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View Full Version : Klipsch the horney ones, what is their sound like



loo
18-02-2014, 16:21
Hi All,
having given up looking for a pair of Rehdeko's I am thinking about a pair of Klipsch heritage range speakers to use while my Quad ESL's undergo a Major
transformation or bast**dization if it goes pear shaped , I have always had a fondness for the Klipsch but have only heard a pair of La Scala's once .My only real memory of them is that they were really loud .Is anyone familiar enough to give an honest appraisal on their sonic character ,they will be used with a lowish power valve amp.
cheers
Paul

costerdock
18-02-2014, 16:31
I'm running Cornwalls with 125W tube monos. I absolutely love them - extremely rich bass and great mids - wonderful soundstage - becomes more deep/dimensional as the volume increases. This is the only Klipsch Heritage that I've listened to - but from other reports - is really the sweet spot in the line up. Great for blues, jazz - my favorite music to demo is Hendrix - you really feel it.

Good luck!


http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af280/costerdo/IMG_2357_zps66f46f82.jpg

loo
18-02-2014, 16:44
Hi Chris,
Wow they certainly look the part , so the Cornwall is the one to go for eh,
thanks for your insight
cheers
Paul

costerdock
18-02-2014, 16:56
It is a safe bet - either that or the Khorns. I hear too many complaints about the Heresy and the La Scalas - though nice are a love them or hate them type speaker. Even die-hard Altec fans - many will comment that the Cornwall is the only Klipsch they like - I've read that they compare well to the Altec Model 19/Valencias.

Good luck!

hifi_dave
18-02-2014, 18:05
Not heard the Cornwall but the Klipschorn, corner model is very good indeed with great dynamics and a full bodied sound. Expensive though and does need two corners. The smaller models are as rough as a badger's ass but good fun with dynamics and excitement from a few watts. Great for rock music but not so for classical etc. Very few Klipsch were sold in the UK so they rarely turn up s/hand.

loo
18-02-2014, 19:00
Hi Dave
thanks for the info , I like the sound of dynamic that's what I loved about the Rehdekos not so sure about the rough bit though is that just the heresy or does it include the La Scala
cheers
Paul

walpurgis
18-02-2014, 19:37
Hi Dave
thanks for the info , I like the sound of dynamic that's what I loved about the Rehdekos not so sure about the rough bit though is that just the heresy or does it include the La Scala
cheers
Paul

I've heard the big Klipschorn a few times, but not others. It's a lovely sound, surprisingly delicate, but it's certainly capable of big dynamics even with a moderate amp.

Others to consider, would be big JBLs and vintage Altecs, they all have that immediate slam of a big sensitive speaker. Don't rule out big Tannoys either, they do huge dynamics, immediacy and high sensitivity (ask Marco), they also image better than the rest.

I was giving mine a blast last night with about ten watts and the windows were nearly out of their frames.

hifi_dave
18-02-2014, 19:44
Both are a bit unrefined and coloured but they are fast and dynamic - good fun, especially for rock.

loo
18-02-2014, 20:22
thanks for all the info chaps sadly as these are primarily a stop gap big Tannoy's and the full Klipsch horns are out of my league financially unless I cash in on this email I keep getting its just a shame I died in a car crash last week
International Monetary Fund

(IMF)



Attention:



I am Mr. Oosthuizen of IMF Head Office.



Your email appeared among the beneficiaries, who will receive a

part-payment of your contractual sum of $8.5 Million US Dollars and

has been approved already for months. You are requested to get back to

me for more direction and instruction on how to receive your

fund. However, we received an email from one Mrs. Virgie Brown who

told us that she is your next of kin and that you died in a car

accident last week. She has also submitted her account for us to

transfer the fund to her. We want to hear from you before we can make

the transfer to confirm if you are dead or not.



Please in confirmation that you are still alive, you are advised to

reconfirm the below listed information to enable us facilitate an

immediate payment for you.



1 Your full names

2 Your present contact address.

3 Your telephone & Fax numbers.

4 Your Occupations/age/sex.

5 Your Private Email Address.



Once again, I apologize to you on behalf of IMF (International

Monetary Fund) for failure to pay your funds in time, which according

to records in the system had been long overdue.



Thanks,

Mr. Oosthuizen.

cheers
Paul

synsei
18-02-2014, 20:38
Absolute proof that audiophilia is a cure for mortality, well done Paul you appear to have cheated death... hehe

Ninanina
18-02-2014, 20:40
The smaller models are as rough as a badger's ass but good fun with dynamics and excitement from a few watts

Well I have twice owned the Klipsch Heresy II's

My original pair were run with a flea power amp of about 1.5w and once I sold the amp I sold the Klipsch, big mistake

The next speakers I had after the Klipsch were a huge pair of Tannoy DMT 15's, which to be fair were not that good even though they were, and remain to this day, the most expensive speakers I've ever purchased at £1,000

I had owned my Audio Note Oto SE amp, giving just 8w, for years, but, until recently, not used it (another big mistake) and when I started using it as my main amp I realised that I needed a good pair of super sensitive speakers, so again thought of the Klipsch Heresy's, so ended up with my current pair

I don't think they are at all 'rough' as suggested but they do need the right partnering and I think I now have that correct set-up, they are certainly VERY revealing of the rest of the system but get it right and you are in for a treat and every tiny nuance of the music is revealed. If you want very deep and thunderous bass then look elsewhere but for everything else they really are superb. The lack of massive bass is ideal for my home as I have neighbours and I believe the most annoying thing for neighbours is deep thunderous bass

They also have the uncanny ability to sound full range even at very little volumes too, great for late night sessions!

