Klipsch Speakers

The following is lifted from another post and was written by me.

I’m not suggesting that anyone do this, but it has worked for me.

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"I’d like to share my recent experience. The binding posts on my Klipsch Forte 4 are always coming loose. As I was planning to replace the cheesy pound-in metal caps (like you find on a chair leg) with spikes, I decided to open the binding post panel and tighten things up as long as the speaker was off its base.

This is what I found: 1. speaker wires were reversed on one of the woofer’s binding posts (positive on negative and vice versa). 2. Discovered that Klipsch is using .002 inch/thick stainless steel strips as "extenders", that bridge the distance from the binding post to the wire that goes to the crossover. These strips are approximately 3/4 X 1/4 inch (and .002, two thousands inch thick). I replaced these (8) strips with beefier solid copper copies. To my ears, the copper extenders made a world of difference. Sound is much less strident at volume, soundstage width and depth increased dramatically, sound is more natural and organic, and instrumental identity and imaging has improved.

As far as the always-loose binding posts, the easiest solution is to use banana plugs on your wire.

For spades, the most you can do is drop the BP panel (six screws) and tighten the inside nut of each post, with a small screw driver inserted in the hole of the outside post. This is as tight as it will ever be. I’d advise against Locktight as it may hamper contact and reduce the audio signal. Once the binding post assembly is tight, reassemble everything and NEVER tighten the large nuts more than finger tight when you connect your speaker wire (any tighter will just re-loosen the assembly).

IMO, this binding post design is, to be polite, bad engineering.

Please note: These improvements while using a 14 year old Onkyo HT receiver. I can’t wait to hear what a good tube amp will sound like!

The good news is that the Forte 4s are much better speakers than I thought!"

@fmer - I fashioned them from copper pipe. Later, I learned about some copper anode strips (on Amazon) which would be MUCH easier to work with.

You need some tin snips (or a break press) to make the actual strips then drill a 9/64 hole and slide it over the binding post screw. you can use the existing stainless steel strip as a model.

Another alternative is to find a copper "ring" terminal with a small enough hole and solder this directly on to the wire which goes to the crossover (eliminating the need for the strip). I couldn’t find a terminal with anything smaller than 1/4 hole.

Note: Using the ring terminal probably voids the warranty. I saved all the strips so I can replace if new owner wants them. Also, the (stock) Fortes sound good at low volume but were melting my ears when cranked up.

@silverfoxvtx1800 - Assuming the "no picture" comment was directed to me, I do have a picture but don't know how to get it into a post. If you know, please explain. Thanks