what I will do. Get some plywood and build a HF section for the midrange and tweeter horns. Then get two Heresy cabs with just the woofers in them. put the HF section on top of the Heresys and get a crossover for it all. See photoshop pic.

That will put the top of the hf section around 26-28 inches. I have a tv stand 30 inches which puts the tv screen where I want it.

Now the only problem is this will have to wait till after I get a new car. Need to save up a downpayment so no tv till next year[:'(]

Thanks for all the input and this mod might work for other people wanting to add a La Scala as a center speaker but don't have the room.

post-13699-138193601722_thumb.jpg

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...Get some plywood and build a HF section for the midrange and tweeter horns. Then get two Heresy cabs with just the woofers in them. put the HF section on top of the Heresys and get a crossover for it all. See photoshop pic.

That will put the top of the hf section around 26-28 inches.

ROFLMAO... OK, I can't help but have some fun with this (he said with a very large grin!)

First of all....this is all over a difference of 5.5 inches in height?????

And "That will put the top of the hf section around 26-28 inches. " - just above the belly button of an average seated person.... And just where a TV should be as well...(?) ;-)

Should I assume that you have always sat in the balcony at shows?

It sounds so simple to do, but it is anything but! And you will not end
up with what you seem to think you will. And all of this effort and
goofiness just because a LaScala which perfectly matches the LR pair is
5.5 inches TOO TALL?! I would suggest that perhaps in Lilliput that may
be a factor. But this strikes me as much ado about nothing - with the
proposed result being significantly lacking in EVERY respect compared
to the simple alternative.

Second, if you do indeed assemble that fascinating collection of 'stuff', and just "get a crossover for it all" what are you assuming the response to be, and do you think it is going to match your LR pair? Oh, but they are all Klipsch components! ;-) But gee, its so easy to design a crossover. It certainly is - but not one that optimally couples the response of the various actual components!

This should have all of the other folks who dove into the threads about passive and active crossovers screaming! Here we know even less about what is required for a crossover than in the other threads with a given proven speaker with plenty of known response characteristics, yet here we have a Frankenstein assemblage where we are just going to "get a crossover" (I like the red ones personally...) ... And I would not be pairing woofers horizontally either do to the predominant polar lobing orientation... If you are going to do this, by all means go with a passive, as it would be a shame to spend any more effort than necessary on a train wreck. But now I better understand how some speakers are designed...and it scares the heck out of me... ;-))

Ok, seriously, I would stop and better evaluate the assumptions you are making, as they are anything but as simple as they sound. And I would seriously stop and wonder why 5.5 inches is so critical! And if it is, the first thing I would do is move back a few inches from your TV! You are far too close! And second,I would be sure to avoid movie theaters which place the center of he screen at about the same angle.

For a mega screen like Indy's, sure split them (better yet, save or sell the LaScala and pick up an segmented industrial unit.)

But for a mere 50" screen???????????

Set it above the upright LaScala and enjoy. You'll have the best of both worlds!

;-)

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"First of all....this is all over a difference of 5.5 inches in height????? " LOL[:D]! Yeah I know maybe I'm just bored and was trying to come up with a project[*-)].

I already think my current tv is a little too high but not enough to really bother me. I do think that the tv I was considering will be too high for me in my living room.

However I'll take your advice and try putting the new tv on the current tv stand and SEE what I think. You may be right and I'll leave it.

Or I may think it is too high and decide to try the Mod. I am not tearing up the center La Scala so no harm since it is my time and my money. I don't do alot of projects but sometimes half the fun is doing a project even if some people don't think it needs to be done.

A couple of you said you like the tv high up so this idea seems silly to you. But I as in me myself and I don't like the tv high up. So while 5.5 inches does not seem like much to you(and it may not to me after I try it) it just might be too high up for my liking.

Everyone is different in what they like and dislike in a 2 channel music or 5.1 channel home theater.

If I end up thinking it's too high well just disagree on this one.

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Should I assume that you have always sat in the balcony at shows?

Every theather I have been to has seating that lets you sit centered on the screen if you are looking straight ahead.

It is not hard to find a seat that puts you center screen, unless you get there late and the seats are all taken. I walk up the isle until I am at a row that I think will put me at the center of the screen and then go to the center seat. Sit down look at the big white screen in front of you. If you are looking up you are not seated at the center of the screen but if you like looking up then you found your seat. If the seat is not center screen, well I think you can figure out the rest.[:S]

In the theater I go to it is the top 3-4 rows.

I usaully go to the same theater and I have learned where to sit. If the seats are not available then I just find another seat.

"It sounds so simple to do, but it is anything but!"

I agree with you it will not be easy and I may get fed up with the whole thing and just use the La Scala or like you said find a industrial LS. The more I think about it the Industrial LS is the easiest way to do this so I might go that route if the tv is TOO high for me.

My LR La Scalas are 2004s with the AL-4 crossovers and my center La Scala has A/AA crossover rebuilt by BEC so they are not perfectly matched already.

"But now I better understand how some speakers are designed"

Glad I could help![:D] I actually got the idea from looking at a pic of a forum member home theater. The HF section above is 100 inch(?) screen and the Heresys below the screen.

As far as backing up I already have the rear speakers 2 feet behind me. So it would be hard to move back much more.

"we are just going to "get a crossover" (I like the red ones personally...) "

Thanks I will try those but the blue ones are looking better to me.[:o]

"And second,I would be sure to avoid movie theaters which place the center of he screen at about the same angle. "

I am not sure I understood that one. I did not know looking straight ahead centered on the middle of the screen was so bad for me! Dang I'm doing it right now!! My computer screen is set up so I am looking straight at the center of the screen. Hold on be right back got to raise my screen so I am looking up at it [:P]

The whole reason I made this post is so i can find out the possible pros and cons of different ideas. I may not agree with what everyone says or how they say it but I respect everyones opinions.

Mas you are right the industrial La Scala would be the easiest way to do that as long as I can find a single one somewhere.

What ever I end up doing thanks for all the inputs on this possible idea.

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