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good to know the variable L pad wont change impedance or need other parts changed. any suggestions for good quality L pads yet at a reasonable price? i'm still weighing all 3 options discussed here, seperate EQ is the easiest quick way to see if dropping the mid freq a few db helps, but i have read its the least desirable way to do this. the new auto transformers as dean suggested may be the best for SQ but requires the most work & buying many new parts. the variable L pad seems quite simple & if the theory will work as described i may try that if one can be found for a decent price. i like the ability to adjust "on the fly" or simply remove it to retain originality. decisions decisions.

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i do like the idea of a variable L pad, seen them on many speakers over the years & they seem to be a good way of accomplishing what im trying to do. if they dont affect the sound quality that would be a good option & could be easily removed if i didnt like it or wanted to return the speakers to original. do any caps or other parts need to be changed with a variable L pad?

mine were the same way, i understand the damage concern. but if you are carefull you can apply even prying pressure & you wont damage the woofer frame, its pretty strong metal, but be carefull with wood enclosure. tip it forward some & gently work the screwdriver or butter knife around the edge of the woofer frame it will come out, there is no glue or anything else hoding it. or maybe try a plastic putty knife or old credit card so its softer on the enclosure. or.. you could also try removing the tweeter first & then reaching your finger in & push on the backside of the woofer frame to push it out. just make sure you push or pry on the metal frame of the woofer, it is one piece. reading your fist message it sounded like you might have thought it was 2 piece or the metal wasnt part of the woofer. "but there seems to be a type of metal frame around the driver" it will come out.

I thought you didn't like the originals? Max has made a great offer IMHO. because i dont like them doesnt mean i dont want to keep the originals. i do like the speakers as a whole & am aware they will probably sound much better in a bigger room or different gear etc. mainly, if i ever sell them i'd want the ability to return them to original. i agree it was a great offer... thanks for posting the history info, nice to see when they went through changes. sounds like the driver output changed in 1989 so they made the db increase on the x over to compensate. good to know something can be done, maybe an eq will be a quick non permanent way to play with the mid levels. i agree i dont like flat settings on the k-horns. they donet seem to be balanced as well as others, actually im fine with the "direct" (flat) mode on my fortes, they still have balanced bass.

ok lets keep this simple for the uneducated folks like myself. sorry but i cant follow the discussions above. so the links dean posted are not what i want? is there a change of opinion on the best way to get an extra 2 or 3 db reduction of the mids? i would prefer to just add caps as "mach-1" mentioned if thats teh easiest way. max-2: i appreciate the offer but i think i'd like to keep the stock ak-3's incase i ever want to go back to original. i may be interested ion your ak-2's if the pirce is right... remeber i'm on a pretty tight budget so you might get top dollar posting them here or ebay. PM me details if you want. on a side note, i have read that for the ak series x-overs the 3's are supposed to be the "better" sounding ones. aside from the 4 or 5's. so the differences between the 2 & 3's is just 2 or 3 db's in the mids? wonder why they increased the 3's so much?

if you mean the woofers themselves, they just come right out after removing the 4 screws. they may be a litle stuck from time so maybe carefully try a small flat blade screwdriver to pry a little & break the seal free or tip them forward/upside down a bit to let gravity help. nothing else holding them in though.

great idea, however for now, i'm just trying to see the easiest/cheapest way to adjust the mids. i think if this idea works it will cure 90% of what i dont like about the k-horns. the ak-4's are probably pretty expensive. my audio budget is pretty tight after buying the k-horns & with my other hobbies that will pick back up with the nicer weather. i usually go into audio mode during the winter. i'm in central iowa, dont think there are too many members here in that area, or at least not with k-horns.

ok, thanks for the clarification. im fine with keeping everything in the thread, might help others out that want to do this too. can you tell me which transformers i need & the prices from you? then suggest what brand/type caps are the best value. preferably something a tad "better" than the stock ones. & while im at it would a change to the tweeter caps be any benefit to the sound? might as well update whatever i can due to teh age thing i read about. they are at that magic 20 years old after all.

