Soundguy...got a question for ya

[Richard]

I have a pair of Klipsch LaScalla speakers that I bought about 1980 identical to the one in the pic. They’ve been downstairs (air conditioned) in an unfinished basement for 5 years and not used a single time while we were building the house. I have a retirement party to go to in a week (neighbor) and I told him he could use my speakers/system

I’ve pulled them out, hooked them up, and they played fine. They sounded kind of “thin” though… no punchy (typical Klipsch) base, sooooooooooooooooooo I took the bottom off expecting to see all sorts of surround rot.

Nothing.

Nothing at all, everything is intact and clean as a whistle inside the cabinet. Perhaps it’s just what I was listening to, or that I’m more accustomed to using my dbx subharmonic synthesizer in the system.

Anyway, can a base driver “wear out” even though it seems to be looking AND functioning properly?

Any cautions I might want to exercise when I fire them up for the party? Akin to stretching their muscles???

I realize this might not be your cup of tea, but figured with the name & bio I’d give it a try…besides, the Klipsch forum I WAS going to post this to, has evidently been down for several days and when has TBN ever let ANYONE down?? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If these don’t work, and I think they WILL, I will need to get my EV’s out.

Thanks
Richard

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. I'm around PA equipment just about every day.. in fact.. I just got home from a gig about half an hour ago.

Ev's are great speakers.. we use alot of them on our venues. Also.. speaking of setting in the basement for the klipsch.. I keep many speakers in my garage.. and they have been fine. Most of the time I see old bass bins wear out from rotted foam.. , and occasionally horns that have replaceable voice coil elements will corode, and have to have the channel where the coil element ride cleaned up.

Our bose subs at 2 of our venues are permanently mounted outside...

Try running some different program thru them.. cut your hi's and just listen for the lows. Could the jacks be dirty?
If they have a passive crossover, and they are old.. the electrolyte may have leaked from the caps and you could be getting some crossover distortion.. but generally this gives you lows infiltrating the horn.. not a loss of lows.

You can always do the battery test.. and disconnect the wires and use a 1.5 volt battery and hook across the speaker and watch for movement. ( Same for when you do phasing.. etc. )

Any fuses or limiters in the crossover.. lots companies use a 12v dome light for a limiter or bleed.. contacts could be dirty.. element may have died.. etc.. etc..

Also.. grab ye old ohm meter and look for some impeadence.. and keep in mind that the dc resistance shown on the meter may not exactly match the rated signal impeadence for the speaker... just use it as a rough guide..

Soundguy

 

[Richard]

Wow, a WHOLE lot more to look into than I'd expected!!

I did increase/cut all the frequencies to see what would happen and everything altered as expected. I guess I'll get some different material out first, something with known punch. (I had steel band music on for the audition).

Edit: Steel DRUMS

Thanks for the guideline.

As much as I love the punch of the Klipsch, I gotta admit, my EV's have always been the best "sounding" speaker. (Interface D, circa 1978) Put the two together, the midbass punch of the Klipsch and the floor of the EV's (-3db at 28 hz) and who needs subs??? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Speaking of Subs, when the basement is put together, I'll finish out putting my HT back together, probably WITH a sub, any thoughts/merits on the SVS brand? The dudes at the Klipsch forum seem to drool over that (amongst a couple other) brand.

Richard

 

[Soundguy]

I don't work much with small room pa.. something the size of a living room per se.. and for floor monitors we are using wedges by caribe.. they are eminence loaded, 15's also some trap'z yamaha's and the new radion style wedges., and some jbl's as well.
For fill in the rooms we are using eaw and ev.. as well as full bos setups in many rooms.. 402 / 502/ 802.

Soundguy