@wolf_garcia
Did you dampen your Heresy IIIs? It looks like you said you did but I couldn't tell with all of your humor!
I'd be open to dampening my Forte IIIs but I'd like to hear and see about it first. I've never cracked them open.
Tonight, if I get time, I'm going to run a homemade 300b amp into the Forte IIIs. I put high end parts into the amp (Mundorf premium caps, Takman resistors) and it has a really nice layout internally with massive transformers (power and output). I'm curious to see if I get some magic going. |
@oldschoolsounds, many speaker companies use a " ring " between the driver and the cabinet ( foam, rubber, paper/cardboard ), but I believe it is used to suppress energy from the driver to the cabinet, and the reverse, to suppress energy from the cabinet to the driver. I also believe it is used to create a better " seal " between the two. If some folks are calling that bracing, I will not argue, although that is not my definition of bracing. A set of Polk towers I have use these rings behind the woofers when mounting. If I recall, my pair of Klipsch CF2s ( Epics ) also use them. I have tried it many times, and in some instances I heard a difference, and in some I did not. @wolf_garcia ,I remember now, making you an offer you could not refuse. I also warned you it might destroy scissors, and please apologize to your wife. And, for your very logical reasoning, I will continue to post, especially when it comes to Klipsch. I will try and add some "humor " next time. Thank you, and Enjoy ! MrD. |
Jbhiller...yes I did dampen the things if only to get mrdecibel off my back! It was interesting as I'd never used Dynamat before and the operation does make sense...I'm always up for logical and inexpensive tweaks, especially if reversible which the Dynamat clearly is, so you have nothing to lose except a finger maybe. The Fortes are worth opening up as it's cool to see the detail and professionalism used in Klipsch USA construction...if they're anything like the Heresy IIIs you'll see clean and sophisticated innards with high quality wire and generally clean construction, and I always take any new thing apart anyway...tighten speaker bolts or screws, etc.
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mrdecibel, I wanted you to know that I ordered some damping pads from Amazon a couple of days ago, and it arrived yesterday. I started applying it to the horns of my Klipsch Epic CF 4s last night and was done in a couple of hours. I had already damped them with the strips of grey putty that is used to seal leaky doors years ago when I first bought them, and that was ok, but I took that off and cleaned them very well and applied theses sheets made by Noico, which many amazon reviewers said was the best. Anyway, it's done and sounds better than before. I am seriously considering taking them out again and putting on another layer. These horns are so thin! Thanks for the motivation. I've known about it for years, but I needed a little push. |
roxy, that is awesome. You cannot over damp the horn, but be sure you can still re-install the horn. The lip at the face of the horn needs to still fit into the baffle cutout, so the thicker you go, you need to leave space behind the lip ( widest point of the taper ). Keep in mind, metal horns resonate and ring, and are a bit worse than the newer poly horns, which is why Klipsch switched over. But as you have heard, these newer horns are still in need of improvement. Incredible upgrade, little cost, a few hours of work. Enjoy ! MrD. |
Thanks for the advice mrdecibel. I have looked at it, and there is room for another layer. I actually didn't remember how light and thin the horn was. The ribs on the back are so small and thin that it was easy to just form the pad material right over them. I have plenty of it, so I figured why not. |
Thanks for the tips all. I'm a happy DIY'er |
OP, you mentioned using a Schiit Freya. How long have you had it and how do you like it? Am considering purchasing one. Thank you for answering an off-topic question.
Tom |
tomcarr,
Yes, I have one. I just got it based on a member's recommendation. He (assuming he was a he--we need more women audiophiles!) was right-- The Freya is really great especially for the money. I haven't compared it to a bunch of other dedicated preamps, at least those in recent memory, so it's hard to say it plays in the $4-5k league.
It is, however great. I think I posted a little review of it. Let me go look.
I may sell it if I figure out how to do a built in where I vent my tube amp through a damper in the summer to release heat into the attic above my third floor listening room. I bought it just to use it in a summer system where I move out a tube amp and use a NAD M22 power amp.
I found the Freya to be very quiet. To me the tube stage was best, then FET stage, then passive--yet there are others who find the opposite. I liked the stock Russian tubes.