thanks for the info dean, just what i was hoping to hear. i'm pretty good with soldering so it sounds like something i should be able to do. i'm happy with the tweeter sound as i dont think it contributes to the overwhelming mids. 3db sounds about right on the mids. curious if an EQ would accomplish lowering the db at the mid freq without hurting the overall sound quality? so are the auto transformers from you adjustable? meaning i could choose how much of a db cut i want, or is it a pre set amount? also, will the 6.8uf cap change the freq cut off compared to the 13uf? & is it a "better" cap than the stock one? whats the reason for the cap change, in simple terms? i will PM you for info on the parts when i'm ready to attempt the change. thanks again!

hi. i have a pair of mid 90's k-horns & am very happy with them overall. however... i do feel the mids are a bit over powering at higher volume levels on most my cllassic rock cd's & lp's. & i'm not alone in that general opinion from what i've been reading, many others have made the same observation. so, without getting into all the possible things that may be causing this like my s/s gear, room limitations etc, i'd like to know if the ak-3 x-overs can be modified to just simply drop the mids a few db? the ak-3 are fully soldered & different from other k-horn x-overs from what i have heard & read. im hoping to be able to add a simple part (cap, filter, resistor etc) in the proper location without degrading the overall sound. aside from the other outside contributors to the problem, that i will adress down the road, i'm just trying to see if there is a relatively simple way to drop the mids a few db's to make the speaker be a little more "balanced." i own or have owned many other klipsch speakers as well as a few other brands, & they are just so much more pleasant & "easier" to listn to than the k-horns. as far as i know there is nothing wrong wth the speaker themselves or the x-overs. these were bought from the original owner & the guy only listened to classical & jazz & i dont think he ever pushed them. they look like new. i have heard other k-horns & la scallas & they were all just so bright & overwhelming in the mid section when played at above average volumes. thanks in advance

no, havent measured it yet, but i plan to get a meter asap just out of curosity to see what levels it peaks at. i dont push them so loud it hurts your ears like some live concerts can do at 120+db. i'd guess 105-110 max maybe.

hi. just thought i'd put this out there. i'm looking for a nice pair of chorus ii's for a 2nd 2ch system i will be doing. i just sold my epic cf-4's (which i shouldnt have) & would like to replace them with some chorus speakers. i prefer oak or walnut finish. please let me know if you have any you'd consider parting with or know of anyone who does. i also have a pristine pair of forte's in walnit oil i would consider trading. located in eastern iowa, willing to drive a short distance or consider shipping if within surrounding midwest states. thanks!

He said that the one that came out of it was a 3.15A fuse. yes, but i asked him to check the actual rating on the amp itself & he said it was indeed 3A. so someone used a 3.15 in there, but for what reason? if the amp say 3a fuse... you should be using a 3a fuse IMO.

arent the 20mm the short stubby fuses? most fuses in sub amps & other audio equiptment are the standard 1.25" long fuse. also, can someone that knows for sure please explain the fast vs slow blow fuse? every fuse i have seen for delicate electronics like amplifiers or speaker protection circuits are the fast blow, to better protect the equiptment. only time i see slow blow are in older cars like 70's gm cars before they changed to the plastic type fuses. would be helpfull info for myself & otheres that may be reading threads like this & need to buy the correct fuse. also, if the OP's amp is rated at a 3a fuse... whats the point of .15 more?

no offense taken, have to say i agree with the adcom issues you mentioned for the most part, whats confusing though is that the adcom sounded "fine" or at least much better on my epics, fortes & kg's, but on the k-horns thet do sound a little harsher. also i didnt mention it here but discussed it on another thread, i first used the onkyo amp but it had an onkyo AVR as the preamp, sounded a little better down low but didnt have the bass punch up louder that the adcom pre has. i also tried the rotel amp & it sounded probably the best of all my amps, but was also using the AVR as a pre at the time. so i will try the onkyo amp & rotel amp using the adcom pre & see if i get better results. the adcom pre is pretty decent, not a high dollar s/s or tube by any means, but still well above average & has probably some of the best tone controls out there. im using a pretty well rated adcom gcd cd player at the moment, i also have a nicer onkyo integra cd player & an onkyo sacd/dvd-a/dvd player i will experiment with. & for me, i also agree with the comment mentioned that bass output is far more important than imaging, if i had to pick one. after all unless the room is HUGE with HIGH ceilings, after a certain volume level imaging goes out the window since the entire room is completely filled with sound. when youre at a live big name rock concert, there is no imaging or stereo seperation etc, its just a big arena filled with the loudest sound most will ever hear from music. same with my & most basements etc, its just a room full of sound. imaging & stereo sep is for low to mid volumes IMO... which i do enjoy from time to time, but for the most part i listen louder than i think most on here do.

