Classic Story and a Question re KLH Model Six (6)

[KeithTr]

Are there detailed instructions as to how to seal the woofer anywhere?

Vintage AR supplies an instruction sheet and I've seen one video that shows someone brushing some on. You just need a thin coat on the cloth surround between the speaker frame and the cone. I found that the small quantity provided by Vintage AR is enough for a pair of Model 17s with a little left over but not nearly enough to do two pairs of speakers. You just brush it on in a thin coat working around the woofer until the entire circle has been lightly covered.

to seal the woofer and tweeter to the case I used some 1/8 inch thick weatherstripping (about 3/8 width) that I had lying around. It's a form of rubber that won't harden and I applied it to the frame of the speaker so that it would be easy to remove the speakers from the box if necessary.

 

[KeithTr]

KLH Model 6! I just bought a pair this afternoon from the original owner. Late 60s, they told me. So far they have done very well on the Quadrophenia Test.

I haven’t experimented at all with placement. I have them about ten feet away, six feet apart, angled slightly in. Now I’m feet up, drinking a Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale, and subjecting them to the Wildflowers Test.

I do believe I have scored.

You will enjoy them. I've had mine since 1975 or so and I forgot just how good they sound when paired with a decent source and amp.

 

[iramegdal]

It’s easy. The surround sealer is just brushed on, lightly, and also the dust cover. Seal it the driver to the cab can be done with multiple materials. As easy and inexpensive way is with air duct sealer. Get it at a home center store, ably
Ut 2 bucks for a block. Roll it to make long worms and push it down on the cab surface where the mounter mounts. Once mounted, surrounds sealed, gently push woofer cone in and let go. If it returns slowly' you’re good to go. If it bounces back immediately, recheck the seal around the woofer basket. Also, the surrounds might need a second light application.

Glenn

Can I seal the surrounds without removing the woofer from the cabinet? What does sealing the dust cover do?

 

[GD70]

Can I seal the surrounds without removing the woofer from the cabinet? What does sealing the dust cover do?

Yes, no need to remove the woofers. If you look closely at the dust caps, you’ll see brush strokes from the factory. Also the service bulletin states to do this when they were sent to the factory for repairs.

 

[Munchie99]

I have no interest at all right now in actually doing it. Mine sound just fine as is, 50+ years old. But if I were ever to get the urge to look at this stuff, sealing the speakers and replacing capacitors, what kind of surgery is necessary? How do you get at the insides?

 

[KeithTr]

I have no interest at all right now in actually doing it. Mine sound just fine as is, 50+ years old. But if I were ever to get the urge to look at this stuff, sealing the speakers and replacing capacitors, what kind of surgery is necessary? How do you get at the insides?

I just restored a pair of KLH 17s as a sort of prelude to taking on my model 6 pair, where the cabinets are a little dinged up. They both have a single tweeter and a single woofer with the Model 6 slightly larger than the 17. With Model 6, there are several threads here about restoring but it is much much harder to do with the early version of the speakers as everything was epoxied. The later version is easy to open up and remove the woofer and tweeter to get at the electronics.

But you can read what i did (and there is a link in a reply to some pictures of the process in the first reply). Basically if you take it step by step and label everything, it's not too tough. takes some minor soldering skills - so if you've never done that i would read up first as heat can damage electronics if not properly handled. but it's really not hard. for the Model 17, which has the same crossover electronics as the model 6, you replace three capacitors and only replace resistors if they appear damaged. People use various materials to reseal the woofer and tweeter - sometimes duct putty or similar; i used weatherstripping that i had on hand.

That thread is here: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...er-pair-of-klh-model-17.934242/#post-14212039

 

[Munchie99]

Okay, I just watched the first couple of minutes of this:

Ha! No way in hell. They're fine as is, 50 years old. I've relocated my Klipsch bookshelf speakers to the other side of the room behind my chair, so now I can do the a/b and contemplate existence and everything. I'm not doing surgery with a crowbar.

 

[KeithTr]

Okay, I just watched the first couple of minutes of this:

Ha! No way in hell. They're fine as is, 50 years old. I've relocated my Klipsch bookshelf speakers to the other side of the room behind my chair, so now I can do the a/b and contemplate existence and everything. I'm not doing surgery with a crowbar.

Yep. That's the original version which involves torture. you can tell the difference as the backplate is recessed in the newer version and not flush with the back of the speaker. The version I have, which were acquired in 1975 or 76 are the newer version.