Jump to content

Rope Caulking Works!


milton10

Recommended Posts

I know this has been discussed before, but I need to discuss this for anyone who has not done this. It is really worth it.

Over the last few months, I have noticed that one of my Heresy's midrange seemed to be a bit more "edgy" than the other. The only way that I can describe it is as if one speaker was slighty louder than the other, but not in a good way. Voices seemed to be a bit more shrill, piano notes seemed to blast out in a ragged way. If fact, since the shrill sounding speaker was slightly louder, overpowering the other one, making my system sounded out of balance. I thought to myself - Is it the chair that was nearby? How could that be blocking so much sound? Or maybe my HK-430 is starting to go weak in one channel.


Then I realized that I had only caulked one of my squalkers (while cleaning my storage room I found the other boxes unused). Wow, things have been hectic, but how could I forget that!

Well, I just caulked the other squalker, and wow, what a difference it makes! The system is balanced and smooth. The shrillness is gone too. I never thought that it would make that much difference. If anyone has poo-pooed the idea of caulking the squalker, I am here to say "Just do it!" The cost is just pennies, and oh what a difference!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 100
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

*personal opinion* - not official advice!


It really would do nothing for the composite material horns. It does help to have the rope caulk and horn slightly warm. I did mine in the summer and just set it all out in the sun before wrapping it up and squishing it down.

I did one K400 on my LSI's and could tell the difference at mid-loud volumes, there was no discernable ringing or difference at moderate volumes. Even bolting the horn to the motor board does not stop all the ringing and vibrations imho.

some have used the rubber truck bed spray, but this is not reversible.

If you wish, you can purchase the K401 composite horn from Klipsch parts. They are very reasonably priced.

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will keep repeating this so all concerned will perhaps see it.  I bought a pair of Heresys that had been someone had rope-caulked many years earlier.  It was a pretty extreme case where the guy for some reason put that nasty stuff all over the tweeter, midrange horn and driver, the crossover and the woofer.  The junk had been in there long enough that the rope-caulk had started to de-compose and the oil had dripped out of it and was all over the cabinet and even some of it on the woofer cone.  When I tried to remove it, the sorry stuff had hardened and took all the paint off the horn and all other parts it had been applied to.  


Anyway, now if I have a ringing problem with a horn, I tighten up the screws holding the horn to the motor board real good.

Bob Crites

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with Bob, just another version of snake oil. Course my ears ring all the time anyway so it doesn't really matter to me[D]

After hearing the difference in my Heresy's I will have to wholehartedly disagree. The difference in ny speakers is obvious. I did not start this thread for a flame war, only to report something that I felt was worthwhile.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with Bob, just another version of snake oil. Course my ears ring all the time anyway so it doesn't really matter to me[D]

 

After hearing the difference in my Heresy's I will have to wholehartedly disagree.   The difference in ny speakers is obvious.  I did not start this thread for a flame war, only to report something that I felt was worthwhile.


I am not criticizing the goal, just the technique.  If tightening up the horn did not work, you could try a gasket around the mouth flange.  If more is still needed, how about a large package of rubber bands to put around the horn?  Anything except that nasty rope caulk.

Bob Crites.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Snake oil? I don't think Bob is saying that. Anyway, have you tried it? Or ever heard an A / B test? My hearing is very accute to high freq. and I don't buy into most so call mods. but this is not one of them.

I wouldn't think of doing this to the older wooden klipsch mid range horns. No need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dynamat does the same job and may be less messy to use. Just peel and stick (after making some heavy paper templates and cutting to size, of course). There's original Dynamat and the new Dynamat Xtreme, which is thinner but claimed to be more effective. The shiny silver foil also makes it easier to dust (yes, I dust off the horns and crossovers whenever I dust the house, plus the rest of the cabinets and, well, all parts of the system).

post-23736-13819318017034_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with Bob, just another version of snake oil. Course my ears ring all the time anyway so it doesn't really matter to me[D]

After hearing the difference in my Heresy's I will have to wholehartedly disagree. The difference in ny speakers is obvious. I did not start this thread for a flame war, only to report something that I felt was worthwhile.


I am not criticizing the goal, just the technique. If tightening up the horn did not work, you could try a gasket around the mouth flange. If more is still needed, how about a large package of rubber bands to put around the horn? Anything except that nasty rope caulk.

Bob Crites.

Actually, Bob, that is valuable information. Thanks! I did not know that rope caulk would deteriorate with time (and I plan on keeping my speakers for a long time). I will replace with Dynamat Extreme (the stuff with the silver backing) when I get the chance to do so. The important thing to know is that dampening the metal horns DOES make a difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm with Bob, just another version of snake oil. Course my ears ring all the time anyway so it doesn't really matter to me[D]

 

After hearing the difference in my Heresy's I will have to wholehartedly disagree. The difference in ny speakers is obvious. I did not start this thread for a flame war, only to report something that I felt was worthwhile.


I am not criticizing the goal, just the technique. If tightening up the horn did not work, you could try a gasket around the mouth flange. If more is still needed, how about a large package of rubber bands to put around the horn? Anything except that nasty rope caulk.

Bob Crites.

 

Actually, Bob, that is valuable information.  Thanks! I did not know that rope caulk would deteriorate with time (and I plan on keeping my speakers for a long time).  I will replace with Dynamat Extreme (the stuff with the silver backing) when I get the chance to do so. The important thing to know is that dampening the metal horns DOES make a difference. 


Well, let me try to get you to do something less extreme.  I don't like the dynamat stuff either.  Not because it doesn't work, I am sure it does, but I think it is extreme also.  

I had a K-400 horn on the bench yesterday doing some driver testing. It was ringing, but stopping the ringing is easy.  Almost anything stops it.  My hand on the horn, a towel draped over the horn, or securely mounting the horn on a motor board.  Just about anything stops the ringing.  In a speaker, I have always been able to stop the ringing by either just tightening up the mounting screws or in the worst case, once I had to put a gasket around the horn flange to isolate it from the motor board.  I think the next step, with those things failing would be to try a bunch of the thick rubber bands around the horn.  Never got to that point yet, but I can't imagine not being able to stop the resonance some way short of completely coating the horn with something.  How about the stretch-able rubber tie down straps?  There just has to be a way to do that without doing permanent damage to the speakers. 

By the way, dynamat is terrible to remove.  

Bob Crites
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always wondered if a 1" throat 2" diaphragm driver could actually produce enough energy to get a horn ringing. Oh, I damp horns because it certainly can't hurt but on the other hand I can't say I ever heard it make a difference. Maybe......but nothing that ever jumped out, that I could really be sure of.

Berenek's Law may be at work here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My agreement with Bob is in the technique used to eliminate the bell effect of the horn. If you were to hang the horn from a string and hit it with a stick, it will ring just like a bell; place the horn on a table bell side down and the ringing will be a thunk. Just the same as if you took a brass bell and sit it on a table the ring will not be there. Tighten the screws or replace the gasket. That should do it and not make a mess of your speakers. [D]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With all due respect Bob, is it the single instance of rope caulk turning into goo that you dislike? Or do you think that any of these processes are for naught? (dynamat, rope caulk, truck bed spray, etc.)

I will concede that the pressure exerted on the horn walls is much less than the 'thunk test' described by several here.

There are several members here who claim to have heard a difference, and Klipsch changed the manufacturing to a more non-resonant material and design. Personally I think there is something to dampening, even if the horn is well secured to a motor board. I might mention that in my case, the LSI split motor board is only 1/2" thick, secured to the cabinet by 6 screws, so might not exert the amount of dampening exhibited by a K400 in a standard glued and screwed LS enclosure.

Michael

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...