klipschorn width 12"

[userk]

hello.

I have a question about the subwoofer part of the klipschorn. It is made with a 15" driver. i heard from versions with a 12" driver.

are these earlier versions? what are the differences between 12" and 15" versionen relating to frequency, construction and dB ?

[jdm56]

userk,

The low frequency section of the klipschorn, though not technically a "sub" woofer, as it operates from approximately 35hz to 400hz, has used a single 15" driver for years and years, if not since inception. Perhaps you are thinking of the new, as yet unreleased Klipschorn Jubilee. It utilizes two twelve inch woofers. The only specs I have seen for it showed similar bass extension (I believe it was to 38hz), and one decibel higher rated system sensitivity. Perhaps someone with better knowledge of klipsch history can answer definitively as to whether their is a twelve inch woofer'd k-horn in the deep, dark past.

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JDMcCall

[WMcD]

I dont have all the references here - but.

The prototypes of the K-Horn as shown in the Acoustical Society of America articles uses a 12

inch driver. The structure had a rapid flare in the first section. Therefore the effective throat size

was small at high frequencies and larger at low frequencies, following a design of Harry Olsen of

RCA. Klipsch called this a rubber throat. Which led to confusion by home builders who read

the original article.

There was an interview of PWK by Bruce Edgar (Edgarhorn) in SpeakerBuilder, A Trip to the

Klipsch Kingdom. PWK describes that he switched to a 15 inch driver. This eliminated the

rubber throat. The flare over all is more or less constant.

The question remaining is whether any early production units were made with a 12 inch driver

before the switch to the 15 inch. Ill give you some data and make a guess.

The Dope From Hope Vol. 12, No.5 describes Updating Klipschorn Loudspeakers. It states, in

part. Any Klipschorn with serial number 120 or above may be brought up to current

performance. The following changes have been made over the years, and may be retrofitted:

Bass Horn Motor:

Stephens P52LX2

Stephens 103LX2

EV 15 WK.

Klipsch K-33-J

Klipsch K-33-P

Klipsch K-33-E

I dont know the size of the Stephens units but the others are 15 inch units. Therefore Ill guess

the Stephens are too.

My recall is that PWK stated that serial numbers started with 100. This was to give the impression

that more had been made at the beginning than actually were.

My guess is that the first 19 units cant be retrofitted with a 15 inch unit because they have 12

inch units. Strictly my guess.

I believe one of the 19 is in the Klipsch Museum. So there may be 18 units out there someplace

with a 12 inch driver. Maybe one could be found for a comparison. Maybe.

Gil

This message has been edited by William F. Gil McDermott on 09-27-2001 at 06:35 PM

[Malcolm]

Perhaps userk is thinking of the the Klipsch Shorthorn 12 which had a 12" woofer? It was produced between 1956 and 1965, along with the Shorthorn 15 which had a 15" woofer. With the possible exception of the very earliest 19 units that Gil mentioned, I believe all Klipschorns have 15" woofers. Over the years several woofers have been used (see Gil's list), a few different squakwers (University SA-HF, K55V, K55M), at least a couple of tweeters (University 4401, K77, K77M), and several variations of the crossover. There is not much difference in low end performance between them. It is pretty much a factor of the design of the horn, not the woofer itself. Crossover frequency from woofer to squawker may have changed a bit when Klipsch went from the SA-HF to the K55V. But they all sound pretty much alike to me. The Stephens and EV woofers were probably the best. Most of the changes Klipsch made in the Heritage line over the years seem to be due cost or availability of speakers.

[WMcD]

Sorry the text of mine above is so ragged. I imported it from a word processor.

Malcolm brings us some other designs which did not come to mind. But he is right on point, naturally.

I recall that the Shorthorn family might even have had an 8 inch driver.

One problem we have here is terminology. Sometimes any horn design by PWK is called a Klipschorn.

Gil

[djk]

The first Klipschorns used a Jensen 12A fieldcoil woofer with an Fs of 63hz.I don't know when they changed.I used to own serial number 253 dated 12/17/53(it now resides at a friend's house where it has a similar vintage mate).

[John Warren]

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