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PWK put the issue of intermodulation distortion in writing to me back in the early 70s as I was preparing to buy Klipschorns. Attached are two of his letters.Klipschletter1.pdfKlipschletter2.pdf I have a third letter with advise on maintaining the oiled finish on the speakers.

I got into music around 6th or 7th grade in the mid-50s. Our record player couldn't do justice to rock n roll. I started out buying 78s, thinking 45s were just a fad. At the record store I saw speakers like Jensen and ElectroVoice. With the Allied Radio catalog I bought a University 312 tri-ax speaker and build a knockoff cabinet like the Airstocrat (I think Klipsch had a hand in that model). That and a 24W Allied tube amp using 5881 output tubes. A mono system. That did the job until the early 70s when the amplifier's transformer died and I couldn't find a replacement. So I began auditioning speakers while in Graduate School in Syracuse NY. In the first two or three stores I heard nothing that was as good as my single Airstocrat knockoff. Finally, a store in North Syracuse had some Klipschorns. By this time I was bringing my own records to the store for auditions--Rolling Stones and some classical music. The Klipshorns satisfied and I exchanged several letters with Paul Klipsch about the speakers and why the are so good. As a research assistant I could only afford one at time--they were $884 each! Took me a few months to go from mono to stereo. I built a Heathkit AR-15 receiver and was set then for maybe 20 years. Later I got Sony and then Denton receivers, but a could years ago I went back to tubes with the Elekit 8600S and Western Electric tubes. Life is good. Klipschletter2.pdf Klipschletter1.pdf

How do you adjust the volume with three amplifiers to get the right balance from the three separate drivers? Will I be able to upgrade a pair of 1972 Khorns? Three amps -- plus maybe a subwoofer amp. I don't suppose high quality tube amps and expensive tubes would be cheaper if they only had to cover the narrower spectral range of each driver. I suppose there's no end in sight--I ducked going from mono to stereo until 1972. Maybe in my 90s I'll go the triple-amp route.

at TubeDepot.com

If the crossovers still work I wouldn't do anything until you fix the tweeter and spend some time listening to them. Those capacitor cans are pretty reliable and unless they are leaking are probably just fine. If you have a multimeter that can read capacitance you can unsolder them and check the value, but listen first. The serial numbers should tell you when they were built if you check against the listing in the history section: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/206376-want-to-know-when-your-klipsch-speakers-were-made-click-here/ Good luck with the restoration and enjoy.

Be cautious, I tried to buy a pair of Heresys in San Francisco but the seller would not give me an email address or phone number to contact him directly. He gave me an address -- I think it was on Pine Street, but no way to arrange a time for pick up.

Aren't the connections through RCA coaxial connectors? Why bother going through the wall for a week? Connecting speaker wires to RCA receptacles, especially if the wire gauge is large--like 16 or 14 or 12. Let us know how this works out.

I don't get any noticeable hum with Khorns and an 8600S Elekit 300B amp. LED lights can be a problem. If you have them, turn all of them off just to check. I'm puzzled how "sonic signature" would be enhanced by keeping some hum. Actually not sure what sonic signature is.

Relevant discussion at https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/record-breaker-raphaelite-cs30-mkii-tube-amplifier-review-and-measurements.44020/ discussions of the 300b Venus tube. Comment the Western Electric product has low distortion. I think probably because of high cathode efficiency analogue to Klipsch speakers.

rather than tapping amp output, consider tapping the crossover's bass output.

If you can solder and assemble, also take a look at Elekit amps 8600S and 8900. both are 300B. Reviews in Stereophile--search for Elekit.

Not Heritage, but I don't recognize the model link. https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/ele/d/santa-barbara-klipsch-speakers/7698553699.html

sponsored by the Scooter store

Gentle suggestion to use an ohm meter (voltmeter set to ohms) to check the speaker resistance while disconnected from the amp.

So are these the speakers that just needed breaking in, or are there two LaScala posts and I'm confused. Nice to see a favorable mention of Crites.

I don't remember being disappointed in my Khorns when I first turned them on. Something must be wrong with these pair. Let's see the data for any change in the speaker output during "break-in". Your personal experience won't convince me--maybe it's just getting used to them, and there is no change. Change my mind with measurements.

try a different amplifier, maybe even a tv sound out source. You have to find out if it's the amp or the speaker. Do both speakers do it? have you switched the speaker wires to see if the crackle stays on one speaker or moves to the other?

