Klipsch owners, stand up and be counted

I found a pair of KG-4's one time when I was out on a vinyl buy and they were $150 so I figured I couldn't go wrong. I immediately compared to other vintage speakers I had and the KG-4's became my favorites. Then, in very short order I found 2 more pairs on local CL sales both around $200 for real clean examples. A friend wanted a pair for his son and seeing I didn't need all 3 pairs I sold him one. Now, I have a pair downstairs and upstairs as my main speakers. I haven't done any upgrades/replacements but it might be a good experiment to do one pair and compare to the other in it's virgin state. Over the years I've used Marantz 2235b,2252b,and now just recently got a 2230 given to me and had it refurbed, sounds real good, more tube like, seems to pair well with the KG-4's. Once in awhile if I'm listening to a Lee Morgan or Freddie Hubbard 33.3 Blue Note vinyl on Music Matters with that great clarity it'll get hot and piercing in the high end so maybe that's what a titanium would tame. Otherwise,I don't seem to mind the high end even on those twangy Beatles guitars on a song like Words Of Love.




I also bought out a guys total system for the vinyl and a Pioneer PL-560 turntable, Sansui 7070 receiver, and Klipsch 3.2 speakers .While I liked them OK,they seemed to be a bit thinner,sound wise and physically, just not as full as the KG-4's so they've been sitting for a few years. Nice looking oiled Walnut cabs though. Are upgrades made for the 3.2 as well? Any love for that model?

 

how are Heresy’s over-hyped? They’re pretty polarizing. The least favorite speakers I’ve owned (bright, no bass, stuck to the floor soundstage), but I did like them on acoustic guitar.

 

Kind of my thoughts. That has to be the cleanest work shop garage that I have ever seen.

 

Hmm.. Just got a Klipsh sub for my living room - I posted it in the "show your room" thread. Just a couple days but so far so good.

 

Next post........

 

I've seen operating rooms that didn't look that clean and put together.

 

Ya, it's scary actually.

 

Heh, mine looks like some mad doctor's been working on something...

 

He loves Klipsch,but only clean ones.

 

I don't think that the general "audiophile" portion of the population is all that keen on horn speakers. Not that they necessarily have first hand experience with them, but the buzz on the Internet...

In actuality, most have never really heard good horn speakers, driven by quality sources and amplification.

I had a pair of Klipsch KG5.5's myself, back in the 90's.

When you are dealing with Legacy speakers, whether they be Altec's or Klipsch, a fair amount of modifications and upgrades are necessary to bring them up to their full potential for home audio.

 

What a *****!

Funny how he doesn't understand the a speaker's frequency rating is stated. He simply does not understand that above or below a stated frequency range, a speaker simply does not stop functioning, it simply rolls off.

This individual is speaking about the Heresy not being able to reproduce audio frequencies above 17-kHz.

I'm wondering what he thinks is actually above 17-kHz.? Not that, at his age, he is able to even hear anything close to 17-kHz.

Noting that he points out program material being up to 25-kHz. Which is fine, if you are a bat.

The individual simply does not understand that with the cabinet size that the Heresy's have, they are not going to reproduce low frequency sound effectively below 50-Hz. The rather large A7's that I have, with their 828 bass cabinets are only flat down to around 47-Hz, as they neither were designed to reproduce lower sub bass, but still can effectively reproduce audio down to around 40-Hz. and below.

Most speakers don't really produce much in the way of bass below 50-Hz., until you get into towers and specialty audiophile speakers. Most bookshelf speakers don't go below 60-Hz. Does that make them crap too?

He also lacks knowledge about percussion frequencies, as most floor toms and bass drums are usually down around 55-60 Hz.

Here we have a member with large K-Horns, which have about the best bass cabinets as you are going to find and he uses a sub below 40-Hz.

This guy spends 13-minutes and keeps saying the same thing over and over again...

 

I know right ?! He also says you can't hear drums or cymbals with that freq resp Good only to listen to Diana Krall. All Klipsch are kerrap. Comments disabled; imagine the hate comments !!!

 

Klipsch Heresy's are certainly not their finest speakers. But they are sensitive horn speakers that you can use in smaller rooms, where Cornwall's and La Scalla's would be a difficult fit.Klipsch and Altec, were first and foremost about the mid's.

Paul W. Klipsch one stated the "we live in the mid's".

Yes, listen to Diana Krall or other vocalists and see how the mid's sound like with Altec's or Klipsch speakers driven by a good source and excellent power amplifier's.

Most female vocalists don't go above 800-Hz. and a 20-fret guitar only goes just over 1-kHz. (fundamental frequency).

I don't think that my Altec's or my Klipsch speakers do everything right, but no speaker does and at the end of the day, the Klipsch and the Altec's come damn close.

I caught the part in the video where he says that the Heresy's don't reproduce Rock or Heavy Metal correctly.

I saw many of the top name rock bands, growing up and they played through two-way P.A. speakers that did not have high end super-tweeters or sub woofers for lower bass, as a bass guitar only goes as low as about 41-Hz. and that is with the lower "E" string open.

Every other note is higher up the sale. The table below is for a four string bass guitar.

