You could do that, but it is not aesthetically pleasing. I would not recommend that as a good solution.
New (to me) KLH Model 5 Pair
- Thread starter rmoreau61
- Start date
You could do that, but it is not aesthetically pleasing. I would not recommend that as a good solution.
woodj
Super Member
Plus you'd have to seal the other holes anyway.
You could probably get a good seal if you stuffed some Mortite in each hole, but that is not the best or correct way to do it. I say spend an extra hour and use T-Nuts.
Last edited:
It's amazing to me what a fresh coat or 2 of the vintage-ar sealant, plus fresh gasket tape(or whatever your choice of gasket sealer is) does to bring back the bass on these speakers. The sealing of the woofer is to me such an important part of the restoration process. When I acquired my most recent pair of 5's, the imbalance between very pronounced mid/tweeter and lack of bass response made these speakers simply very difficult to listen to. But after doing all of the above, plus sealing the mid box holes and terminal area, the bass is outstanding. I had them on the floor, and frankly it was too much, too boomy. Moved them to my AR stands, and they are perfect. They are giving my Cornwall's a run for their money, and making me forget about missing my sick AR3's. For the people that have difficulty with this speaker I would really make sure you take care of that woofer before doing anything else. Recapping them did not result in the same dramatic improvement, at least for me. Could be because the mids/tweeter on mine were already sounding very good.
gbroot
Super Member
I keep my 5's on stands that are about 8" off the floor with a slight tilt. They're just pine stands purchased from the auction site but do the job very nicely. One AK'er put the 5's right there with his ESL 57's and they've compared up well with speakers such as your Cornwall's. The 5's like other sealed enclosures are unforgiving if any part of the component is "off". These 6's I'm currently working on did not sound good at all when I first got them but all drivers worked. Now their recapped, surrounds resealed, and new gaskets for the woofers are in place. Solens were used on the recap rather than the PE Daytons. These 6's sound so good now I am tempted to AB with my 5's!
I love my Six's( I have 2 pair of very early examples) but the 5's beat them for overall sound. You're right about the 5's needing to be perfect before they sound not only their best, but just good. But I have to repeat that if the caps are old but the mids/tweets are working as they should, it's the woofers leaking that will kill these speakers. The high end is so emphasized that without the bottom they shout at you. Much more then any pair of Klipsch speakers I ever heard. When I read now that the people have found the tonality of the 5 off , I bet it's the speaker simply not being sealed well that is the main cause of it.
c5corvette
Well-Known Member
I too like the Fives off the floor a bit. I too like my Sixes. A-B them just for the fun.
rmoreau61
Well-Known Member
I love the finish on those speakers. Nice wood grain. Look at the reflection of the giraffes!
hi rmoreau61, you may find some help in this thread. http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?/topic/8579-1967-klh-model-5-refurbish-1967/
I am right in Amherst. Let me know if you need any further help.
Geoff
I am right in Amherst. Let me know if you need any further help.
Geoff
Couldbfishin
Couldbfishin
Just started my KLH Model 5 restoration project. It will be my first speaker rebuild. This thread provided some good information. I have a few questions if anyone can help.
1. What is the sealant used on the surrounds of KLH drivers, and where do I get it? Some I have seen is gold color and other is black, why is this?
2. Where can I get a schematic of the crossover? I read in this thread that there are different versions. I will attach photos of the crossover I pulled from my first speaker.
3. I gather everyone has favorite brands for replacement caps and resistors. Would someone please recommend a brand that most people find to be good as well as a source for them?
4. Would someone please point out in my photos the dual caps mentioned in this thread?
5. The midrange drivers tested at 8 ohms. The woofer and tweeter tested at 4 ohms. What does this tell me? Not sure I understand the value of testing ohms on speakers.
6. I bought some 'spare' drivers on eBay. When they arrive how can I test them and pick the best of the lot to use when reassembling the speakers? Other than the condition of the cones, surrounds and dust covers, what can I measure to determine which driver is in the best condition?
7. My JBL drivers all have part numbers to reference them by. I haven't seen part numbers on the KLH drivers. Is there a list of the various drivers and which speakers use them?
8. This speaker has drivers dated primarily 1968, so they are coming up on 50 years old. Other than resealing the cabinet, drivers, and the selectors on the cross over, as well as the passages for the internal wires, is there anything else I should do that has not been mentioned?
