tgourlie Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 I am finally looking to buy some k-horns! The thing is I am a recent grad who really doesn't have loads of money. I have a lot for my situation, but still not rich by any means. The thing is I am buying a new Lincoln, and have to pay chicago rent. So what I am wondering is if I buy a used pair from the 80's (same as my Heresy II's) will I have to make any crossover / driver replacements / enhancements to make them sound as good as the best K-horn? I would sacrifice a few dings for 3 or 4 thousand dollars. But the sound is what matters. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Tgourlie, with all respect, put aside the new Lincoln and go with the new Khorns (about $7,000.) Your new Lincoln will depreciate that much or more as soon as you drive it off the dealer's lot. And you will have to trade it in on something else in a few years. The new Khorns will decrease in used value too. But they "never wear out." You and your heirs will have and enjoy them for decades. They are that legendary and that good. I (aged 61) have a pair of 2003's purchased last year and my two grown sons are already friendly competing over who's going to get 'em. Others please weigh in on this interseting topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 OK I am the other side of this discussion. I say go used. You can rebuild or replace the crossover but you should listen to them first. Another good thing about used is you don't have to do it immediately. You can enjoy them and do you mod's/upgrade you desire at your own pace. 80's vintage KHorns will sound fantastic if set up correctly. Al K sells the crossover parts for his ALK's for about $300 for a set of 2. You can refinish them to what ever you feel would look best in your setting. And as indicated by a previous post they virtually never wear out. I have had my 84 vintage La Scala's for 20 years now and I am just now looking into moving from series AL networks Al K's series A. You will save a ton of money over the new and even replacing parts is not cost prohibitive. Granted new KHorns are a beautiful thing but IMO so are the used ones. The thing you have to decide is how much you are willing to spend, new in my neck of the woods run about $6000-$7000.pair. Used about a third of that depending on their condition. Parts to make them sound new $300 for xovers and maybe a couple hundred for other misc. things they may or may not need. But its your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 DTLongo Your advice is correct. Any Khorn purchased new now will lose value ( in current dollars) to a point but used Khorns generally command a price far higher than what would be expected due to inflation. I recently paid C$2000.00 for a pair of 1982 KHORNS. If someone were to do the math it may well be that I essentially paid new original manufacturer's C$ price for 1982 ! On the other hand a new pair of Khorns in 2003 would cost about C$9000.00 I am a happy man ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Lynn, Actually, when you take inflation into account your 2003 - $2,000 is probably close to $400 - 1982 dollars. So yes, I agree buy used. Refinish and replace crossovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 As others have said your Klipschorns will be a lifetime purchase. To really get 1980's vintage Khorns up to 2004 standards it will cost almost $2000 for the AK-4 kit and you will still have 80's K-horns cosmetically. Help keep Klipsch Heritage in business, order a new pair of Klipschorns and enjoy them into your retirement! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Dear Mr. T. Welcome to the forum and welcome to the 606xx zip code. I'm up in Lincoln park. We can get together sometime. In my view, and that of many others, there are no bad years for K-Horns. We all have some good natured debate over the vintages. It is really quite minor. In making a purchase you'll have to troll e-Bay and check out what you can afford. Consider that shipping costs will be a bigger factor than condition and age. As far as the automobile, I have no advice. Best, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 T, if at all possible, get the Lincoln used. When you drive it off the lot, you lose 20 to 25% off the sticker immediately. What you lose actually will probably be enough to buy a new set of Khorns... There are many satisfied owners of bone stock used Khorns - I'd wager more people don't touch their speakers than those who do science expirements out the wazoo. They already sound great as is, so you might be one of those who came stomach not changing anything. I have owned, used, or heard just about everything, and Khorns (outside the early years) are top notch speakers right out of the starting gate. So, get your priorities in order... Good job with opportunity for advancement. 1) nice apartment with good sound isolation and good corners. 2) nice used lincoln, 1 to 3 years old, maybe a program car. 3) nice set of khorns, used or new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Also, Mr. T., you should keep note of other Klipsch members in the Chicago and Milwaukee area. Further, this summer there is going to be a gathering in Indianapolis. A bunch of us will be travelling there. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 By the time you get used ones to the same level of performance as the current Klipschorn -- you are going to be out about $5K. Look for some 1985 Klipschorns if you are going to buy used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 1985? THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD YEAR FOR K-HORNS?? Hmmm...lemme see...Bois'd Arc started building them around early 1982, and IF HE BUILT the ones from 1985, he would have had about two-three years experience (but only a portion of those years would have been devoted to K-horn construction, alone)...that is good enough I guess...but if anybody else was the builder in 1985, he/she likely had less than 6 months building experience that year...and...of course...all of the old hands at building them who had ten or more years experience were gone by 1983...most were gone BEFORE 1981...so...if you want to relate consistency of quality of BUILD...I wouldn't exactly say 1985 was anywhere NEAR a good year... As for some of the components used in them in 1985...that is debatable too! The good year for a K-horn should be based on a combination of three things...expected QUALITY of build would be MOST important, since that is where the real expense lays....next would be components used...since that is where the middle expense lays...then type and/or consistency of quality of materials used in cabinet construction. 