Tweeter for CF-3

[kentcroy]

Hello all,

Can anyone help me with finding the T/S parameters for the K-63-K tweeter, I emailed Klipsch, and they were less than helpful. I'm looking for a suitable replacement, and I'd like to match the sensitivity as close as I can.

Thanks, Kent

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[absolve2525]

Gosh, you think there would be replacement diaphragms available somewhere! I've heard of people having luck with EV compression drivers, as well as some other brands. I think Parts Express or Ebay should have something suitable. I'm sure someone will hop on here with exact information. Good luck with your search. 

[Grizzog]

Bob Crites may be able to help you out on this one. He used to have replacements.

 

http://critesspeakers.com/klipsch_epic_cf-3_and_cf-4.html

[wvu80]

Get these, immediately.  EV DH-1506 on Ebay.  Buy it NOW.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EV-DH1506-Horn-driver-PAIR/122128703463?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D37107%26meid%3D1c690eba6601494895ef404d4b17f2d3%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D201232034580

 

+++

1.  They are an exact drop-in replacement.  Unscrew the old ones, screw in the new ones, hook up wires.  You will need to build a bracket or brace of some kind.  The old K-63's weigh 4 pounds, the 1506 are 11 pounds.

2.  They are an upgrade

3.  The price on these shipped is $100 each.  That is the fair market price, even on the low side.  Get the pair.

4.  I have been following the DH1506 for at least six months.  They do NOT come on the market all that often.

5.  I have the exact drivers on my CF-4's.

6.  There are no more replacement diaphragms on the market and there hasn't been for years.  Crites used to list them on his web site but they have not been listed there for years.

7.  The K-63 does NOT come up often on the used market.  Other than the pair of mine I recently sold, there have been no K-63's for sale in the last 3 years.

 

I can get back to you later with more detail in installation.  For now, get those 1506 off of Ebay before they are gone.  Don't procrastinate, don't analyze it to death (like I usually do ).

 

Get them now! 

[absolve2525]

Looks like a no-brainer on the EVs. If I still had CF-4s, I'd try them myself. I'm a big EV fan. 

[BEC]

Something to be considered.  The crossovers for the CF-3 and CF-4 have EQ circuits in them to correct the response of the original driver that Klipsch used in these speakers.  It is unlikely that any other driver you may find to replace the original driver with would need EQ in exactly the same places the original driver did.

 

Bob Crites

[Travis In Austin]

9 hours ago, kentcroy said:

 

Hello all,

Can anyone help me with finding the T/S parameters for the K-63-K tweeter, I emailed Klipsch, and they were less than helpful. I'm looking for a suitable replacement, and I'd like to match the sensitivity as close as I can.

Thanks, Kent

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

They tried, trust me.  Apparently there are 3 distinct versions of CF-3.  They asked The Historian who was on the line with me when your call came in.  

 

I bet Roy would know, but he is on vacation. 

 

They really did try to find the answer.

[wvu80]

7 hours ago, BEC said:

Something to be considered.  The crossovers for the CF-3 and CF-4 have EQ circuits in them to correct the response of the original driver that Klipsch used in these speakers.  It is unlikely that any other driver you may find to replace the original driver with would need EQ in exactly the same places the original driver did.

 

Bob Crites

 

 Hi Bob, please consider my response discussion, not disagreement.  I know better than to argue with those smarter than me. 

+++

 

We do have a little more time for discussion.  I hope the OP was able to snag those 1506 before someone else does, it could be months before another pair comes on the market, especially at that price.

 

Bob, I loved the CF-4 ver1 the minute I got them, but they really did have two specific sonic problems I wanted to deal with.  There was a noticeable "harshness" I could hear in the high frequency, and once I heard it, I couldn't "un-hear" it if that makes any sense.

 

The second was that the speakers were not accurate, to my ears.  Piano did not sound like piano, it was slightly "nasal" or tinny.

 

I tried several mods to try to deal with the problems.  I braced the cabs, but in listening tests did not hear any difference.  I damped my horns with silicon seal, about 11 oz per horn.  That did absolutely bring the tone down on the "knuckle rap" test, but I'm not sure I could hear any difference in music listening tests.  The crossover has been left stock.

