'81 Heresy restoration recommendations please

[Connecticut Yankee]

I'm very interested in hearing any and all recommendations to bring my 40 year old treasures back to their full glory. Original owner of a gently-used pair of 1981 Heresy speakers in red oak, with risers. (Type HOL, s/n's 118W429 & -30) They haven't been used in over a decade but now it is coming time again. (Apt Holman amp and preamp out for their own refresh.)

 

The cabinets (oiled finish, I think??) need some light refreshing but there are no major nicks or scratches - mostly just age drying. Recommendations for this?

 

The internals: K-22-R woofer, K-55-V squawker and K-77-M tweeter with Type E crossover. The two large capacitors on the crossover are the metal can type and I see no signs of corrosion, leakage, swelling, etc. anywhere. Which pieces, if any, should be replaced or upgraded?

 

I do not have test gear for detailed response testing, nor do I have a "golden ear".  But I do like these speakers.

 

Connecticut Yankee

[DeanG Crossovers]

You may have the much coveted K-55-V solder lugged version in those. 
 

Replace the capacitors, rub out with some boiled linseed oil and that’s it!

[dtel]

Welcome, good looking speakers.

 

53 minutes ago, Connecticut Yankee said:

Which pieces, if any, should be replaced or upgraded?

"My" opinion is replace the capacitors and move on. As long as all drivers are working which they probably are.  

 

Oil with BLO and wipe off any extra.

 

I see I posted as Dean did, but same answer.

[OO1]

could you open these up from the back so we can see the drivers

[OO1]

16 minutes ago, dtel said:

 

I see I posted as Dean did, but same answer.

same answer

[MC39693]

@Connecticut Yankee welcome to the forum. I also am original owner of 1981 Heresy, although mine are light oak stained birch. As @Deang and @dtel said, you should consider updating the capacitors. Sounds like you’ve already opened them up, do you solder? If yes it’s a simple change out with options to purchase replacement capacitors including @JEM Performance On this forum. You can search the many discussions on crossover capacitors... there are lots of choices.

 

When you remove the crossover also just check all connections on the drivers. Some other low cost steps;

- seal the seams of all wood joints

- line the internal cabinet, lots of choice here too, I have used thin neoprene with Velcro dots.

- make a gasket for the rear panel, thin weather stripping  or neoprene 

- if you remove the drivers from the front motorboard you can make a thin gasket for that as well.

- if you want to update connectors on the rear panel, you can use 5 way binding posts

 

There are lots more changes depending on time, interest, budget etc. Enjoy!

[KT88]

Your heresies look fantastic, it gives me goosebumps. And...you could have the highly sought-after Dual Phase Plug K55 V, which were only installed for almost one and a half year. You'll recognise them by the soldered connection cables instead of compression spring connections. Guard them like the apple of your eye. I don't know if I just admire them or if I'm a bit envious  

 

I would change as little as possible. I would also listen first before unscrewing all the chassis or the back panel. There are many possibilities for the capacitors. But I have noticed with my 1977 LaScala that capacitors that are good in isolation are not right in conjunction with the crossover and drivers. I have sonicaps and the squaker and tweeter are too loud and too edgy.

Roy Delgado of Klipsch, chief engineer, has selected capacitors that are very close to the electrically important values of the original sheet metal enclosure types you have.

I am currently in the process of changing my capacitors in this way. They will arrive tomorrow. If I lived in the USA I would buy the capacitors Roy recommends. You can get them from JEM. In the Klipsch forum under "modifications" you can find it at the top of the pinned threads. Personally, I'd try comparable polyester capacitors because shipping with customs would cost two and a half times as much to Germany. But if you buy the caps from JEM you have the right capacitance values (which are special!) whereas I have to piece it together.

The background is that it is not about whether other capacitors would be better than polyester types. It's about the polyester types being the right ones for your crossover and your speaker! After all, the latest Heritage speakers that are getting praise all over the place have the same capacitors in them, as you can see in photos on the internet.

 

Here's what I would do:

Even if your tin can capacitors look good, have them tested by a professional. It's not just about the capacitance, it's about the ESR (equivalent series resistance). If it's all good, you're welcome to keep them, but I'm afraid it's not. Because even if the capacitors are still tight and dry, the inner workings may have changed chemically in 40 years...even if the original caps were also polyester in oil and not paper in oil.

So if they no longer measure ok, I would buy the JEM ones if I were you, the reason is written above.

I would tighten all screws of the horns and chassis very carefully.

 

I would certainly change the red rubber sealing ring. It will have crumbled, at least check it. This seal is between the K55V midrange driver and the midrange horn. You just have to unscrew the K55V driver. Because the connecting wires to the drivers are soldered, simply unscrew the wires on the other side at the crossover. Then they can easily be unscrewed together with the driver. This gasket rubber is very important to seal the driver so you get the full SPL of the lower frequencies and to avoid an edgy sound.

