Crites midrange diaphragms

[SET12]

Yes, the entire driver is $85.00

each. However, according to Steve Philips at Klipsch parts, the

titanium diaphragms that are used in the K53 TI Driver are available at

$84.00 for the pair. I had no choice but to buy a driver since one of

mine were damaged. According to Steve I could have purchased just one

complete driver and a diaphragm, but I wasn't comfortable with a new and

a 19 year old working together so I purchased two complete K53 TI

drivers.

What if someone were to blow a diaphragm on a K53 TI Driver? They are available, or at least that is what I was told by Steve.

So How are your Titanium Mids yet?

From my experiance with the Crites they get substantially better with time, a couple hundred hrs and they are pretty much fully developed but they need at least 40-50hrs to really start showing their stuff!

I am very much interested in the the Titanium's even if I have to purchase the complete driver assembly, but is there any more word on getting them by just purchasing the diaphragms? Or do you think I'm going to have to purchase the complete Drivers?

Thanks

SET12

[John Chi-town]

Set 12;

The titanium midrange diaphragms on the K53 TI drivers are a MAJOR improvement over the stock phenolics, and blend extremely well with the BC Titanium tweets that are installed as well. I have not yet listened with the BC replacement phenolics. I just enjoy the titaniums too much!

Call Klipsch parts and ask for Steve Philips. Again, Steve told me that the titanium diaphragms are available for the K53 TI drivers @ $84.00 per pair. These will "drop -in" to the original forte or forte II mid-range drivers just like the BC phenolics.

My original plan was to go with the BC phenolics, but while disassembling a driver the ring that goes around the housing where the diaphragm seats came loose and with the strength of the magnet it was impossible to fix. According to Klipsch drivers are not magnatized until after they are built.

So, my only option was to buy two complete new drivers with diaphragms. Hope that helps. Please advise once you speak with Steve Philips at Klipsch parts as to the availability of the titanium diaphragms only. Again I was told $84.00 or $85.00 per pair.

[SET12]

Thanks, will do!

L8ter

SET12

[John Chi-town]

Your welcome. If you buy please post your thoughts vs. the BC phenolics as well.

[xtreme4099]

Installed K53 Ti's ...coming Bob Crites' Improved Phenolic Mids.

Incredibly impressed, they are another no brainer purchase, better in every respect with no downside sonics wise, just simply outstanding, i did a side by comparison, with bobs .. and one ti driver, reversing stereo comparing tracks ... reversing stereo again with foobar2000, leaning to one side than the other to see how both did with each tracks, and the Ti was significantly more transparent and natural, you can definitely hear more into the music, whatever you liked from the Ti tweeter upgrade youll get in the midrange but oh so much sweeter, btw one thing i noticed was that i got a blank diaphragm with no yellow or gray mark indicating polarity and different connectors that didnt fit, i had to snip off my connectors and directly solder the wires onto the diaphragms connectors, apparently the fatter of the two connections on the diaphragms is the postive or hot, found this out by doing a quick search on the klipsch forums, aside from that im addictive and amazed, ill definitely be up listening to tunes as late as i can hehe.

Anyways ill be burning these things for quite sometime to see how they evolve.

Oh, that 84.00 each is for the Ti diaphragms, they come packaged just like you get from bobs in a little box,, not sure with the word kit comes into play, its the same dealy you install them the same you would bobs : http://www.critesspeakers.com/k-53_diaphragm_replacement.html

[moray james]

Sorry but I am a little confused. You started with stock Klipsch phenolic mid diaphragms? Then you bought a set of Bob C's new mid diaphragms which are also phenolic and it sounds like you like them better than the stock phenolics? Is that correct? Then you mentioned that the Ti diaphragms were more transparent and natural. So this is where I get lost. Did you also buy as new set of the Klipsch Titanium mid diaphragms? So which diaphragm is it that you like best? Thanks for making this all clear. Regards Moray James.

[xtreme4099]

Stock Phenolics --- > Bob Crite's New Improved Phenolic -- > Klipsch K53 Ti Diaphragms

The Ti is nice upgrade from both types of phenolics I've had, I even compared the stock phenolics to the crites and noticed they were nice improvement but this is definite step above even that set of diaphragms, they definitely integrate more seamlessly with the Ti tweeters diaphragms i got from Bob.

[fwphoto]

Oh, that 84.00 each is for the Ti diaphragms, . . .

So, if I'm following this thread right, the TI diaphrams alone are $84 each ($168/pr) & the replacement driver including the TI diapgrams are $85 each ($170/pr)? What am I missing here?

I have a pair of Forte IIs with Crites TI tweets & am very interested in TI mids as well.

Frank W.

[John Chi-town]

Agree 100% with your assesment. Glad you are pleased as well. I thought the K53 TI diaphragms were only $84.00-$85.00 per pair. I only paid $85.00 for each complete K53 TI Driver with the titanium diaphragms. Are you saying that the pair of diaphragms are the same as two complete drivers? If so, why did you not purchase the complete assembly and have spare drivers, or replace entirely?

When I spoke with Steve Philips of Klipsch I thought the diaphragms only were roughly half the cost of purchasing two complete K53 TI drivers?

[moray james]

Thanks for the additional info as to what you had tried out Re the mid diaphragms. I would be interested in hearing from those who have installed Bob's new phenolic diaphragms and learn how long they found the burn in process to be. Given such high efficiency drivers I would imagine weeks to months depending upon your listening level preference.

