Advise on Klipschorn Purchase

[Blister8160]

I'm looking to purchase a pair of Klipschorn speakers and would like some advice relating to models, years, etc. I don't want to make a bad purchase so your help would be much appreciated:

1) Are some years or span of years better than the others (sound wise)?

2) Does the collar vs no-collar make a difference in sound or is it just cosmetic? Which adds more value to the speaker or is it just personal choice?

3) Are certain model crossovers, horns, etc. considered the best choice when looking for the best sound

I know some of these questions sound very simplistic to most of you of this forum but I fairly new at this and do not want to make a mistake.

Thanks again.

[jdm56]

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much over vintage. Any pair over 20 years old should have the crossovers rebuilt anyway, and that is the only factor that could create a significant sonic difference (imo) other than the construction of the mid and tweeter horns, older ones being metal (bad, imo) and newer ones being non-metallic. Actually, older ones do have all plywood construction of the cabinet, including the bass horn, instead of partial mdf. I don't know what year the cut-off for that was, though. And I don't think there is a concensus that one way is better than another anyway. As for the collar, there is no sonic difference other than what may be caused by the tweeter and mid being an inch or so lower on the non-collar (decorator?) version. That said, the current model does not have the collar, so that could add value, but really it's just a matter of preference.

Actually, if you go back far enough, I believe the mid horn was made of wood at one time. That would be very desirable, but I don't know how long they were made that way, but I would guess no too long. I'm sure some of the k-horn experts around here can provide more definite info than me.

[WMcD]

You can find information on the various changes at http://www.klipschcorner.com/heritage/KlipschornTimeline

In my view, the major issues will be the condition of the veneer and whether all the drivers are opeatational. Close behind those is just how far away your seller is located and the extent to which you're willing to travel with a truck / SUV to pick them up. Shipping is expensive and it can eat up any bargain price.

I would be wary of any seller who tells you that something is wrong with these, I don't know what, but it is probably easy to fix. But that is an issue between buyer and seller and not the technical merits of a vintage.

Ann Landers said, "All generalizations are false, including this one." Just to throw out some generalizations: It seems to me that you're most likely to find something in the years from 1975 to 2000 (very rough numbers) to be appealing. The earlier ones are a bit rare and could have veneer problems. The post 2000 ones get expensive.

Are you a tinker in electonics and a handyman at refinishing? You might find something interesting at a good price based on that.

One underlying question of yours seems to be whether there are any lemon years. No, I believe not. There is some good natured bickering from time to time on the forum that one crossover design or driver is better than another. Despite this, the K-Horns generally share the same design and sound.

From time to time people come to the forum and ask questions as if there is an objective pool of data comparing Klipsch speakers, one model to another; and given a model, from year to year. None exists to my knowledge.

It seems to me your quest for a K-Horn is putting you in the market for a marvelous speaker and you can't go far wrong with any given vintage on technical merits unless you start comparing 1948 to 2011. Even then, some people would love a 1948 for the classic nature.

WMcD

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