Old Speakers, Surround Recommendations and Mounting

[KSlice]

So I recently inherited a pair of KG2.5 bookshelfs, a KV2 center and a SW-8 II sub.  With a little bit of research, I understand that they're not world-beaters, but they're certainly better than the HTiB Onkyos that I currently have and I'd like to keep them going for sentimental reasons.  For what it's worth, I also recently upgraded my receiver to a Yamaha RX-V677.  Anyways, I have a few questions.

 

First, is there anything I should do, maintenance-wise, with speakers this old?  They've been sitting in my grandpa's TV room playing jazz and old movies for 20+ years.  To my ears, they sound good and besides a little dust around the edges, they look good, as well.

 

Also, could anyone recommend a good pair of surround speakers to match these?  I know it might be hard to match up discontinued speakers this old, but I figure its worth a shot.  

 

Last, I currently have my left and right mounted on the wall on either side of my screen.  How should I set these up?  Stands? Mounts? There are 4 threaded holes on the bottom, but I'm not sure how to find mounts that would match, plus they're pretty heavy.   

 

Thanks for any input.  I greatly appreciate it.  

[T2K]

Welcome Slice. Since no one has answered your questions I'll offer some suggestions, which should cause an avalanche on contrary opinions.

 

Stands should suffice for your KG2.5 fronts. Tweeter at ear level. Check monoprice.com for stands . You could use the keyhole mounts on the speaker but you would need a pretty strong screw into something solid, like a wall stud. Tweeter at seated ear level goes for the KV-2 as well, or as close as possible. There is a threaded stud on the bottom of the KV-2 that you can adjust to aim the speaker at your seated listening ear-level height position should you place the speaker below your TV, for example. There are several surround speakers that you could use. Me, I would check E-Blay for a pair of Klipsch KSF-S5 surrounds near you. You should be able to find a pair for $150 +/- that are in good shape. Check the sellers feedback.

 

I had several pairs of the KG 2.5 speakers and liked them. I hope you enjoy your grandpa's speakers.

 

Keith

 

[KSlice]

Thanks for your input T2K.  I've got my eye on a couple Ebay listings for those surrounds.  

 

The KGs actually don't have keyhole mounts.  I'm just a little leery using stands because I've got a 4 year old and a 9 month old tearing around the house.  Maybe I'll see if I can talk the wife into a larger entertainment center.  

[BusaDude]

On 11/02/2016 at 8:58 AM, KSlice said:

So I recently inherited a pair of KG2.5 bookshelfs, a KV2 center and a SW-8 II sub.  With a little bit of research, I understand that they're not world-beaters, but they're certainly better than the HTiB Onkyos that I currently have and I'd like to keep them going for sentimental reasons.  For what it's worth, I also recently upgraded my receiver to a Yamaha RX-V677.  Anyways, I have a few questions.

 

First, is there anything I should do, maintenance-wise, with speakers this old?  They've been sitting in my grandpa's TV room playing jazz and old movies for 20+ years.  To my ears, they sound good and besides a little dust around the edges, they look good, as well.

 

Also, could anyone recommend a good pair of surround speakers to match these?  I know it might be hard to match up discontinued speakers this old, but I figure its worth a shot.  

 

Last, I currently have my left and right mounted on the wall on either side of my screen.  How should I set these up?  Stands? Mounts? There are 4 threaded holes on the bottom, but I'm not sure how to find mounts that would match, plus they're pretty heavy.   

 

Thanks for any input.  I greatly appreciate it.  

 

They're nice speakers and when crossed over to a subwoofer, they're capable of quite a bit of output.

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20111127152631/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-2-5#second

 

As far as surrounds, another set of KG2.5's or the KG1.5 are a timbre match and will work really well. They still show up fairly often on Craigslist and eBay, so finding another pair would be just as easy as the KSF's mentioned above... Unless you prefer a true bipole/dipole as a surround.

 

For maintenance... Since you mentioned the sentimental value and plan on keeping them. You can get a crossover update/refresh from Bob Crites.

 

http://www.critesspeakers.com/prices-crossover_repair_kit.html

 

He may also offer an updated titanium tweeter diaphragm as well.  You can either do the updates yourself or send the crossover to him.

 

If your pair has one of the Oiled veneer finishes, then you should give them a wipedown with some Watco Rejuvenating Oil (available at Home Depot). For the other finishes, just wipe the dust off of them.

 

They didn't come with threaded mounts in the bottom. So maybe your grandfather added those at some point. You'll have to decide what works for you, but since they have a rear port they shouldn't be flush mounted on the wall.

[KSlice]

Great advice Busa. They are the oiled walnut finish. I'll head out today to get some oil. 

 

I'll look into to the crossover updates. I'll ask if he has a kit for the center as well. I've got an engineer friend that I'll ask to help me with the soldering. 

 

Thank you.