My New Westlakes

[Ken Pachkowsky]

Hi all

Ok, I have the new system up and going. Unfortunately, I have a problem with my modified Deqx unit. It has what the factory suspects is a grounding problem on the main PCB. Its on its way to Denver for repair.

That being said I am currently running the system 3-way with the other Deqx. Even as a 3-way they sound great. The depth of the soundstage is not what it was with the Boulder/HR1 combo but I am sure it will improve with the addition of the second Deqx and running it as a 4-way.

The Boulder amps are way out of my budget right now so I may never get that wide deep soundstage that I enjoyed in the past.

PS: We are moving to a new home at the end of the month.

Ken

[richluvsound]

congrats on the new mistresses Ken

[Ken Pachkowsky]

I was just asked why I had not done a complete review of my new HR7’s.

Well, the fact is I have not had a whole lot of time to mess with them since picking them up. We have had a busy summer working on our business. Yes, it sucks by the way….I sure hope this economy improves or we will be heading back north sooner than later.

For those of you that know me, it comes as no surprise Julie and I are closet Americans. I am pleased to announce that we have been approved for Green Cards. Its taken years to get this far…..only a couple of months to go! To say we are excited is an understatement.
We can hardly wait to apply for citizenship.

Ok, what are my thoughts on the new Westlakes?

I like them very much. The 128-H is a fantastic bass driver. A pair of them per side is even better. They seem to be a little faster than the 2235H which makes sense based on their mass. They have a very tight and deep punch. The bass performance rivals that of my brothers BBSM15 which is a very respected system for its bass performance. The BBSM15 uses the same 2235H that the HR-1 used but due to the cabinet differences it is slightly more dynamic and crisp in the bass department.

For those of you lucky enough to have a system that uses a 2122H I don’t think I have to sell you on that driver. The only driver I have heard that compares to it for voicing is the Gauss 3184B.

The 2426J does an admirable job on the wood horn. I am sure a 2001 Tad would be a great upgrade but alas…..no money honey…

The 2403 does a great job on the ultra high freq.

The system uses the following amps and processing.

4x Monarchy SM-70’s Class A
One of these is used to drive the 2403’s left and right
One is used to drive the 2426J’s left and right
Two are run bridged with each running a 2122H
A Crown K2 driving the dual 128-H’s on each side.

Preamp and Crossover duties are handled by dual Deqx 2.6P’s and the Optional Digital Out board.

All sources go into an Audio Authority Digital Switch and are routed through an upgraded Benchmark Dac. The output from the Benchmark is then routed into the digital input on the Master Deqx.

Believe it or not the system is even quieter than the HR-1 Boulder system was. That was a surprise bonus as I am running unbalanced outputs.
So, what’s the down side…

I definitely miss the dynamics of the large 26” wood horn of the HR-1. Recordings that have nicely layered and recorded backing vocals show this shortcoming. Now, is it drastic? No, but you sure miss it once you have had it. Part of this could be the amplification as well. The Boulder 102AE is an amplifier that should never be sold if you’re lucky enough to find one. I really kick my ass for that mistake. Damn, I had 2 of them! The Monarchy is as nice as any other amp I have tried short of the Boulder AE series. One day, I will run Boulders on the high end again…..next time I won’t be stupid enough to sell them. That being said……I wished I had changed out the 500AE’s for a K2 for bass duty on the HR-1’s much sooner.

I hope you found this informative. As I move along through this quest there are plenty of guys that know much more about this stuff than I do. However, I have been very fortunate in having owned some pretty awesome systems and equipment over the years.

Be well everyone….and stay healthy….some of us are getting to the age where we are loosing friends.

Here is a photo of the current system.

NOTE: I have a horrible reflection off the patio doors that requires the blankets for serious listening.

Ken

[demon]

thanks ken for your review!

i really appreciate insight like that on this rare golden-age-of-monster-monitor-kind-of-dinosaur-speaker. more of this, please!!
looks like a great system.
oh, and congrats on green card, too!

cheers,
mikey

[Ken Pachkowsky]

thanks ken for your review!

i really appreciate insight like that on this rare golden-age-of-monster-monitor-kind-of-dinosaur-speaker. more of this, please!!
looks like a great system.
oh, and congrats on green card, too!

cheers,
mikey

Mikey

Your welcome. Yes, my brief experience trying to help Westlake setup new dealers confirmed what you just said. The cabinet styles on much of the line are dated. Retailers want smaller, sleek boxes made of some exotic composite.

OH, yeh.....if it sounded good that would be nice as well.

Run of the mill performance at a cheap price.....thats what most want.

All kidding a-side. A small speaker can't do what these and other large format monitors can. Physics won't permit it. That being said....maybe there is something out there.....but I have not heard it. I would love to have something that was easy to move around.