Help me decide! KG or KLF

[DirtFarmer]

I have a choice of a Klipsch KG 4.5, or a KLF 10.

The KLF is only $75 dollars more than the other. Both are, I think, reasonably priced. (There is also a KG 5.2 in the mix but the seller is bad at returning emails, and it would be a 3+ hour drive)

Does anyone have a preference of one over the other? I have read the KLF series beats the KG series in just about every way. But I have also read numerous accounts of the KLF series having bad glue issues on the back panel. Someone in another forum said the glue issues only affected model year 1997, and then was rectified. Can anyone confirm this? I have no idea what year the KLF is that I am interested in.

Also, I am sure at some point I'll get the Crites titanium woofer upgrade, and maybe the crossover, too. Does one of these series benefit more than the other from a Crites makeover?

I will power with a Yamaha a-s501, in a medium sized, carpeted room. I listen to mostly horns (jazz, both free and bop), classical, rock, country, you name it. But no metal! And nothing loud.

Thanks in advance.

 

[moray james]

easy choice KLF has a larger more modern horn design and it has dual ten inch woofers all of this leads to a very much better loudspeaker. No contest. The dual woofers provide far less compression and much greater power handling along with double the output capability and the larger newer horn will offer improved polar control to a lower frequency and it will provide smoother wider response as well. Not knocking the KG4.5 it's a great speaker jut not in the same league as the KG.

 

[DirtFarmer]

easy choice KLF has a larger more modern horn design and it has dual ten inch woofers all of this leads to a very much better loudspeaker. No contest. The dual woofers provide far less compression and much greater power handling along with double the output capability and the larger newer horn will offer improved polar control to a lower frequency and it will provide smoother wider response as well. Not knocking the KG4.5 it's a great speaker jut not in the same league as the KG.

Thank you, Moray!

The KLF is definitely what I'm leaning towards, but the baffle glue issue really has me paranoid! I am not by any means a "handyman". I am hoping that it is not a 1997 model. I will check the serial number when I go see them. Can you confirm the glue issue only affected 1997 models?

 

[moray james]

Check the baffle and if loose use that to leverage a better sale price. Repair is not really difficult and well worth your time. I think that you meant to say a Crites titanium tweeter diaphragm upgrade. Adhesive issue was caught quickly. Pull a woofer and take a rubber mallet then whack around the edge of the baffle to side joint if you hear slapping you have loose baffles. No big deal but it may get you a much better sale price. My first KLF20 I pulled a tweeter and tugged on the baffle and it way loose all the way around. I have had three sets of KLF20 all had loose baffles all repaired now better than new all are wood to wood with PVA white wood glue stronger than the wood and will last forever.
additional note: if the owner won't let you pull any of the woofers or horns you can ask to pull the crossover cup off the back to have a look at the network and see what the resistors and caps look like. While it is out you can give the rear baffle a few solid yanks and see if there is any motion. If there is an adhesive problem it will impact both the front and the rear baffle of the speaker and if you have one cabinet with a problem then the other cabinet will have the same problem as well.

 

[DirtFarmer]

Check the baffle and if loose use that to leverage a better sale price. Repair is not really difficult and well worth your time. I think that you meant to say a Crites titanium tweeter diaphragm upgrade. Adhesive issue was caught quickly. Pull a woofer and take a rubber mallet then whack around the edge of the baffle to side joint if you hear slapping you have loose baffles. No big deal but it may get you a much better sale price. My first KLF20 I pulled a tweeter and tugged on the baffle and it way loose all the way around. I have had three sets of KLF20 all had loose baffles all repaired now better than new all are wood to wood with PVA white wood glue stronger than the wood and will last forever.

Thanks again, Moray. It is all moot, however, as I just scored a near mint pair of Mission Argonaut 780 MK II instead, for less than either of those. I am stoked!!