Klipsch K-5 midrange horn

[artto]

Anyone have pictures and/or drawings/description of the K-5 horn?

[WMcD]

Yes, I posted the article by PWK, on 03-01-2005 in technical questions. "A High Quality Loudspeaker of Small Dimensions."

The problem is getting there. I can't get the search function to work very well. If you search for K-5 under my name in technical questions you will eventually get there.

You should also look for my post of the article on the K-400 again in technical questions with my name. It has a frequency response and some comments on the K-5 and the US Patent Number for the K-5 . . . as well as info on the K-400 of course.

Then you can visit the USPTO site to find that patent. Search by patent number and click on "image". You'll need the special plug in (Alternatiff) to view and print the image. Some browsers can view the .tiff but I've had no luck printing without the plug in.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Gil

[artto]

thanks Gil. Thats what I thought it was. Was that horn made from wood?

[WMcD]

There were a number of version of this, so don't take all of the following as absolute.

The first section moving away from the driver (i.e. the throat) was metal. It is only about two inches in length. It is where the height is kept constant and the the expansion is in the horizontal plane.

The rest appears to be wood or wood product. The sides appear to be plywood to me. The top and bottom seem to be a type of Masonite.

Overall, it resemble a radial horn.

But it looks to me that PWK was making a "conical" type bell just like Keele would years later. The sides are planar and have the shape of a truncated triangle (the base is the mouth). Then the top and bottom are defined by that shape swept through 90 degrees. However, PWK was keeping the expansion area exponential by the use of interior vanes.

Keele in What's So Sacred About Exponential Horns credits the K-5 has being the first constant directivity horn. Keele uses a hyperbolic expansion at the throat to better match to the conical section, and then an additional flare at the mouth.

Gil

[djk]

I owned Klipschorn serial number 253, dated Dec. 17, 1953.

The K5J in it may have beeen replace at a later date. Mine had solid sides that looked like clear spruce, the top and bottom curves were a very thick greenish-blue fiberglass. Early K-5s had a tan/beige colored plastic for the curved portion that warped and could make 'clacking' noises when driven loud. Klipsch replaced these on request (as I think mine had been). The squawker was the SAHF, the tweeter a chrome T-35 (an update).

Serial number 253 is currently owned by Ken Filardo, he has a similar vintage mate. Ken uses a pair of McIntosh MC-30 to drive them, and has an EV Sentry IV (dual 12" folded horn) and a third MC-30 for the center channel.

[Deang]

K5J

That clears up something I've wondered about from time to time. I've seen references to the 'K5', and the 'J5', but have never been able to find any data on them -- now I know why.

[artto]

Thanks guys. I have the early white papers on it, but I didn't see any reference to K-5-** . Since I've never seen one, except for drawings or old pictures I wasn't sure what it was made of. Some guy on Ebay was selling a single 57' Khorn which he claims is authentic and I didn't think so. This clears things up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KLIPSCH-KLIPSCHORN-SINGLE-CORNER-LOUDSPEAKER_W0QQitemZ5831752187QQcategoryZ61378QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[djk]

600hz University H-600 mid horn, not Klipsch.

[Tom Mobley]

here's a couple pics of mine, these are dated in 12/59

[Tom Mobley]

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[Tom Mobley]

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