I have owned more than 12 different speakers in my time and the only ones that I would buy twice are the Klipsch and the Lowthers but as Lowthers need constant attention the Klipsch, being a very solid old design, would be my first choice, a real classic of the 'Heritage' range of Klipsch

I hope that helps some...

Magna Audio
18-02-2014, 21:56
Loo, in the meantime you'd be welcome to pop down here and listen to what my horns can do.
You are not that far from me - just down the M3 or mainline Waterloo to Brookwood.

synsei
18-02-2014, 22:01
Uh oh, Steve's got the 'horns' hehe

Ninanina
18-02-2014, 22:22
It's all pretty horny if you ask me..... oh you didn't...... are well :D:D

loo
18-02-2014, 23:00
Hi Steve
thanks for the offer, your speakers would make my missus a single parent of her own choosing ,I bet they sound awesome though,
Bev ,thanks for the actual user review its just what I wanted , as someone who has no experience of horns you have answered a few doubts that I was having
your description of the Heresy's make them sound very appealing ,do you have yours on stands or on the floor, I know Klipsch call them floor standers but they
seem to look a little low or are horn loaded speakers different in that respect?
yes Dave I'm like a cat with 9 lives shame I've already used 8 3/4 of them:lol:
now come on IMF where's my cheque
Paul

loo
18-02-2014, 23:05
one more question to you horny lot
what is a tractrix horn and a exponential horn
Paul

Ninanina
18-02-2014, 23:31
do you have yours on stands or on the floor

Hi Paul
I have mine on the floor but with slight risers which are not sloped and then I use some proper rubber door stops to rise them up at the front, if that makes sense... I will try to take a pic in a min and post it on here for you if that will help

walpurgis
18-02-2014, 23:50
one more question to you horny lot
what is a tractrix horn and a exponential horn
Paul

Speaker horns come in many varieties, front loaded, back loaded, reflex, etc. and they come in different 'shapes'. Basically, there are different names for the various flare profiles, i.e., horn exit mouth curves! There's loads of info on the net!

By the way the Klipsch Heresey has horn mid & tweeters, not a horn loaded main driver. Google photos of Lowther, Klipschhorn and Tannoy GRF to see a full horn speaker.

PaulStewart
19-02-2014, 00:08
Very early eighties I was running a HiFi shop in St Albans and I sold Nick Faldo (the golfer for those who don't know) :) a pair of Heresy 1s i suppose they were. He lived in a small hamlet nearby and had the old school and village hall as a house and I went to instal them. His amp was a Quad 405 and the combination filled the old village hall with ease, but I would never have called the sound rough, just detailed and dynamic. Always liked Klipsch, if I hadn't got the Lockwoods when I did, I was looking at a pair of La Scalas.

Ninanina
19-02-2014, 00:19
Here are a few pics...

1st Pic shows what it looks like from the front, right hand corner, showing my use of a thin strip of neoprene between the riser and the speaker

2nd Pic shows the rubber door stop (wedge) under the riser

And the 3rd and 4th pic just shows how horny they are !!!! also showing the 12" K-24 Woofer, which is not horn loaded in the Heresy

I should also say that they are built like tanks, a very strong and heavy speaker

This is the link to the Hersey II's description on the Klipsch site: http://www.klipsch.com/heresy-ii-floorstanding-speaker/details

I would also add that I think all the Klipsch Heritage Range ie. Klipschorn, Heresy, La Scala and Cornwall are more suited to valve amplification... because when they were originally designed there we probably no solid state amps available

Ninanina
19-02-2014, 00:22
I would never have called the sound rough, just detailed and dynamic

Paul that is exactly as I would describe my Heresys...

loo
19-02-2014, 00:59
thanks for taking the time to do the pic's Bev they look lovely ,what wood finish is that they look so much nicer than all the black ones I've been looking at,
and thanks Paul for confirmation on the sound quality ,think I have found my quad stand in 98% sure anyway.
cheers for all the help people ,so much nicer than searching through loads of confusing info on the web.
Paul

Ninanina
19-02-2014, 01:02
what wood finish is that they look so much nicer than all the black ones I've been looking at

Hi Paul
My Heresy's are in the Walnut finish ;)

walpurgis
19-02-2014, 01:07
Bit of dust in those mid horns Bev! ;)

Ninanina
19-02-2014, 01:09
Bit of dust in those mid horns Bev! ;)

I didn't think anyone would notice that..... :doh:

walpurgis
19-02-2014, 01:12
You should see my 'den'. Not enough room to get close enough to check for dust. A big thin out of gear & clutter is due.

loo
19-02-2014, 01:12
it makes them look lovely (the walnut not the dust)
I bet your to busy listening to bother dusting them , just as it should be;)

Ninanina
19-02-2014, 01:28
it makes them look lovely (the walnut not the dust)
I bet your to busy listening to bother dusting them , just as it should be;)

It's just that I never take the covers off to notice any dust... I only took the covers off to show them in their full frontal so to speak.. :D