K horn midrange dilemma 1" or 2" driver?

[spamhead]

I am trying to upgrade my khorn tophat and am wondering if anyone has had success converting to a two inch driver like the JBL 2445J? I have a couple laying around and have listened to them with a 2380A but am wondering if there is any horn available that I can match to a two inch driver that isn't HUUUGGE! I have no problem rebuilding the tophat as I am a interior finisher, but I don't want my tophat 20 inches tall. Any advice from the Klipsch A-Philes out there?

[greg928gts]

I'm right in the middle of a design/build on a wooden tractrix horn that will fit inside the original Khorn tophat and use a 2" driver. Will your JBL driver go down to 400hz?

Some of those JBL drivers are huge so I can't guarantee that there will be enough room to fit on the back of the horn. But the horn with a BMS 4591 will fit.

If you can wait, I'll be documenting the build and posting that information here. Realistically it will be a month before I have anything substantial to show.

Greg

[spamhead]

thanks for the info, would really like to see how yours turns out. I recently changed out the cross-

over so I could run this driver down to 350hz and had no problems even at uncomfortable db levels.

JBL recommends crossover at 500hz.

[spamhead]

I guess I should clarify no problems, I didn't experience any diaphragm failure although the 2380A

seems a little to in your face! Could this be that it is really designed for large room apps?

[greg928gts]

I guess I should clarify no problems, I didn't experience any diaphragm failure although the 2380A

seems a little to in your face! Could this be that it is really designed for large room apps?

I'm afraid I can't answer that, maybe someone else will chime in.

Keep an eye out here for a post on the horn build, or email me in a few weeks.

Welcome to the forum BTW.

Greg

[ZAKO]

the 2380 will have to be EQ,d to sound right.. I remember that horn would part your hair if not EQ,d,,,, Martinelli makes some good horns that will work quite well. Bit pricy but beautiful.

[seti]

the 2380 will have to be EQ,d to sound right.. I remember that horn would part your hair if not EQ,d,,,,  Martinelli makes some good horns that will work quite well. Bit pricy but beautiful.

Mattinelli is not currently making horns. I had emailed him recently.

[Guest " "]

" if anyone has had success converting to a two inch driver like the JBL 2445J? "

I saw a thread where someone cut the k-401 horn off at the throat end at the 2" expansion point and mounted a plate to allow a 2" driver to be used.

That's one way of adding the driver with out having to mod the top section.

[PrestonTom]

It is not clear what your specific goal is. Are you aiming for a two-way system?

If that is the case there are several alternatives. One Klipsch version would be to use a K-510 horn. This has a 2inch throat and is a CD horn, which means its dispersion is relatively constant even as you go up in frequency (it does not "beam").

As with all CD horns it will require EQing to boost the high frequencies. The B&C drivers will mate with these (I am fairly sure). Klipsch has drivers that will work also (K-69). However, the JBL driver may have a different bolt pattern (I think). The horn should fit in the K-Horn top hat with some cutting ( I am fairly sure).

Good Luck,

-Tom

[spamhead]

Tom, I am planning on a 3 way set up using JBL 2404's on hand, I have updated my type A

crossover to Crites sonicap A/4500 specs, I have the K-55's and also have the JBL 2445J's along

with 2470 phenolics. I figured I would use the 2470's or 55's with Altec 511-B or a trachorn

if I can't come up with a tractrix for the 2" driver that isn't enormous in size. Thanks for any light

you can shine.

[bluesboy]

Don't use the K-55s with 511-B horns. They will work but I've found that Altec 902s sound better. You can buy them new from Great Plains Audio.

[cjgeraci]

I guess I should clarify no problems, I didn't experience any diaphragm failure although the 2380A

seems a little to in your face! Could this be that it is really designed for large room apps?

Although the 2380 has never been one of my favorite horns, I do not think that it is the 2380 that is screaming at you.

I would put my money on those drivers (2445j). What slope are you using to cross them over at 350 hz? 6 - 12 (gentle) or much more extreme (24 or 48?)

The steeper the slope the better. I personally would not cross titanium drivers over lower than 500 hz for extended periods. Sure, the dias may not blow, but the drivers won't like it - sonically - at higher spls. And then, there are the voicecoils...

So, the eternal Khorn problem.....What to do to bridge the bass bin to 500 hz or having the driver go down to 400 hz. Tom notes the K510, which is a viable option if you can get to 500 on the bottom or cut that Khorn bass bin to a screaming stop (or sharp slope) at 500 hz.

Personally, I would try Trachorns with stock K55s first and swap out the tweeters to 2404s before you try the 2 inch route. The 2470 phenolics would be better still but I always get paranoid about those drivers below 500 hz even though they should be fine - being phenolic. (2470s still with phenolics are like rare Ferraris).

Are you planning on crossing the 2404s at 4500 on the bottom? Eminence tweeters would be fine that low (Crites tweeters), but I just don't know about the 2404s (unless they have the thicker dias).

Carl.

[ClaudeJ1]

I am trying to upgrade my khorn tophat and am wondering if anyone has had success converting to a two inch driver like the JBL 2445J? I have a couple laying around and have listened to them with a 2380A but am wondering if there is any horn available that I can match to a two inch driver that isn't HUUUGGE! I have no problem rebuilding the tophat as I am a interior finisher, but I don't want my tophat 20 inches tall. Any advice from the Klipsch A-Philes out there?

I really like my EV DH1-a's. The JBL's are in the same class, but carry a higher price tag. I use them with EV HP960 (CD horn) and a JBL in the center channel. 2" drivers in a home are crisp, clean, and very low distortion, since they are designed form PA duties which take more than 1 Watt. At about 112 db effeciency, you will have to pad them down quite a bit, so they will never see much power. They do sound great though. I would never go back to K55's with any horn.

[djk]

The JBL2445 doesn't sound the best crossed lower than about 650hz.

The EV HP640 sounds better than the HP940, it may also be crossed at 400hz/24dB because of its 17" depth (vs 11" on the HP940). The DH1A also has better high end than the JBL2445.

http://www.electrovoice.com/documents/ev/HP640_Horn_EDS.pdf

I have all the items under discussion (and more).

[ClaudeJ1]

The EV HP640 sounds better than the HP940, it may also be crossed at 400hz/24dB because of its 17" depth (vs 11" on the HP940). The DH1A also has better high end than the JBL2445.

http://www.electrovoice.com/documents/ev/HP640_Horn_EDS.pdf

I have all the items under discussion (and more).

You are right about the JBL curves. The DHaA's are much better than that. I own 5 DH1A's and 5 HP640 horns. I lived with 3 of them up front but have recently switched to the 940's and one JBL 2380 for the center channel. I'm using the drivers from 1K to 6K, which is their flat range, then crossing to double B&C tweeters. So far I like the 940's better in my room, since I sit so close. If I had a bigger room, i would probably go back to the 640's not sure. The 940's match the tweeter polars while the 640 matches the Midbass polars.

They both sound good to me, but different for sure. I think the 940's are more "musical" if that means anything.