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Got KG4's and an old RCA receiver


zabari

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Hey guys. I'm totally new to the whole stereo system thing. I haven't even heard of Klipsch till I picked up a pair of KG4s at a yard sale this past weekend. I've been doing research on watts and ohms, receivers, and set up but everything is kinda over my head. I need help but broken down real simple like. I'm not trying to get some perfect setup I just want to be able to play some music nice and loud without breaking something. 

 

So like I said I got a pair of the KG4's and I bought this old receiver RCA RK327C http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-RCA-RK327C-HI-FI-RECEIVER-/221540828945?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3394dcc711#viTabs_0 (pics attached) it has 120 volt, 60hz, 300watt, 2 channels. 

I hooked'm up yesterday and found out the right channel of the receiver is messed up it is low and kinda cycles up and down. Left is fine, that speaker was thumping pretty good. I get a little buzzy sound with some music not sure if thats the speaker or receiver. So since only one side is working I hooked both speakers to that side. That worked. 

 

So questions

 

1. Are the speaker and receiver compatiable, as in will something break if I keep using it?

 

2. I do plan on getting the other channel fixed on the receiver but for time being is having everything go to side messing something up?

 

3. Is that buzzing coming from the speaker or receiver?

 

Thanks yall, remember please explain plainly. Also if this a bad pairing could you tell me the right kind of receiver to get. I like the vintage look and I'm not trying to spend much, again I just want to play loud without breaking something. 

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Welcome! You would be hard pressed to find a more rare unknown receiver. It sounds like the receiver controls at very least could use deoxitizing,which may help with the one channel having problems with. Guessing by the e-bay ad that no servicing, or even checking was done past just plugging it in to see if it would power up. What you should be hearing now is just one channel with both speakers hooked up to the same posts? Not 2 channel stereo. The hookup is probably alright for lower level listening as those are 4 Ohm speakers, for now. Work the controls by hand generously to free up and realize the unit may not have been hooked up for awhile. Honestly, I would not spend much to have it serviced. As long as you like it though, is what counts.

The KG-4 is a great speaker set. Take care and be safe with electricity.

Edited by billybob
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The KG-4's go from $100 to $400 depending upon condition and any upgrades, which can be read about here. If you paid less and they are working, good for you.

I would not trust that receiver all the way. Unplug it while not in use or at home, just to be safe, until you learn more about unit.

Deoxit spray and how to use it may be a first step for you. Corrosion from low DC current and moisture can accumulate over what, 50 years?

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Thanks for the safety advice. Will do. Wow $100-400. i think I'm getting some buzzy sound, if I open it up and look at each component will I be able to visual evidence of any damage? Again I'm playing through this old one sided receiver and just a headphone jack to rca inputs. So I hear source is one of the big components of your sound. I got another stereo (from the 90's) nothing special but I'm gonna try it with those and see what I get

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wow that's a lot to spend on a very old receiver that is broken. unless you plan on having the receiver restored and all the electrolytic capacitors replaced with new it is a waste of your money. The speakers are good ones and you should have the capacitors in them replaced and buy new titanium diaphragms for the tweeters. Contact Bob Crites for help with that. Bob is the go to guy for this kind of work and he will sell you all the correct quality parts for you to install or he will do the job for you if install is not your thing. Buy a new integrated amp or receiver and stay away from the old stuff if you have no experience or hands on skill. Welcome aboard and like they say at all the addict meetings; keep coming back. Best regards Moray James.

http://www.critesspeakers.com/crossovers.html

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 Welcome, good luck your on your way. :emotion-21:

Just remember with any receiver and volume, if you hear it start to sound funny , strained or anything but clear back off the volume a little, it's the easiest way to hurt a speaker is with distortion.

Have fun

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the crossovers in your speakers have filters in them which roll off the woofer and the tweeter response where they both have smooth response so that they blend together smoothly as one voice. Capacitors and inductors (coils) are used to build the filters in the crossovers. Titanium tweeter diaphragms are lighter and much stiffer than the stock phenolic diaphragm's in the KG4. The ti diaphragms are smoother in response and much more extended in the high end than the stock diaphragms and they will take the speaker to a whole new level of performance. If you don't want blown up speakers and or a fire in your house do not use an old receiver like the RCA you posted. Buy something new. If you have no idea what you are doing play it safe and buy something new or newly used. Best regards Moray James.

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Thanks for the info. I forgot I had a stereo from this at least the past 20 years lol. I got a basic Audiovox stereo its 140 watts 8 ohms. I know its nothing special but I got the kg4's sounding pretty good to me, no buzzy sound either. Yes I will get something better but for the time being will that Audiovox mess up the speakers? So is the old receiver a bad idea because it needs some work or old receivers with these speake just a bad idea?

 

Thanks again, you guys are super helpful

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the electrolytic capacitors used in that old RCA amp do have a limited life time and if used continuously are done in about ten years. So under normal conditions they are old at twenty years and very old at thirty years. Use past thirty years is unwise and possibly unsafe. It is hard to give exact time as parts quality of components do vary, some caps are still sound at 35 - 40 years but most are not. The lower the original dollar value of the component the lower the quality of the internal parts will be and so a shorter life span is to be expected. If you want to spend the money to have an old receiver restored with new parts then it is new and it is safe to use. It might be helpful for you to read in the archives about amplifier restorations just to get an overview. You would be best advised to get help if you decide to do any upgrades to your speaker and especially your electronics. Quality new or newer components with available factory support are your very best option. Best regards Moray James.

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