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Story of a HornEd center channel conversion of a KG 3.2


mistercareful

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In order to help anyone converting a KG 3.2 to a center channel, I am relating my experience here. Upon testing my surround system front three speakers with pink noise from the Avia test disc, I noticed that the center, a KV 2, sounded distinctly different than the left and right KG 3.5s, even though the KV2 is supposed to be a match for the 3.5s (according to the KV 2 specs on the Klipsch site). In reading this forum, I came across HornEd's idea of converting a non-center channel speaker to a center channel speaker. Since the KG 3.5 was too tall/long for my cabinet, I purchased a used KG 3.2 on Ebay, assuming that since they use the same tweeter and woofer part numbers (according to the Klipsch site) they would sound the same. Putting the 3.2 in place of the KV 2 without yet converting the 3.2, the 3.2 sound distinctly different on pink noise than the 3.5s. After removing the horns from the 3.2 and 3.5 tweeters, I noticed that the 3.2 diaphragm was smooth to the touch but dull on appearance while the 3.5 diaphragm was tacky when touched but shiny on appearance. Although they show the same part number for both on the web site, K84K, the descriptions are different in one way. The 3.2 tweeter is described as a phenolic dome while the 3.5 tweeter is descibed as a polymer dome. It appears that they are different. I ordered a new K84K tweeter from Klipsch, assuming/hoping that it would match my KG 3.5 tweeters. It matched it in appearance and touch, and more importantly, in sound. After converting the 3.2 to a horizontal center channel, adding bucking magnets, replacing the 3.2 tweeter with a 3.5 tweeter and adjusting the center channel level in the receiver, the pink noise of the center sounds much closer to if not exactly the same as the left and right 3.5s. It seems that if you blew a tweeter in a pair of 3.2s, you should replace both tweeters because you're really going to get a 3.5 tweeter from Klipsch which should be the same but isn't. I hope this is helpful, informative, or at least interesting to anyone with HornEd center channel experience. Thank you HornEd and the other Klipch forum members for all the useful information regarding this conversion! My system sounds better (to me anyway) with this modification.

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Thanks for sharing with us, Mr. C. It looks like great work.

We haven't heard from Horn Ed in a while. His influence continues though.

It is interesting that people are finding shortcomings with smaller center channel speakers and are converting what would otherwise be a flanking speaker to the application.

Gil

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Has any one heard from HornED lately? Wonder what he is up to.

JM

I'm a big fan of the HornEd center channel mod (I've done two of them with great results) and appreciated all of the eloquent and humorous postings he made on this forum, but I regret to inform the members and HornEd fans here that according to a Google search (type in lupin+ed dennis), he may not be the grand character that he presented to us on the forum. It seems he is an intelligent and innovative guy that too often gets caught up in his own larger than life scenarios. Sad...[:(]

Be careful as you poke around those links. Lupin is a nudist resort that he was affiliated with. The one link to an interview done with him provides a picture of his face (and more) that you will recognize from his avatar on this forum.

Again, sorry to be the bearer of this news. If anyone can come up with an alternate perspective, please share...I wish I had one...

Brad

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What is amazing is some of the stories / lies that are on those sites are the same stories he told here.....

He probably never made the horn ed center mods. It was probably someone else and he took pics....

Funny how some poeple think they are someone else.

Just Weird - makes you think !!! He was so convincing.

At least many guys know who I am as many of you have met me and person and have been to my home etc.

JM

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