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Ok, so here's one I'm trying to solve. While listening to music, I came across a Norah Jones track and at the beginning of it her voice slightly buzzed in a weird way from the right speaker. I started the track over and heard it again. It was distorted. I fired up REW and hunted around with the generator until I discovered that between about 270Hz and 305Hz I can get this mode to pop in - complete overtone buzzing distortion coming from only the right speaker. Sounds like the squawker. I swapped output channels on the amp and fired it up again and it is still there in the right speaker. This is at completely normal listening levels, but I did notice that if I pump the level up a couple of dB I can get it to pop into resonance at a few Hz lower. The only drivers on my horns that are original are the K55s, so I said screw it and ordered a set of A55G's from Bob Crites. They came and the swap out was easy, new gaskets too. The resonance is still there. I pressed around on everything to attempt to dampen the resonance in case it was a piece of wood or something vibrating. Last night I narrowed it down to the squawker for sure. In fact, I removed the driver from the actual horn and it is coming from the driver. Once again I swapped amplifier OUTPUT leads and it is still just in that right squawker driver, not the left, so it doesn't appear to be in the signal chain all the way up to and including the amp. The only thing left is the crossover, but that's a simple type A. Anyone ever heard of such a thing coming from the crossover itself? It has been recapped but the magnetics are original. Tonight I might swap crossovers between speakers and see what that does. Any thoughts?

The measured behavior of the Klipschorn has always been of interest to me across woofers, motorboard slots and crossovers. Over time and a lot of measurements, I've noticed that the frequency response behavior of the Klipschorn seems to change quite a bit depending upon woofer polarity. No kidding, lol. But much like the 3x13 vs 6x13 slot riddle, is there a polarity riddle in the Klipschorn as well? I'll start it off this way: Here's an illustration of a tested Klipschorn Woofer & Midrange combination using a simple first order "a" network with the two woofer polarity alternatives, matched or reversed, disguised and generically labeled as option A, or option B: Then, let's look at the same measurements, but with the separate woofer trace added: And finally, the two woofer/midrange polarity options against the separate midrange trace: In my experience, this scenario is repeated regardless of woofer, slot size, or midrange horn/driver using any variety of the simple 1st order based "a" or "aa" or "universal" networks. Adding to the suspense, it's been well noted over the years that Klipsch did not "match" polarity until the late 1950's I believe. An apparent fact that is hard to reconcile given my own experience listening to Klipschorns with a variety of stock woofers, slots and midrange horn/drivers - under straight and reversed polarity - and there is a very noticeable difference to my ears. Did PWK ever speak on the topic in detail? Let's keep it simple: Looking at the actual measurements, which polarity option is correct, and why?

Too weird for me, certainly at that price: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ele/6050749934.html No affiliation...

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum but a passionate Klipsch fan. So glad that this is forum is active and alive! Glad to be among you. I'm the proud owner of a pair of '79 Khorns in all stock condition which I now can't live without. I'm thinking about modifications but the sound just blows me away every time. I don't think it's even necessary and probably will keep them stock. I'm currently running them with a Yamaha SS receiver (approx $150 on Amazon) which already sounds great but I know the ideal is to power them with tubes.. What are your recommendations with tube amplifiers for Khorns? I play mostly on vinyl and want to keep that "warmth" and "dynamism" as much as possible.. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum but a passionate Klipsch fan. So glad that this is forum is active and alive! Glad to be among you. I'm the proud owner of a pair of '79 Khorns in all stock condition which I now can't live without. I'm thinking about modifications but the sound just blows me away every time. I don't think it's even necessary and probably will keep them stock. I'm currently running them with a Yamaha SS receiver (approx $150 on Amazon) which already sounds great but I know the ideal is to power them with tubes.. What are your recommendations with tube amplifiers for Khorns? I play mostly on vinyl and want to keep that "warmth" and "dynamism" as much as possible.. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

