BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 I recently acquired a pair of 1980 KCBR Khorns. After some reading I am planning on leaving them totally original and having the crossovers rebuilt to factory. They make a very faint hiss when powered and no source playing, my Latino ST-120 is dead silent on its own so am I correct to assume the crossover caps are going bad? I am planning on using pipe foam to seal the corners against the wall to improve the bass. Only problem is both of these have a clover shaped cut out on the rear panel I have not seen on any other pics and I can only imagine that the hole is allowing the bass pressure to pass through and is killing the sound. I have seen other Khorns with what looks like black plastic over the backs. Does anyone have any experience with said clover shaped hole or is this likely something the first owner cut in himself? I can take a few pics if that would help. Thanks in advance for the help. -Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmusic Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Yes pics would help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 9 minutes ago, BFaught said: They make a very faint hiss when powered and no source playing, my Latino ST-120 is dead silent on its own so am I correct to assume the crossover caps are going bad? Welcome Ben- What do you mean “dead silent on its own” when describing your amp? Do you mean it is turned on but not connected to speakers? In my experience, K-77/T-35 tweeters have some degree of low level his under the conditions you describe, especially with tube amps. My class D amps are the first amps that produce no discernible hiss from K-77s under the conditions you describe. Every tube amp I’ve tried had a faint hiss. I would not be concerned. Irrespective of the hiss issue, the calendar is signaling that “the crossover caps are going bad.” I suggest contacting Bob Crites, @BEC. Google “Crites speakers.” Bob can offer crossover solutions to fit your budget and/or DIY skill or enthusiasm. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Dead silent using what output? Klipsch heritage speakers are more than 100db efficient. It's to bad someone chose to damage that back strip... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 My guess is the hole was cut to clear an obstruction, such as a knob, or piece of trim. It probably would be irrelevant if the unit is sealed into the corner as you describe, but I’d slap a patch over the hole, just to be safe. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 That makes sense about the heritage tweeters, I was using slightly newer studio monitors and no noise at all with my ear against the speaker. This is my first pair of heritages so it's all pretty new. The strange thing is the clover hole is cut in both of them but you can see from the marks around it something was rubbing there. DizRotus is probably correct about the obstruction. Any insite as to what I should use to patch/cover them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 20 minutes ago, BFaught said: DizRotus is probably correct about the obstruction. Any insight as to what I should use to patch/cover them? Welcome to the Klipsch forum! With the Khorns, you are starting at the top! There are people here with more woodworking experience than me, so listen to them when they weigh in. My suggestion would be to cut a perfect square out of that cloverleaf, then make a perfect square out of plywood to fit inside your cutout, and glue it in. Use a polyurethane glue like Gorilla Glue which expands to seal the seams. You can get it at Lowes or Home Depot. Quote The product that started it all. Original Gorilla Glue built a name for itself with its incredible, industrial holding power and versatility. The water activated polyurethane formula expands into materials to form an incredibly strong bond to virtually anything making Gorilla Glue your solution for almost any project or repair. https://www.gorillatough.com/product/original-gorilla-glue/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 I agree with a Dave, @wvu80, but not as to a “perfect square.” Sealing the corners of a perfect square would be more difficult than a circle. In a perfect world, cutting perfect circles in the tailboards and filling them with other perfect circles would be ideal. In the real world, I’d cut circles larger than the holes from 1/4” or 1/2” plywood, or even, brace yourself, MDF. Overlapping the holes from the insides or outsides would, IMO, have a negligible impact on the bass horns’ performance. Please let us know what you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 What about two thin pieces of overlay 1/4-1/8" thickness, cut to rectangles to fit over the entire inside of the back panel toward the sub compartment on both top and bottom. I would like to avoid cutting more away from the original frame if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Just replace the panel. Remove, trace, cut and install. Patching is ugly and undesirable for resale value. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 You have a pair of the rare KHorns that were modified to exact specifications that the owner wanted for his bass output. It was a lot of trial / error / re-sizing / pattern changes (see pencil marks). I have the plug that fits in and could be persuaded to sell. Or you could just stuff it with foam for a test. Welcome! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 @jason str is right about the potential resale. A quick round patch glued to the inside or outside of the tailboard would solve the problem. Replacing the tailboard could always be done later if a patched tailboard was a deal breaker at resale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 4 minutes ago, USNRET said: You have a pair of the rare KHorns that were modified to exact specifications that the owner wanted for his bass output. It was a lot of trial / error / re-sizing / pattern changes (see pencil marks). I have the plug that fits in and could be persuaded to sell. Or you could just stuff it with foam for a test. Welcome! Mike is on an early roll this morning..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 5 minutes ago, BFaught said: What about two thin pieces of overlay 1/4-1/8" thickness, cut to rectangles to fit over the entire inside of the back panel I would be concerned with resonance, having the thin wood vibrate. @jason str ^^^ is a woodwork guy. Listen to him, not me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 7 minutes ago, USNRET said: You have a pair of the rare KHorns that were modified to exact specifications that the owner wanted for his bass output. It was a lot of trial / error / re-sizing / pattern changes (see pencil marks). I have the plug that fits in and could be persuaded to sell. Or you could just stuff it with foam for a test. Welcome! That clover plug looks to be slightly more detailed than the cut out on the back of my speaker. Maybe that's from a more modern edition when the clover plug cutting technology had improved some. Still what's your asking price for such a rare item? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 4 hours ago, wvu80 said: I would be concerned with resonance, having the thin wood vibrate. The surface area of those clover cutouts would NOT resonate at frequencies covered by the bass horn. Aesthetics perhaps; performance no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFaught Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 10 minutes ago, jason str said: Just replace the panel. Remove, trace, cut and install. Patching is ugly and undesirable for resale value. Got it, I will just replace them. Thanks for the solid answer. I am going to rebuild the crossovers myself after just assembling the Latino amp kit I am pretty sure of my soldering skills. Would you guys recommend buying the kit from crites or can I comfortably source the caps myself if I can find the schematic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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