5/27/2023 0 Comments FuzzmeasureHowever, I do own a cheap Dayton EMM-6 measurement microphone, a USB audio interface and a computer.īefore I even unhooked the speakers for their surgery, I downloaded a trial version of FuzzMeasure and set up a little measurement rig. My personal stash of electronic testing tools is limited to a couple of multi-meters, so there was no scoping to be had. Let me take a step back and say that I had no proof my old capacitors were “bad.” Again, bad caps can continue to work, just not to their original specifications, so even though my speakers seemed fine, they may very well have strayed from their original sonic signature. Not a bad Saturday project–plenty of time left over for a bike ride, a drink or an extended listening session with your refreshed speakers–or all of the above. It took less than an hour to pull and update and reinstall the crossovers for both speakers. Mount the new caps, consult Bob’s included wiring diagram (or take detailed pictures of the crossover before you remove anything), sling some solder and there you have it. Along with new Sonicap capacitors (rated at twice the voltage of the original caps), Bob also includes mounting blocks and zip ties, leaving you with everything you need to complete the task minus some solder and an iron. Just clip the leads, unscrew them from the mounting plate and you’re ready to install the new caps. Note the rust starting to build up on the outside–yeah, pretty old. Isn’t that steel label plate cool? The two old capacitors are those oil-can looking things, located top center-ish on the board. Loosen the screws on the wiring block for the three pair of driver leads and the rear panel input, remove two screws for board the x-over components are mounted to, and the whole network comes right out. It’s pretty easy to remove the crossover, or “balancing network,” as Klipsch calls it. Within a few days I had four caps and a wiring diagram on my doorstep. Luckily, a gentleman by the name of Bob Crites has replacement kits available on his website. I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to replacement of electronic parts such as this, so I didn’t feel comfortable sourcing my own capacitors. Mine seemed to sound fine, but I figured they deserved some maintenance after several years of faithful service. Of course, as the caps drift off spec, so does the sonic character of your speakers. While in a few rare instances they die suddenly when overdriven, they usually tend to drift off spec with age. The “Type E” crossover network found in Klipsch Heresy speakers up to 1982 consists of two capacitors, two transformers and a wiring block. I had one die on me a couple years ago and opted to replace the HF diaphragms in both speakers for sonic consistency, with genuine Klipsch parts, of course.Įven when well cared for and used properly, the capacitors in the crossover network are bound to fail to some extent over time. The cabinets are in excellent condition and all the drivers are original, with the exception of diaphragm replacements in both K-77 tweeters. They have been well cared for throughout their lives. With a manufacture date of sometime in 1980, these particular speakers are now 33 years old. They always manage to find their place in my primary listening system, driven by a Kenwood M2A at 220 watts/ch. I happen to be in the latter camp, so I’ve toted them along from place to place, most recently in my cross-country move to Montana. Some listeners hate them, some love them. There are some fairly heated debates among hi-fi buffs over whether or not the Heresys are worth a damn. After a brief listening session I couldn’t help but take the speakers home with me. We went over to his house and auditioned what he had, which included this first generation Klipsch Heresy pair. My dad used to sell hi-fi in the 80s and one day an old friend and former customer called him up to say he was moving to Florida and letting go of his stereo (apparently they don’t allow nice stereos there). Eight years ago I picked up a beautiful set of Klipsch Heresy speakers.
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