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Speakerlab K-horn project.


supertank

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Hi folks, I have visited this site many, many times as a spectator. I do have a few Klipsch pieces but never had the big boy stuff. Its not a matter of money per-say, but selling the want to the little lady..... if you know what I mean. Anyway, so she moved my man room from a very spacious area the lower floor to the house to a smaller room over the garage. I in turn built up my stereo system the way I want it. I like great speakers from smaller names companies. They are not inferior to any of the competition what so ever. For example I have a set of SAE 10's outstanding sound. I have a set of Chapman ( Small custom speaker company on Vashon island near Seattle) that are some of the best sounding speakers I have ever had, and many more. Well a few days ago I was cruising the local Craigslist and came across another set of locally made speakers I had to have. Mostly due to price. $100.00 !!! They were speakerlab K-horns. So I dashed right over a grab them. The gent tells me they were bought by his dad new, and he didn't think the mids worked. Well I get them back over to my shop clean the pots and found a wire off the mids, ohmed the speakers and found no issues, so I plugged them in and everything works fine but they are not very efficient. It was time to develop a plan. I know I am going to swap out the crossover for a ALK universal set. All though the current crossovers are working and the caps are ok, things could be much better with a little coin and elbow grease. I might look into swapping the mids with Altec 811's or 511's but thats about it. Now for the next challenge. I can't place them in the corner completely because remember this a room over the garage. I have a sloop ceiling and where these are going the ceil t wall is 46 inches. The speaker is 48. So it will be off the wall by 4 to 5 inches. This means I will have to wall back them. 

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Hi Mossy. Yes I have found lots of good info here. So I started the rebuild process today. I pulled most of the exterior particale boarding replace with half inch ply. I must say, the construction was sound! Even if it was particle board. Lots of sealant and very air tight.

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So shoot holes in this idea. I have a pair of 811b's (Horns only) I was thinking of using instead of the fiberglas horns, and I have a set of EV SP350A I was thinking of using as well. Only because I have them. In conjunction with a ALK universal crossover. GOOD... BAD... abomination ????

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I'm pretty sure you can build backs onto the speakers, will require a new top too, corner problem solved. Volti does this as an upgrade.

 

If you are going to be switching out the drivers, I don't know how to engineer them with crossover. Rane makes pro cross overs with adjustable frequencies and phase delays. Take the crossovers outboard?

 

You might check out Crites, lots of parts for Klipsch inc a 15in woofer.

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First: What is the yellow car?

 

I posted the SK manual https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/117282-speakerlab-khorn-plans/?hl=%2Bspeakerlab-k+%2Bmanual#entry1296635

 

There were several versions of the SK.  You mentioned a fiberglass mid?  I think there is nothing very wrong with it, though others were metal.

 

It is surprising to see you wrote that they are not sensitive.  They should be.

 

It is also surprising you could get the top plate off.  My understanding is that it should be glued in place.  I have to wonder what else is not glued.  Good construction is very necessary to get an airtight seal, particularly in the back chamber.  The SpeakerLab people wrote that no problem is so big that it can't be solved with RTV (bathtub caulk).  That sounds like a patch-up of some problematic error, I supposed it is true.

 

My suggestion is to get the units working before substituting midranges.  That you say they are not sensitive makes me think something is wrong.

 

You will find drawing for Klipsch designed artificial corners.  I recall that at least one fellow made a corner which extended to the front plane of the units and sealed at the top of the bass bin.  It might have been that the speaker could slide right into place with appropriate sealing gaskets.

 

One thing which has gotten some criticism is the SpeakerLab woofer.  Dr. Bruce Edgar wrote that the only solution for it is a sledgehammer and putting the pieces at the curb.  If you want a replacement close to the Klipsch units, Bob Crites can sell you one.

 

WMcD

 

 

 

 

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Just a quick rundown.  Please take the following with a grain of salt in that my understanding is less than perfect.

 

SpeakerLab would sell just drivers and cross-overs, and bass bin kits without walnut extras.  The walnut kits were veneer on mdf.  I think the only way of buying a top unit was the walnut.

 

The early kits used mdf for the bass bins.  Later used fir ply.

 

Early midrange horns were fiberglass, later cast aluminum.

 

SL would sell you their own plastic tweeter or an Electovoice T-35 (like the K-77) and maybe, maybe even the expensive T-350 though I don't recall that being sold for the SK.

 

One crossover used L-pads which you see in the manual.  Later ones used switches and resistors.