For those like myself, who've had the privilege of owning some of the 1950's examples of the Klipschorn - with massive Stephens and EV Alnico woofers, 6x13 slot motorboards and wood/fiberglass K5J midrange horns with University SAHF drivers, there's always been an interest in knowing whether any performance differences exist between these early models and Klipschorns produced later in their evolution. Among the many questions, some, including myself, have always wondered: - Do the early Klipschorn bass bins with the original 6x13 throat slot and massive Alnico magnet woofers perform "better"? - Is the K400/401 a "better" midrange horn than the original final K5J? A couple of years ago I mentioned on the forum my intention to take a shot at investigating the different Klipschorn woofers and motorboards, but life got in the way and it wasn't until recently that I was able to devote the time and energy to getting that done. I've gotten a lot out of the Klipsch community over the years with a lot of help from guys with names like Al, Bob, Dave, Dean, Gil, John, Larry, Roger and many more, so here's my attempt at contributing something back. I'm not selling anything nor am I affiliated with anyone who is in the Klipsch world. Nor am I an expert at speaker measurement, and I can't claim to have golden ears. With that said, here is my report: Project Goal To measure the performance difference, if any, between various Klipschorn woofers (EV 15wk, k-33e square magnet, Crites cast replacement), Klipschorn motorboards (3x13 vs. 6x13), and the Klipschorn midrange horns (K5J vs. K400/401) and midrange drivers (University SAHF vs. K55v, m, v dual plug). Methodology To conduct the tests I: - Assembled the woofers, midrange drivers and midrange horns along with several crossover networks and woofer inductors - Made several Baltic birch motorboards with both 3x13 and 6x13 slots in 3/4", 5/8" and 3/8" thickness - master template cut for exact match and dry fit marked for exact throat aligment - Setup a 1950's Klipschorn base with a 6x13 slot bin - to accommodate 3x13 and 6x13 motorboards - in a properly sealed corner - Marked exact Klipschorn position to the corner with blue painters tape enabling exact repeat position as woofers and motorboards are changed - Setup a mic stand on center axis approximately 8ft from the Klipschorn - Umik-1 USB mic aimed at speaker with height aligned to the midrange center - Calibrated Umik-1 USB mic attached to laptop running REW measurement software with calibration file, connected to preamp system with testing volume uniformly locked at ~78db, preamp set on mono - Testing then conducted with double sound sweeps in identical conditions - All output set to 1/12 smoothing Importantly, the methodology used here is aimed at measuring the relative performance between components and not absolute performance. My experience has taught me that room conditions are the biggest factor involved, making absolute "reference" measurements far more complex than what has been done here, but these side by side comparisons have all been conducted in identical conditions and should have some validity. I will attempt to keep my comments on the results to a minimum. I'll start with the woofer/slot results first, and add the rest in the next day or two. Woofer Results IMHO, the performance turned in by the 62yr old EV 15wk woofer is impressive. One has to wonder what the measurements would look like with a brand new one in 1955. It's probably fair to say that with age, it's free air resonance is now closer to 40hz + , as opposed to the EV reference of 29hz when new. In my mind, the absolute performance of a Klipschorn bass bin in the 1950's has always been somewhat murky, with the occasional marketing pamphlet reference to full efficiency down to 36hz, and "excellent efficiency down to 30hz." But if the more modern Klipschorn bass bin has a sensitivity of 104db/1 watt/ 4ft,( or 105db/1 meter), do the Ev 15wk measurements here suggest that the old Klipschorn 6x13 bass bin with the large Alnico magnet woofers was a db or two more sensitive? In any event, it would appear that there are significant differences in the mid bass region performance. Is any of it noticeable to the ear and body? In my opinion, yes. Note: All measurements show a consistent 10-12db gap down at about 80hz due to room/furniture interference. It's ugly, but artificial. The rest is more or less in line with the general frequency response exhibited by the Klipschorn. In all cases, the k-33e and Crites cast woofer appear to measure slightly (1-2db) better in the 35hz region. Could the Ev 15wk's apparent disadvantage in the ultra low end be due to some deterioration in cone resonance due to age? The Crites cast woofer appears to improve performance over the k-33e in the 250-400hz region. Somebody knows what their doing. As expected and documented by Dr. Bruce Edgar years ago, the 6x13 slot threat presents difficulties for the newer woofers above 300hz. When using the EV 15wk in their own versions of the folded cornerhorn, EV specified a woofer inductor in the 2.8-3.0mh range. Depending upon the crossover point to the midrange, IMHO, the EV 15wk measures AND sounds good in the Klipschorn with inductors from 2.5mh to 3.0mh. In my opinion, room acoustics and personal tastes are the real determinants here. The internal 6x13 Klipschorn chamber without woofer and motorboard. Raw Klipschorn bass cabinet sealed into corner with gaskets and