Homebrew Klipschhorns

[Nat]

A friend of my wife is moving, and she mentioned that her husband had some speakers and that, rather than moving them, they were interested in selling them. My wife offered me up as being likely to be interested or at least be helpful.
The speakers were built by the husband from plans, and from the pictures I've been shown, they are pretty clearly Klipschhorns. They look well done, but they are painted white(!) and are recessed into alcoves in the wall so nothing but the front and the first few inches of the sides are visible - this doesn't seem like ideal positioning for corner horns, but it does mean the horns don't dominate the room the way they would have otherwise.
At any rate, I'm trying to find out more about what I should ask about them. I know the drivers Klipsch used changed over the years, so identifying them is probably important. Did the enclosure design itself change? And were there significant changes to the crossover?
I imagine that I can only ask about potential value in the dollars and sense section, but in general, how do the prices of homebrew Klipschs compare with factory built, and how much do prices depend on year?

 

[winters860]

Most likely suspects would be kit-built Speakerlab K, which would conform in specs and components to late-70s, early-80s Klipschorns.

 

[SiliconTi]

Well, FWIW, around here, Speakerlab K-Horns are a tough sell. An OK set was on CL for months at $200. They may be worth more as parts depending on the drivers. I hate to say that...

 

[Nat]

I'd thought about that, but dismissed the idea because I thought I remembered the Speakerlab version having the horns vertically (which would make sense acoustically), but now I realize I was thinking of Speakerlabs biggest standard enclosure speaker.

Around here is not that far from around there - New Hampshire and Connecticut. I actually remember a pair of Khorns being offere used in a stereo place in Concord NH for several hundred bucks years ago. I thought the price very low, but attributed it to the flowers that had been painted on the front of the speakers in faux early american style.

 

[moray james]

if you are interested in the speakers and the price is right then listen to them and see what you think. For the cost of a can of spray paint and your time they can be any color you want. You can play with drivers and crossovers later. If you have a symmetrical room with solid corners then you should be good to go. These just might be that last loudspeaker you ever own.

 

[Coytee]

Or....your friend can make sure they work.... put something impressive on while showing the house and charge an extra $10,000 (or some number) for the house since they're included.

My interpretation of your comments is that they're essentially built in?? If so, it would probably be easier to do that than yank them out and have to fix the corners.

 

[Nat]

Well, apparently the moving company is willing to toss them in cross country for not much, and I'm urging him to take them. As Morayjames says, they may be the last speaker one tries. And the guy's father built them. So I hope he takes them.