Th only thing I didn't like was the clicking steps in the volume control (note the actual volume pot is a great one that stays out of the sound). It's just that when the volume knob is moved it intentionally by design makes noise. I also didn't like that the main power switch was on the rear of the unit. It's not too hard to grab but not ideal.
The Freya was a great introduction to the Schitt brand. Oh, and I experienced none of the microphics some say they did when touching the unit during playback. Mine is dead silent. It's really nice looking too. |
I’ve had fun with a Freya for nearly a year, and it mostly stays out the way...utterly quiet in all modes, which is easy to test as I use horn loaded speakers, and if I put my Schiit Loki EQ in the path and turn up the higher frequencies with my ear to the tweeter horn the Freya is still dead quiet...microphonics free! I run it onto a smallish single ended tube amp. I’ve had a lot of preamps over the years and the Freya, especially with good sounding NOS tubes (of which I now have a pile), is a great preamp regardless of the silly low price. The clicking sound doesn’t bug me at all (because I know I'm causing it), and since my Freya has a lot of air above it (the thing gets a little hot from both the tubes and transformers) I’m used to reaching over for the switch. I say don’t fear the Freya! |
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Can’t agree more with Wolf.
Some member noted on a different thread that if Schitt used a front switch, better remote, and slicker chassis the unit would easily exceed $1k or $1.2k. I think that’s a good point.
I cant find fault with it on substance. I really like all the inputs. |
OP, Wolf:
Thanks so much for the responses! I'm looking forward to ordering one.
Tom |
For me the only fault in the Freya are the LEDs...too bright, fixed with a green sharpie and a maddeningly fiddly operation to get the top back on the chassis with the LEDs lining up to the holes...if there's an easy way to do this I'd like to know that it is, but I managed it after a struggle. |
Tomcar,
arebyou blose to chicago? You can borrow mine. It’s gonna sit until May. |
Note that Freyas are so cheap it's utterly worth it to try one and send it back if it sucks...note that mine came with the Russian 6N8S tubes that worked fine with no microphonics, but I had to try the new Tung Sol 6SN7GTB and some NOS Sylvania "chrome domes" and NOS RCAs...currently using the RCAs in the inputs and Sylvanias in the output...this changes often. |
OP, wow, thank you for your generous offer! Unfortunately, I live nowhere close to Chicago. You are indeed a caring soul and a gentleman.
Wolf, after inquiring about tubes with the factory rep, he suggested the Tung Sols were slightly warmer than the stock Russian tubes. Your thoughts?
OP, thanks again for such a surprising, generous offer.
Tom |
No problem tomcarr!
I can certainly ship it to you to try, but with Schitt's trial program it would be cheaper for you to go that route--unless you have a means of free shipping for you and I to use. |
That's the spirit jbhiller! |
That is definitely the spirit! Sorry OP, I have no means of free shipping, but am grateful for your above and beyond offer.
Tom |
You are very welcome. I really try to remember this is our hobby of love. I've made friends here by extending a passionate hand.
I will add, an echo Wolf, that the Frey is dead quiet. I hooked it to 98 dB efficient horns and to 90 dB modern loudspeakers. It never made a peep. |
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Tomcarr...The Tung Sols seemed to have a somewhat clearer overall tone than the stock el mysterioso Russian tubes, and I suppose warmth was a component of that. I like the build quality of them...very quiet. I couldn't leave well enough alone though as the more I read about various 6SN7GTBs, the more I was compelled to try NOS Sylvania Chrome Domes and NOS RCAs...RCAs have more bloom in the bass, and Sylvanias just seem accurate and snappy...or something...small differences of course, but it's always fun to roll around in tubeland. All of these tubes are relatively affordable.
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OP, I wish we all had that attitude. The world would be a better place.
Wolf, thank you for the tube review. I plan to try the stock tubes first, listen, second-guess myself several times, worry, ponder, drive my wife crazy, then maybe try others.
Tom |
It's not necessarily an expensive proposition, and sticking with NOS tubes that test well and are matched has worked for me...the RCAs and Sylvanias actually cost about as much as or maybe less than the new Tung Sols. |
@wolf_garcia , thank you!
Tom |
