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My first Klipsch: heresy wedge monitor modifications


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Hello all, 

this is my first post to the forum. 
 

I recently acquired my first set of quality stereo speakers … in an unusual form factor:

klipsch heresy wedge monitors , HIE crossovers. All original. 

3743 and 3745

k-42-EV

k-55-M

k-77-M

 

I got them for a deal , one works great… the other worked great for a moment… 

it started cutting out at lower volumes , and distorting at higher . 
At first I thought it could be failing caps , but I’ve read some good feedback on removing the zener diodes from circuit. I’ll be trying that today unless I am advised not to here . 
 

i am so eager to get these going , I’m sure the information is out there but I thought I’d make this post and see if one of you more knowledgeable people could point me in the right direction and get this going faster than I could researching between jobs. 
 

if I could retain the original caps by removing the zener diodes from circuit that would be ideal. If not I’ll probably recap both speakers and sell the original caps that test in spec. Yes I know it will eventually need to be recapped but they are expensive , especially for the HIE one. 
 

additionally - I want to use these for home stereo use mostly, so the boxes should go. Yes it is sad separating these drivers from their original cases … but to any of the offended I’ll say this : there’s nothing more fitting for these than an act of heresy. 

i am 24 and pretty tight w money so I’ll probably use a cheaper wood just to get them going and rehaul the project again in later years . 

i see some talk about converting HIE crossovers to AA style . If anyone could speak to the advantages of this - it is unclear to me as of now. I can’t have opinions about what style I prefer since I haven’t heard them. And I am still learning about what a “super heresy” is. Since I’ll be building new boxes for these , anything is possible . I’ll definitely need to implement some more low end eventually , whether that be the traditional separate sub, port, or something more innovative. 
 

I’ll be selling the wedge monitor boxes , if I could do this to fund the materials for building new boxes that would be great… I don’t have much room for storage . If anyone wanted to give any thoughts of what the boxes are worth , or the speakers as a whole , I can’t find much price references within recent years . Inflation moves fast these days . 
 

anyways , I’m normally hesitant to jump into forums but this one seems great from what I’ve seen . Excited to be here hope you have a great day. 

17DEE3F9-527C-4CED-A61A-BD4BF5B5558D.jpeg

Edited by 1000frogs
Adding specs and fixing typo
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  • 1000frogs changed the title to My first Klipsch: heresy wedge monitor modifications
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Welcome, I like that model, you did good.

 

If it were me I would start with cleaning all the connections first, inside and out, I had the same problem with a speaker I got years ago. It's free and could possibly fix the problem ? If that don't fix it go from there to find the problem. 

 

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1 minute ago, dtel said:

Welcome, I like that model, you did good.

 

If it were me I would start with cleaning all the connections first, inside and out, I had the same problem with a speaker I got years ago. It's free and could possibly fix the problem ? If that don't fix it go from there to find the problem. 

 

Thank you! I will bring it back to my shop today and do that. I have checked all the connections visually and see nothing of concern unfortunately. I’ll probably reflow them anyways and see what happens 

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The connections I had a problem with looked perfectly clean and were hard to disconnect but somehow were not making contact. I lightly sanded them and it worked. I think is was a midrange driver and tweeter, I was happy to get a fix that easy.

I was surprised that's all it was and the problem never returned, the speakers did sit a long while before I bought them, good luck and hope you get lucky with an easy fix.

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3 hours ago, 1000frogs said:

Hello all, 

this is my first post to the forum. 
 

I recently acquired my first set of quality stereo speakers … in an unusual form factor:

klipsch heresy wedge monitors , HIE crossovers. All original. 

3743 and 3745

k-42-EV

k-55-M

k-77-M

 

I got them for a deal , one works great… the other worked great for a moment… 

it started cutting out at lower volumes , and distorting at higher . 
At first I thought it could be failing caps , but I’ve read some good feedback on removing the zener diodes from circuit. I’ll be trying that today unless I am advised not to here . 
 

i am so eager to get these going , I’m sure the information is out there but I thought I’d make this post and see if one of you more knowledgeable people could point me in the right direction and get this going faster than I could researching between jobs. 
 

if I could retain the original caps by removing the zener diodes from circuit that would be ideal. If not I’ll probably recap both speakers and sell the original caps that test in spec. Yes I know it will eventually need to be recapped but they are expensive , especially for the HIE one. 
 

additionally - I want to use these for home stereo use mostly, so the boxes should go. Yes it is sad separating these drivers from their original cases … but to any of the offended I’ll say this : there’s nothing more fitting for these than an act of heresy. 

i am 24 and pretty tight w money so I’ll probably use a cheaper wood just to get them going and rehaul the project again in later years . 

i see some talk about converting HIE crossovers to AA style . If anyone could speak to the advantages of this - it is unclear to me as of now. I can’t have opinions about what style I prefer since I haven’t heard them. And I am still learning about what a “super heresy” is. Since I’ll be building new boxes for these , anything is possible . I’ll definitely need to implement some more low end eventually , whether that be the traditional separate sub, port, or something more innovative. 
 

