This past week, I gave my KLH 6’s a much-needed visual upgrade with some new grille frames and cloth. These are, of course, the later Model Sixes with the removable panel’s, so the job is considerably easier than on the older, completely-sealed variety (what on earth was the thinking behind that?). They sound gorgeous to my ears, perhaps some of the most musically balanced speakers I’ve ever heard, but visually, they were a bit ratty. The cloth was yellowed and stained, and the panels were severely warped and had a tendency to fall off, so off they went.
I got a yard of white hopsack linen from Jo-Ann’s for about $10, and a 2x4 of Masonite from Lowe’s. This seemed to be the best match for the old cloth, with the same coarse-ish pattern. The original Masonite frames were utterly broken right in the weak spot where the woofer cut-out is at it’s widest, so I traced and cut out two new frames. Then I washed, starched, and ironed the new cloth, and cut out enough to cover each frame with an inch or so of clearance. The originals were stapled on, but a hot-glue gun works just as well. Make sure it’s a nice, tight fit, otherwise the cloth will sag or billow whenever the bass kicks in. If you make a mistake, or want a backup pair, you’ll have more than enough material to make two pairs of new grilles.
Next up, I might reseal the surrounds once the stuff becomes available again next week, and maybe check the crossover caps, but as they are, they look and sound fantastic!
I got a yard of white hopsack linen from Jo-Ann’s for about $10, and a 2x4 of Masonite from Lowe’s. This seemed to be the best match for the old cloth, with the same coarse-ish pattern. The original Masonite frames were utterly broken right in the weak spot where the woofer cut-out is at it’s widest, so I traced and cut out two new frames. Then I washed, starched, and ironed the new cloth, and cut out enough to cover each frame with an inch or so of clearance. The originals were stapled on, but a hot-glue gun works just as well. Make sure it’s a nice, tight fit, otherwise the cloth will sag or billow whenever the bass kicks in. If you make a mistake, or want a backup pair, you’ll have more than enough material to make two pairs of new grilles.
Next up, I might reseal the surrounds once the stuff becomes available again next week, and maybe check the crossover caps, but as they are, they look and sound fantastic!
