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Speaker Rebuilding

I have an old pair of Kirksaeter monitors that sound more like a kazoo than a speaker. When my son was one year old, he used to like to play with the volume control and the music was turned on one too many times with the volume turned all the way up. I like the cabinets and after reading some of the posts, it got me interested in trying to rebuild them. My question is, are there any highly recommended books or sources for supplies to get me started? I know that some of you seem to be very knowledgable in this area. Any advice would be appreciated.
kleiman421
6 responses Add your response
carl_eber
1,425 posts
 
Call or e-mail Meniscus Audio...or Madisound, and discuss it with them. Tell them the baffle (and driver cut-out) dimsensions, and the internal volume for the bass driver. Have them suggest drivers, and do a Leap crossover design for you. Meniscus will even build the crossovers for you. You need to be able to solder. Have fun.
dan2112
144 posts
 
Are you trying gut the box and go with new drivers and crossover or just repair the existing drivers? There are several books on speaker building. I like The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook by Vance Dickason. Cheers, Dan
kleiman421 OP
62 posts
 
Thanks Carl and Dan. Actually, at this point, I'm not sure exactly how far I'm going to go with the project since I don't really know very much about it yet. I would love to gut the boxes and build a great loudspeaker, but it may be way over my head. I'm not afraid to tackle difficult projects. As a kid, I used to enjoy building Heathkit electronics. This seemed like it might be fun to try.
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
This shop in Chicago should be able to help you out with anything from simple advice on up, or even do the whole job for you; they do this regularly. Helped me over the phone, & I've never even bought from them. But I'll always remember that, & will probably be a someday-customer there. http://www.vanlspeakerworks.com/
sean
6,231 posts
 
John Van L is a KICK-ASS kind of guy. His business style and ethics are what others should model themselves after. I have done business with John regarding speaker repairs a few times and have always been VERY happy with them. He currently has a set of speakers of mine that another VERY reputable shop said that they could repair. The first guy REALLY screwed them up. John has to remove all of their work and start from scratch, so i know it won't be cheap. Then again, i highly value these, so it's well worth the expense to me. Sean >
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
It may still be possible to repair your speakers, using the original components. I met some of the German engineers from Kirksaeter at the CES this last year. This company built amplifiers and preamps as well, and imported into the United States as early as 1971. You could search and see if they are listed here in the USA, if not, shipments from Germany are certainly not out of the question. If you prefer a fresh start, rather than a return to what you had, the other suggestions posted here look very solid to me.
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