roughlytraded Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 I've been shopping for a pair of used Klipsch horn speakers for awhile now and finally found a pair of Klipsch KG5.2 two-ways in my area. The seller was asking $300 for the pair, but when I went to check them out last night I noticed three small tears in the surrounds of one of the woofers, less than half an inch each. The surrounds didn't feel brittle or break apart when I pressed them lightly so I think they might have originally been rubber, not foam? Hopefully someone can chime in to confirm. The other three woofers looked fine, and I think the speakers sounded great, although it was my first time listening to horn-loaded tweeters so I might've missed something. I talked the guy down to $200, but I'm wondering if that's even worth it? I found a pair of replacement foams here for $25, plus the time and effort to learn how to do it (it'll be my first surround replacement). It could even be more if I decide to replace all of them. I guess my question is, is it inadvisable to use them with the rips? I'd say there are three small tears less than half an inch in size around one of the woofers. Does the sound quality diminish significantly when tears happen, and will it get worse over time as I play them? Images attached, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 You can use them ripped if you want. Sound quality may be slightly diminished. You may notice an imbalance in bass from one side to they other. The rips will get worse with use, but the repair process is easy. At $200, it's a tough call. I guess it depends on your local market. If there are no other options, then maybe just go for it. KGs are not my favorite, but they're a fine speaker. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr20 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 $200 is a little steep for those still needing work in my opinion. How are the cabinets? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughlytraded Posted November 30, 2016 Author Share Posted November 30, 2016 25 minutes ago, mattSER said: You can use them ripped if you want. Sound quality may be slightly diminished. You may notice an imbalance in bass from one side to they other. The rips will get worse with use, but the repair process is easy. At $200, it's a tough call. I guess it depends on your local market. If there are no other options, then maybe just go for it. KGs are not my favorite, but they're a fine speaker. The cabinets are in good condition, I'd say 8/10. Is it possible to use glue to repair the tears without replacing the entire surround? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 2 hours ago, roughlytraded said: The cabinets are in good condition, I'd say 8/10. Is it possible to use glue to repair the tears without replacing the entire surround? No, I tried that before. No. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avguytx Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 I've used clear fingernail polish in the past on some rubber surrounds. Use it on the back side of the surround and not the front. Fingernail polish is quite flexible and it worked quite well until I bought a new speaker. We also used to do that back in my car audio days on rubber surround woofers since manufacturers (obviously) don't cover physical damage from negligence. (ha) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivernuggets Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 2 hours ago, dtr20 said: $200 is a little steep for those still needing work in my opinion. +1 There is a pair of KG 5.2s in great shape local to me for $200. If you're willing to wait, another KG pair will come up for sale close to you. The KG 4.2 and 4.5 sound similar to the 5.2 and worth looking for. Sucks to wait but finding the right pair in good shape is worth it. You won't have to deal with the possibility of poorer sound quality. Be careful, these kinds of smaller purchases cut into your future Klipschorn dream. Buying and selling audio gear can get in the way of affording the end game. BUT if you are curious about various Klipsch models, go for it. Look for Chorus II or La Scala. Either one of those can tide you over until the Khorn is found. So many different ways to go. Welcome to the Forum roughlytraded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 KG 5.2's are an excellent speaker and $200 is very reasonable. The nail polish trick does work. Later on you can do the surround repair, but a note of caution. I did surround repairs once and was worse for the experience. Better to have someone else do it. The cost is nominal given the quality of the speakers. Go for it. Start them out seven feet apart, near the wall and toed in towards your listening position and adjust from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chriswhotakesphotos Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 Personally, I wouldn't buy them with damaged surrounds for that price. But based on what the others are saying, it does seem like it should be fixable. Sound-wise, I have a pair of KG 5.2s that I think are nice. They're a bit bright on some material (contrary to popular belief this isn't a symptom of all Klipsch speakers) but overall I like them. They seem to prefer bigger listening spaces, and it helps to elevate them a bit. A fair amount of directional sound comes from the 10" driver, which is likely to be well below your ears if they're right on the floor. They're definitely sensitive, I pushed them with a 3.5w tube amp once for kicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale A B Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I am late to the party, but i have 5.2's that had a 1" crack in the surround that i repaired with Weldwood contact cement and tissue paper. Repair has lasted 5 years. I think the 5.2 is a worthy Klipsch speaker at the right used price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futurist Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 6 minutes ago, Dale A B said: I am late to the party, but i have 5.2's that had a 1" crack in the surround that i repaired with Weldwood contact cement and tissue paper. Repair has lasted 5 years. I think the 5.2 is a worthy Klipsch speaker at the right used price. The band Trouble is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 On 11/30/2016 at 2:36 PM, mattSER said: No, I tried that before. No. Easy to repair... people have used various glues and tissue. I've used Weldbond, thinned slightly with water. Use multiple small coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Surrounds can be repaired and used (and even new) parts come up for sale all the time on eBay. Honestly, $200 is what I'd expect to pay for a nice pair of undamaged 5.2's so not sure not sure this is good deal or not. By the time you add in replacement parts cost you're getting close to forte or Quartet prices which would be a much better way to go IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efzauner Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 I would say wait until a pair in better pair of Klipsch speakers shows up. But dumb question: is it the woofer or the passive radiator? https://web.archive.org/web/20111118074834/http://www.klipsch.com/kg-5-2 K-1001-K 10" (25.4cm) ICG cone active KD-121-K 12" (30.48cm) ICG cone passive replacement used or new copies are about $100 Up to you but like I said and others seem to agree, there are many great klipsch speakers that come up for sale used. Don't jump on the first ones as I have.... You never seem to make any profit on reselling. Because when the wife says "You are taking up too much room" they just gotta go fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efzauner Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 btw you don't have to post the same question in all the forums here. Most look at them all anyway. One is good enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mvargason2006 Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 I have a pair of Klipsch KG 5.2 that I am looking to sell, they are in fantastic shape. The oak cabinets do not have a blemish on them and the covers also look great. In fact I still have the original boxes they came in, can anyone tell me what they are worth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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