3dzapper Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 ---------------- On 3/8/2004 12:07:51 PM jhawk92 wrote: 3d- Would you be willing to share your secrets for a pair of '68 KBWOs? ---------------- Jhawk, No secrets are involved that I'd have to kill you for if I told you. Everything that I have done has been learned either by trial and error or here on the forum. Many years ago I learned the supreme importance of a tight repeatable seal in the corners. I have also taken to putting a piece of foam along the wall at the top of the bass bin. The first forum change I made was rope caulk on the squaker and tweeter. While the squaker was out I stuck some self- adhesive velcro(the loop side) around the wood perimeter of the squaker hole in the top's motorboard I also put a square of fake dynamat under the brace at the back of the K400 and rope caulked the brace. I just cut a square and punched a hole in the middle with a spent 7MM Rem. Magnum casing and a hammer. If you use any other caliber it won't sound right! I put asphalt deadener on all the spokes of the woofer basket and placed a 10x10 square of it on the open panels in the woofer box. One of those being the woofer door. I rewired the bass bin with 12ga wire. I experimented with different wire gauge and silver, etc. to the squaker and tweeter and found the original tinned copper sounded best! Then I swapped out the motor caps in the X-over for film and foils, removed the screw from the tweeter inductor and took the zener diodes out of the ciecuit. I liked the "bridged" AA x-over network with the F&Fs better than the stock configuration. I did not care for the AAs converted to type A. I am now using a pair of ALK networks set at the 5 and 2 taps after trying many others I find this setting best in my room. And there you have it! Next time I pull them out of the corners I going to bypass the fuse in the ALKs to compare the difference. Your '68 have Typa A's right? Do yourself a favor and build/ buy a set of ALKs or have Dean make you a pair of type AAs with good caps, inducturs and the 1mF bridge, switchable by removing a wire to become type As. I have tried different drivers, horns, and tweeters and keep returning to the K400, K55v and K77 driver/horn combo. Both because of the sound and the WAF. Someday,when I'm rich I would like to upgrade the Khorns to the AK-4 specs like the 2003 and newer have. The whole enchelada: AK-4 crossovers; new mid drivers; and K-401 composit horns costs $1800 or so. So there you have them. The "secrets" from high atop the breathtaking summit of Mt. View at 50' alt in sunny Rhode Island, from my cave, the secrets!!!! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 Just a quick note to say these Klipschorns are as advertised, and more! We were able to listen to them, and both C&S and I were blown away. I had to turn the music off after about a minute (literally), because the owner seemed to be getting second thoughts about parting with them! These speakers had been in the same location, unused, for as long as the owner has lived there (6 years). Neither of her kids (one's in high school) remembered ever hearing them before. Cosmetically, they have, maybe two or three slight scuffs. That's it. I haven't unloaded the van yet. That'll happen in the morning. For now, I've got to go tell my wife again how happy I am (and how lucky I am to have her)! I'll post pics in the AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 YOWWZER>>> Great going FINI. So very exciting. Cant wait to see the pics!! Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierceb Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Way to to Fini, I'm glad to hear they are as good as advertised. How did the move go using the minivan? Any good suggestions for my big move on Wednesday night? -PB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 "Wholly Horns, Batman, the fini is going to do it!" Can't wait for the photos... or better yet... the definitive Clipped & Shorn frontline report! And, yes, as the "owner" of a genuine Klipschorn loving wife" you are to be honored... but how is it you "bought" two kiddos before treating that lovely lady of yours to classic Khorns? No matter... enjoy! -HornEd PS: Imagine my surprise and joy when my fiancé whipped out her checkbook upon first sight of the Klipschorns and Belle she elected to buy for our new audio/video room. Ah, yes, fini, life is good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 Ah, so your new Khorns are actually hers, eh? Is she trying to compete with you, Ed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 3d- Cool, glad I didn't have to reactivate my clearance for your "secrets." I've done the corner sealing and that sounds good. I may not be able to reproduce your rope caulk mod, since I prefer either 30-06 or .308, so that extra 0.62mm I'm sure will throw everything off. I think I may try the x-over mods next, as several other folks said that could make the most difference. Yes, my '68s have the Type A, and I'm sure in 35 years the components have changed. I am thinking about have Bob Crites refurb my original x-overs, rather than going with a new set. I have been very happy with the Type A, so I think I'll stick with that. The new K-horns did sound very good last year at Indy. But the $1800 upgrade price tag would be more than I paid for my set. I do have a pair of the K-401 composite horns that I may try after working the x-over mod into the system. I want to go slow and enjoy/assess the changes individually. Good old Rhode Island and Plymouth Plantations...I've got family in Woonsocket, and just moved back to CO from CT, so I'm pretty familiar with the area. Thanks for your advice and help. Fini- Congrats on an amazing find. Welcome to the club. Can't wait to see pics! Hope the trip home was good. A local K-horn find is pretty sweet. As a couple of the folks here razzed me on my trip home...did you hook them up to the car stereo?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 Here's how the van looks right now. Quite a load 'o K's, eh? It may look jumbled willy-nilly, but there was no shifting during transport, and all suefaces are protected. I'll take more shots as I extricate them from the vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 fini- Great pics. I kinda wish I had taken pics of my trip home. The two bass bins, one HF cabinet, and the grills snuggled down together in the back of my Explorer, and the other HF cabinet riding shotgun! I couldn't see out the right hand mirror, but they arrived home safely. Bet it was a comical site on busy I-95! Congrats and can't wait to see those reassembled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 No, fini, she is trying to "complete" with me! And Klipschorns are an expressway to my heart! -HornEd PS: Don't tell your mother-in-law, because Italian cuisine is still the paisano pathway to my heart. PPS: t2k says he has a line on some KSP-S6's to "fix" the sound of your new Khorns. Hmm, someone did something like that to my tomcat once... and he never again reached first bass! PPPS: So, how long can C&S wait before he parks his dit, di, di, dah in the corner and replaces his ersatz towers with the real thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 I'm working on arranging the puzzle I call my home to find a place for them to live. I think I will teporarily set them up where the Cornwalls are (first moving the Cornwalls to the dining room...did I mention they're for sale? ). They won't be in corners, but until I move two fully-loaded 4-foot by 8-foot bookcases, it'll have to do. Less of a shock than in the middle of the room (thinking WAF, especially after a hard day at the office). Wish me luck. I think I'll have dinner cooking when she gets home (can't hurt!