I have a single model 6 that I am looking for a mate for. And I have a pair of model 20s. I am anxious to hear these model 5's as they should sound. And, when I have the additional model 6 to make a pair, to compare the model 5s and model 6s. My current speakers in this size range are JBL L110s, and I want to also compare the KLH and JBL small floor models/ large bookshelf speakers.
Thanks, I know I asked a lot of questions.
1. What is the sealant used on the surrounds of KLH drivers, and where do I get it? Some I have seen is gold color and other is black, why is this?
2. Where can I get a schematic of the crossover? I read in this thread that there are different versions. I will attach photos of the crossover I pulled from my first speaker.
3. I gather everyone has favorite brands for replacement caps and resistors. Would someone please recommend a brand that most people find to be good as well as a source for them?
4. Would someone please point out in my photos the dual caps mentioned in this thread?
5. The midrange drivers tested at 8 ohms. The woofer and tweeter tested at 4 ohms. What does this tell me? Not sure I understand the value of testing ohms on speakers.
6. I bought some 'spare' drivers on eBay. When they arrive how can I test them and pick the best of the lot to use when reassembling the speakers? Other than the condition of the cones, surrounds and dust covers, what can I measure to determine which driver is in the best condition?
7. My JBL drivers all have part numbers to reference them by. I haven't seen part numbers on the KLH drivers. Is there a list of the various drivers and which speakers use them?
8. This speaker has drivers dated primarily 1968, so they are coming up on 50 years old. Other than resealing the cabinet, drivers, and the selectors on the cross over, as well as the passages for the internal wires, is there anything else I should do that has not been mentioned?
I have a single model 6 that I am looking for a mate for. And I have a pair of model 20s. I am anxious to hear these model 5's as they should sound. And, when I have the additional model 6 to make a pair, to compare the model 5s and model 6s. My current speakers in this size range are JBL L110s, and I want to also compare the KLH and JBL small floor models/ large bookshelf speakers.
Thanks, I know I asked a lot of questions.
Attachments
From seller vintage-ar on the auction site.
Yes you did, and in someone elses thread!
rmoreau61
Well-Known Member
Shipment of parts arrived to enable me to do my first speaker. Boy, these caps are giant. Picture attached showing cap stacking with hot glue to anchor the caps. The delay in getting the parts gave me time to reflect on the mortite rope caulk. There I am going on about using my life time supply of six dollars worth of rope caulk. I was at Lowes getting some outdoor project materials so I picked up a three dollar brick of ductseal. The ductseal is definitely more pliable and easier to work with. Photos of ductseal applied areas. I also put a mound of ductseal over the corks to midrange box for good measure. Woofers screwed back down with no issues. I screwed through the putty when installing. There was a satisfying fillet around the screw heads showing sealing all around.
Attachments
c5corvette
Well-Known Member
Looking good!
skistz
AK Member
Must be a run on KLH 5s lately - I just finished recapping a set I recently acquired. Mine are a mismatched pair from August '67. Sn: 4180 and 4708.
Pretty simple job but it sure is unusual when the replacement parts are bigger than the 50 year old originals! To me, they sound about the same as my KLH 6s - maybe a little more tinny. I still have to reseal things so I suspect that will help. Waiting on some stuff from vintage-ar.
They're a little big for my listening space so I'll likely keep the 6s and send the 5s on to a new home once I get them all dialed in. The finish on the cabinets could use a little love. Still debating what to do there.
Appreciate all the advice on here, it made the job easy.
Pretty simple job but it sure is unusual when the replacement parts are bigger than the 50 year old originals! To me, they sound about the same as my KLH 6s - maybe a little more tinny. I still have to reseal things so I suspect that will help. Waiting on some stuff from vintage-ar.
They're a little big for my listening space so I'll likely keep the 6s and send the 5s on to a new home once I get them all dialed in. The finish on the cabinets could use a little love. Still debating what to do there.
Appreciate all the advice on here, it made the job easy.
rmoreau61
Well-Known Member
I forgot this one! I re-badged the speaker as well per Drugolf's recommendation. I did a sound check against an OLA (again). Much more pleasing at this point. All of a sudden the OLA sounds kind of muddy in comparison. The Five handles the entire range with great accuracy - crisp and clear. The OLA still has more low end, but I'm starting to accept the fact that it may be overly bassy (I just like that, I guess). The Five just seems so listenable..
