Best model year for the Horns?

[wormdoggy]

Was there any model year that was the best production year for the horns due to material useage etc. I heard or read, can't remember which, that the mid 80's was the best production years.

Cheers, close your eyes and listen to the music.

[D-MAN]

I would go with late 70's as they were still made with plywood rather than MDF.

DM

[3dzapper]

Why 1977 of course!!!!!!!!!!

From what I have read by others, 2003/4 with the latest upgrades aren't bad either. For that matter there isn't a bad year at all except for the short period right after the AA was replaced. That can easily be corrected with a set of ALK networks.

Rick

[radiob]

I had a pair of 89s and a pair of 77s, I favor the 77s.

[WMcD]

Our good moderator pointed out that MDF is still not used on the bass bin. Probably any piece with veneer has MDF under it. But that is all.

Gil

[djk]

I like the AA over the early versions of the AKs

I would rather have a Baltic Birch cabinet bass horn rather than the later Luan (mid 80s)

K77M + Z-brackets

K55V w/solder lugs

K400 + damping

Probably 1978~1982 for me.

[JohnA]

I agree with djk. You might have to ad your own Z-brackets to that year range, though, but it's worth it.

[wormdoggy]

Hmmmmmmm........can't seem to find the birth year of my speakers, only the serial number. Can anyone tell me the year my speakers were produced given the serial number.

Serial Number : 125890/125891 or 12S890/12S891. Can really determine if it's an " S" or "5".

Thanks in advance.

[Huhuru]

wormdoggy

Try this link:

http://home.earthlink.net/~ivol/klipsch_cornwall/klipsch_date_codes.htm

Huhuru

[wormdoggy]

Thanks Huhuru;

My birth year is 1978. Now if I only new the day and month, we could have a birthday party every year.

Oh Yeah.......I'm sure my my wife would like that???? She already thinks I'm nuts the way I treat the Horns.

Cheers

[Deang]

I sure don't understand the bias against MDF. If there is one speaker that benefits from the additional mass loading and density -- it's the Klipschorn. If I lay my hand flat across the front of the baffle while they are going at near full throttle -- I feel next to nothing. I especially appreciate the use of it in the top hat section, where I want the horns mounted into something rigid and not prone to resonating.

As Gil pointed out, the new Klipschorn bass bin is still built from plywood, and I've just been told by Trey that it is "9-13 ply birch/hardwood center plywood." So, my vote goes to the current production model, which I strongly feel also benefits greatly from the shaping provided by the new network. It's good that I think this -- cuz I sure spent enough for 'em.

[djk]

"I sure don't understand the bias against MDF. If there is one speaker that benefits from the additional mass loading and density -- it's the Klipschorn"

Not for the bass horn, and Klipsch has never used MDF for the bass horn anyway.

I mentioned Luan, Klipsch started using this in the 80s to save money over the Baltic Birch product. Luan seems to be a close cousin to mahogany and balsa wood. When you pounded Klipschorns made from this they took on a 'woody' tone.

When looking at plywood for marine and aircraft use I found the following note: "a luan based product and does not carry Lloyds of London certification"

Actually, Klipsch did made a speaker out of Balsa wood. It was end-grain construction and cross-laminated with fiberglass.

[JohnA]

I'll have to go with Dean on the newest K-horns, too. They have a driver complement nearly identical to the 1980 +/- models and crossovers made from high quality components.

I thought the question was aimed at older madels.

[D-MAN]

----------------

On 11/20/2004 12:39:25 PM DeanG wrote:

'03 Klipschorns doing Rock'n'Roll

----------------

Yes, nobody would fault you, and stop RUBBING IT IN! Dang!

DM

[D-MAN]

Dean, this year, instead of some horns, I bought a septic tank...(and boy, does it sound like s***).

I would rather have some nice '03 Khorns even if I had to waste them on Rock&Roll!

DM

[3dzapper]

[D-MAN]

Speaking of septic tanks, you know, it has occurred to me that buying a septic tank is EXACTLY the same as flushing your money right down the toilet! EXACTLY-THE-SAME!

Irony can be so ironic sometimes?!

DM

[TBrennan]

I'd want the real early model with the wood radial horn and WE compression driver.

[Champagne taste beer budget]

Now you gone and done pi$$ed me off. Not only don't I have Khorns, but now you have to bring up septic systems, one of which I had installed at our new house this summer, only to have them put it in the wrong place, by like 6 feet, and also not buried deep enough, by like 3 feet, he said/she said/ they said... ended up we split the cost of relocating it, just another $1200 that I can't put towards Khorns.

Then again, I suppose I should get the walls of the listening room up, maybe some sheetrock up, a little soundproofing done, I suppose getting the dedicated electrical lines ran down there would be a good idea... maybe my $1200 has other places to go before I worry about my Khorns.

Thanks for the thread though, will be adding it to my subscriptions so once the time comes I don't have to ask the question over again.

[garymd]

The best khorns I've heard are '03s, probably because I haven't heard '04s.

I used one of my own amps and my own SACD player so I knew to what I was comparing. The AK-4 network is really something and my guess is the MDF HAS improved the resonance factor. I'm referring to Tom Longo's which are set up in a very nice room with perfect corners. I'm sure that was a factor. I have heard khorns sound better but not with the gear I was using. I'm sure Dean's sound great also.