Royster Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Hello all, As a lurker for some time I decided that it was time to jump in and post. I have 2 khorns (father orig purchased) and after years of searching and changing speakers, found what good old dad knew years ago, "khorns are the best". I am not sure exctly what year they were purchased (dad has passed, and mom has no idea).They are ss#'s 3J670 & 3J671. Oiled walnut with all orig components. Anyone know the year? I am wonering if there is a advantage to changing the AA crossovers? If so to what? I look forward to any help or input. Listed below are the system details. I run all tube amplication. Regards, Roy Ramsey Canary Audio CA 801L pre amp Canary Audio CA 801P power supply Canary Audio CA 301 power amp Rega planet CD (as transport) Sonic Frontiers jitter bug Sonic Frontiers Tube DAC Sonic Frontiers Tube phono stage Dynavector DV 20H cart. Ridge Street Audio interconects MIT 750 ShotGun (tube) speaker cables Klipschorns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 They were made in 1971 best I can tell from the S/N's. The "AA" is one of the higher regarded crossovers. If they are intact, no leaking caps, etc. I would just replace the old wiring on them with from fresh wire and you should be all set. The drivers should be fine as well. I would give them a listen first before doing anything at all to them. If you decide they are lacking in any particular area then you can proceed with tweeking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted March 30, 2004 Author Share Posted March 30, 2004 Thanks for the post. They are in pristine condition. Not a scracth or abuse (dad was a perfectionist). The AA cross overs look great. I am pleased with them, was just wondering if any of the tweaking and mods posted here would make any improvements. Regards, Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Two of the mods bandied about here will provide the most improvement: 1; The 1uF Bridge Cap in the AA X-over. and 2; Rope caulking the K-400 horn to dampen ringing. All the other mods are icing on the cake. Those two take the cake! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 BEC (Bob Crites) is a forum member who builds replacement crossovers to PWK's spec. I also am aware that he has tested and repaired vintage crossovers for a number of other members. It is fairly likely that the caps in crossovers of that age would have drifted at least some off spec. It is also likely, that you wouldn't notice the difference without an up to spec crossover for direct comparison. Anyway, that would be one possibility. Another fellow on our forum who designs and builds crossovers is Al Klappenberger. You can see his designs on alkeng.com. He offers the design to DIYers as a courtesy or will build them up from scratch for a buyer. IMO you couldn't go wrong with either on of these guys. They are both gracious and helpful types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edster00 Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 Hello Royster, and welcome to the forum! You have some really nice gear listed, and you have good advice from the others in this thread. Do you have any photos of your speakers etc. you can share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhawk92 Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Royster- You've got a great system there. Pretty good comment on your dad's knowledge about "K-horns being best." I am finding that out about my grandfather who ran tubes, but not with Klipsch. I now power my K-horns with a Scott 299B, but am in the process of getting my dad a Fisher 400 receiver, which is what my grandfather used as my dad was growing up. Should be a good combo with either their Chorus IIs, or the vintage Jensens that I posted about in the 2-ch forum. Originally, I thought your post was going to be an offer to sell, and that got me excited, since my parents are also on the lookout for a pair of K-horns. But I am glad you are keeping them for yourself. Interesting that your '71s are with the Type AA crossover. My '68s are with Type A, so the change must have happened right around there. I would love to get some sort of information as to when the factory made major mods to equipment; crossovers, drivers, horns, etc. It would be helpful in allowing folks to know what stock parts were when going out on buying trips. Again, congrats on a great system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggy Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 jhawk, My '71s have the AA's too. hoggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted March 31, 2004 Author Share Posted March 31, 2004 Thanks for the responce. Sounds like a great combo. I think that valves and horns are a match made in heaven! I do prefer the set amps though. The push pull 300B's in the Canary amps are full of power. But I still liked the Cary 572-II sigs better, but we all let things and regret it after (lol). I will post some photos of the system in next day or so. I have ask for a quote for the ALk crossovers. I will put the AA's away, and see what the change is like. What does the rope clak mod do? I assume it seals the bass horn? Valves and grooves were way ahead of thier time!! Gotta love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Hi Royster - Welcome to the forum! Here are a few things I have done that have improved the already lovely sound of my 1982 Klipschorns Rewired AA xovers to type A The AA is an excellent unit as noted above. I reverted mine to Type A with a few minor wiring changes. I find my 1982 Khorns sound a little smoother since the change. That said they were glorious before the change. Rope Caulk Rope caulking involves wrapping the exterior of the midrange horn with a damping material such as rope caulk or butyl rubber tape to suppress any tendency of the metal horn to ring. I did this to mine and noticed an undeniable improvement in midrange clarity. It also seems to me that the overall sound of the speakers has become more coherent - ie giving even more of a single sound source impression than previously.This is a widely recommended tweak for those having the metal horns. There is less agreement about the value of this treatment regarding the newer composite fiber horns. Resealing the Bass Bin Access Door The driver access panel on the bass bin is sealed with a rubber gasket which can become brittle over the years and cause bass response to degrade slightly. I used the same butyl rubber tape mentioned earlier in my post to replace the gaskets on my bass bins. I was unable to hear any difference but then I should point out that the original gaskets on my horns were in virtually like new condition. Had they been leaky I might have heard a change. A word of caution however- The wires leading from the woofer to the connecton the outside of the access panel are very short and the door is heavy enough to tear the wires from the woofer's terminals. If you open the door be careful to avoid stressing the connection at the speaker. Sealing the bass bins to the walls HOO HAH new horns Simply using a few dollars worth of closed cell foam pipe insulation to seal the tailboard tightly to the adjoining walls at the corner took my horns to a new level. Tighter and more powerful bass and greatly improved midrange sound are the result. My wife was out when I did this and walked into the living room on her arrival and said "That record sounds great now !! Why does it sound so much better ?" Untried mod - Grippers HDRBuilder ( Who built speakers for the Klipsch factory for several years and has built some lovely Lascala copies ) recommends applying rubbery gripping pads to the underside of Lascala,Belle and Khorn speakers that are on a bare floor. He states that the improvement in low end response is not subtle. Guess what my next project will be ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Lynn, Try a piece of foam between the top of the bass board and the wall to seperate the bass bin from the top for even better coherency. PWK originally built the bass bin with an extended board at the top for this purpose but I guess that since most corners aren't perfectly square he cut them back. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Good point zapper. I did that at the same time as I sealed the tailboard but neglected to mention it in my earlier response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoggy Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Hey royster, my Khorns are 3J512 and 3J513. Very close to your numbers. hoggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted April 15, 2004 Share Posted April 15, 2004 Welcome Roy, I lurked for a month and then joined in. If there are other lurkers out there, don't be bashful. We all like to hear from you. I'd think that a good seal to the wall is the best first mod anyone should do. A lot people like Al K.'s crossovers. I've not tried them but I have used his principles of design. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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