 

I removed the lower dual 3/4" foam sheets, and put in a handful, maybe a pound of fiber fill.  And I swapped out the K-63's for the EV DH-1506.

 

The overall result is that now the CF-4's have the intensity I liked with the stock speakers (think jazz brass playing).  Turn the volume up and it will POUND your chest. (with sub)

 

The sound dropped about a third of an octave, and now while playing a piano piece (with 15" sub) the speakers are INCREDIBLY accurate with the entire range of an 88 key piano played from ppp to fff.  And the harshness is gone.

 

These modded CF-4's are at the top of the Klipsch food chain in my house with my AVR, besting both Khorns and La Scalas.

+++

 

So Bob, any suggestions for me on those crossovers? 

[BEC]

Well, any change to the HF driver would require first testing of the raw driver on the CF horn to see how it performs.  The current crossover first boosts the HF output by 4db by using an autotransformer run backward.  Normally we see  the autotransformer used to attenuate output, but in this case it is used to boost output.  That is to raise the output enough to allow the EQ circuits to decrease output at certain frequencies to get a more linear acoustic response.  It would really surprise me if any other driver on that horn needed exactly that same treatment to make it linear.  So, I think logically, a new crossover design would be needed to address using a replacement driver. 

 

At this point, all of this is just a thought exercise for me since I do not have a CF-3 or CF-4 to test to see what actually happens with a replacement driver.  Perhaps the Chief may come along at some point to clear this up a bit for all of us.

 

Bob Crites

[rockhound]

watching this closely as this was a mod I have considered doing. Bob I'm down the road in Murfreesboro if you ever want to experiment with a set of CF4's.

[BEC]

1 hour ago, rockhound said:

watching this closely as this was a mod I have considered doing. Bob I'm down the road in Murfreesboro if you ever want to experiment with a set of CF4's.

I don't really want to do that with a borrowed pair.  If a rough pair comes along with all drivers working, I would like to buy them and work that all out.

[crunchman12001]

Old thread but did the EV DH1506 driver seem to work as the solution for the non-existent K-63-KN diaphragms?

There are a few on Ebay now from $75 to $250,

Thanks.

[wvu80]

16 hours ago, crunchman12001 said:

Old thread but did the EV DH1506 driver seem to work as the solution for the non-existent K-63-KN diaphragms?

There are a few on Ebay now from $75 to $250,

Thanks.

Yes the DH1506 works as a replacement for the K-63, but it is not a drop-in replacement. It is a 1" screw-in type but its heavy, meaning you need to brace it in your cab to hold the 12 lbs weight.   You should be able to find a pair shipped for $125-150. 

 

The B&C DE250-8-1 is also an excellent sonic replacement.  It uses a 2 bolt or 3 bolt mount meaning you need an adapter to make it into a screw-in type.  It weighs 4.6 pounds, the K-63 weighs 4 pounds.

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-de250-8-1-polyimide-horn-driver-8-ohm-2-3-bolt--294-605

 

I own both the DH1506 and the B&C DE250.  Both sound great and have a near identical characteristic sound of the K-63.  This is the DE250 beside the K-63.  The horn the K-64 is screwed into has 11 oz of pure silicon caulk to help with damping.

 

[MechEngVic]

11 hours ago, wvu80 said:

Yes the DH1506 works as a replacement for the K-63, but it is not a drop-in replacement. It is a 1" screw-in type but its heavy, meaning you need to brace it in your cab to hold the 12 lbs weight.   You should be able to find a pair shipped for $125-150. 

 

The B&C DE250-8-1 is also an excellent sonic replacement.  It uses a 2 bolt or 3 bolt mount meaning you need an adapter to make it into a screw-in type.  It weighs 4.6 pounds, the K-63 weighs 4 pounds.

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-de250-8-1-polyimide-horn-driver-8-ohm-2-3-bolt--294-605

 

I own both the DH1506 and the B&C DE250.  Both sound great and have a near identical characteristic sound of the K-63.  This is the DE250 beside the K-63.  The horn the K-64 is screwed into has 11 oz of pure silicon caulk to help with damping.

 

Where's my caulking gun...