[wdlvwdlv]

Hello All,

I have a set of powered speakers (Klipsch XF-48), I was using these previously with a speaker level setting (speaker wire), I'm now switching to send the signal via RCA cables. On, one of the speakers I noticed the RCA plug was loose and coming off the speaker housing. In other words when plugged in, if I were to plug in the cable the entire RCA plug would come right along with it (I only moved it a 1 or 2 mm). Note, the RCA works fine, no noise or hum, I just need to secure it so it does not move, suggestions would be welcomed.

I've never had this happen and of course nothing lasts forever but I have no clue how to secure the plug to the speaker housing safely. Would I have to use super glue or solder or other? The other speaker is secure, I do not see any indication of soldering.

Thanks for reading, looking forward to your comments.



EDIT: Chatted with a Klipsch representative and they mentioned shipping out the speaker to an authorized technician. Honestly, I no longer have the original box (I would have kept it now but at the time I lived in a small apartment with no storage) and I don't think I have the patience to wait. I was told that I could unscrew the front faceplate and then secure the RCA plug which apparently is secured by a screw or a nut on the inside. Are any of you familiar with this?

[wdlvwdlv]

Update:

So, I attempted to disassemble the faceplate to get access to the backside of the speaker, but that was a colossal fail. Basically all I did was to take off the screws which act as anchor points for the magnetic grille. I have to say I was somewhat relieved because I was not looking forward to possibly screwing up the speakers completely.

My next approach was to see how much the RCA plug actually travels. I have to say that it likely moved maybe 2mm but after that would not budge at all. Apparently there is a nut on the inside of the speaker but I cannot get access to it. In any case, I thought if I get a plastic or rubber washer to place between the RCA plug it might become more rigid and secure. Unfortunately, nothing like that was at hand so, I took an old credit card and cut a few pieces off. I placed some thin strips on each side layered up twice so, two thin strips of credit card plastic on both sides. Now the RCA plug is very secure and does not move.



Let me know if this is a good solution or if I am putting strain on the plug itself or internal wiring. Anyway, looking forward to any responses and or better elegant solutions. Thanks.

[richidoo]

I like your jury rig!  Very creative   

That will eventiually come loose too, and it is letting air leak through the hole, which isn't a big deal.

The fix will require getting inside the speaker. It looks like there are screws on the front baffle. If those are real screws then you should be able to get inside by taking off the baffle. Unlikely that it will come off easily, so you'll probably have to apply some gentle force to get it to come off after removing the screws. If the screws are fake, then the plastic moldings around the drivers might be pushed on with friction fit and can be pried off somehow. If you can determine that the front can be removed you might want to invest in a set of plastic trim removal tools to apply force without marring anything.

You could also start a thread over on Klipsch forum. There is a good knowledge base there. Maybe they can tell you how to open the cabinet.
https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/97488-xf-48-question-regarding-auto-power-disabled/

Put a lockwasher or a drop of red loctite on the threads before tightening.

[wdlvwdlv]

I like your jury rig!  Very creative   

That will eventiually come loose too, and it is letting air leak through the hole, which isn't a big deal.

The fix will require getting inside the speaker.

You could also start a thread over on Klipsch forum. There is a good knowledge base there. Maybe they can tell you how to open the cabinet.

Thanks! I just joined the Klipsch Community and posted a topic about this there and will be patient to hear back.

Regarding the screws, they are real but are just anchor points for the grille which is magnetic. While I had the screws out I tried various ways to get the faceplate off but nothing budged.

If I can eventually open them up, that would be great but I'd also be happy if I can just get a good elegant jury rig, possibly finding a way to avoid air leakage. Perhaps a plastic washer cut in half to get around both halves of RCA plug and then wrap with heat shrink at the base?

Thoughts?

[richidoo]

The split plastic washer shim is a great idea. Instead of cutting it in half, maybe you can cut a 1/8 or 1/4 pie slice out of it so it can snap into place around the RCA and hold itself on there.

If you can get a washer with a tight fit then you can glue it in place with thin or medium CA glue.

If there's a bigger gap to fill and you don't care about appearances, you can use thick CA or even 5 minute epoxy. I think alcohol works as solvent for epoxy to clean up excess. Bob Smith Industries makes excellent quality CA glue.


EDIT: While reading your Klipsch forum post I just had another idea to stretch a small rubber O ring around the RCA and under the hex to seal it up while pulling it out. You can force a tight fit oring into the gap with small flat screwdriver, before hitting it with some thin CA. Oring won't dry out or get brittle over time like real rubber or elastic band. Then if you want to strengthen it mechanically to stop it from being pushed in, you can wrap bare copper solid wire around the oring  and glue it again. Masters of klooge unite!