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 di di di dah, di di di dah, di di di dah = V V V for victory, which is what the fini Klipschorn safari was. My engaging conversation on the way up caused a couple of departures from the Map Quest good intentions, but we arrived in "Pleasantville" or whatever that story-book Gated community was called on a beautiful late afternoon. Everyone was gracious and the lady of the house very friendly and attractive as were her helpful sons. After fini made the quick test run and we heard the stunning sounds emanating from those perfect corners in her house, we immediately let them give us the tour of the "speakers" they were going to be keeping elsewhere in the house....uh ummm.....We were both so "impressed" with the homemade boxes in the other room (that some relative had made years ago) and the older son's iPod music coming out of those little 4 inch buzzing computer speakers that "everyone" forgot about that sound we had just heard coming out of the previously dormant Khorns. We (mostly fini) proceeded to dismantle the quarry for the trek back. While fini was dismantling I was chatting with the mom about the enormous custom made regulation pool table destined also to be cleared from that same room. The room was really perfect for those Khorns, but she had other plans I guess.....and lumped the "obtrusive" Khorns into the same mind set as the obtrusive pool table and decided to clear them out and move on....it all had to go.....(to be replaced by what?).....who knows..... She mentioned that when they were kids both she and her brother both had pairs of Khorns. The brother used his alot, she, on the other hand, had hardly ever played hers, thus their good condition, and fini's good fortune. The Khorn safari as social class interface, what a fun process. Being able to purchase yesterday's rich people's stuff at affordable prices is what makes this country great and is a fun thing to do while you can, in other words, until the price goes back up because it is also a rapidly growing hobby in other parts of the world where they too get a thrill buying yesterdays valuable US dollars with today's worthless dollars. The quest for things of real value is a fun learning curve and is why eBay is the phenomenon that it is. Converting boring money into interesting stuff......boring as in boring (burning) a hole in der old pocketbook..... If I had room anywhere I would want some Khorns as well, but alas, I have neither room nor corners anywhere.....time for a new house....maybe I too should move to Pleasantville.......either that or keep perfecting and tweaking my homebrewed Altec towers and go visit fini when I need to hear examples of PWK's masterpiece. My tube fed Cornwalls are not exactly chopped liver either...... Meanwhile it is time for my code practice session..... VVV VVV VVV C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Hurray for fini!!!!!!!!!!!! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 Thanks, Clipped for the report. It was a fun trip, for sure. Here's a shot of the mess of a living room I'm trying to fit these into. Albums, bath remodel items, and the last photo of the Kenwood turntable with a functioning arm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 While hooking up the Khorns, this carpenter ("worth his weight in gold") bumped into the TT platform (from the bottom up: furniture cups, handballs, stone slab, turntable), causing the whole thing to slide off the cabinet, The turntable landed upside-down. Oops. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 fini, it gladdens my heart to know that California is well represented by you, Horn Ed, Jazman, Pirhana, Joshnich, et al. Even with all your (collective) foibles, the left coast does well on the forum and in life. I hope your wife falls in love with them, but still lets you sleep with her in the bed at night I have taken up your trade and am busy staining, polyurethaning, slicing, and dicing baseboards to my heart's content. I have finished the living room, dining room, master bedroom, and my sister-in-laws bedroom. Liam's is the only one to go, but I have to redo about five floor planks before the baseboards can go in. There is just enough room for a set of Khorns in his room. It would be so sweet to be able to listen to a set on the first floor like yours fini is SMILIN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodog Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Fini, yes, have dinner cooking. ---------------- On 3/9/2004 3:23:18 PM fini wrote: Thanks, Clipped for the report. It was a fun trip, for sure. Here's a shot of the mess of a living room I'm trying to fit these into. Albums, bath remodel items, and the last photo of the Kenwood turntable with a functioning arm! http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/files/liv_rm1.jpg"> ---------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 fini, OUCH! bummer. I hate when that happens. The good news is you GOT the Khorns! Think positive. a Turntable you can always get, fix, replace.....it is not like you have to convert your van and trek 100s of miles to get another arm on that.....anyway.....moving right along.... c7s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted March 9, 2004 Share Posted March 9, 2004 Hey, fini, quit arm wrestling and hook up those beauties for a better WAF rating! Oh, yeah, and does C&S do is dit dah bit in a syncopated bongo beat? C&S has the right idea... K-hornswaggle Pleasantville's elite and raise the Klipsch Heritage Consciousness of the masses. While they say, "let them eat cake" we'll say "stick a Bo$e in your ear and try to ignite a timbre-match!" =HornEd PS: All you've got to do is read 1,237 more books and you can retire the bookshelves and begin to put your K-horns in the corners! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 9, 2004 Author Share Posted March 9, 2004 Geeze, I have enough trouble reading this forum! The books are there to impress the chicks, but I've already got the best one here in my coop! BTW, I am over the busted arm (looks like the Pioneer PL-41 gets called in for relief). After all...I have KLIPSCHORNS! P.S. When the accident happened, I jerked back and bumped the Khorn, causing IT to wobble! No doubt which "thing" to which I turned my attention to save!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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