Update here: I am enjoying the Elekit 8600S 300B tube kit. After making sure it was operating correctly, I bought a pair of new WE 300B tubes, but didn't need a matched pair (the Elekit has auto bias with--sound the organ--transistor circuitry) or a wooden box, so that saved a few dimes. The sound is wonderful through my 72 Khorns with Type A crossovers. Way more than enough power with 9W output. I'm using Telefunken 12AX7 and 12AU7 tubes in the front end. There is only one input on the amp so I have two four-position audio switches to select between my Vincent Pho 701 phono preamp, CD, iPot aka iPod, TV, and FM tuner. See my post under Two-channel about Elekit reviews and 12AX7 tubes culled from Stereophile. Peace be the journey

It's nice to listen to the gear yourself, but that's especially a problem in the case of kits that need to be built first. And I'm sure I'm less qualified as a listener than many who do it for a living. At Stereophile they mostly listen to stuff that costs many tens of thousands of dollars -- more than my budget. I only have Khorns because I bought them when they were under $1K. EleKit Tu-8600RS: $2080 as reviewed ($1695 basic version) As the name suggests, the EleKit TU-8600R is a build-it-yourself power amp, a single-ended design that uses one 300B directly heated output tube per side for a specified output of 9.2Wpc at 10% THD. (A pre-assembled version is available at extra cost.) Prices start at $1185 without tubes and top out at a $2985 version that includes Lundahl output transformers and deluxe German-made Elrog 300B tubes. Herb Reichert tried a variety of 300Bs in his Lundahl-equipped review sample and praised the EleKit for sounding not warm and soft but "fast and vigorous, as transparent as any amplifier, and extremely captivating," with a sonic character that's "clean, neutral, and precise." HR's conclusion: "This is what I call value for money." Other kits are available, but availability is sporadic. In his May and August 2021 Gramophone Dreams, HR used the Elekit TU-8600S as a platform for comparing different 12AX7s and 300Bs. (Vol.42 No.4, Vol.44 Nos.5 & 8 WWW) See also: https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-48-venus-tube-western-electrics-300b This also has some commentary on 12AX7 tubes per recent discussion. Peace be the journey