i realize this is an old thread, but shouldn't it be a fast blow fuse for delicate electronics like a sub amp etc? every amp fuse i have seen (adcom, def tech etc) specifically says to use fast blow. slow blow or time lag dont break the circuit fast enough & can allow damage to other things upstream from the fuse. these speakers may be different, but adcom amps & many others insist on fast blow.

will give that a try, but i know i dont want to lose any of the bass responce. each person likes different things, for one member here that just got a new to him set of k-horns (cal i think), his first post said "wheres the bass?" his were pretty tight into the corners too. he was comparing them to cornwalls but still, it just supports what i was saying earlier in this thread... the k-horns & la scalllas have very over-overwhelming mids & the bass can seem to be lacking because of it. i had to seal mine in the corners & increase the bass knob some on my preamp to get to the balance of bass & mid that i like. im still considering a sub to compliment the k-horns. but i will try to toe them out a bit to improve imaging & see what happens to the bass. might also look into what was suggested for the member i mentioned, dropping the mids a few db's to tone them down a bit but i think thats a little more difficult with my ak-3 x-overs. will post a new thread for that subject. thanks again

should say "fast blow" on the package, or did you compare to the other type that has a very thick bar vs a super thin wire. the thicker bar is usually for auto use or the slow blow type from what i have seen. i agree, if its blowing right away there is either a> something wrong with the amp or b> something as simple as speaker wires touching. were you pushing them hard to blow the first fuse? if you take it out try & look for any obvious burned or brown spots on the circuit paths or bulging/leaking capacitors etc. as for who to take it to, check your local yellow pages for audio/electronics repair places. theres usualy a couple places that can repair or check something like that out. or call best buy & see if they can refer you to someone. or last option is to call klipsch to see if they even sell a replacement or can suggest a repair place they might use for warranty work etc. on a side note, i had a sub amp on a set of my def tech speakers go out from constant high volume levels & probably age (5+years). one thing i will say about def tech, besides pretty darn good sound, is that they have the best customer service in the business, sent me free replacement amps with no questions asked, & no proof of purchase, (i bought them used) just inquired where i can get new ones or have mine repaired & they proactively offered to send me new amps. even sent a replacement woofer "just in case." now thats what i call taking care of your customers.

yes 110+db is a whole nother world, on k-horns or others. my epic cf-4's just came to llfe at that level. & the kick drums on that song & through the k-horns at 110db are amazing... only the big horm bass bins can do that, the 15" woofers in chorus or cornwalls or the dual 12"s in the epics are great too but just not the same as what the k-horns can do & how it hits you in the chest. cal, play with dropping the mids if you can or get a pre-amp that will boost the bass section a bit, be carefull though, most brands boost way too far into the upper mid section. adcom bass knob is only at 20hz & their contour (loudness) button is only at 100hz & tapers off as the volume increases. really a nice feature if you want improved bass without adding subs etc.

yeah those pics helped me out a lot too. the tailboards came with a rubber sealing strip but most are long gone by now. if you like the eagles & if you have the cd with it on there... check out "those shoes" very good song for testing up louder, it has great bass & some electronic peter frampton style guitar. i'm not sure what cd it was on originally but its on my "very best of" 2 cd set, pretty good recording too. sounds great up loud on mine. same with paul simon's graceland cd, so far thats the best recorded cd i have played for the rock genre..

happy to help

good points, but the post at the top of this page 3 was not talking about a horn sub, hes using a sw15 sub. with any sub added to the la scallas of course they are going to sound "better" than the k-horns. afterall they are basically the same components as the k-horn, just a little less on the maximun bass output. plus, as nice as horn subs may be, they are much more difficult to build, afford or fit into some rooms than a good direct radiator sub.

sounds like you are reading it right... i just checked my parts express catalog & no 3.15 listed anywhere. just whole numbers past 2.5 & even the lower values are in .25 increments. what does the amp board say where the fuse goes in? usually the rating is listed there. im sure a 3a would be fine.