a custom made plywood corner backer board. The k-33e woofer installed: The Crites cast woofer installed: The EV 15wk Alnico woofer installed. I'm getting too old to be down on my hands and knees wrestling a 45lb woofer into position! Midrange Tests Here's a couple of pics I took of the assembled midrange horns, drivers and crossovers used, along with the midrange platform boards I built to easily change out the entire top section from one horn to the next. Because of the general interest in the more recent wood midrange tractrix designs for use with the Klipschorn, I've included some testing and comparison with the Volti FC260 2" throat tractrix horn using the B&C DCM50 8ohm driver. Midrange Test Results Comparisons of the K5J and K401 horns - using any of the k55 drivers, with and without networks, show a great similarity to the tests done by Paul Klipsch when introducing the "new" k400 in the early 1960's. Originally, the K5J was crossed to the tweeter at approximately 5000hz. The rough response of the K5J above 3000hz seems to illustrate why. After discussing PWK's results with several forum members in the past, it was generally agreed that while using the k55, the K5J was about 2db softer over most of its range vs. the k400. Thus, I asked Bob Crites to make a modified "a" network with -1db attenuation for use with the K5J, vs. the -3db mid attenuation used with the standard "a" network used with the K400. This brings the sensitivity back in line with the woofer and provides a better apples to apples comparison between the horns. Now it's easier to see that while the K5J is weaker on the higher end, it has some real punch in its lower range. More, tests reveal the subtle trade-offs between the k55v and k55m on the K5J horn. The k55m is usually a db or so "hotter" than the k55v in my experience, but not across the entire range and the plus/minus tradeoff is different with this horn, than with the k400/401. For those who've always wanted to see how the University SAHF driver (originally paired with the K5J) compares to the standard k55v on the K5J here is the result: SAHF compared to k55v on the K5J with the -1db mid attenuation network. Interestingly, the SAHF has more strength under 300hz than the k-55 - which has always been lauded for what few midrange drivers can do - its ability to reach down low. The SAHF also has a smoother exit response from 4000hz on, but the prominent dip between 1000-2000hz bothers me a bit. As far as the sound, my apologies, but I have spent zero time listening to the SAHF. The highly regarded K55v DUAL PLUG driver shows an interesting contrast to the k55m on the K5J. Some would say, and my personal experience agrees, that the K55v dual plug driver gives up a tad bit of sensitivity in favor of a smoother and more general extended response all the way to the promised 6000hz on the k400/401. It appears to help quite a bit here with the K5J as well. Moreover, it would probably be correct to adjust the midrange attenuation to 0 with this driver when paired with the K5J and thus delivering the best K5J/k55 performance possible, and a decent shot at using a 6000hz high frequency crossover point. Of course there may be even more K5J performance with John Allen's new A-55G mid driver, which I have yet to try. As far as the sound, they are definitely different and I greatly prefer the K5J to the k400, even with a 6000hz crossover, but I believe that personal preference and room acoustics would have a big impact on the voting. For those interested in the midrange "upgrade" path, here are the results comparing the Volti FC260 with B&C DCM driver, to the stock K400/401 and k55 setup. With a -7db attenuation setting used below, the Volti/dcm50 combination is close in sensitivity to the k401/k55m. It looks to me like a -6db attenuation setting would be an even better match, maybe -5db when paired with a Stephens or EV Alnico woofer with the 6x13 throat. The B&C DCM50 driver rolls off naturally on the FC260 around 9500hz. In this case, the custom network used here utilized a .15mh inductor in a 1st order midrange bandpass that begins the roll off at about 7500hz. IMHO, the FC260 sound is fantastic to my ears, and at a minimum, offers an alternative sound to the K400/401. Measurement and sound are two very different things, and I've never seen and heard a better example than this particular comparison - where the measurements look so close, but the sound is miles apart. Woofer & Midrange Combination Tests For those interested in how the combination of woofer and midrange measured in the tests, I compared the EV 15wk 6x13 with Volti midrange against the Crites 3x13 setup with k401/K55v dual plug midrange below. Tweeter was connected on the k401 setup, helping over 5000hz. I'll leave it to others to judge if the measured difference between 100-600hz is significant/meaningful/worthwhile. Here's the EV/Volti combination compared to the Crites 3x13 in combination with Volti/DCM50 midrange: If you have a newer Klipschorn after 1962 with the 3x13 slot, or you can't find or have blown your Stephens or EV15wk for your early 6x13 Klipschorn, here's a look at the Crites and Volti combination on either the 3x13 or 6x13 slot motorboards. When I have more time in the next few days, I will finish this post with: - Comparison between 6x13 EV 15wk/k5J setup and the 3x13 K-33e/k401 woofer & midrange setup - Comparison of motorboard thickness - 3/4", 5/8", 3/8", impact on bass bin performance

