new member and KLH 31

[expandsoundtonite]

Hello, I just found your awesome forum and it is just the resource I was searching for.

I happened across a pair of seemingly solid speakers, KLH Model thirty one, thanks to a very gooood friend of mine whom I'm very close to, that doesn't livein the state at the moment.

Anywho, My first search across the web yielded nothing. I am a musician multi-instrumentalist, but definitely do not know enough about speakers even if I've been learning about sound lately.

These speakers had such weird plugs I was just dumbfounded at first, the dual screw-in type plugs on each speaker. From my browsing of this forum I've learned I suppose I need some sort of receiver to play the speakers and would appreciate some further explanation from any kind souls?

I can post pics but there may have been some modification at some point as the other model thirty-ones I have come across didn't have a black speaker thing protruding at the top part of the speaker cloth but mine do. Perhaps upgraded parts, because I believe they are pretty old. Any additional info on these speakers would be wonderful!!!!

Thanks friends.

[JKent]

Hi and welcome. Yes--a picture is worth a thousand words so please do post pictures of the speaker terminals and the "black speaker thing." A photo of the front, with grille off, and of the back would be helpful. Try to size the photos to around 50 to 100K if possible.

They are later KLH classic speakers and were inexpensive but they have good woofers with cloth surrounds. Tha cabinets are woodgrain vinyl, a cost-cutting move. Once you have them hooked up you can decide how the sound is. Many speakers from this era need new capacitors (not a big deal).

And yes, you do need to connect them to a receiver or amplifier in order to play them. Feel free to ask questions and please keepus posted.

Kent

[expandsoundtonite]

Hello!! And thanks for the reply! I took some pics so now I won't have to describe much. I'm very inexperienced in speakers, and think I can't take the tolex off, I could get it a little off of one side but the black speaker I believe, or nails, is holding it in tight.

I still took a pic of what's under the tolex to the best of my sight.

How in the world do I go about choosing a receiver to use these things?? Also, what kind of machine does it use as the content to then play. Can I use these for studio monitoring?

Thanks everyone and anyone for any help!! I hope I can figure these out.

[JKent]

OK. To answer your questions: The weird plugs on the back appear to be (based on the slightly out of focus picture) standard knurled nuts. Below is a photo of the terminals on a KLH 33. Do yours look like this? The round nuts can be loosened by hand (knurled nuts are also called 'thumb nuts'). You attach the speaker wires to them by stripping the insulation off the wire and attaching one lead to each screw by forming the bare wire into a little hook. You will see they are marked "Ground" and "8 ohm". That's for polarity. The back of the receiver will have speaker terminals marked Left and Right. Each pair is usually color coded: One red and one black terminal. Your speaker wire will also be coded in some way--typically one lead is silver and one is copper, like this: http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=109-063 You can also use plain 18ga lamp cord. If you do, the insulation for one lead will be smooth and on the other it will be ribbed. When hooking it up just be sure everything is consistent. For example if the right speaker output has the red terminal connected to the copper colored wire connected to the 8 ohm terminal on the speaker, make sure the left speaker is wired the same way.

The black bump is a replacement tweeter. Normally when replacing a tweeter one would first remove the front grille ("tolex"), exposing the front panel of the speaker (the baffle). The drivers (big woofer, small tweeter) are screwed to that panel and sealed with either putty or a foam gasket for an airtight seal. For reasons only known to him/her, the person who installed those tweeters screwed right through the grille. I think if the speakers work and sound good you may as well just leave them alone. Have you listened to them?

You can buy any receiver that appeals to you. If you are only using 2 speakers you need a stereo receiver (not surround sound). New receivers can be found for as little as $100. Here's an example: http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=252-125 A receiver will include FM so there's your source. You can add a CD player or MP3 if you have other music sources. Used receivers on Craigs List, eBay or your local thrift store can be very cheap, but you don't necessarily know what you're getting. Don't listen to FM? You could get a cheap "T-amp". Here is just one example: http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=310-306 Or this AudioSource amp is actually very nice for the price: http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=302-601 Just add a CD player, Discman, MP3 player or whatever.

Hope this helps

btw--your speakers are pretty old, as you surmised. They were built between 1974 and 1978. I wanted to see the woofer surrounds but I'm quite sure the are cloth (as opposed to foam) and that's a good thing--they don't deteriorate. Was also wondering whether the 31 is ported, like the 33, or sealed like virtually every other KLH speaker. What does it say on the back plate, right under KLH Model Thirty-One"?

Kent

[expandsoundtonite]

Here is a full size pic. I only scaled them down as per request.

Thanks so much for the extra info, I just realized I believe my father has an old receiver laying around, though it seems to have a surround feature, did you say that means I can't use these speakers with that?

I will try to find some speaker cables lying around as when I went to radioshack before posting this, I literally had no idea which to choose.

Thanks again!!!

Also, Yeah, Ive never heard how they sound so I'm not expecting much, but would definitely like to test them out. I have no idea if they work or not.

Cheers

[JKent]

those connectors are a little different. You probably just unscrew them and slip the bare wires under the head, then tighten.

You CAN use a surround receiver, you just don't need one. Any surround receiver will operate in 2-channel stereo.

Rat Shack, Sears, Home Depot etc all sell "speaker wire." Just be sure to get 18 gauge. The higher the number, the thinner the wire. Much of what is sold as "speaker wire" is only 22 ga. Too thin for most applications. You can also use plain ol' 18 ga lamp cord. It is often sold by the foot and comes with black, brown, white or clear jacket (insulation). Speaker wire is convenient because the 2 wires will be color coded. Figure out how much you need and get a spool that is the closest match. The link I provided is for 100 feet of 18 ga speaker wire

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=109-063 You should be able to find something like that in RS, Sears HD etc.

Kent

[expandsoundtonite]

those connectors are a little different. You probably just unscrew them and slip the bare wires under the head, then tighten.

You CAN use a surround receiver, you just don't need one. Any surround receiver will operate in 2-channel stereo.

Rat Shack, Sears, Home Depot etc all sell "speaker wire." Just be sure to get 18 gauge. The higher the number, the thinner the wire. Much of what is sold as "speaker wire" is only 22 ga. Too thin for most applications. You can also use plain ol' 18 ga lamp cord. It is often sold by the foot and comes with black, brown, white or clear jacket (insulation). Speaker wire is convenient because the 2 wires will be color coded. Figure out how much you need and get a spool that is the closest match. The link I provided is for 100 feet of 18 ga speaker wire

http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=109-063 You should be able to find something like that in RS, Sears HD etc.

Kent

Hey,

They sound superb! The sound is really amazing. Thanks again for all your help setting them up. My old receiever didn't work, so I borrowed someones that has a cd player. Anyway, thanks again.