Kan Kan

Hi all have just restarted my project again after a minor veneering issue…doh… any way on with second cabinet…have just rebated B110…


starting to look good…my next challenge is to rebate the tweeter…ulp…I will keep you posted…hope to have a trial run with them in January… for those new to thread here are the highlights…
7 Ltr cabinet
18mm ply…heavily braced
Lead lined
External crossover with quality components hard wired…based on Kan Mk1 x over.
Matched B110 drivers
:nerd_face:

18 Likes

Very cool project and appears to be coming along very nicely. You have skills man :+1: :grinning:

2 Likes

Nice work Richie - looking forward to seeing the final results. External crossovers too so always the option to go active…

1 Like

I am trying…I have learnt allot…so I might try something more ambitious…I like the look of the Mark Audio Alpair…single full range drive units…that require no x over… I fancy trying to make a tall slender transmission line…

My view is … that in a small speaker having internal x overs is a disaster…vibration in close proximity to a dirty great magnet is not a recipe for coherent sound at half decent volumes… What I really would like are the coil values and cap listings for the Kan Mk2 x over…but I have had no luck…I still have the rebuilt Mk1 x overs…which are renown to be a bit wayward…we will see

My brother had Mk1 Kans yonks ago … I loved them…these little puppies I am making are rock solid and sound totally inert using knuckle test…

1 Like

Love a DIY project, nice job

1 Like

I am nervous about connecting to nap500 for 1st time…I think I will try them out on my Denon reciever…1st…I do not want to splat my pride and joy…

Interesting that you have lined with lead. I have done that on a pair of (much larger) transmission lines, the intent being that the lead sheet (as used for roof flashings), glued to the wood using a thick layer of mastic (lead sheet sealant) makes the panels acoustically dead. Interestingly although the result is an extremely heavy speaker, it is not as dead as I expected!

(My transmission lines are a project currently on hold pending more time, Mk 1 not having been ideal…)

1 Like

Didn’t Townshend make something lined with carpet and plaster?

Hi that’s interesting… I imbedded the 3mm lead sheet in silicone…to create a lossy layer that further damps the lead…and cabinet. I have not tried it yet … it may sound flipping awful…I can always buy a pair of falcon cabinets…

Wow will check that out…

Just checked - in case I was making it up - Townsend Glastonbury…

1 Like

An interesting project and a nice looking cabinet. However, I’m not sure you can really calls these Kan replicas since you’re changing so much.

I’ve tried Mark Audios at home on LP12/CB Naim system. Clear sound but not musically engaging to my ears. We’re all different though and I know some folks enjoy what they do.

Yeah you are right they are not Kans (they are Kan Kans!) in the true sense…but they have the same drive units and crossover…the cabinets are the same dimensions except the depth. In my view the weakest link with the Kan was the cabinet… I also looked very closely at the Kef 101 which in many ways was superior to Kan and LS35A. The original white paper for the original B110 states that it is designed to work in cabinets between 5 an 8 lts…and that the drive must be rebated into the cabinet for a smooth response. Something neither the Kan or LS35A did… The other interesting thing is I built a 3 way Kef speaker donkeys years ago…and I will always remember testing the B110 in full range mode in a modest 3.5 ltr cabinet…it sounded amazing and from that time on I always hankered after a proper quality attempt at a no compromise cabinet for such a wonderful and natural sounding classic driver. My brother had the original Kan it sounded really good…but sonically fell appart when the volume was raised in my view due to a very poor crossover design mounted very close to the driver and the cabinet…which lacked suitable damping or any form of bracing. I had a similar experience with a Warfedale 708 a really wonderful under developed speaker…I removed the crossover re laid it out and hard wired it…what a difference it turned a good speaker into an amazing one. Also remember the Kan came about because linn bought a 1000 old redundant LS35A cabinets…it was developed to work near a rear wall which was a brilliant concept…but it was poorly developed…hopefully mine might realise a bit more potential…it is fun to build…and it will satisfy my B110 itch…Merry Xmas all… stay safe… Richieroo…

1 Like

I would like to add I have huge respect for the LS35A but it is a hugely flawed speaker…but it does something magical the human voice is simply amazing… music and dynamics…hmm… I think that hugely complex crossover sucks some of the life out of the performance… The Kan for all its faults is far less constrained…but it is a warts and all approach… I forgot to mention I have also created a sealed chamber for the tweeter…removing direct pressure waves from the rear of the tweeter…something Peter Comeau did in the HB1s I believe… :nerd_face:

3 Likes

Well it’s certainly a fun project. I’d love to hear the Kef drive unit on its own. I don’t think the Kan was a straight forward project for Linn though. I’m reliably informed (by someone that would know) that the Kan design process was complicated and convoluted. There is a myth that it was designed on a napkin but that’s just rubbish.

Did you ever compare the SP1003 to the SP1057 variants?

I heard that it was an extremely basic … trial and error process…certainly the standard Kan crossover is simply the most horrid layout imaginable…certainly not allot of thought went into that…appart from making it compact…certainly obtaining the cabinets was fortuitous…and then of course things changed to mdf…which would have the LS35A designers turn in their graves… I think the Kan2 was more considered and a more refined and accomplished speaker…by which time Linn realised just how good the Kan could be. I will never forget a demo by Linn at the Penta show…in a large hall LP12 and Kans … playing Tracy Chapman … they sounded epic… I would imagine…the B110’s were close to frying…
I have never tried the variants…for me the voicing of the driver is so special…and amazing on voices…the thing for me and my kit…is will the dead cabinet kill the midrange…or will it benefit…there is allot of myth behind these little speakers…time will tell I will feed back…

1 Like

Look forward to reading about their progress.

1 Like

Hi, you have done a very nice job on the cabinets, well done.

I look forward to completion as I own a pair of Kans and very nice they are too.