Kirkrussell Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'm new here & not sure about a few things, except that love my current Klipsch.... I have owned several pairs of Klipsch over the years and now have an oppurtunity to get a pair of 1978 Horns, model B. I'm not very technically informed, just love the sweet style & sounds of Klipsch. I guess I'm looking for the things I mght need to check out & how to go about it before I buy, don't need someone elses problems. Any input would be appreciated, thanks in advance. Kirk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Panza Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Welcome Home, Kirk!!! Will leave advice to others; will watch thread & learn, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven1963 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Hello and welcome to the forums! Do you know the person you are buying them from? Do you trust them at all? Khorns (and any speaker, really) are pretty straight forward. You can see into the back of the Khorn so you can look to see if the mid and high drivers are the proper type. Short of opening the base bin you can't see the woofer. Also the networks are out in the open. Can you get pics and post them here? That would help alot! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Are they in good cosmetic condition? B's are a beautiful design IMO, but has the veneer been well maintained, or are strips missing around the "collar" or the kick plate? Posted pics for us to look at might be helpful. The other poster's questions are critical -- do all the drivers work and do they sound the same and blend well? Check all SIX drivers by placing your ear at the mouths of each tweeter horn (you can feel the openings through the grill cloth), mid-horn (ditto), and directly at the sides of the lower, or bass, horn. Does everything sound identical between the left and the right for each driver pair? Then, after that, you can get into thinking about refreshing or replacing the X-overs. I think many would suggest just listening to them for a while, get the wires and things settled down sonically (there is usually a brief period of breaking them in again). Then see if you are satisfied or not. If you have questions about driver matching or quality, I suggest you call Klipsch tech support for advice. Some individuals on the forum make their own design of replacement x-overs, like [EDIT:] Bob Crites and Dean G. A more costly approach is to replace the X-over, tweeter and mid driver with AK-4 replacement kits from Klipsch. That's what I have, and I am very satisfied with the blend and linearity. The kits do not include new woofers. My $0.02. Edited July 28, 2014 by LarryC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Favog Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) As far as replacing/updating the crossovers go, if you're on a limited budget you can contact Bob at critesspeakers.com. He's also a forum member. Edited July 24, 2014 by Mighty Favog 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max2 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) I would make sure all the drivers work, which is easy to determine. The biggest thing for me would be the condition of the cabinets, because this will be the most difficult to repair not matter what. Also, IMO, drivers are cheap and easily replaced, so don't let a blown mid or tweet discourage you. Like mentioned earlier, just count on replacing the crossovers due to their age and use the crossovers age as a bargaining chip. Edited July 24, 2014 by Max2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 As long as there is no water damage to the bottom of the cabinets (from being in a basement or garage) they can be made to perform as new. If water damaged I would 'pass' on them. If all the individual parts work, all you need do is change the caps for new. Each of the individual parts can be rebuilt if need be. "B' style was the best looking, and most expensive option. Price is dependent on condition, location, phase-of-the-moon, etc., $500~2500 for the pair. I've seen the 'B' style in walnut go for $800 a pair in perfect condition, and a pair of Heresy in birch raw go for $1800! (and I sold both pair new to the respective original owners) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Nos valves (Craig) doesn't work with crossovers, he repairs/rebuilds tube gear, along with his own builds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkrussell Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Thanks for the input everyone. They got away from me, bummer ! I have two pairs of Klipsch now, along with three pairs of Bowers & Wilkins, but I want to move up to Belles or Klipschorns. I think I'll be selling most of them to buy Belles Or Horns.. I live a little west of St. Louis, not many of the bigger Klipsch go up for sale around here. I was going to drive up close to Chicago to check them out, oh well, I'll keep looking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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