Jump to content

KG 4.2 Water Damage


fredzy

Recommended Posts

I have a pair of Klipsch KG 4.2s which were sitting in about 3-4 inches of water, when my basement flooded. Unfortunately afterward, I could hear water swishing around inside, and after I let them dry out, the bottom of the cabinets warped outward.

I am concerned about hooking them up to my amplifier: where is the crossover located ?

Are they beyond help, now that Klipsch no longer makes the KG4's, or is there anyway to have them repaired ?

Thanks,

CG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Believe it or not, they'll probably still work. The crossovers are attached to the rear of the terminal cups, where you attach your speaker cables.

That kind of damage is typically near impossible to repair. Lucky you -- you get to go speaker shopping!! Yeah I know, it sucks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome and sorry to hear about your trouibles. As Dean indicated unless the water rose to about an inch or so of where you hook up the speaker wires the crossovers should be fine.

As far as warpage I'm not sure I can't recall if the 4.2's are totally sealed units but I think they are. In that case a close inspection of the bottom joints when they have completly dried is in order. If you are comfortable with this remove the passive woofer (it's four philips head screws, disconect the wiring and lay the woofer to the side. Turn off the lights and run a pen light along the bottom joints while looking inside the case to see if any light comes through. You may have to use a small hand held mirror inside the case to see verything. If it does you can mark the spots and use some wood filler to restore the integrity of the speakers. You could then prime and paint the speakers a satin black to reduce the visual impact of the warpage.

If these speakers are ported you could tape a vacum cleaner hose to the port, turn on the cleaner and place some tissue paper as various points along the bottom to see if air is coming out.

Unless the warpage is very large they should sound the same as before they got wet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thebes -

Thanks for the repair tips.

In case my basment floods again, I am considering placing the KG4.2s on approx. 1 foot high speaker stands. I realize they are designed to be put on the floor, but does anyone have any comments on what the acoustic impact would be of doing so.

CG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/18/2004 7:45:31 PM DeanG wrote:

The crossovers are attached to the rear of the terminal cups, where you attach your speaker cables.

That's incorrect -- at least according to the KG4.2 that I once owned. On mine, the crossover was on a square PCB that was mounted to the back wall of the cabinet above the terminal cup. It's quite possible a different installer (at Klipsch) could elect to mount the lower -- or even on the inside bottom -- as long as there is enough wire length to do so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/19/2004 5:42:13 PM fredzy wrote:

In case my basment floods again, I am considering placing the KG4.2s on approx. 1 foot high speaker stands. I realize they are designed to be put on the floor, but does anyone have any comments on what the acoustic impact would be of doing so.

IMO, they would sound better on stands. Without a stand the horn would be too low -- unless you're setting on the floor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I bought my 4.2's new some time ago. Good speaker. These came with spikes attached and are sitting on 2" concrete pads. Sound much better.

I would open that thing up by removing the lower speaker and get any water out of there then let it air dry for a few days. Then see about repairing the damage to the cabinet.

GoodLuck....14.gif Pat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear about the water damage. MDF really does not like water. The fiber swells. You see this in cabinets in the kitchen and bath were there has been water damage. The plastic laminate is pushed out of shape. (I used to live in a crummy apartment and the vanity had this problem.)

You should check out the product section on the main menu of the home page. Your speaker is in the "classic classics." No picture though.

It indicates that yours is a sealed unit. One of the woofers is active, meaning it is driven by a voice coil and magnet. The other is passive or a drone, meaning it functions sort of like a port. No magnet, no wires. I suspect the bottom unit is the passive one.

I do agree that this system will not work properly if the swelling of the wood has caused an air leak. The box must be air tight to function well.

You can test for this integrity. With spread fingers, push in on one bass driver, moving it about 1/8 inch and hold it. If the box is sealed (no leak), the other one should move out immediately in time and not move back in.

In my experience with Forte and Quartets (similar drone, but on the back) is that it will hold this for at least 15 seconds, but I've not tested how long before some of the pressure bleeds off.

I think you should dry out the interior of the box in any event, and check out the crossover. My guess is that this will require unscrewing one of the bass units. I'll suggest the bottom-most one. I haven't worked on your type of speaker, but I expect it is like my Forte and Quartets.

Even in pristine condition, the MDF is fragile. Reinstalling the screws can strip out the "threading" (such as it is) of the MDF. My thought is that you can reinforce the screw holes with some super glue before buttoning things up. Be careful not to over-torque. Just snug.

Of course you do this work with the speaker box on its back.

Please let us all know what you find. We're all ready to help you. Send photos if you can.

Best,

Gil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll see if I can get some digital photos this evening.

What is everyone's opinion on Gil's 15 second hold time while pushing the woofer. I have some KG2s as well and don't remember them holding that long. Can anyone else test their's.

CG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry about the poor quality of these pictures; Interestingly, the inside looks intact, yet the rear bottom is obviously bowed out. Unfortunately, the speakers are now failing Gil's test and have gotten worse each day as the wood splits further apart. Though I do not see any light coming through as someone else suggested. Guess I will be going speaker shopping. One solution I thought of is using a subwoofer: that way I might still be able to use the traxis horn tweeters. Or else, what do you guys think of the new Klipsh cinema or other series currently available ?

CG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd say that you should let things dry out. Then caulk the seams from the inside as best possible. My guess is that they will meet the test.

Of course if you want an excuse to buy new speakers . . . .

A fine fellow from the forum sent me a CD Rom with EV plans for corner horn home construction. They had a procedure for testing the integrity of the back chamber with an improvised manomometer. Water in a tube. I think they used 15 seconds as a test period. That may be my sub-conscious reason for the time period.

It seems an undemanding test. But we don't need too much integrity.

Sealed back chambers were described by Harry Olson. AR made a lot of money on the "acustic suspension" theory and of course the Heresy uses this too.

Somewhere long ago I read that at least one manufacturer included a metal insert with a microscopic hole to create a leak. This was on the theory that changes in barometric pressure, from the weather, could press the diaphragm out of the neutral position, except for the designed-in air leak.

Don't take my test a gospel. On the other hand, I've not seen any info setting a standard. We just have to make some common sense estimates based on armchair physics.

Best,

Gil

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you want an excuse to go by new, you got it. If you want to try to save the ones you have now, build a new box that is just tall enough to cover the damaged part. Shave off enough of the swollen wood, goop up the insides of the new box with silicone and slide the old box down into the new base. Good as new. Paint to your liking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't give up on those speakers yet. It doesn't look the the crossovers were affected at all. Let them finish drying and give them a listen, they may sound exactly the same. If there're a little flat , or sound a little off, try the caulking method from the inside. Let the caulk cure at least six hours and try them again.

As to new speakers, there's plenty of people here to give you info, but you'll have to provide some basic information like will you be using them primarily for music or Home theater. Room, size, type of music you like, amp or receiver you'll be driving them with etc. You'll get some good dguidance here and then you can go try them out and let your own ears make the final call.

Keep us posted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...