KLH Model 5s

[jackblack]

I have a pair of these speakers, purchased in 1968.

Somewhere in the last 10 years or so, they went dead - no sound at all.

I heard somewhere that the electronic crossovers in these speakers could fail over time, most likely the capacitors.

How do I fix them/get them fixed?

Is it worth the trouble, or shoud I just use them for firewood and buy some new speakers (how much would they be worth today if they were in excellent condition?).

Thanks

[Carlspeak]

The woofers should work. If they don't, then you've got another problem besides the capacitors which do go bad, but only affect the tweeter and mids. If the woofers don't work either, then you may simply have a loose connection somewhere.

[JKent]

Hi Jack

As Carl has pointed out elsewhere, the Fives are excellent speakers, designed to compete head-to-head with the AR3a. Look through this KLH forum and you will find lots of discussion. Here is one thread that addresses the crossovers:

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?showtopic=2557

Besides needing new caps, there could be an issue with dirty/corroded rotary switches (but not on the woofer). Could, as Carl mentioned, be a loose connection. Also--I have seen the 5 watt resistors in KLH speakers burn.

If you want a nice project you can restore them yourself. You'll find lots of help here. Getting them fixed is another matter. As you know, these are heavy and shipping them is impractical. Where are you located? You could put them in your trunk and drive them to Carl if you happen to be in CT. Millersound in PA is also good. MSound is in WV. OR you could pull out the crossovers. The early Fives have the xo mounted on an aluminum plate and they are not hard to remove. Then you could ship those to someone to repair them.

Don't use them for firewood! Even if you sell them "as-is" with local pick-up, at least you'll know someone is giving them new life.

How much are they worth? A comparable modern speaker would cost you thousands. A pair of Fives in excellent condition? Maybe $300. There's just not much market for big vintage speakers despite the fact that they sound wonderful.

So. If you have the room and you love music definitely fix the Fives or find a way to have them fixed. It IS worth the trouble.

Kent

[calvin l hoogavin]

Hi Jack and everyone on CSP. I'm new here and a KLH lover. I have refurbished 2 sets of model 5's and found that caps in the crossovers are usually the problem for the mids and tweets.You can easily test each Woofer by taking them out and connecting them to a known working x-over on another speaker. Do it at low volume! This way you can rule out each driver. I don't know if it is polite to start another discussion here but I don't know how else to do it. I just acquired a pair of KLH model 105's and am excited as hell! I have only seen the picture here on CSP. They are working but need tlc. I have totally dissasembled them and am refinishing the cabinets. I am taking photos all the way as well as pertinent specs. The box is 1" MDF with walnut veneer and is 30" high X 18" wide X 16 deep. They feel like a 100 lbs. each-but I will weigh them. I can find no info on these! If anyone has any info I would appreciate it! As soon as I figure out how to upload photos I will do so. Thanks for having me- Todd LImbert