I’ll be selling the wedge monitor boxes , if I could do this to fund the materials for building new boxes that would be great… I don’t have much room for storage . If anyone wanted to give any thoughts of what the boxes are worth , or the speakers as a whole , I can’t find much price references within recent years . Inflation moves fast these days . 
 

anyways , I’m normally hesitant to jump into forums but this one seems great from what I’ve seen . Excited to be here hope you have a great day. 

17DEE3F9-527C-4CED-A61A-BD4BF5B5558D.jpeg

@Deang might have some input on the Zeners and crossovers that would be helpful.

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If your plan is to gut them, the cabinets would be practically worthless. I can’t imagine anyone paying for them with no drivers or crossovers. 
 

if you are tight with money, the answer is definitely not destroying a perfectly good set of loudspeakers. 

 

They were designed to be used as stage monitors and have a strong vocal presence. Converting the networks to the AA will rebalance the loudspeakers. It will pull the midrange back so you can hear the bass. 


 

 

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12 minutes ago, Deang said:

If your plan is to gut them, the cabinets would be practically worthless. I can’t imagine anyone paying for them with no drivers or crossovers. 
 

if you are tight with money, the answer is definitely not destroying a perfectly good set of loudspeakers. 

 

They were designed to be used as stage monitors and have a strong vocal presence. Converting the networks to the AA will rebalance the loudspeakers. It will pull the midrange back so you can hear the bass. 


 

 

Hey ! I have 2 local offers on the gutted cabinets and I just listed them this morning :) but I understand the concern and appreciate the advice. 

i am interested in using the money and either making new cabinets to spec , or ordering the living room models cabs online (there’s a set online right now I am negotiating with) 

 

seems like converting to AA would be ideal for my application in that case 

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5 minutes ago, 1000frogs said:

i am interested in using the money and either making new cabinets to spec , or ordering the living room models cabs online (there’s a set online right now I am negotiating with) 

Good luck with your negotiations. If you were close, I am sure that I could trade with you something that you could use.

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32 minutes ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

I agree. It always bothers me to hear when people butcher the Klipsch speakers. If they need a part to make them right, then make that happen rather than parting them out. 

I feel like I am “getting a part to make them right”. using components from an undesirable (not functional- crackling and cut outs) pro audio setup to convert them to speakers that are will be used every day for personal use bothers you? And so does selling them in the alternative scenario that they aren’t right for me ….? (Spoke about this in another thread) . Advice is appreciated but this logic is hard to follow with the information I have now 

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11 minutes ago, 1000frogs said:

I feel like I am “getting a part to make them right”. using components from an undesirable (not functional- crackling and cut outs) pro audio setup to convert them to speakers that are will be used every day for personal use bothers you? And so does selling them in the alternative scenario that they aren’t right for me ….? (Spoke about this in another thread) . Advice is appreciated but this logic is hard to follow with the information I have now 

They belong to you and I have no right to tell you what to do with your speakers. Having said that, it still saddens me when people part them out, rather than fix what's wrong with them. Some flippers take perfectly working speakers and part them out because they can fetch a few more bucks than if sold as a working speaker. Most people who might buy the gutted cabinets will replace the drivers and networks with whatever it takes to make them look right and will represent them as Klipsch wedges, and VERY few will put them back together with equivalent components. You're 99% to where many want to be, I see no reason to not reap the 100% that you can have. 

I have been fortunate to have enjoyed similar speakers (Heresy 1, HII, KP262, KP250, KP25 II, and such). I have never had the wedges, but I hope to be as fortunate as you to have the chance to hear what they offer.

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8 minutes ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

They belong to you and I have no right to tell you what to do with your speakers. Having said that, it still saddens me when people part them out, rather than fix what's wrong with them. Some flippers take perfectly working speakers and part them out because they can fetch a few more bucks than if sold as a working speaker. Most people who might buy the gutted cabinets will replace the drivers and networks with whatever it takes to make them look right and will represent them as Klipsch wedges, and VERY few will put them back together with equivalent components. You're 99% to where many want to be, I see no reason to not reap the 100% that you can have. 

