CTRO Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Hello, I have an old ~1990 pair of KG4's that are just not sounding very good (after many years of great sounds). When I switch from left to right channel, I can definitely notice that one of them is not producing all of the tones. I am wondering (1) how do I go about testing the speaker's different components? (2) if various things need to be replaced, should I do this myself, find a speaker store, or suck it up and buy new speakers? I don't know much about speakers (in case you can't tell), so I'm looking for some advice that will help me proceed. I also searched around this site and see that the speakers seem to hold their value. I've gone through a bunch of "how do I test my speakers" links online, but thought that folks here might have some good ideas. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr20 Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Put your ear up to the tweeter and make sure sound is coming out. Make sure both woofers are producing sound evenly. If they are, then your crossovers need to be rebuilt. Basically you need to replace your capacitors. This happens with age, very common. If you don't know someone who can do it, look up Bob Crites at www.critesspeakers.com and he can take care of you. Shoot him an email or call him. He is very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter P. Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Good question. Most people don't have access to a function (tone) generator, but all I imagine you'd need is that and an A.C. voltmeter. You would generate various tones into one of your stereo's inputs such as CD or tuner, and measure the voltage at each speaker driver. You could compare left vs. right and if they're within 5%, I'd say you're okay. You could also measure the D.C. resistance of each speaker driver and again compare left to right. A serious discrepancy between the two would indicate something's wrong. Beyond that, I guess you'd have to send the speakers out for service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTRO Posted February 27, 2017 Author Share Posted February 27, 2017 Thanks for the feedback, it is much appreciated! I will try to measure the resistances and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivervalleymgb Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 Use a roll tube from an empty paper towel roll held to your ear to focus in on tweeter, mid, and woofer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 dtr20 (Integra?) has the best answer. I'll add that when listening to the individual drivers, note any unusual noises like buzzing, scraping or clipping (saw sounding tones like the guitar in "Running With The Devil"). The odd sounding speaker is the suspect one, but check both. Before opening the cabinets, swap the speakers or wires from left to right to eliminate the possibility of an issue with your electronics. I bet on capacitors. They are the yellow and blue cylinders in the pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtr20 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 9 hours ago, John Albright said: dtr20 (Integra?) Just initials and a random number chosen a long time ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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