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Non-sequential serial numbers - What does this mean?


Cohoangler

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All Klipsch speakers that I’ve seen have sequential serial numbers.  However, I recently bought a used pair of kg 3.2’s from a second hand thrift shop.  The serial numbers on one of the speakers ends with 240.  The other ends with 254.  The previous five numbers are identical.  So, the serial numbers are not sequential.  What does this mean? 

 

Were the speakers sold individually?  And then matched up later.  Or were they made with sequential numbers but were separated at birth (so to speak….).  If so, there might another pair of kg 3.2’s with serial numbers that differ by one number from mine.

 

I noticed the cabinets on my kg 3.2's somewhat different.  Both cabinets are oak, but the color is slightly off, and the grain is very different.  So the cabinets appear to have cut from wood from different oak trees. But that may not mean anything, in the context of speaker production.  That is, any Klipsch speaker cabinet may be from a different stock of wood, although the tree species may be the same (e.g., oak, walnut, birch, etc).

 

But given that the numbers are close (a difference of 14), and the limited production of kg 3.2’s (1992-1994), I would expect the speaker components to be the same.

 

My apologies if this topic has already been discussed at length on this BB.  If this has occurred, rather than belabor the issue, perhaps someone just direct me to the discussion.

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Pretty much grain matching difference is all. My first Klipsch were Quartets and Chorus IIs purchased from a military Exchange overseas. I knew nothing about the S/N back then and didn't even think about it. After I became aware, I always figured that when I bought them the employee went into the back, picked up two random boxes and brought them out. Both pairs were so close that I didn't notice. As a side note, I won a single oak 3.2 at the meet in Hope this year still in box and gotta figure out what to do with it.

 

My opinion is that until you get up into the LaScalas, Belles, KHorns and higher end that S/N match is a non-issue and then the re-sale price might slightly increase with matching (sequential).

Welcome to the forum.

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7 hours ago, Cohoangler said:

All Klipsch speakers that I’ve seen have sequential serial numbers.  However, I recently bought a used pair of kg 3.2’s from a second hand thrift shop.  The serial numbers on one of the speakers ends with 240.  The other ends with 254.  The previous five numbers are identical.  So, the serial numbers are not sequential.  What does this mean?  ...............................

 

 

 

Scrambled in the warehouse.  My La Scalas were different years, by one, and had different driver and crossover configurations. 

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In my view, nothing to worry about.

 

For the Heritage speaks made in Hope they match veneer for pairs.  If the units are made overseas, who knows.  My Forte II and Chorus are good looking but I've never critiqued figuring of veneer.  The front panel of K-Horns should be matched but the sides of the others, who cares?

 

But the sequential serial number comes up from time to time.  We're really worried about the drivers with the thought that close sisters off the assembly line will have close performance even if more distant cousins drift off somehow and you get an unbalanced pair rather than twins.

 

Realistically, this is not like Department of Defense serial number tracing of components.  Someplace, a factory makes the drivers and horn, and crossover,  and put them in a box and then someone takes a pair out of the shipping box installs them in the speaker box.  I doubt if the components  are checked as being sisters. There may be QC that they all work within spec.   Without DoD prices, no one can afford to trace sequential drivers, horns, and crossovers, and caps and inductors, etc.. 

 

That is my thought.

 

WMcD

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've heard that Klipschorns are sold as matched pairs, but for other models, whoever brings them from the storage area is responsible for pairing up speakers by sequential number, and not everybody bothers.

 

My original La Scalas are separate by about five numbers, while my La Scala IIs are sequential.  It's not a big deal either way.

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All Heritage models are currently sold with sequential serial numbers.  It is primarily done to ensure the grain matched enclosures stay together. The carton label on the product will list the serial number of that particular speaker, and also the serial number of the speaker it is matched with. The dealers (and distribution centers) are aware of this, but unfortunately it isn't enough to keep speakers from being mismatched from time-to-time.  

 

If I remember correctly, Quartet, Forte & Chorus's were all grain matched, but KG series speakers were not (maybe Kg2's & Kg4's were in the beginning). 

 

It's no small task to build a pair of loudspeakers that are virtually identical. Literally, the veneer leaves have to be kept together form the point they are sliced from the tree, and then all the way through the production process. The most costly issue you have to deal with is that if one speaker is damaged during construction, the pair of speakers has to be culled. Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often - but it does happen.   

 

Kerry

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