References to recent reviews in Stereophile Enter your keywords ShowAdvanced search SEARCH RESULTS Gramophone Dreams #68: Lab12 Mighty power amplifier & Pre1 preamplifier Page 2 ... love orchestra recordings" moment. Compared to the Elekit TU-8600S The first amplifier I compared Lab12's Mighty to was Elekit's TU-8600S 300B single-ended ($1880 plus the cost of tubes). The ... - Dec 28 2022 - 10:32am - 0 comments Gramophone Dreams #71: Heretic AD614 loudspeaker Page 2 ... the arrangement described above. Listening with Elekit's new TU-8900 The AD614 is so far outside today's mainstream design ... (24/96 FLAC, Ricercar/Qobuz) with Cossor 2A3 tubes in the Elekit TU-8900, the way-back part of the soundspace was clearer than ever, ... - Mar 21 2023 - 6:02am - 0 comments Klipsch La Scala AL5 loudspeaker ... ago and they have never ceased to amaze me. My amp is an ElekitTU8600R - 300B and 9.2Wpc and my room is not exactly big. Believe me: it ... Alex Halberstadt - Mar 24 2023 - 7:05am - 51 comments Gramophone Dreams #70: Sutherland Engineering SUTZ & Lounge Audio Copla headamps, Dynavector DV-20X2 & XX-2 MKII phono cartridges ... feeding Lab 12's Pre 1 line-level preamplifier, into Elekit's TU-8600S SE amplifier (with Western Electric 300B tubes) powering ... Herb Reichert - Feb 23 2023 - 8:31am - 5 comments Gramophone Dreams #27: EleKit TU-8600R amplifier kit Page 2 ... its uniquely shaped glass envelope is too tall for the EleKit's tube cage. Compared to the Russian 300Bs, the Elrogs produced ... scintillating yet understated. My personal favorite. EleKit TU-8600R vs First Watt SIT-3 When the EleKit TU-8600R arrived, I ... - Apr 4 2019 - 2:16pm - 0 comments Just In from CAF (Part II): VK Audio Room with Sparkler Audio CD Player, EleKit Amplification, AER Speakers, Mogami Cables ... that I review afterwards. VK Audio's made-in-Japan $1785 EleKit TU-8600R 300B single-ended tube amp kit was one of those. This amp ... the system I return to is the O/93s or RP600Ms with the 300B EleKit. At CAF the TU-8600R changed my world-view again, because ... Herb Reichert - Nov 8 2019 - 5:59am - 11 comments Gramophone Dreams #27: EleKit TU-8600R amplifier kit ... First Watt SIT-3 amplifier. However . . . When the EleKit TU-8600R single-ended 300B integrated amplifier arrived from Japan, I ... of other audiophile-grade parts. I asked the price. "The EleKit TU-8600R you are examining is the deluxe version—it costs $1785," ... Herb Reichert - Apr 5 2019 - 8:35am - 18 comments EleKit TU-8600R integrated amplifier, Sparkler Audio S503 Spiral CD Player/Transport, AER Excenter Loudspeakers ... CD Player/Transport costs $1650, and the build-it-yourself EleKit TU-8600R integrated amplifier, also from Japan, goes for $1785. The ... - 11:07am ... JVS assembling the EleKit amp before he reviews it. HR could be called in to provide US-based ... Jason Victor Serinus - Jun 10 2019 - 4:34pm - 4 comments Recommended Components Fall 2022 Edition Integrated Amplifiers & Receivers ... every bit as natural and engaging as the First Watt F8 and Elekit TU-8600. Driving HiFiMan's hard-to-drive Susvara headphones, HR ... Jon Iverson - Sep 15 2022 - 3:29pm - 0 comments Gramophone Dreams #27: EleKit TU-8600R amplifier kit Contacts Sidebar: Contacts EleKit, EK Japan Co., Ltd.. Tofuro-minami 2-19-30, Dazaifu-city, Fukuoka, 818-0105, Japan. Tel: (81) 92-923-8235 Web: www.elekit.co.jp. North American importer: VK Music, Vancouver, British Columbia, ... - Apr 4 2019 - 2:18pm - 0 comments Excerpt from Reichert review (https://www.stereophile.com/content/gramophone-dreams-68-lab12-mighty-power-amplifier-pre1-preamplifier-page-2) Compared to the Elekit TU-8600S The first amplifier I compared Lab12's Mighty to was Elekit's TU-8600S300B single-ended ($1880 plus the cost of tubes). The Elekit was using the Linlai Cossor WE300B tubes. The first thing I noticed after the changeover was how much softer, larger, and calmer the energy field had become. With the Linlai 300Bs, bass notes seemed more expansive and more harmonically developed than with the Mighty in either mode. Played through the Elekit with the Linlai tubes, on Julia Wolfe's Soõ Percussion album Forbidden Love (24/96 FLAC, Cantaloupe Music/Qobuz), low-frequency reverb tails were more spacious and much longer. It was not subtle. In both UL and triode modes, the EL34 Mighty played with crisper, more conspicuously detailed clarity, which distributed charged energy across a well-constructed, shallower sound matrix. With the Mighty, the quantity and aesthetic quality of reverb was always good but sometimes a little short-tailed and never the main attraction. With the Elekit, reverb was the tasty sauce of the main course. The chief difference between the 300B amp and the EL34 amp was this: The Mighty made my Falcons sound precise, like mastering-lab monitors; the TU-8600S made them sound relaxed, like horn speakers. The Mighty and the Elekit sounded more alike when I switched from Linlai's "Western Electric Replica" tubes to new-manufacture (2021) Western Electric 300Bs. The Western Electric tubes sharpened the Elekit's focus, added density and clarity, and sparked up all forms of dynamics to something closer to the Mighty in UL mode, which threw punches like a fit middleweight. I was raised in a German-speaking household by a Teutonic father who played Gustav Mahler and organ music by Bach almost exclusively. My Dad passed decades ago, so sometimes I feel a need for day-long doses of German lieder to remind me how a German voice sounds. When I do this, the first recordings I reach for are songs sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. I already knew that the Western Electric–tubed Elekit amplifier preserved Fischer-Dieskau's tone better than any other amp in my herd, so I was revved to see how the Mighty would handle that godlike baritone. I played my Made-in-Germany "tulips" pressing (Deutsche Grammophon LP SLPM 138 117) of Fischer-Dieskau singing Ein Schubert-Gothe-Liederaband, first through the Elekit and then through the Lab12 Mighty in triode mode. With the Elekit equipped with Western Electric tubes, Fischer-Dieskau's voice came out of the Falcons with gripping volume, power, and old-school German manner. The only thing missing with the 300Bs was the rugged high-relief texture of the baritone's upper registers—and that's exactly what the Lab12 in triode mode delivered, along with a wet, glowing transparency I never thought I'd hear from a pentode. I don't want to say the Elekit and the triode-wired Mighty sounded alike, but mostly they did. The chief difference was in how the triode-wired Mighty emphasized the immediacy and raw texture of the upper octaves while the Elekit directed my attention to beauties in the baritone's mid and lower octaves. The above was just from the first page or searching Elekit in Stereophile

You might also want to read the reviews in Stereophile for the Elekit 8600S and 8900 300B amps.

Yeah, and where are the plans and recommendations for modifications and DIY builds?

iPod works or your cell phone

I second what Bubo wrote and what I think you've "cleaned" up*. I had wonderful experience exchanging correspondence with PWK back in the 70s and love my Khorns. A while a go I asked for some advice e on hooking up a center speaker with my amp that on has only a left and right output and was disappointed that no official advice came from Klipsch through this forum. PWK himself published a workaround to my question years ago, but now I guess it's no longer in official interest to help legacy owners. I was seriously interested in the forthcoming subs, but now I think I'll pass. Quite disappointed in the attitude.

Paul Klipsch recommended linseed oil for my walnut Khorns. Nowadays I usually just use lemon oil furniture oil.