I have a toshiba 7150 (150x150rms) receiver, a SAE P10 amp (100x100rms), 2 EV 15" woofers, 2 WA750 horns, 2 wa5000 horn tweeters from speakerlab. Also a Heathkit active crossover I made in highschool. In 1980 it was brought to every party and almost taken away by the cops. So is it worth using in a HT setup? I like the in-wall stuff. I thought of making woofer cabinets as furniture (end table or couch base). I used to be really into this hifi stuff while in HS. 30 years later I still have this stuff! Just kept the drivers. So now I'm adding on 800sf to my house and I'm wondering should I use this stuff? Any ideas will be apreciated.
I don't know the exact drivers, but since they are speakerlab... are they clones of Klipschorn parts?
If so, you should definately use them. The simplest way is to make up a Cornwall-clone for the bass bin, and use the 2 horns on top. Look up "Cornscala" on google and you'll find what some have been building and discussing on the Klipsch forum. They say it's an awesome speaker.
As for power amps, you can always use those! Even the old receiver can be used as a power amp to an HT receiver that has pre-outs.
JS - You don't explain how you intend to get surround sound out of a stereo amplifier. If, after 30 years, your taste for loudness is still unabated, you might want something similar to what you once used to blast away at parties. However, there are much better components available today to acommodate the contempoaray choices in software. With the predominance of Dolby Digital/DTS soundtracks on DVD's and many satellite broadcasts, trying to jerry rig your old gear to work as required for good surround system performance today, is a bit like saying you have the bumper and the dashboard from a 1969 automobile and you would like to know if you should use them on your new car.
You will require a processor to make the digital signal operate properly as a well balanced surround system. The best performance will come from a receiver/processor with "digital" inputs for these sources. You should strive for a reasonable balance among all of your speakers. Trying to piece together a system that matches the raw drivers you own is not, in my opinion, worth the time and effort. You don't indicate the drivers are in a cabinet, but even if they are, you will have trouble matching these components to today's speakers. You might also run into a situation where the components have aged poorly over the years. This would be most especially true for the amplifier and crossover. You could put this system together and in a few months find that one or more pieces are beginning to show their age. Though you may have appreciated the qualities of the components thirty years ago, they really aren't worth fixing today, even if you could get a shop to work on them. So, after a few months of trying to make the components work within the demands of a modern system, you will find yourself having noise problems, intermittent channels or just bad sound.
At this point, I would suggest you go out to a good audio shop where you can audition systems in a worthwhile set up. If you can avoid the shops where HT compnents are all stacked in shelves and the speakers surround the room one after the other, you will probably find a better sounding system than you suggest by piecing together your old gear. You will certainly find a system more suited to the requirements of a modern surround system. Draw your conclusions from what you hear. Then use the old stuff out on the deck to call the police to your next party.
LOL! I like your response! No I don't want cops and I'm not into "cranking it" any more. The thought I had was maybe surround sound pre-amp to a high and low channel x-over to my old speakers. Yes they were in cabinets but were too big for my taste. I do agree that its a waste of time but thats the fun of it. Thats why I'm here for ideas too!