Klipsch La Scala

[b_online]

Re: Cyclotronguy's advice on the ALK La Scala crossovers

I am feeling very interested in giving the ALKs crossovers a go.

Could you please let me know the areas/extent of improvement over the stock LaScalas?
Which crossover versions did you try: Universal Upgrade or Extreme Slope ?

Also, do you have any experience with the Squawker horn upgrade also available on the ALK website ?

I have a love and hate relationship with these speakers, so any help will be trully appreciated...

Many thanks in advance,

b_online

[Elso Kwak]

Forget the ALK. It makes matters worse. Beter results are obtained with Electrovoice 1823M or 1824 middriver and a beter tweeter EV T350. All collectors items now. Try my crossover with motorrun cap for the mid. The auto transformer puts a veil on the music! Mines has none. Damping of the metal midhorn helps marginally. The plastic variety seems to be not rigid enough. [end of rant]

Jocko hates Khorns. Ask him why!

Back to chatroom now. Yahooooooooo.

[b_online]

Could you please explain a bit further in which ways and to what extent did the ALK xover affect the sound of your LaScalas ?

Also, could you please let me know as well the rest of the system being used together with the LaScalas when you tried the ALK crossovers?

I am just trying to get a clearer picture, since there seems to be a love or hate reaction to these xovers...

Many thanks,

[Elso Kwak]

Originally posted by b_online
Could you please explain a bit further in which ways and to what extent did the ALK xover affect the sound of your LaScalas ?

Also, could you please let me know as well the rest of the system being used together with the LaScalas when you tried the ALK crossovers?

I am just trying to get a clearer picture, since there seems to be a love or hate reaction to these xovers...

Many thanks,

Actually a friend with Khorns has the ALK crossovers. I have built them as a experiment. I did a lot of experimenting with my Khorns. In original state these are too forward and have a peak around 5500Hz. This is especially nasty as Fletcher Munson curve of our ear sensitivity has also a peak there. Newer Klipsch drivers have even more output at 5500 Hz.
Steep filters have a lot of ringing which is not desirable. So I have Bessel characteristic, no ringing.
I have Son of Ampzilla amp and my own preamp.

[gearheaddruid]

Hi, I have owned Klipsch speakers for over thirty years. I have found that american amps sound much better on them then Japanese. Not sure why except that there is sooo much circutry in the Japanese designs where the Americans are as straight forward as possible. I tri-amped my Heresys using the old Pass citation 12 Mosfet design and they sounded Fantastic. I now have them bi-amped using my own design with a lot more power and a seperate horn (K-horn clone) for sub. My kids love this setup for music as well as gameing!!
An associate of mine just bought a pair of Cornwalls at a garage sale for $50!!! I am trying to talk him out of them for, say, double his money. Regards, Steve

[Mark A. Gulbrandsen]

Hi, I have owned Klipsch speakers for over thirty years.

Then you have my biggest sympathies . There are so many far superior speakers out there of all types that its not even funny.

My personal experinece with Klipsch has always been negative. I've used alot of LaScallas in Cinema applications and they utilize drivers of the cheapest variety even on their most expensive systems. Some of the systems even have a zener diode across the hf drivers to save the cheap drivers from self destructing.... that zener also drives power amps crazy! X-overs are poorly designed and cause alot of phase shift of their own. Some x-overs use motor start/run type capacitors which are certainly not nearly adaquate for high end audio applications.

Changing over to better drivers does help alot in many of the systems but overall right out of the box they are extremely poor performers that you just about have to re-design in order to get decent sound out of. But then there is still alot of phase shift thats generated by them too and thats very difficult to get rid of.

I always say if you like loud music buy Klipsch.... but if its the music you want to hear and the effort put into a given performance then you need a real high end speaker.

Just my 2 cents worth based on my own expereinces....

Mark

[Elso Kwak]

Originally posted by Mark A. Gulbrandsen


Then you have my biggest sympathies . There are so many far superior speakers out there of all types that its not even funny.

My personal experinece with Klipsch has always been negative. I've used alot of LaScallas in Cinema applications and they utilize drivers of the cheapest variety even on their most expensive systems. Some of the systems even have a zener diode across the hf drivers to save the cheap drivers from self destructing.... that zener also drives power amps crazy! X-overs are poorly designed and cause alot of phase shift of their own. Some x-overs use motor start/run type capacitors which are certainly not nearly adaquate for high end audio applications.

Changing over to better drivers does help alot in many of the systems but overall right out of the box they are extremely poor performers that you just about have to re-design in order to get decent sound out of. But then there is still alot of phase shift thats generated by them too and thats very difficult to get rid of.

I always say if you like loud music buy Klipsch.... but if its the music you want to hear and the effort put into a given performance then you need a real high end speaker.

Just my 2 cents worth based on my own expereinces....

Mark

Great post Mark.
In a way I agree. It has taken much experimentation and time to tame the Klipschorn!
And it all started again with CD-playback.
The zeners only conduct at discoteque levels.
Middrivers and tweeters are so so. Bass is OK.
I could go on but I am busy, see below.

[Mark A. Gulbrandsen]

Actually in cinema applications its easy to get to "disco" power levels with DTS and Dolby Digital playback... even Dolby SR analog optical tracks need 105 db capability if the system is designed correctly, digital needs even more headroom.

Mark