I too am interested in the Tittanium diaphragms but burn in time has to be accounted for. Phenolic diaphragms should have far greater internal loss when compared to Titanium and would I imagine have a more polite and progressive onset of breakup distortion. Regards Moray James.

[xtreme4099]

I had the Crites diaphragms for a good 6 months or more, so they definitely got some good burn in time, between movies and music, they were a definite upgrade from the stock at the time, Bobs' diaphragms definitely need time to open up, out the box the soundstage can sound collapsed but after sometime they really open up, it really isnt a fair comparison to compare them to out of the box versions but vs the fully burned in version they are still an upgrade, but aside from they that the Ti's are a definite upgrade from Bobs' and credit to bob for providing the Ti tweets, this setup matches well with my modern warm sounding Harman Kardon 7.1 Receiver

[John Chi-town]

Extreme 4099;

Did you pay $84.00 each, or a pair for the K53 TI Titanium Diaphragms? Hard to believe that Klipsch would price the entire K53TI driver with diaphragm included for only $1.00 more?!

[xtreme4099]

I completely forgot about that ... i didnt even ask if was 85.00 with drivers per .. because at 84.00 for just the diaphragms it would be a no brainer to have spare parts if it simply a dollar more. Damn.

[John Chi-town]

Yes, it is only a dollar more @ $84.00 per diaphragm, vs. $85.00 for each complete driver. I would call Klipsch and ask them to send to you for $2.00 plus shipping and handling. The rep should have told you that the complete K53-TI drivers are only $85.00 each.

Best of luck!

[John Chi-town]

Everyone;

Sorry for the earlier confusion on the cost of the diaphragms vs. entire driver and diaphragm. I must have misunderstood Steve's verbal quote prior to ordering the K53 TI drivers. Since I did not trust matching a new and 19 year old driver, I just ordered the complete K 53TI drivers. I probably did not pay much attention to the price on just the diaphragms since it was an option I was unwilling to consider.

Another pricing/marketing snafu.... Why would Klipsch price 2 complete drivers & diaphragms @$170.00 and charge $168.00 for just the two diaphragms???

[SET12]

Mine are on their way and should be here by next weekend.

I asked how many were in stock and was told more than 50.

Looking forward to them!

I will be coupling them with Duelund Copper VSF Caps and German C-Core Autotransformers.

SET12

[John Chi-town]

If you already have BC's titanium diaphragms installed in the tweets you will be "Blown Away" by the transparency between the mids and highs. Also greatly improves the midrange clarity especially at higher listening volumes. Did you order the entire driver for each at only $1.00 more each? Still blows me away that the diaphragms only are $84.00 each, yet the complete driver and diaphragm is only $85.00 each??? Go figure![] For $2.00 more to have a set of spare mid drivers is unheard of.

Well, let us know what you think!

[xtreme4099]

I know crazy, i havent contacted klipsch yet, i feel like a numbnut for not knowing, but yes frickin fantastic jump in transparency, im waiting for SET12 on this forum and on the audiokarma forum who has those ridiculous xovers on his fortes to chime in and let us know if he's ordered them or has them already, he showed interest last i spoke to him, I guess the only thing that beats this would be beryllium diaphragms if thats even possible, would probably cost some serious beaucoup bucks tho, but klispch or crites for insanity's sake lets make it happen, wouldn't mind some 30hz-50khz Forte's !!

[SET12]

No I didn't order the complete driver as I have no need of it since I'm using the exponential horns.

This way the gaskets will be fresh and I don't have to take apart the driver

I like your enthusiasm, it should be an interesting listening session with them especially with the autotransformers and caps I'm using which BTW are very expensive. I was figuring out the cost and I will have nearly $700 in parts vs the stock of nearly maybe $100.

As I posted on my AK thread I have had no regrets on my Forte Journey, only enlightenment and great satisfaction especially with the extreme crossovers that I built.

One thing that I'm curious about is, is there any break in time that you noticed?

With the Crites diaphragms there was at least 10 hrs probably before I heard a change and after about 40-50hrs it was substantial the midrange just opened up like a flower.

Initially the Crites gave a narrow stage as I have an extremely wide and tall soundstage, infact you'd think there were Khorns in the room I know this statement will likely get some attention but if you were to hear a stock Forte in my listening room its stage would be half the size of my modified Fortes. But anyway as the hrs piled on them the stage eventually exceeded the stock diaphragms, I almost went back to the stock but I heard improvements in other areas that made me want to give the Crites time and it was well worth the wait. I must say I have the deepest respect for Bob Crites, his voicing of his mids that he did was truly godsend IMO.

Anyway I'm hoping that the Duelund caps and the beautiful neutral and open sounding C-Core Autotransformers will exploit all the Titanium's virtues as much as I have gotten from the Crites Titanium Tweeters.

I love transparency, and I'm hoping to hear even more harmonic information especially since I have SET amplifiers.

Also the parts guy was a little confused as to what the part # was he went checking and gave me the part # for the K-52/53-TI as

127122 K-52/53-TI DIAPH. KIT                   2 EA             156.00 

SET12

[xtreme4099]

Yep thems the diaphragms only, its like 187 after taxes, they were noticeably better right out of the box SET, you will be surprised, i did a direct AB back and forth between bob's and K53 Ti's and preferred the Ti's by a large margin even after having a couple hundred hrs of burn in on Bobs, im sure the Ti's will improve in their own way as well, it integrates seemlessly with Bob's own Ti Tweeters that i have installed, much respect to bob for improving on the standard phenolic mids with his own version.