jcoddish

Thank you caped crusader. They've been a lot of fun. I put on some Miles http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Klipsch/hifivol1-2.jpg and relax with the Missus. http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Klipsch/1957b.jpg JC

Here's the front view.

Hello gents. It's been a year since I posted the pics. The pair has been in regular use - they still sound great. Thought I'd add a fresh post and see if there's any additional information is out there. John

"The HF horn is either a “replica” or is a modified K-5-D. I’d like to get a better look at it. Any advice/information would be appreciated. I had quickly removed the side panel to take the pic's posted on 12/30, if helpful I could work a little harder to show more. Is there a particular view of the horn that would be instructive/ John

Hello. Have some new information. I spoke to the daughter of the original owner who had a memory of her dad "working on the speakers" around 1954 or 55. While her statement doesn't give me a firm date it does strongly suggest the speakers are at least 53 years old. Here's my best guess at their history: The sealed bass cabinets appear to have been purchased from PK or a professional supplier. The top horn sections were assembled by the owner from a kit before 1955. How much before is hard to say. The fact that these speakers are a matched pair (stereo) suggest that they are no older than 1952 or 53. Any other input would be appreciated. Please let me know if I can post any other pics or specs. JC

Hello the speakers are definitly a matched pair - the cabinets and insides are identical. I'm trying to find out when, and by whom, they were built. While I was told they date from 1948 or 1949, memories can be unreliable so I'm looking for some evidence I can use to date the speakers pictured in the earlier post. What's the earliest a hi fi enthusiast would of bought or built a pair of K-horns? Is the driver ("Universal Driver Unit" model SA-HF, 30 watts and 16 Ohms) any help in solving the mystery? John

>>>Do you know the history of these? Were they built like this in the 40's or modified later? The only history I have is a 5 minute conversation with the gentleman who first owned them. He said that he had either built or bought these around '48 or '49. He mentioned that they were from a kit. As far as I know, they have not been modified. John

A closer look. I've adjusted file sizes of these 4 pics to allow me to upload them to the forum. If there's something that looks interesting I can post a zoomed in view. The electronics look homemade and the horn looks like its made from plywood. Is it time to open up the bottom cabinet? John

Looking into the top cabinet.

View from back.

Pics attached. A - view from front, B - view from back C - removed side panel from top and moved to show bottom cabinet D- View inside, horn and crossover.

All, Thanks for the advice and links - I especially liked the link to High Fidelity Magazine (Vol. 1 No. 1 1951). The speakers look similar to the picture on page 10. http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Klipsch/hifivol1-2.jpg I'll post some shots of the front and back of the speakers this weekend. John

Hello. I've recently come to have a pair of "vintage" K-horns. I'm told by the original owner that he built them himself from a kit on 1948 or 1949. After some moving around, they've been in the corners of his living room making music for about 30 years. The cabinets in excellant shape and the speakers sound just fine. The crossover circuits still use the original electrical componants. I can see the "Universal Driver Unit" on each horn: model SA-HF rated at 30 watts and 16 Ohms. I want to get some more information before deciding what to do but I'm hesitant to open up the cabinets to look for a serial number until I know what to look for. Any suggestions? John

Hello. I've recently come to have a pair of "vintage" K-horns. I'm told by the original owner that he built them himself from a kit on 1948 or 1949. After some moving around, they've been in the corners of his living room making music for about 30 years. The cabinets in excellent shape and the speakers sound just fine. The crossover circuits still use the original electrical components. I can see the "Universal Driver Unit" on each horn: model SA-HF rated at 30 watts and 16 Ohms. I want to get some more information before deciding what to do but I'm hesitant to open up the cabinets to look for a serial number until I know what to look for. Any suggestions? John