lena Posted September 15, 2002 Share Posted September 15, 2002 Any one here have any pointers what to look for when buying used speakers. I know the obvious like to listen to them and to visually inspect them. Anybody????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted September 15, 2002 Share Posted September 15, 2002 Morning! Lena? Another woman in our midst? Besides the obvious, I would look for the manufacturer name and model number. Using this information, I would try to find either the original specs at the manufacturer's web site or some comments about the loudspeakers at the audio forums. This will also give you an idea of the age. Check eBay. This should give you an idea of the average value. Check the drivers. The rubber surrounds on the drivers should still look good, no cracks. The cones should have no cracks or tears: the domes should have no dimples. (All of this deteriorates the sound and lowers the price, but the loudspeakers themselves - they should still sound nice.) Check the connections, they should not be loose. If you can look inside, check the screws for any marks showing that things might have been changed. Look at the crossover to see any obvious wires added or cuts made. The edges between each piece of board used to make the cabinet should be so tight that it looks as if there are no seams. How bad is the surface? Does it need sanding and refinishing, or will a coat of stain make them shine like new? If you can, try to get a guarantee for your acceptance of how the loudspeakers sound at home - in other words, if you do not like them, can you bring them back? ------------------ Colin's Music System Ak-2 Khorns & Klipsch subs; lights out, tubes glowing & smile beaming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted September 15, 2002 Share Posted September 15, 2002 You did not tell us what your were considering buying, so I will generalize. IMHO the key to happiness when buying used speakers is to do your homework ahead of time. Know as much as you can about what you are buying and what it is worth. There is information on most of the Klipsch speakers ever produced on this site, most with pictures, component descriptions, etc. eBay is a good guide for value. I would definitely recommend opening the cabinets up if you can and making sure all the components inside are what you expect. It is not uncommon to find that a blown speaker was replaced by something other than the original, usually to the detriment of the sound. This appears to be most common with woofers. There is often no way to tell for sure from the outside. I also saw a Cornwall on eBay that had its K77 tweeter replaced with what appeared to be a $5 piezo tweeter. It would cost about $100 to bring the Cornwall back to its original condition and sound. And I have also seen cases where the previous owner "upgraded" the crossover by using cheap mylar capacitors or did something else equally as bad. Used speakers can be a great deal, particularly the Klipsch Heritage line, if you are a smart shopper. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lena Posted September 17, 2002 Author Share Posted September 17, 2002 Thanks for the tips guys. I was considering Klipsch Hertiage - My set of La Scalas were enough to give me the bug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted September 18, 2002 Share Posted September 18, 2002 Lena, Which "heritage" models are you interested in...and for what purpose? (ie, rear surrounds to compliment your LaScalas, or stereo for another room, or...etc). Just wondered. ------------------ I can now receive private messages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DillonW Posted September 18, 2002 Share Posted September 18, 2002 Another La Scala victim... The bug got me too! Do open them up if you can. My second set of La Scalas turned out to be industrial with the K-43 drivers. I got a very reasonable deal and they were in driving distance, so, not bad considering. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atriola Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 How do you open them up? I read somewhere that to get to the woofer you have to go through the bottom. I just bought a pair of used LaScalas after having owned a pair of KG4's since the late 80's. I love my KG4's - having only departed from using them when I had a brief interlude with a pair of Magnaplanars. I researched my next purchase and decided that an upgrade to the KG4's was in order and so I went for a used pair of La Scalas. Got them home and plugged them in and they sound absolutely horrible - like listening to a bad cheap radio. I have been researching them through the web to get any info as to how to refurbish them to get them back up to their full potential. The tweeter on one does not appear to be working and I don't know if I should replace the tweeter or if something in the crossover isn't working. They have the AL network and are serial #8439827 and 28 respectively. I learned that they are the LSBR - which stands for La Scala Birch Raw but I have yet to learn what year they were made. Any info on how to upgrade them and make them sound better would be great. Despite the fact that they sound absolutely horrible, I look forward to the challenge in bringing these beauties back to life. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 Angel, First, let me welcome you to this forum. To get to the woofer in the "doghouse section", you indeed DO need to remove the "door", which is on the bottom of each speaker. Just turn the speaker upside-down. You should see some holes around the perimeter of the bottom-most sheet of wood (the door), and in those holes will be some screws. Remove ALL of those screws, and then the door will come off. It may initially appear that it has been glued on, but it is actually the weather-stripping (that is used for a gasket to seal it to the bottom of the speaker) that is sticking and making it difficult to pop off after removing those screws. Just lightly pry upwards on it and it will pop loose. Then you will see a trapezoidal opening with the woofer mounted inside of that opening. The woofer SHOULD BE a K-33E in each of them(but sometimes previous owners replace them with something else). If you find that the woofer is NOT a K-33, then you can get them for around 100 bucks apiece from Klipsch. Your LaScalas were made in 1984, according to your speaker serial numbers. Personally, I am not fond of the crossover network used in your version, since I much prefer the AA network over the one you have. Be sure that all the wiring from the drivers to the crossover network are not out of phase. Sometimes previous owners incorrectly hook drivers up to the network and this can make the speakers sound pretty strange!! Also ensure that all of the drivers are WORKING. Good luck, and if you still have problems after checking on all of the above, don't hesitate to ask on here. This forum is full of folks who are more than willing to help you out!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Angel-Use care when socking the woofer access panel down into position. The screws should not re-tap the holes AND they should not be over-tightened. Re-install the screws using finger tips to get them turning, making sure that they are re-engaging the threads in the hole. When they are engaged, use a HAND screwdriver to tighten. Tighten them up but do not go overboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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