I have been fortunate to have enjoyed similar speakers (Heresy 1, HII, KP262, KP250, KP25 II, and such). I have never had the wedges, but I hope to be as fortunate as you to have the chance to hear what they offer.

i understand the concern of flipping for profit but I’m really just trying to make these work for me in a daily use application.   The seller I am considering owns a stereo showroom and would replace with what he said were the correct drivers . I suppose I could suggest just a trade + cash to keep the these  original 
 

The wedges are preferred over the living room speakers ? I’ve never heard this opinion. I just want to be able to not have my living room look like the pro audio section of guitar center . Anyways , your in a position of working klipsch ownership and have heard lots of models, I am just trying to get these going so I can hear my first set. I’ll have them fixed before I have the cabs sold and I’ll be able to sit with them 

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14 minutes ago, 1000frogs said:

The wedges are preferred over the living room speakers ? I’ve never heard this opinion.

That is not something that I said. 

You bought them for $100. If you spend $300 more (not that it will cost that amount) to get them to where they should be, you can experience them for what they should be and then flip them for a profit and buy what you want.... it's a win win. 

 

 

54 minutes ago, 1000frogs said:

(Spoke about this in another thread)

That you did. You said that you 'repair audio equipment professionally and also take exception with the practice of just flipping' so where are the professional repair(s)?  

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3 minutes ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

That is not something that I said. 

You bought them for $100. If you spend $300 more (not that it will cost that amount) to get them to where they should be, you can experience them for what they should be and then flip them for a profit and buy what you want.... it's a win win. 

 

 

That you did. You said that you 'repair audio equipment professionally and also take exception with the practice of just flipping' so where are the professional repair(s)?  

I suppose I could do what your suggesting and I will seriously consider that. I guess I just had a diy mindset about getting them where I wanted them instead of reselling them, because I am excited about them. also thought that people did not want the wedges, so I would be giving them a new life. 

 

 The repairs for my job are not what I am here to talk about , confused about why you are questioning that. 

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1 hour ago, 1000frogs said:

I suppose I could do what your suggesting and I will seriously consider that. I guess I just had a diy mindset about getting them where I wanted them instead of reselling them, because I am excited about them. also thought that people did not want the wedges, so I would be giving them a new life. 

 

 The repairs for my job are not what I am here to talk about , confused about why you are questioning that. 

I’d like a pair of wedges with trim. Would prefer other models, but……

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20 hours ago, 1000frogs said:

Hello all, 

this is my first post to the forum. 
 

I recently acquired my first set of quality stereo speakers … in an unusual form factor:

klipsch heresy wedge monitors , HIE crossovers. All original. 

3743 and 3745

k-42-EV

k-55-M

k-77-M

 

I got them for a deal , one works great… the other worked great for a moment… 

it started cutting out at lower volumes , and distorting at higher . 
At first I thought it could be failing caps , but I’ve read some good feedback on removing the zener diodes from circuit. I’ll be trying that today unless I am advised not to here . 
 

i am so eager to get these going , I’m sure the information is out there but I thought I’d make this post and see if one of you more knowledgeable people could point me in the right direction and get this going faster than I could researching between jobs. 
 

if I could retain the original caps by removing the zener diodes from circuit that would be ideal. If not I’ll probably recap both speakers and sell the original caps that test in spec. Yes I know it will eventually need to be recapped but they are expensive , especially for the HIE one. 
 

additionally - I want to use these for home stereo use mostly, so the boxes should go. Yes it is sad separating these drivers from their original cases … but to any of the offended I’ll say this : there’s nothing more fitting for these than an act of heresy. 

i am 24 and pretty tight w money so I’ll probably use a cheaper wood just to get them going and rehaul the project again in later years . 

i see some talk about converting HIE crossovers to AA style . If anyone could speak to the advantages of this - it is unclear to me as of now. I can’t have opinions about what style I prefer since I haven’t heard them. And I am still learning about what a “super heresy” is. Since I’ll be building new boxes for these , anything is possible . I’ll definitely need to implement some more low end eventually , whether that be the traditional separate sub, port, or something more innovative. 
 

I’ll be selling the wedge monitor boxes , if I could do this to fund the materials for building new boxes that would be great… I don’t have much room for storage . If anyone wanted to give any thoughts of what the boxes are worth , or the speakers as a whole , I can’t find much price references within recent years . Inflation moves fast these days . 
 

anyways , I’m normally hesitant to jump into forums but this one seems great from what I’ve seen . Excited to be here hope you have a great day. 

17DEE3F9-527C-4CED-A61A-BD4BF5B5558D.jpeg

 

Your project will definitely be fun. I started with a vintage Heresy pair, then Chorus IIs, and now vintage La Scalas. Learning is fun.

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