1985 does not top-out on any of these lists! I am not saying that a K-horn built by Bois'd Arc would be a bad one...quite the opposite!!...but he was NOT the only builder in 1985...he just was the only builder at that time who had any REAL experience who was doing it that year!! BTW...I also know who the foreman in the woodshop was that year...and the degree to which a foreman places quality of build in relation to numbers produced has A LOT to do with my perception of the odds of getting a well-built cabinet!! That particular foreman had a LOT of experience in the wood shop, but he was a numbers man...NOT a quality man! He was also the foreman the last couple of years I worked there and we butted heads quite often...especially when he said things like..."don't waste time getting that miter knocked out perfectly evenly on that bowed panel...they can take care of the overhang in the sanding room...and if they sand through the veneer trying to do it, we can just paint it black and ship it out!" It is one thing to tell me that if I am not making an expected quota, but quite another to tell me that when I am exceeding my expected quota by 50% or more daily!! ESPECIALLY when the veneer is something like rosewood on a special order...and it will only take me two seconds to accomplish the job at hand! But, then again, he ran the shop the same way he had built speakers when he was a builder...half-assed, at best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Sorry...double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 picky pick picky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 "By the time you get used ones to the same level of performance as the current Klipschorn -- you are going to be out about $5K." Well, maybe you are correct that it would take $5K to get to the SAME level of performance. But, if you kept the original drivers and built some type 'A' crossovers, you may well EXCEED the level of performance over a new pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Well, Dean...good things DO HAPPEN...and the powers that be at the company finally realized that particular foreman needed to be shown the exit door! Sometimes it takes awhile to realize where a problem really IS...and when it got to a point where enough old hands, or even new hands who were quality-minded, left for other jobs just because they got tired of that clown's harangues about numbers versus quality...and he finally got the fast but sorry builders he wanted....and the quality began to suffer so badly that it brought SERIOUS attention to him...he got canned! The sad part is that he lasted in that position for a number of years before the honchos caught on to him! I just have to say this too...after he becamne foreman, he sometimes built Belles. One day he walked over to me and just asked me "How many returns on cabinets you have built have you had since I became foreman?" I answered "None, as a matter of fact, I have NEVER had a return due to MY building quality! How about you?" He replied "I have had a few, but I have been here twice as long as you have." At that time I had been there building about 5 or so years. As he left my worktable, and headed back to work on one of his Belles, one of the gals from final assembly was rolling one of his Belles back to him for a needed repair due to his building quality. I laughed so hard, my eyes teared up, and I couldn't see what I was doing, but I continued building "blind"...and nothing I built that day came back either! In the over seven years I was there, I had NO RETURNS due to my building quality at all! That in itself means more to me, PERSONALLY, than anything else I accomplished there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwatkins Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 I am on the side of new. I did so many moons ago for both a set of Khorns and a set of Heresy. The reason is much the same as others - These speakers can be a cornerstone to your system and if you are looking for the right start, new is generally the best fit and finish. Take care of the new speakers and you will find they remain attractive for quite some number of decades. You can get cheaper used, but many of us here like to tinker and piddle with wood work. Used is my preference at the moment, but if I was building a new house I would be getting new. When I was like you and just starting out I did what was suggested earlier - I bought a used car and new speakers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev313 Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 Greetings from 60659. Skip the Lincoln - where you gonna park it?? Take the el, save money, support Klipsch and buy new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J M O N Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 So HDBR, how long was he there? I have a pair of 1987 Khorns, was that a good/decent year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 "Well, maybe you are correct that it would take $5K to get to the SAME level of performance. But, if you kept the original drivers and built some type 'A' crossovers, you may well EXCEED the level of performance over a new pair". The Type A sends excessive energy to the tweeter. PWK designed the AA for reason. At any rate, superior performance out of the Klipschorn comes by going forward, not backward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted April 4, 2004 Share Posted April 4, 2004 ---------------- On 4/4/2004 9:32:41 PM DeanG wrote: "Well, maybe you are correct that it would take $5K to get to the SAME level of performance. But, if you kept the original drivers and built some type 'A' crossovers, you may well EXCEED the level of performance over a new pair". The Type A sends excessive energy to the tweeter. PWK designed the AA for reason. At any rate, superior performance out of the Klipschorn comes by going forward, not backward. ---------------- I'll have to disagree. I had a chance to compare 2 pairs of Khorns, in the same system and same room (different corners though). A 1981 and an early 90's. Both were for sale and I had to pick the one I liked best. Ended up buying the 1981 with AA crossovers, metal K400 horn and K55V, which sounded better to my ears than the other pair with K401 and K55M (Can't remember the crossovers on that one but they were too complex). The type A further improved the sound of my Khorns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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