 

I wouldn't change the cable connectors to be honest, and I honestly think biwiring is nonsense. I would also leave the internal wiring as it is. But that is just my opinion

 

One last point. My crossover type AA has Zener diodes to protect the tweeters. I do not know if your xover has also those Zener diodes. If you are not listening to gangster party volumes with 100 watts and if your amplifier does not make loud cracks when you switch it off and on, then unscrew one of the Zener diodes. The highs will be much smoother and nicer. You also have the K77 M, which is much more resilient than my old alnico K77.
But...this last point is up to your responsibility. Other participants may have something to say about it here.

 

What ever you do, never change the crossover for something else that is supposedly more modern and more „awesome“. You would lose the great original sound and the exceptional capabilities of your rare K55V with dual phase plug.
I hope I could be of some help to you.

 

To mention that in addition. I am not affiliated or related to JEM. JEM is simply the only dealer currently selling Klipsch certified capacitors.
I do not deny that there are other types that would also fit electrically, and may have been wound by virgins in the moonlight. But capacitors are a minefield and with the Klipsch certified ones you are sure that they work as intended.

This is what my sealing rings looked like after 44 years. The black ones are my interim solution until I get originals, I cut them from a rubber pad and it works fine.

 

[wuzzzer]

8 minutes ago, KT88 said:

Your heresies look fantastic, it gives me goosebumps. And...you could have the highly sought-after Dual Phase Plug K55 V, which were only installed for one year.

 

Actually I've seen them in Heresys from 1979 to 1982.

My 1980 and 81 pairs have them. 

[DeanG Crossovers]

That driver wasn’t used at the factory until March 24, 1980. 

[OO1]

great info-

[Connecticut Yankee]

Well, a big "Thank You!" to everyone - I didn't expect so many replies so quickly.

 

 - I'm fairly handy at soldering so replacing those caps with new ones is a priority. I don't *see* any other components like Zener diodes, etc. but I've not yet disassembled anything except the back panel.

 

 - Sealing cabinet joints, cutting a gasket for back panel, etc. makes perfect sense and I can easily handle that too. Boiled linseed oil for the exterior - check.

 

- I'll definitely check the sealing rings too. If replacements cannot be bought, I have some ideas to try.

 

Someone asked for a pic of the drivers - see attached.

 

Thanks again, and I'll post my results!

 

Connecticut Yankee

Edited May 13, 2021 by Connecticut Yankee

[KT88]

It looks like your crossover has no zener diodes. That's good. On the AA crossover of my Lascala, it's the two parts on the left of the picture, to the right of the coil, that are screwed into the metal frame.

Yes, please let us know what happens next.

 

[DeanG Crossovers]

Quite a few networks didn’t use them. 

[Dave A]

6 hours ago, Deang said:

You may have the much coveted K-55-V solder lugged version in those. 
 

Replace the capacitors, rub out with some boiled linseed oil and that’s it!

I bet he does too. Replace K-55-V gasket, recap those crossovers and rub them down with Watco Rejuvenating Oil. You have to go all the way to H4's to beat those in the Heresy line.

[Dave A]

43 minutes ago, KT88 said:

It looks like your crossover has no zener diodes. That's good. On the AA crossover of my Lascala, it's the two parts on the left of the picture, to the right of the coil, that are screwed into the metal frame.

Yes, please let us know what happens next.

 

AA's were not used in Heresy's by Klipsch.

[OO1]

2 hours ago, Connecticut Yankee said:

Well, a big "Thank You!" to everyone - I didn't expect so many replies so quickly.

 

 - I'm fairly handy at soldering so replacing those caps with new ones is a priority. I don't *see* any other components like Zener diodes, etc. but I've not yet disassembled anything except the back panel.

 

 - Sealing cabinet joints, cutting a gasket for back panel, etc. makes perfect sense and I can easily handle that too. Boiled linseed oil for the exterior - check.

 

- I'll definitely check the sealing rings too. If replacements cannot be bought, I have some ideas to try.

 

Someone asked for a pic of the drivers - see attached.

 

Thanks again, and I'll post my results!

 

Connecticut Yankee

The k55V  -------the light blue-grey driver --------DO YOU HAVE PUSH PIN TERMINALS  , on the wires -

 

CAUTION -for the boiled linseed oil , remember to burn the rags in the open when you''re done -----VIP

[AndreG.]

6 hours ago, Connecticut Yankee said:

- I'll definitely check the sealing rings too. If replacements cannot be bought, I have some ideas to try.

Ask Michael Crites at: https://critesspeakers.com/

He offers these sealing rings.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Bacek]

13 hours ago, Deang said:

rub out with some boiled linseed oil and that’s it!

 

That may be the picture but they look glossy. So question is if they are stained or lacquered. If second then I would not put oil on it. Will not do anything on lacquered surfices and will highlight flaws.

[willland]

14 hours ago, Connecticut Yankee said:

Type HOL

 

14 hours ago, Connecticut Yankee said:

oiled finish, I think??

HOL = Heresy Oak Lacquer, I think.

 

Bill

 

 

[Frzninvt]

Don't put BLO on a lacquer finish it will ruin it.  You only need to dust that finish with pledge since it is Oak Lacquer nothing more.