Restoration Project Klipsch KG 3.5 (KM 4) worth to do ?

[MicroMara]

Two weeks ago, I bought a sec.hand KG 3.5 here in Germany

 

I link this thread from General Klipsch Info into the new one , because here you can read how the story starts

 

 

[MicroMara]

Two weeks later I made a lot of progress on this project . These´re the restauration work done till today

 

The previous owner had put the KG 3.5 probably with the base plate directly on his living room floor, so the corners from the veneer were affected and quite frayed, at least on the sides and the backfront veeneer. This could not remain so of course. So I treated these edges first with 240-, then with 400- and finally with 600- sandpaper. Subsequently brushed with black wood varnish.

 

 

 

 

 

The repainted veneer edges are dry, there is no longer any sign of the frayed veneer, the edges are smooth as an eel

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MicroMara]

Temporary I used origin RF7 MK II spikes , they were screwed into unc threaded sockets

 

 

but this solution wasn´t as stabil as I thought it would be , so I replaced them with M 6 metric threades sockets and stabil spikes

 

 

 

 

 

[MicroMara]

Yesterday I dissembled the KG 3.5

 

 

 

The driver´s are in good condition, I measured the coils and they´re in their specifications, the cabinets are extremely solid and heavy MDF

[wuzzzer]

Very nice!  I had a set I used as surround speakers for a long time.

[Peter P.]

Keep the progress reports coming! I'm impressed.

[MicroMara]

Today I took care of the internal parts of the KG 3.5. The single wire terminals are rebuilt, the new pole binding posts are in place.

 

 

Here you can see the old solid brass binding posts, after all these were far better quality than the ones on my RF7 MK II

 

 

 

[MicroMara]

The old internal wiring ( AWG 26 ? ) made me wonder, reminds me of simply tinned wire

 

 

I had to drill out the in-outputs fromthe X-Over for the chassis with a 3 mm diameter drill bit to be able to solder in the AWG 14 inner wires

 

Using now monocrystalline Alpha Copper , it´s the same as I used in my RF7 EvoTec´s

 

 

[MicroMara]

The input wires from the X-Over which will be connected to the new binding posts

 

 

The X-Over with all the internal wiring is ready now

 

 

 

These are the new connectors for the tweeter and the midrange/ woofer driver

 

That´s it up to now , during the next week I will work on the inside insulation from the cabinet , therefore I use Damping 10 , these are recycled wool firbe mats 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dave1291]

Well stand back and let the big horse run gentlemen.  Looks great George.  That German engineering shows once again. 

[Deang]

I’m surprised those boards survived the soldering. What did the other side end up looking like?

[Full Range]

1 hour ago, MicroMara said:

The input wires from the X-Over which will be connected to the new binding posts

 

 

The X-Over with all the internal wiring is ready now

 

 

 

These are the new connectors for the tweeter and the midrange/ woofer driver

 

That´s it up to now , during the next week I will work on the inside insulation from the cabinet , therefoe I use Damping 10 , these are recycled wool firbe mats 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a smile on my face at how small the crossovers are - but as long as they work ? -  who cares 😎

As you know the crossovers I use are monsters 

 

I also like the new 5 way binding posts 

[richieb]

“Edges are smooth as an eel” - that there’s pretty funny

[MicroMara]

18 hours ago, deang said:

I’m surprised those boards survived the soldering. What did the other side end up looking like?

Good morning DeanO , approved Klipsch X-Over Networkbuilder and Cranckysoldermeister 😇 , I must admit it wasn´t that easy to solder the AWG 14 into those boards , but

it looks okay imo ! Any complains ? Kindly let me know

 

 

 

 

[MicroMara]

4 hours ago, richieb said:

“Edges are smooth as an eel” - that there’s pretty funny

old german saying

[MicroMara]

5 hours ago, Full Range said:

I had a smile on my face at how small the crossovers are - but as long as they work ? -  who cares 😎

As you know the crossovers I use are monsters 

 

I also like the new 5 way binding posts 

you see mate ....it´s a low budget restauration project and not a big spender moddy project like the RF7 EvoTec´s with external monster x-overs . That not the point here , it´s a challange for me to find out what´s audible possible with these nice little 2-way speakers with their origin x-over and the origin klipsch sound signature by changing the above mentioned materials .  

[Full Range]

28 minutes ago, MicroMara said:

you see mate ....it´s a low budget restauration project and not a big spender moddy project like the RF7 EvoTec´s with external monster x-overs . That not the point here , it´s a challange for me to find out what´s audible possible with these nice little 2-way speakers with their origin x-over and the origin klipsch sound signature by changing the above mentioned materials .  

By all means give them a listen stock standard and see if you love them 
Still if you are thinking ahead 3 X capacitors per board is not going to break the bank 😎

 

And I also loved the old German saying- smooth as an eel 🤪

[babadono]

I think some of the German immigrants to America brought it with them but it morphed...slippery as an eel here in America.

[MicroMara]

22 minutes ago, babadono said:

I think some of the German immigrants to America brought it with them but it morphed...slippery as an eel here in America.

slippery , excatly that´s the word i was missing

[MicroMara]

29 minutes ago, Full Range said:

By all means give them a listen stock standard and see if you love them 
Still if you are thinking ahead 3 X capacitors per board is not going to break the bank 😎

 

And I also loved the old German saying- smooth as an eel 🤪

this have been my conclusion after listening to them before I dissembled them some days ago

 

First of all, they have been running non-stop for two weeks . Sometimes via streaming, sometimes SACD, sometimes vinyl. The KG 3.5  has a sensivity of 94 dB at a FQ of 36 Hz to 20 KHz. I do not have to cranck it before it opens completely and everything is " there " . So from 65 dB sound pressure it fills the large room with a very open clearly structured stage. At higher levels, from 80 dB is here really the "hell" going on, impressive !

 

The KG 3.5  is very homogeneously tuned, the horn plays silky and crystal clear. They draw high resolution but just never "annoying.  Weasel-quick is the emotional musical flow , with wonderfully localized voices. Piano passages make me think ..they are so so beautiful,fascinating !

 

Wind instruments...I hear the "blowing" of the mouthpieces, classical instruments are authentic in reproduction, really graceful to me. Everything comes very very smoothly as well as with a good portion of "emotion",amazing !

 

There is no "hole" in the FQ of 36 Hz > 20 KHz. Treble, brilliance, presence, midrange, midbass, upper bass,lower bass ..everything fits, meshes, sophisticated !

 

Subbass punch ?  They have, the pitches are just right..stunning !

 

They are "all-round" flawlessly play through any genre. She wants you to listen to her ! They manage to take you on their musical journey. You don't get tired of them either...new tune = new attention to their performance...unusual !

 

Well..okay they get playback equipment in the 10 K€ league each , not depending as I run them with Hybrid Mode ( Tubepre with SS powerstage or Transistor Pre with Tubemonos , or Tubepre with Tubemonos, or as Transitor Pre > SS powerstage ) That probably plays an important role behind the scenes, but it challange them and just gets everything out of them.The harmony between electronics and KG  3.5  fits apparently in these combinations from the beginning, endlessly harmony !