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the Kg3.2 blues . . . turn to joy!


mspa

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Call this a rant if you want, but I'm a bit frustrated.

As I posted on another thread, I am trying to find a rubber surround repair kit for the passive woofer on a pair of Kg3.2s I just bought. The two most promising sources have told me I have to go to Klipsch. A rep at Klipsch tells me I have to buy a new woofer.

So does it make sense to spend $81.15, plus tax and shipping for one passive woofer, hoping that the other surrounds don't give out? I don't think so. I see repair kits for just about every other speaker make out there. Does Klipsch do this in an attempt to maintain control over how their speakers soundin terms of not letting DIYer's or repair shops fixing? It's not like my wanting to fix a pair of old speakers is going to cost them the sale of a pair of new speakers, which I can't afford . . . but if I go down the road of buying new replacement speakers for these, I could essentially buy a new pair of speakers, if other components give out soon. It's almost like these speakers are expendable, or disposable. It's crazy to me.

I am hoping someone can explain this to me . . . if I'm budget conscious, are Klipsch not the speaker for me?

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I'm at the point I would spend the money, but unfortunately I heard back from custumer service at Klipsch saying the ACTIVE woofer is $81.15 and available. They do NOT have the passive woofer anymore. My preference at this point will be to find a replacement somewhere in the USA . . . until then, I'll probably live with the tear.

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I'm at the point I would spend the money, but unfortunately I heard back from custumer service at Klipsch saying the ACTIVE woofer is $81.15 and available. They do NOT have the passive woofer anymore. My preference at this point will be to find a replacement somewhere in the USA . . . until then, I'll probably live with the tear.

That is unfortunate. I would ask around at some of the major recone companies. There are several. Pick up the phone and give them a call.

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I would look into the DIY route. I have done suround repairs with both foam and rubber surround with great success. The local shop that I purchase my parts form is South Florida Speaker Repair. The last pair that I did for a friend were on a pair of Boston Acoustics. the total cost was less than $20(both speakers) including the glue. Fixed in a day including drying and reassembly. If the rest of the surround is in good condition and you are not a perfectionest, you could try some RTV/silicon. It glues it together but does not harden so natural movement is still there. Probably a $2 fix.

Good Luck

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I may take the DIY route this weekend, but I will still keep my eyes out for a replacement woofer in perfect condition. I realize that the passive woofer for the Kg4.2 series is exactly the same, so it opens up my possibilities a little.

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The passive is tuned to the cabinet and woofer, changing the surround from the original may have an effect on the sound. The suspension would be looser with a foam surround. Passive are weighted, to control the frequincy.

The 4.2 and 3.2 used the same one, but there is no longer stock. They were both built untill 1994, 14 years old now. Can't keep replacment parts forever.

Best suggestion would be a recone service, check with www.woofer.com I have suggested him for years.

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Thanks Steve. I sent an email.

I did hear back from one shop that thinks they may have the speaker I need. We'll see. And I'll update the thread as soon as something new comes up. Thanks everybody for your encouragement. If I'm learning one thing, it's definitely patience. :)

matt

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Well, I bid on that auction and then today found a NOS passive woofer and bought that . . . had it shipped. So the blues turn into the bright blue sky of audio joy :)

Thanks for the encouragement guys, and all the info. I'll let you know if the NOS woofer is what I think it is.

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I got the NOS passive woofer today! It came in the original box from Klipsch back in 1995. It did not have the thin foam gasket to go between it and the speaker, but I went ahead and installed it and it works just fine. Do I need to have a thin gasket in there?

I also ordered the Bob Crites Titanium diaphragms today . . .

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They were $52 plus shipping.

I haven't listened much yet, and my sound source wasn't ideal . . . but since I did one speaker and hooked up to go back and forth with the balance knob, I could hear the biggest difference on classical in that the highs were smoother. The upgrade delivers a refined improvement. Granted, if the setup/sound source were better than what I have, I'm convinced I would hear a bigger difference. But even so, it's enough to make the expense worth it to me.

The way I look at it, is if the speakers are "keepers", then any investment I make that delivers improved sound and more enjoyable experience, and joy of ownership, it's worth every penny.

At some point, I will have to make a decision on how I want to approach the crossovers. That should be even more significant, but I knew that I wouldn't do that without FIRST replacing the diaphragms.

One last thought is if I buy any other Klipsch speakers (vintage), I will most likely assume I will make the same upgrade :)

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