B String E String A String D String G String
Open E - 41.2hz A - 55.0hz D - 73.2hz G - 98.0hz
1st Fret F - 43.7hz A#- 58.3hz D#- 77.8hz G#- 103.8hz
2nd Fret F#- 46.2hz B - 61.7hz E - 82.4hz A - 110hz
3rd Fret G - 49.0hz C - 65.4hz F - 87.3hz A#- 116.5hz
4th Fret G#-51.9hz C#- 69.3hz F#- 92.5hz B - 123.5hz

Remember that this table only gives you the fundamental frequency, which is the predominate frequency for the note. In reality, there are almost always harmonics which always accompany the note and give color and texture to the sound.

 

I have been living with a pair of Heresy's for over 30 years. My only regret is not driving them with a tube amp. That may be a revelation, some day.

 

you bet I do

 

Gotta have good tunes in the gym too.
Currently running 5.2.1 system there. RF52 mains, RC52 center, RB51II's and CDT3650 in-ceiling.

 

I had my first pair of Altec A7's built back in 1971, when I was sixteen. My current main pair I acquired back in 2013. For all of those years, I had been driving them with SS amps, the same as any other stereo or HT gear that I have owned.

Just didn't know anything else. Even McIntosh stopped making tube amps going into the 70's.

I kept hearing about tube amps form the various reviews and forums. I was reading a lot of good things about Rogue, and thought that if I could find a decent price (around $800-$900) on a used Atlas power amp, I would give tubes a try.

I could not find any on eBay, but my chance, there was a pair of Rogue M-120 KT88 driven monoblock power amps listed. I bid and won the auction, I think that I got them for about $1,450 for the pair. I never owned monoblocks before, either, so I was excited as I never expected to ever own a pair of monoblocks.

These things were huge, weighing in at 55-lbs. each.

The one thing that I can tell you, is that from the time I powered them up (after setting the bias and letting them warm up and stabilize), I have to say, that moving to tubes was the most significant audio revelation that I had, since I first heard music through my first pair of A7's, back in 1971.

All the harshness that I had been listening to and just accepted it as what happens in the audio recording capturing and reproduction process, was GONE!

The thing is, that tubes don't really do that much for most ordinary direct radiating type of speakers. It is with horn type speakers that they really do their magic with.

I have a pair of Klipsch Icon, WF-35 speakers, which I was using as my rear speakers (but with a SS amp), and I have a pair of custom La Scala's, which absolutely have to be powered by tube electronics.

You will be amazed, it one day you have a chance to acquire a tube amp and hear your Klipsch horn speakers with a tube amp. It is definitely a game changer.

I recommend that all legacy Klipsch and Altec Lansing speakers be driven by tube amps.

What tube amps, as specially low powered single ended amps do for vocals and acoustic instruments is really amazing.

I do hope that you will someday get the opportunity to have a chance to experience tube amplification, I really do.

 

When I retire.

 

They are so much fun to build. I highly recommend it.

 

I think I will just look for a low wattage tube amp that someone has already done the "tube rolling" and wants to "move up"
to something better. I don't want to build anything, or even go down the tube rolling rabbit hole. Maybe a Jolida that has been
well taken care of.

 

This is the entry-level of the entry-level, and SandAndGlass will laugh, but I've been enjoying the heck out of my HIII powered by this little guy. Granted, it's a small room and the Heresy are on stands about 7' away, but I'm still amazed at the dynamics and tone. I'm always planning to upgrade, but when I sit down to listen I forget all about it.

 

JackG, SandAndGlass would absolutely not laugh at decent tube gear, entry level or not.

With high sensitivity horn speakers, you don't need much power. I went from 150-Watt Rogue monoblocks, down to a Decware 3.9-Watt Mini-Torii with my Altec's. I haven't run it yet with the La Scala's, but they are even more sensitive than the Altec's are.

What I have been saying in my posts is that the Heresy's, while not the top end Klipsch speakers, are very nice horn loaded speakers and are very suitable for a smaller rooms, where larger, more expensive horn speakers would not be suitable.

That would not be anything different than saying that bookshelf speakers that a company might make are not their top of their line towers, but would be far better suited for a smaller listening room than their large towers would be.

I use smaller bookshelf speakers in smaller rooms where I would hesitate to use a larger tower.

The Heresy's fill a much needed product niche, of small cabinet horn speakers, which are very hard to otherwise find.

They are very nice and very suitable speakers for use in a small room and particularly when they are powered by tube amplification.

 

Still, if I happened upon a pair of A7s I'd find a way to fit them. I might have to stack them, but they'd fit.

 

105db efficient 1979 Klipschorn loudspeakers powered with a James Burgess 1wpc/3wpc switchable 45 or 2a3 tube amp along with an 18” Velodyne ULD-18 IIservo controlled sub crossed over at 40Hz. Room is 24x20x8

 

Altec makes some fine vintage speakers like the Valencia's, which, when properly modified with upgraded crossovers and powered by tubes, make an excellent alternative for the living room. Altec's higher end home speakers, like the Valencia's, have components from their professional line.

Photo is from a Stereophile article.



A look without the grills.



Although they are not horn type speakers, keep an eye out for late 60's Wharfedale speakers, like the W60's, W70's and W90's.

These were manufactured in their New York factory and you should be able to find them reasonably in your area.

I found a pair of W70's, for $222 from a local estate sale that was advertised on eBay.

Very nice sounding and they also sound excellent with moderately powered tube amplification and SS as well.