Charlie1 wrote: ↑2020-02-13 09:26
Ron The Mon wrote: ↑2020-02-13 02:01
....a passive (rare white) Kan system.
Wow, didn't know there were any white ones. I knew that Linn had done some special finishes over the years but never knew what they were. Are they 1s or 2s?
Charlie,
I was teasing a bit; I didn't say they were "stock" white. The speakers date from 1979/1980. They have the vented/modified B110 but no doping, plywood cabinet, chipboard baffle, and SARA crossover. They are the best pair of passive Kans I've
ever heard. However, they have three mods; two resulting from the first one.
Linn later used a stressed rod in the SARAs and Isobariks connecting the front baffle to the rear panel. This strengthened the rigidity of the cabinet increasing internal cabinet volume minimally. Many Kan owners have envisioned doing this to Kans. The problem is the passive crossover is in the way and the wires are too short to move it. This also leaves no room on the internal back panel to screw the circuit-board down.
The solution was to rewire it with a very thin gauge of DNM solid-core wire in such a way that the crossover board "hangs" off the drivers and back connectors. It is then sandwiched between two layers of stuffing. Quite ingenious! I've never read of anyone with a floating crossover board.
A wooden dowel was glued from baffle (just below the tweeter) to back panel. I was visiting the owner one day with another friend listening to his LP12/AVI/Hafler system through Martin Logan electrostatics. The third guy kept saying how good the Martin Logans sounded. To shut him up, the white Kans were brought into the room and the owner said, "You want to hear something really cool?". He then put them on the floor, and leaned them back against the Logans and played the same record on the Kans.
The third guy said "HOLY SHIT!!" and didn't say another word. They blew the Martin Logans away. He then played a Grand Funk song at 78 speed and I saw God. I made an offer that moment and put them in my car right away before he changed his mind.
The teak finish got beat up over the years and they were painted white and a white grille cloth attached; they look really cool. I'll post photos at some point.
Are you running the active [rosewood] Kans with Naim? I'm told Exposure made a very small number of crossovers (single digit) as well.
I originally ran those Kans passive with Naim, then Linn, then Exposure, and back to Naim. I then ran them active with Naim for over twenty years (which has some interesting anecdotes and is another story).
They are now run from a Sherwood receiver in an AV system
passive. Sort of.
Tweeters, and two-way speakers, are overrated. As the speakers have two sets of jacks on the back, I simply connect the amp to the B110s run full-range. It sounds fantastic! Everyone who has heard this system doesn't even suspect there is no tweeter connected. In fact, comments range from great to awesome.
Ron The Mon