-Gil- Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Hello all, Been a long time on this forum just to learn, and I think I'm ready to post some questions for you. I'm from France & I have a pair of RF-62 for Audio & HC... As I'm about to change for a biger house, I was looking for Klipschorn in France. I have found only 2 pairs for sale. By chance, I have found a pair very close to where I live. I haven't eard them yet, but I will very soon. All I can tell if I have learnt well is : Birch raw 1984 Klipschorn with TWEETER K-77-F 1, MIDRANGE K-55-X 2, WOOFER K-33-E 15 Here are the pics I have : What do you think ? I know the price difference between USA & France is a lot (shipping & customs) but how much these would cost ? I'll be back soon when eard, I'll take more pics also to show in details Also, all you can tell me about would be great Thanks a lot Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Hey Gil, welcome to the forum. if your asking how much you should spend on them i wouldn't have a problem spending 2 grand on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Gil- Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thanks Russ With the pics, is there a way to know if it is made with Baltic birch ? or do I have to measure the thickness ? Someone told me the bass was better with it ? True or myth ? and was only built with before the 80's ? In the other hand, the second pair of french KHorns for sell are Walnut 1976 with new Bob Crite's filters & wires But... It's a loooong travel to go to listen them, aprox. 900 km Witch one would be the best for you & why ? Thanks a lot Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 i would have to see pictures of the 76's but i would go for walnut k-horns every day of the week over birch raw. i'm pretty sure they used baltic birch so no worries. my fav klipsch speakers are the early ones with the pie slice logo made up to 1975 and then the laser logos from 1976-77 and 78. i had k-horns from 1986 second pair from 1988 and my last pair from 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Gil- Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Here are the pics I have for the 76' Well, I want the Khorn sound, no matter if it's raw or walnut... I say that but maybe or surely my girlfriend will have another pov We must go to listen 'em both & we'll see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 no doubt get the 76 pair. you won't regret it. there will be the letter P in the serial number for 1976 also check on the label ( if you can read it ) for WO or WL for walnut oil or wanut lacquer from the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tragusa3 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Those 76' look great! Looks like new crossovers from BEC too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KanedaK Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Hi Gil, I'm from Belgium and as far as I can say you're already lucky to find TWO pairs for sale at the same time in France... haven't seen a pair for sale in a long time (but I'm not really looking, quite happy with my modded LaScalas :-)) I'd say go for the walnut k-horns if your budget allows. Not only do they look better, but tey have the good alnico midrange and new crossovers. Only thing you might like to change is the tweeters... those round alnico K77 sound weak IMO and they're prone to failure if you like to crank it up. But changing the tweeters doesnt cost much and they'll probably be very enjoyable as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Mine are WO (and have been upgraded to Crites tweeters and crossovers) and I wouldn't trade them for plain birch. I drove a bit more than 900 km to get them (one way) but gas is a bit cheaper here. I still had to pay 13% tax at the border coming back and the dollar was weak back then; it was still worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennie Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Hey Gil, Have you had a chance to listen to either pair of Khorns? Those Walnut sure are good looking speakers! We're waiting to hear you say you bought them. [Y] Please keep us posted, Dennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 No question in my mind -- the '76 B-style veneered pair, over the plywood-surfaced birch raw. The veneered bass horns are doubly book-matched mirror-images: The face of each bass horn is a mirror image of the face of the other Each side of the bass horn is a mirror image of the other side This symmetry is very elegant IMO. Also, the top plates are bookmatched between their left and right sides. In contrast, the birch raw is a random grain, without the symmetry of book-matching. The visible edges will be veneered, in contrast to showing the plywood layers of the birch raw. The non-visible surfaces inside the top hat will be painted black as opposed to layered plywood edges in the other. An important touch is the elegant "collar" between the top and bottom sections of the '76's. The top of the other looks like it's just sitting there. http://www.hifilit.com/hifilit/Klipsch/1957k.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I vote for the 76 pair. Sure it's a long drive, but you'll enjoy them for years. As to price, comparing US prices is of little value to you. It'd be like me asking you what to pay for a used Peugeot in Michigan; totally different market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angusruler Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 i bet the walnut pr would be really nice if they were cleaned up. looks like some really nice wood grain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Gil- Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 Ok guys, thanks a lot for the great feedback, I know now what I have to do... I knew it but I'm now sure ... I live & work in the north of France with my girlfriend but working in my house near Paris the week-ends to sell it soon, i hope... So... I am planning to go to listen the birch early next week. And I'll go to listen and maybe buy the walnut before the end of the month... But... I have no place at this time to put them somewhere before selling my curent house & find another in the north... I'm in the mood for Klipschorn, so, I'll have a pair, but maybe I won't listen to them for a time with this lack of a decent place I'll post soon pics & feelings about the birch when listened thanks all anyway Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Gil- Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 I just listened to the 84' Birch Raw Klipschorn, and ... I don't know, I have not been transported, I was not disappointed but I certainly expected more ... Maybe it comes from the very big room, a lobby lounge open by 7 doors and very high ceiling and tiled floors without carpet ...or the amplifier may be inappropriate... or the only 2.5 meters between them... I did not feel the bass that much ... Clearly these are very good speakers and the reserve of power is enormous, but I don't know, I haven't had a very good sound impression... Also i don't know if the guy really wants to sell them because he wants way too much for them ... This weekend, I'm going to listen the 76 ' If we fall in Love for them we'll buy 'em Regards GIl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psg Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 2.5 meters apart and they were in corners? They were almost touching! The sweet spot would be 1.25 m (less than 5 feet) from the front wall!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrc Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 If they weren't pressed into corners with walls unobstructed for at least 4 feet from the apex of each corner, it would be very hard to judge them![] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Gil- Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 They are in the corners of the entrance to the living room, so with a door between the two Khorns. This is in a designer house, a large stairway in concrete going on from the left and behind them at about 4 meters and is open on the second floor I don't know if it's really clear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Offhand, it sounds like a very "hard" room, meaning reflective. As far as bass output, it's tough to get higher low-distortion bass output than the Klipschorn. But, as you know, bass is tricky stuff and room & mode dependant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 This is in a designer house, a large stairway in concrete going on from the left and behind them at about 4 meters and is open on the second floor I don't know if it's really clear... A picture or two might help ... We've had a couple of people on the forum who had up and/or down staircases entering their listening rooms, and both were acoustic disasters -- the sound didn't fill the room, the bass was very weak, and imaging was poor. Neither K-horns nor Cornwall pairs seemed to work in those cases.And, yes, it sounds like a very bright room, not always the best for K-horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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