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Klipschorn tweeters


atl#62

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Make sure the tweeter wires are hooked to the tweeter terminals of the crossover network.

The tweeters are protected by a set of zener diodes which could have failed, but it is unlikely that both did.

If you can get a volt/ohm meter, you can check the resistance across the terminals of the tweeter (with their wires disconnected from the crossover). You should get.....I don't remember....maybe 16 ohms. If you get zero, the voice coil has come appart (shorted) and if you get infinite resistance (infinity for a meter with a needle or over-range for a digital meter) then it is burned out (open circuit).

Good luck.

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Assuming that your tweeters are fried contact forum member BEC at bcrites@cswnet.com he offers replacement diaphragms with or without installation at very reasonable prices. Other members here who have used his services speak highly of him.

While you are at it you might consider converting from the Type AA xcover in your 85's to a Type A which can be done at no cost and in a way that is completely reversible should you find that you prefer the sound of the AA. I converted the AA's in my 1982 Khorns and noticed a definite improvement. My experience is that my Khorns sound even smoother and more lifelike after the mod but that said they were glorious before the change. Some of us here feel that the diode circuit in the AA adds a degree of stridency to the Khorn's sound as compared to the same speaker with the Type A (probably because the AA drastically sharpens the transition between the tweeter and midrange ).

Not everyone here agrees with that modification however and you would do well to research the issue using the search feature offered on the forum.

One caveat: The Zener diodes were introduced by Klipsch in the 1970's because far too many tweeters were being blown by the arc-welder strength Solid State amps that had become so fashionable at that time. If you intend to drive those horns with excessively high powered amplication ( SS or tube ) then you probably should leave the crossover alone. If you have a good quality amplifier or receiver that can deliver anywhere up to about 100 - 150 clean watts per channel the conversion I suggest should be safe.

Given the efficiency of the Klipschorn remember that PWK once said "What this country needs is a good 5 watt amplifier!" PWK naturally had not figured Acid Rock,Hip-Hop etc. into his equation but it is fair to say that any decent amp should be sufficiently powerful to drive your neighbours up the wall.

Congratulations on your "new" babies !

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The tweeters are always the first to go on all the heritage speakers when cranked too high. I blew my cornwall tweeters within 6 months of purchase (same tweeters) with my 160 wpc SS receiver. What can I say. I was in college.2.gif Luckily they were under warranty.

You got good advice on repair. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Congrats on your purchase!

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Stay calm. You've purchased some magnificent speakers.

As mentioned above it is quite likely the voice coils in the tweeters are open. The good news is that it is not difficult to get this fixed. Then you'll be on top of the world.

Gil

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I pulled my tweeters from and old pair of heresey,s. Sure enough they played great. I hated snipping the factory connections but I guess its nothing a soldering iron can't fix. I also had to exchange the faceplates as the horns have an adapter that allows it to fit in a wider hole. Nevertheless I am playing.Looks like I need new diaphrams for the tweeters. I will put up pics later.Equip I am presently using. So far I am very pleased!

Parasound HCA 2203

Parasound HCA 220o

Processor Parasound 2500

Klipschorns front

Klipsch RC3 center

Energy RVSS (2 pair) rears

REL Stentor 3 SUB

Sony 9000 DVD

Monster AVS2000

Monster HTS 3600

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atl#62,

Welcome to the forum! Welcome to Klipschorns!

When you replace the diaphrams the will be good for a long while as the new ones have a "ribbon" lead in vs a thin wire one OEM. When mine went it didn't burn just broke from flexation. They are sounding just fine now.

Get to know your horns then look around the forum for some really nice inexpensive mods to bring perfect a little closer to sainthood.

12.gif12.gif

Be carefull though we like to spend other peoples money here. Did I say like? Love is a more apt term!3.gif3.gif

One more thing, this is not a mod it is a must, make sure that the Khorns are coupled tightly to the corners. That is, no gaps betweem the back board and the wall. If there are gaps there are many easy ways to seal the gap. If there is a gap your bass response will suffer considerably.15.gif

As with us all, a happy Klipschorn is a coupling Klipschorn.3.gif3.gif

Rick

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Thanks for all the replies. So far I am thrilled! I have gone from Maggies to Martin Logans to Polk SRT and now sonic nirvana with the khorns. I do think I will be looking for tube power in the future as my parasound amps are overkill. The hiss from the tweeters is more than I would like and with the REL stentor sub I really have no worries below 50hz. For those of you not familiar with that sub it is nothing short of amazing.I know where I can get a nice MAC 225 for around $1200. I will probably give that a try in the near future.

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