SilverSport Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 I just got a pair of 1984 KHorns with AK-2 crossovers...a previous owner has cut all the wires and electrical taped them up and then cut them again...I have a mess...the AK-2s look SO different from any pics I see posted here of other crossovers as well as my Heresys...soldered connections instead of screw terminals...plus I am missing one of the four fuse holders in the bass bin door... Since I believe I will need to start at the beginning...should this have been screw terminals and it was converted to soldered connections, can it be changed back? Did it come this way (soldered) from Klipsch Would it be less of a headache to just change out the crossovers to something else??? I thought I read here on the forum that ALK crossover replaced the bass bin door connectors as well (that too is a mess...wires just torn out) All the speakers LOOK okay but I have yet to hear them connected due to this mess of crossovers. Any help would be appreciated... Thanks, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 ALK, also BEC, maybe DeanG and a few others, all very nice, very helpful guys, should be able to help you straighten things out, and point you towards new crossovers, as you will soon see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricktate Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 We will need pics if possible and you will need to see pics of crossovers and schematics to.If the wires are all messed up and you dont know much about crossovers wait till some of us reply with pics,,,you can ruin tweeters very easy if not already blown.The wiring is basic stuff but looks hard at first just wait if you can till your sure.Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 The AK-2 does not have a terminal strip, all connections are soldered directly to the drivers and components on the network. I would just run new wiring, don't add a terminal strip you would just be adding more connections into the mix. The AK-2 is very easy to upgrade to an AK-3 which is a good network. You need to change three components on each board. You need to change the capacitance in the woofer bin from its current 140uf (there are dual 70uf Aerovox caps in there) to 100uf. I used a single 100uf Solen but dean said that dual 50uf's will have less loss. Then you need to change the coil in the midrange circuit from a 4mh to a 5mh, and lastly you need to replace the T5A autoformer with a T4A or equivalent. Violah! AK-3! The fuse holder/holder cap should be easy to replace/fix. Radio Shack may have what you need, if not call Klipsch parts for identical replacements. Need help? Email me. I opted not to replace the AK-2 networks in mine I just upgraded them to AK-3 functionality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted March 11, 2005 Author Share Posted March 11, 2005 Guys trust me...I won't mess with anything because that is what I would be left with...A MESS... ...Now that I am realizing that they came soldered from the factory...I just need to replace the spliced and taped wires with new and reconnect...Can I just get AK-3s from the factory or the 'bay??? Are they reasonable in price? I guess what I really mean might it be less to just get new AK-3s than to unsolder, remove old wiring, replace all the stuff and resolder as I am not handy (read, never really did this before) with a soldering gun...thanks for the help guys... Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 If the AK-3's are available, I doubt they are though they would cost you a bundle buying them from Klipsch on the order of $500-$600 or more for the pair. The current upgrade to the AK-4 with the new K-55X midrange and K-77X tweeter will cost you around $1800. If it were me, I would replace the butchered wiring first, then relax and listen a little. They sound fine with the AK-2's it is just that the AK-2 is considered a dog of a crossover by many. I did not perform the upgrade because the speakers did not sound good I just wanted to see if I could improve on them some but the improvement was not leaps and bounds better. It would be cheaper to have BobC, DeanG, or ALK work you up a set of networks if you felt it necessary to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 If you are even entertaining the thought of spending $500-600 for a set of networks, I can highly recommend AL Ks Type A. Crystal clear sound with the added advantage of easily tuning the squaker to your room and ears. Did I mention the clarity? Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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