30blows

The bass problem is resolved. And 50% of the imaging problem. The middle is still weak. If you stand up against the back wall things start coalesce, but not quite, so I may have to try the speakers on the short wall, or move them in along the long wall. The midrange, and especially the high end, are bright and brassy (obnoxiously so). The high end, for all of its brightness, is also a bit muddy. From what I've read, these problems are likely the result of the Nakamichi CA5/PA5 pre-amp/amp combo. It has been suggested I get a tube pre-amp to start with and see if this fixes the coloration. That is fine - I will look for something used that doesn't cost a mint. The Klipschorns are now pretty lively, though fatiguing because of the brassy tone, and because they don't quite meld together. On some recordings they seem somewhat veiled. To fix this it has been suggested I replace the crossovers with new ones from Bob & Michael Crites. Well, first things first. When the imaging and brassy problems are fixed, then I can try this.

First, many thanks for the varied and intelligent responses. <br /><br /> This morning I took apart all the non-soldered connections in one speaker and scrubbed all the connecting parts with isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush. On re-assembly - what an amazing difference! This fixed 80% of the bass problem, and when I get the speaker well into a corner, that should fix the rest. <br /><br /> I don't think anything is out of phase, but I will go through this carefully as well, as advised. Multi-meter is coming in the post so I can check the resistence on all the components. <br /><br /> Sooner or later, I will get it all working right.

Fair enough - At least the woofers are wired properly. I will get one speaker into a tight fit in some corner of the house and see if that fixes the bass. Hope so. And, no, I am not exaggerating - that would be a huge waste of time for all.

Congrats premature, but hopefully soon. I removed one of the woofers. Visual inspection shows no damage. With a bass heavy record on the turn table you can barely see the woofer cone vibrate (when it's seated outside of its enclosure on a chair). If you put your ear right next to the woofer, the bass is about balanced with the midrange/treble from above. Is this the expected response? The woofers are marked K-33-E. The fellow I bought them from asserts he was the original owner and never modified them. On audition the bass poor but I figured it was from the cheap amp hooked up to the speakers. Not so. I can't certify the crossovers are original, but I expect they are... Below is a picture. I very much appreciate the willingness of folks on this forum to help out. Uncommonly good.

I am next door to Palm Springs. I will check out the woofers. New to Klipschorn - I assume I remove the panel with the wired connection to the woofer enclosure and look for what exactly? The woofers do make a little noise - if you disconnect the wires you can tell the difference, but they sound like the bass on a $20 Radio Shack boom box. I will also try using a short side of the room (14') and see if this will help create a soundstage (now completely absent). I am happy to work on this situation as these speakers have a great reputation and at least I can tell the midrange and tweeter are detailed and fast - they will be lovely once I get the coloration out. Thanks for your help.

I just bought a pair of Klipschorns (SN circa #13S258 - which I think means 1978) and brought them home. They sound terrible and it seems likely I need a tighter fit in the corners and may have to change upstream components (or I just blew $2500 and my wife will kill me because they currently sound worse than the 25 year old Energy 22's they are replacing). The obvious defects are: 1. No bass, or practically none. I put my ear up against the enormous woofer boxes on the bottom and they both sound like a sleeping pumpkin. Are they both broken? 2. Mid-range and treble are very bright. Fast and detailed, but obviously (not subtly) too bright. 3. No soundstage. Completely empty center. Just two noises coming from two corners of the room. You cannot point out the location of any instrument except to say left or right. Naturally I am distressed. Upstream components: Pre-amp and amp: Nakamichi CA-5 and PA-5 Turntable: Thorens TD-318 with Audio-Technica AT-OC9 cartridge Room: 1. 14' x 24' with the speakers in corners along a long wall. 2. One speaker pushes well into the corner, but the corner has a kind of wainscoting which comes up about 3', so that above that there is a 2-3" gap between the speaker and the walls. 3. The other speaker is flush on one wall but the other wall has a gap of 4" or so due weird architectural artifacts. Questions: 1. Will getting out my toolbox and building solid tight-fitting corners for both speakers fix the bass? Or is this a problem with the upstream components? Or both? 2. Are the upstream components adequate for these speakers? They may not be given that the mid-range and treble are so bright. If not adequate, what should I replace and with what? 3. Should I have the speakers on a short wall? I would like to believe the terrible sound is all my fault. I certainly hope so. Any advice most welcome. Thanks.

The 14' wide wall has both speakers in its corners. And, no, 2' is not likely enough. It will stick out a bit. I may have to narrow the archway - this is also possible.

Thank you for your quick replies. The listening room is 14'x24'. The wall behind the speakers does have an archway leading to another small room. The archway is off-center, leaving about 2' of wall on the left and 7' or more on the right. This may well affect the sound - but I cannot know yet. You all have some experience with klipschorns, so if this room will not work, please let me know.

After 20+ years I am re-vamping my system (mostly so my children can listen to several thousand beautiful records). The source material is 90% vinyl - mostly jazz, blues, and classical, but also rock-n-roll, Indian music, folk, etc.. The old system is no longer so musical. I'm pretty sure this is because the speakers have deteriorated (Energy 22 speakers - about $1,000 when they were new). The plan for now is to purchase a used pair of klipschorns and use the following vintage equipment: * Thorens TD-318 (with a new cartridge - not sure which yet) * Nakamichi PA-5 amplifier and CA-5 pre-amp I would welcome any response to several questions: 1. Is the Nakamich amp/pre-amp combination a good match for klipschorn speakers? If not, then what is a good choice (in the $1000 range)? 2. What years/makes of klipschorns are a good choice (or should be explicitly avoided)? 3. Any suggestions for a new cartridge for the Thorens? Is this turntable an adequate source for making the most of the klipschorns (if not then what?)? 4. Any suggestions for a CD source for this system (in the $500 range)? 5. Any suggestions for speaker cable or interconnects?