Cornwalled Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Greetings all, I came across a pair of K-horns which looked to be going for a pretty affordable price on eBay ($1000 at the time) so I decided to check them out. Upon looking at them closer they don't look like true K-horns to my eye. The cabinet is not divided, and there is no Klipsch logo. In general, they look simpler than K-horns do. Could these be the Speakerlab copies, and someone is trying to pass them off as K-horns, or was there another type of k-horn that just looked different? There are no shots of the back of the speaker at all, and no mention of driver complement, serial number, or date. The link is: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1343635880 Any thoughts? Jon ------------------ markvi82@hotmail.com 1981 Cornwall I's Yamaha DSP-A1000 integrated amp Acoustic Research AR3A's for Pro-Logic rears (Music only setup) Marantz CD Player Yamaha Turntable with Stanton EE Cartridge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Klipsch used to make simple, unfinished cabinets for those who wished to save a little dough, those cabinets lacked the division between the treble and bass sections. Could be those. They also used to sell "naked" cabinets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J M O N Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 I believe the Khorns that don't have the "riser" between the top and bottom sections are the "C" version. The Khorns that do, are the "B" versions. However, what looks suspicious to me is the grill on the top section. It does not appear to wrap around the sides -- it's only on the front. I haven't seen any Khorns that have that type of grill. Check out these C-type Khorns without the riser, but note that the front grills do wrap around the sides: http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?spkrfull&1022300902 This message has been edited by JMON on 04-04-2002 at 01:46 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidfan Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Hi, yes ,these are a version of speakerlab horns made in the 80"s.Speakerlab actually made 2 types,this one pictured on Ebay,and a 2 part type CLONE of the Klipschorn.Buyers beware dont buy,unless you can confirm it is Authentic.There are no lables on the tweeters or drivers.They were available already assembled,and sold in do it yourself kits.The cross overs are very cheap.I know because a bought a pair of these for 800 dollars from a add in a newspaper.I am in the process of rebuilding mine.For a while speakerlab used Ev tweeters,and in later years made their owm molds and manufactured there own drivers.It is hard to find parts that match,as speakerlab was changing frequency and ohm factors.Speakerlab does not like to talk about these speakers,and has no parts to upgrade them.I was lucky because they original version matched klipsch specs exactly,I cant afford a pair of Khorns so I will stick with these,but it has been a hassle to upgrade them.Another noticable asspect is the way speakerlab mounted ther tweetrs,klipsch mounts them vertical,speakerlad mounts the in a Horizontel manner.In later years speakerlab used passive radiators in the one part cabinet.Also they made the midrange horns out fiberglass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwardre Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 J-Mon....My '54s do not have wrap around grilles. Evidently, back then Klipsch did some custom builds outside the normal production runs. All the driver components within my speakers have the 'Approved by PWK' labels affixed and there are several Klipsch and Associates labels on both the top and bottom sections. The networks are the K-500-5000's complete with metal Klipsch and Associates plates. Originally equipped with cane grilles, these have been replaced with Klipsch black cloth. The original Klipsch emblems have been removed as I did not like the looks of them. (Kind of a clear 'plexiglass' looking affair with 'Klipschorn' etched in cursive). This certainly does not appear to be the case with the ones on e-bay. I sent the seller an e-mail requesting s/n's, year mfg'd info and more importantly, internal components. Haven't received a response and I suspect I will not. ------------------ Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJohn Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Actually I had been admiring that set for a few days now and was wondering why they were only around $1000. I have been aware of Klipsch since the '70 but could never afford a good pair. I am glad I happened upon this BB while I was trying to research Klipsch. Maybe I will eventually locate a decent set of horns and experience the K sound for myself. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J M O N Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Ed, I do remember seeing your Khorns before, but didn't remember that they didn't have the wrap-around grills. I had thought that they were modified to look like that, but it sounds like they came that way from the factory. I have seen that plexiglass Klipsch logo before -- on an old original plywood (not birch) Khorn at a Dealer's showroom. Your Khorns are gorgeous by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted April 5, 2002 Share Posted April 5, 2002 I'm pretty sure the e-Bay units are a nicely made set of SpeakerLab K's. It would be odd if someone dressed up a set of designer real K-Horns and accidentally made them so close to the SpeakerLab units. Also, someone selling the real McCoy would give serial numbers, views of the drivers, etc. I think a purchase of the e-Bay units are a bit of a pig in a poke. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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