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Klipschorn driver upgrades


Shakeydeal

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Make sure your crossover networks are up to date as well or the drivers will not perform optimally.  Don't expect a leaps and bounds difference but there will be improvement if you already have the solder terminal K-55V's than even less so.

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7 hours ago, Shakeydeal said:

Thinking about swapping out my drivers for the CT-125 and A55-G from Bob. I am looking for opinions either good or bad. Lateral move? Improvement?

 

Speakers are 1976 version.

 

Also wondering if the B&C DE120 is a viable drop in option?

 

Thx

 

 

The drivers on the Klipschorn are not weak point of that system. So if everything is working, I would not bother

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I have B&C DE120s on Fastrac tweeter horns.  That IS an improvement (smoother, silkier) and a drop-in.  The DE120 needs a horn.  It's just a bare driver. 

 

What I'd do is put in DE120/Fastrac tweeters and adjust the crossover to cross the squawker to tweeter at 4500 Hz and keep your K-55-Vs.  The John Allen squawkers are measurably better, but just better.  The difference may not be audible.  Then, I'd wrap the squawker horns with heavy Dynamat to damp vibrations in the metal.  That is also noticable as a "calming" of the sounds, less edgy.  I used Dynamat, but a similar product or rope caulk will also work. 

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Unlike some, I like the K77 tweeter in any of its square magnet configurations (M or F) and even one old round magnet pair I have is pretty good.   They sound rich and sparkling.

 

Opinions vary!

 

Al K. thinks the K77 is good, and the last thing on a Khorn to replace.  He thinks the K400/K401 midrange horn would be the first thing to replace.  He believes the midrange driver [K55 series] is O.K.

 

I have not heard ALK 's or Bob's stuff.   I have heard several good and a few not so good comments about many of the drivers and horns available, but haven't kept track, because I am satisfied by the stock upgrade from Klipsch I use, the AK4.   Some of the  variation in comments may -- conceivably -- reduce to the sensitivity of each unit, compared to the speaker system it is being put into.  Level controls may be needed in some cases??? 

 

See prior posts about "upgrades"

 

  On 3/14/2019 at 11:50 AM, dtel said:

About the only thing that bothers them [Klipsch] a little is when people start changing parts and automatically call it an upgrade because it sounds different.

23 hours ago, garyrc said:

That bothers me, too. 

 

Changes are fine, but it is too easy for a reader to infer that some speakers are badly in need of an upgrade, because "upgrade" is the word that is often used by DIY folk when making changes.  There was a discussion on another forum about whether the Klipschorn could still be considered a good speaker.  The majority said yes, but a number said something to the effect that it must be bad because of all the "upgrades" people install.   As our Queen Emeritus once said, Klipsch has the measurement facilities, including the revolving door anechoic chamber, etc.   I'm not denying that some of the changes might be an improvement; Klipsch themselves has made at least 12 changes in the Khorn from 1963 on (by my count), including one in the last few months.  That would be an average of one change every 4.7 years, although they often came in clusters. 

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On 3/13/2019 at 6:18 PM, Schu said:

I'd keep on rolling as is and save for better speakers down the road... wait wat?


Back when I was in high school and my experience with high end audio equipment was through sales brochures for it I reasoned that the weak link between an electrical audio source and the human aural perception neurons was the physical free air acoustic link! What a distortion and noise rich connection!! I mean, a speaker;'s driver is just an electrical to acoustic CONVERTER! Why convert the signal? 

If we could bypass that acoustic link, WOW!! Direct neural input to the human! Oh, but HOW?

I've always had a very interesting imagination! :-)

John Kuthe...

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27 minutes ago, JohnKuthe said:


Back when I was in high school and my experience with high end audio equipment was through sales brochures for it I reasoned that the weak link between an electrical audio source and the human aural perception neurons was the physical free air acoustic link! What a distortion and noise rich connection!! I mean, a speaker;'s driver is just an electrical to acoustic CONVERTER! Why convert the signal? 

If we could bypass that acoustic link, WOW!! Direct neural input to the human! Oh, but HOW?

I've always had a very interesting imagination! 🙂

John Kuthe...

 

Perhaps not entirely impractical.  Herman Kahn, one of the three people on whom Dr. Strangelove was based, thought that one day we might have a small remote we could keep clipped to our belts that would provide us with practically any kind of pleasure by direct neural input It would simulate the sensation of having consumed alcohol, or drugs, but when ready to drive you would push a button and be sober!  You also could satisfy hunger without eating (Kahn sorely needed this), to say nothing of a menu of sexual satisfaction.  So, could a direct neural transfer of music or movies be far in the future?  

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1 hour ago, garyrc said:

 

Perhaps not entirely impractical.  Herman Kahn, one of the three people on whom Dr. Strangelove was based, thought that one day we might have a small remote we could keep clipped to our belts that would provide us with practically any kind of pleasure by direct neural input It would simulate the sensation of having consumed alcohol, or drugs, but when ready to drive you would push a button and be sober!  You also could satisfy hunger without eating (Kahn sorely needed this), to say nothing of a menu of sexual satisfaction.  So, could a direct neural transfer of music or movies be far in the future?  


Ever see the movie Brainstorm?
 



In this movie, they develop a method of recording and playing back entire experiences!!

The guy who cuts/splices and then plays back for/on himself a looping orgasm is especially interesting! 😉

John Kuthe...
 

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I also like the K77F but in the vertical position (not where it usually sits) but the DE120 is just a little less brutal on the ears...it's smoother and better than Bob's 125  (I had both). I think the biggest improvement you can make is getting rid of the 400 mid horn and going to a tractrix but that would require some mods to your crossover. Keep the K55 but let it do its job out to 6,000hz. The A55-G could be a great drop-in replacement. With a better mid horn you will get more detail and imagery of what's going on in the recording 

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On 3/13/2019 at 10:45 AM, Shakeydeal said:

I have Volti xovers, so I'm good there. My drivers are the push pin type.

 

Shakey

Then this is what you want

http://www.klipschupgrades.com/khornupgrades3.shtml

 

beyma tweeter, BMS mid driver and V Trac horn will set you back $2897.

 

save a few bucks and go with these mid drivers

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-dcm50-2-neodymium-midrange-compression-driver-8-ohm-4-bolt--294-5907

On the warmer side of things. Not as transparent as the BMS

 

It's easy spending other people's money😁

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