$20 Klipsch 3-way Pair with Velodyne 12" sub. How'd I do?

[insomniaholic]

Hi everyone, hope you and your loved ones are all well. 

 

I picked up these from Facebook marketplace a few weeks ago for $20. Here's what I know so far:

 

- Velodyne sub works (touchy volume knob)

- The speakers in one cabinet are k-1056-k

- the speakers in the other cabinet are unmarked (tried to take a picture - magnet: 1423 9452? Cone:0023 441 from what I can make out)

- horns are marked TRACTRIX (no sound)

- spider glue seems dried up, causing buzzing

- voice coils under the spider look pristine copper color from what I can see. 

- the speaker gasket is a little loose on a couple

- speaker cones are in perfect condition

 

Two main problems, speakers buzzing, and horns completely dead.

 

Am I able to glue the spiders without reconing the entire speaker? How about the gaskets? Could the voice coil be bad even though I see no signs of damage?

 

How do I go about checking the horns? Are they toast? Could it be the crossover? Do I need a certain amplifier or configuration for them?

 

Also, are the other woofers Klipsch? Would they come unmarked? 

 

Thanks for any and all help in advance. I'm up for fixing, ordering replacement parts, or possibly tossing them. Open too all suggestions. Want to do this the correct way, and not a hack job. I do fix computers for a living, so I'm quite competent in making repairs, but pretty much a novice with pro audio. 

 

Thanks so much,

Lon

 

 

 

 

[opusk2k9]

Klipsch KG 5.5, lots of bass when they work.

 

If the cones on the speakers all look the same, I wouldn't worry about that yet.

Measure the resistance across each of the tweeters and woofers (I would disconnect at least one of the wires to each component (woofer or tweeter) first).

If the resistance is over ~16 Ohm, then it is bad.  The tweeters are easier to fix, they would need new diaphragms. 

 

Let us know how many are >16 ohm.

[billybob]

Welcome to the forum !

[insomniaholic]

34 minutes ago, opusk2k9 said:

Let us know how many are >16 ohm.

All 4 woofers are 6.7 ohms. I get no reading from either tweeter.

 

32 minutes ago, billybob said:

Welcome to the forum !

 

Thanks so much! Glad to be here.

[opusk2k9]

The tweeters are dead and will need replaced them.  You can disconnect one of the tweeter leads and tape it, so it doesn't contact anything.

 

The woofers seem OK.  That doesn't mean the voice coils don't have an issue.

You could hook up an amp to one of the crossovers at a time and pair up the woofers.

Crossover A or B and woofer 1,2,3,4

A12, A13, A14, A23, A24, A34

B12, B13, B14, B23, B24, B34

 

See if the hum is present in each case or not or if they all sound the same. 

 

You could play a 50Hz tone like to make the comparison easier.

 

[insomniaholic]

3 hours ago, opusk2k9 said:

See if the hum is present in each case or not or if they all sound the same. 

 

Took a while to try all those combinations. All the same, from what I can tell, except for the spiders rattling against the baskets on a couple of them, and only when I get the volume to a certain level. Also one of the gasket/surrounds is loose on part of one. 

 

I ran some other speaker tests everything sounded fine except for the high end, which now I realize goes only to the tweeters. Which was throwing off my untrained ear. 

 

Any other tests I should try?

Recommendations on how to glue the spiders?

Does Klipsch carry replacement diaphragms?

 

I read a review that said they upgraded the tweeters and crossovers on these, is that a good option?

 

Thanks so much for the help already. I really appreciate it.

[opusk2k9]

Klipsch may have tweeter diaphragms or you can get them from Crites:

https://critesspeakers.com/klipsch_tweeters.html

https://critesspeakers.com/prices-other_stuff.html

 

Diaphragms for Klipsch Tweeters for Heresy II, Forte, Forte II, Quartet, Chorus, Chorus II, KLF Series, KG Series and Cornwall II.  Shipping is $9.00 for a pair of these diaphragms in the US.

Titanium Diaphragms:  $54.00 per pair.  IN STOCK!!

 

If everything sounds the same on the woofers, it is unlikely that both crossovers are bad (for the low frequency at least).

New crossovers available here, but I would try the new tweeters and the old crossovers first:

https://critesspeakers.com/crossovers.html

 

I would check with others on the woofer repair.

 

 

[MechEngVic]

Sound like you got a screaming deal!

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Speaker-Repair-Adhesive-Foam-Edge-Spider-High-Strength-MI-3035-/112170335936?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

 

If you've got to no-name woofers in one cabinet and 2 k-1056-k in the other, I'd swap two of them so you have one k-1056-k and one no name in the same cabinet in the same position just for peace of mind's sake. 

[MechEngVic]

 

20 hours ago, insomniaholic said:

Hi everyone, hope you and your loved ones are all well. 

 

I picked up these from Facebook marketplace a few weeks ago for $20. Here's what I know so far:

 

- Velodyne sub works (touchy volume knob)

 

Pull the volume knob off and spray a little dielectric lube spray into the knob, maybe lay the sub on its face so the lube drips down inside the knob, work the knob back and forth a few times, and that should smooth the action of the knob. Many silicone sprays are dielectric but make sure.