 

There were at least two SL woofers.

 

At the time, SL was selling other speaker kits but the SK was obviously at the top.  In my view, it catered to the home builders of the time, such of those people who built Heathkits.   '

 

The SK, I think, was not that big a bargain compared to the real McCoy.  But some people were happy to build it themselves and learn how it was constructed.  I can appreciate that because I built a pair from scratch.  It certainly did not make sense economically but it was fun (I only remember the fun part -- smile).

 

WMcD

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This is great info guys!!! Yes the units on a Marantz 2270 (at the shop/my work place) required significant volume to get them audible. Woofers, mids and tweets work and ohm well, but are in need of help.  The crossovers are my suspicion. The caps are all in correct microfarads, but still, I should not half to drive the volume up to half to here them. This is why I thought, new crossovers are in my future. The bass ben was glued heavy!!!! very air tight. I cut around and sanded the rest off. 

 

Bubo- my thought was to tie my Altec 811B's to the current mid driver. I don't know what that would do or not do. Just a thought. All speakers work so i just figured ALK uni-crossover should work right?

 

Mr. McDermott- If that bass is to much I will do as suggested. As for up and running first, your right. What I was trying to do, was build an air tight face mount for the horn now as opposed to later. The 811 is different in size then the current (original) horn.

 

I guess the reality is, to many little things to address prior to quality sound. 

 

Heres where we are now. They are now back walled and ready for wire work and the horn section to go back on.... not to bad for being only 48 hours old to me.

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Bubo- my thought was to tie my Altec 811B's to the current mid driver. I don't know what that would do or not do. Just a thought. All speakers work so i just figured ALK uni-crossover should work right?

 

 

Different drivers behave differently, so one may be much stronger at different frequencies than the cross over is designed for. On the other hand, with a spec sheet and your ears you may be able to dial any drivers on a pro cross over, or tailor the sound to your tastes......especially if you are switching drivers and horns.

 

I'm no cross over expert, so I'll throw the floor open....

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Really good question DIZ. I will bring them home tomorrow and test them. You guys got me thinking hard about my approach. However, as far as I can tell most people view the Speakerlab crossover as rubbish..... Not that I want to throw good money at a non-klipsch cornerhorn but Crites or ALK crossover set up would be a automatic upgrade on these anyway right? I mean, I am in these already.... 251 bucks!!! LOL!!!  With that said, I mean no disrespect to either crossover gurus. I do not like it when others disrespect pioneers in things like this. BUT, knowing these are speakerlabs and not the almighty Klipsch..... where or whom do I or should i get crossovers from?

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I definitely think they're worth some money and time.  Please keep us posted.

 

I used four of the factory built plywood with metal squawker versions in a DJ business in the 70s.  The x-over is the weak link.

 

If you separate the top hats from the bass bins can you get the bass bins to tuck neatly into the corner?

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Is the bass bin alone 48 inches?

Is there space to lay the bass bins on their sides with the floor/rear wall providing the corners and the side walls acting as the floor?

If you ever answered the question about the yellow car, I missed it. Could it be an Elan? Is the white car in post #2 an Alfa?

Edited by DizRotus
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ooooooh..... thats gutsy thinking. The bin is 39 inches without the horn section. As for the cars. I own a european car restoration shop. So most are 50's-60's Alfa's, Lancia's, Zagato's  and things like that. Sorry I did not catch the car question its hard to read sometimes. I left my glasses at the shop. As for the "sectioning" of the speaker... I am a former mechanical engineer not audio, so that sounds spooky. Unless I don't understand the question.....agin glasses are at the shop. Call me magoo.

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If the ceiling to wall is 46, and the bass bin alone is 39, would it not fit into the corner? The mid and tweet horns could be in front of the bass bins.

Or, the bass bins could be laid on their sides as in the crude drawing attached. I was not suggesting, chopping, channeling, sectioning or the like. The only surgery would be the simple removal of the top hat, which you've alrerady done.

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Edited by DizRotus
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 I own a european car restoration shop. So most are 50's-60's Alfa's, Lancia's, Zagato's  and things like that. Sorry I did not catch the car question its hard to read sometimes. I left my glasses at the shop.

 

 

Ah yes, the Flaminia........

 

Too bad the Dino Fiat never made it to the US, what a cool looking sports car.....

 

http://fr.academic.ru/dic.nsf/frwiki/627872

 

FiatDino2400SpiderFront.jpg

Edited by Bubo
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