I have a sequential pair of Klipschorns that I inherited from my uncle when he passed away. I had them in a large bonus room for about 5 years and they worked great. We moved and my bonus room has became a toy room so I have no room for them. I have very little knowledge about them and estimated my price based on what I see on eBay and Craigslist. I've also asked a few folks with way more knowledge than me. I welcome any more knowledge and offers. From what I've read online they're from 1979. I know my uncle had someone refinish them in a dark walnut stain but they were Birch Raw originally. Would it be worth it to me to sand them down and return to their original state? Is my asking price way off? I don't think I'd want to venture into shipping them but I'll listen to anything. Thanks in advance. It won't let me upload all the pics, I have a Craigslist ad with some more. https://fayetteville.craigslist.org/ele/6016690125.html

We had an interesting thread going a few years ago. I came across the paper copy of the article recently and so it came to mind. There were some concerns that the item in the picture might have been something other than a K-Horn; 1943 is pretty early. But I see the K-Horn patent (2373692) has a application date of October 3, 1942. Therefore the design had been completed the year before the article. There is no reason to think the item can't be a K-Horn with Paul having given plans to Fairchild. Perhaps our historian can enlighten us on the situation. At his convenience. WMcD

I have a vintage pair of K33 woofers in excellent condition. These were removed from my K'horns for an update just after purchasing them used in 84. Speakers measure DCR 3.4 and 3.3. Photo upload won't cooperate, pics on request. $300.00, you pay shipping. They are in pristine, working condition, see pics. Please ask any questions you may have. All sales are final.

No affiliation... Pair of the 70th Anniversary Klipschorns, listed for sale on Audiogon... https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-klipsch-klipschorn-70th-anniversary-dealer-demo-2017-01-10-speakers-55449-minneapolis-mn

I am planning to upgrade my unmolested 1978 Khorns in the next week or so. I want to document the changes in a thread along with listening impressions. I'd like to use this thread for some suggestions from you Klipschites, then start a new thread for the actual changes. I have some questions, then I'd like to listen to your ideas. Comment on or critique anything you want. I took out all the other speakers in the living room weeks ago to get used to the the Khorn sound in Stereo mode. My other choice would be Pure Audio, meaning no audio processing by the Onk AVR. Onkyo TX-NR 717, bought in 2014. The 717 has basic Audyssey, 3 listening positions. It will set distances and trim level relative to reference, which usually means -12 db. I have disabled Audyssey and set both L/R to 0 trim. I could re-run Audyssey to get some baseline info. The Upgrade: I will be getting some Crites A/4500 crossovers and I will pull the Type AA. This means I can't use the stock K-77's. I will using some SEOS 12" horns and Denovo DNA-360 compression drivers I already had from another project. This will not be the same as a standard Crites A/4500 with the usual CT-120 or CT-125 tweeters. I don't want to change two variables at one time but I don't think I have much choice. Your opinions? I would like to put the new horn on the tophat, then move it front to back to experiment with some time alignment. And finally I was wanting to try putting some damping materials on the tophat to see if I could hear difference in reflection by using carpet, towel, maybe some foam sheets. Other suggestions?

