Dampening LaScala bass bins with sand?

[KanedaK]

Hi folks,

this is my first post on this site.
I've been working on some (basic) drawings to refurbish my Klipsch LaScala bass horns and make them sound "cleaner" in the process.

It might sound overkill but I plan to double all external panels of the bass horn with plywood, leaving an enclosed space filled with sand. (please note that i'm originally french speaking and it's difficult for me to explain what I have in mind... so i have joined the drawing)

that way I'm hoping to kill some reasonances that occur when the sides of the horn vibrate, and maybe tighten the bass as the horn won't flex anymore at some frequencies.

Please let me know what you think of it.

Thanks!

[WithTarragon]

Originally Posted by KanedaK

Hi folks,

this is my first post on this site.
I've been working on some (basic) drawings to refurbish my Klipsch LaScala bass horns and make them sound "cleaner" in the process.

It might sound overkill but I plan to double all external panels of the bass horn with plywood, leaving an enclosed space filled with sand. (please note that i'm originally french speaking and it's difficult for me to explain what I have in mind... so i have joined the drawing)

that way I'm hoping to kill some reasonances that occur when the sides of the horn vibrate, and maybe tighten the bass as the horn won't flex anymore at some frequencies.

Please let me know what you think of it.

Thanks!

When you asked the same question over at the Klipsch site (I assume it was you), you were advised that bracing would be simpler and more effective. That is still true!

[KanedaK]

Yes, indeed, and I'm considering that option as well.
But as this forum is new to me, and it's a DIY forum, and it's a project for summer and I still have time to think about it,so I gather as much different opinions as possible.

The thing is, I live in Belgium. You do not come across LaScala bass bins at every garage sale. They're VERY difficult to find; mine are so beaten up and ugly that probably in the US none would consider using them. But I was delighted to find them, and I bought them even before seeing them (they were cheap anyways).

I wanna refurbish them (no fancy veneering but a clean industrial look) as the previous owner did stupid things like putting metallic handles on the sides, and those handle vibrate at some frequencies. Can't take them out as it will leave holes; was thinking with that "sand" dampening the handles would be buried in the sand and would 1) disappear from the eyes and 2) stop emitting sound.

Now it is true that just adding another layer of plywood would solve that "handle" problem as well.

I just wanna make the RIGHT choice; I can't mess with it, as once it's done there's no way back, and I might wait another ten years to come across another pair of LS bass bins

[elac310]

Personnally, when I have such a problem, I prefer to eradicate it including its roots. I'd remove the handles and fill the (screw?)holes with wood paste: you want to repaint them anyway.

It is true that the pannels are very thin on the Scala. Since I've never heard anyone claim this was done for a good (sonic) reason, another option would be to glue extra wood pannels all around, possibly some nice ones with a layer of massive wood (a pro could help for the 45° corner cuts); sand them with 80 then 160 then 240 (and even 320) paper and apply a nice translucid finish paint (2 or 3 layers with 240/320 paper sanding before every new layer). Some work to do, but a pair of genuine scalas is worth it and a "classical" finish might suit them well.