Anyone have specs on the 1964 Khorn? Do they all have the funky tuning box on top?

My husband was a huge fan of Klipsch speakers. He passed away suddenly this past January at the age of 59. He had (and now I have) a pair of Klipsch Klipschorn Floorstanding Speakers that he has had since the 70's. We have moved those enormous speakers many, many times in our 25 years of marriage. He absolutely LOVED these speakers. Well I have to part with them (I live in an RV and am renting out our house) and need help selling them. I have no idea about pricing them except what I have seen on eBay and Amazon. They are in very good condition. I also have no idea where to market them. I live in Austin, TX and would prefer local pick up due to their weight. Any suggestions?

No affiliation - just confused and curious if this is anything other than a DIY effort: http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/ele/5894289886.html

No affiliation, but if you buy these please help me find a pair closer to home... http://www.kijiji.ca/v-electronics/gatineau/klipschorn-speakers/1215983926

Decorator Cornwalls are hard enough to look at, but these take the cake: http://www.ebay.com/itm/172400553759 No affiliation, you wouldn't catch me trying to sell these for $3k.

Anybody interested in a "modern" 5 channel, bi-amped, Heritage Home Theater setup with matching walnut rack and MiniDSP? I have mine up on Audiogon: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-klipsch-heritage-home-theater-2016-10-16-speakers-48114-brighton-mi It's a great system but it's time to downsize.

Hi, Great forum, I've had answers to all of my questions except one. And that is, where can I find walnut edge banding that will look like the body veneer and will actually match? I bought some walnut from Lee Valley (sight unseen - online) and it looks almost grey/black in color, nothing like the original. These are Klipschorns from 1976 with the Walnut Oiled finish. I'm rebuilding/restoring them for a good friend of mine. These have been in storage since the early 80's and have not been used much. Thanks to this forum, I have the parts needed from Bobby Crites to rebuild the crossovers. Looking at them in the picture, they do look awful. Again from Crites, I have replaced the squawker diaphragms and bought the the new LS-25 tweeters and have replacement grille fabric as well. The speakers structurally are fine, no damage other than to the bottom of a couple of the side grille panels - I think that's typical for moving a big, heavy speaker with the side grilles in place. But, as I'm replacing the fabric anyways I can build new ones using the old as a template - that's easily done. The bottom toe rails need to be replaced, lots of impact damage to them. I have them removed, and by making a new toe rail a bit higher, say 4", I can cover virtually all the damage done to the speaker bottom sections. I don't plan on making any significant modifications other than what's already been mentioned. I do plan on installing a decent speaker connection insert to the bass bins that will allow a cable to run from that to the crossover. At the crossover, I plan on installing a better than decent set of banana jack/plugs for the incoming speaker wire. Once that's completed (parts are on the way) I'll post some pictures of the results. All of the edge banding has been removed as there was a lot of damage. For sections that were not, I removed them anyways so that once completed all of the edge banding will match. And that brings me to the original question. Does anybody have a source for edge banding that will more or less match the original Walnut Oiled finish? For the new toe rails I would need to either find a walnut plank that matches the speakers or veneer something like red oak to match the edge banding. I'm in North Bay, Ontario and plan on having the speakers in the house before winter. I've been running with electrostatic speakers since the early 80's, and am looking forward to trying the Klipschorns in their place. The picture labelled Stereo 1 is my current and only system. I would need to build the corners for the Klipschorns, as you can see with a log home there aren't many options. Any comments or suggestions would be most welcome. Stephen

No affiliation. http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/ele/5802208820.html