musichal
poet emeritus
The Klipschorn
The mighty legend has strong points and weak, gets virtually no respect from high-end aficionados (rather quite the opposite), but are an old design that has undeniably stood the test of time due to its continued availability. I certainly recall my first listen to a pair, and if I report that I was highly impressed, that would be roughly equivalent to saying the sun is hot.
Transient dynamics are superlative. Any manner of dynamic response considered will be excellent. Some argue that the emotive force of music is best portrayed by the dynamic ability of a speaker. This ability is in Khorn's wheelhouse.
They also have the purest tone available. Well, no, they don't. Frequency response, while it falls within a fairly respectable specification range, reveals a bit of raggedness. Personally, I think that when a designer chooses to reap in the field of very high sensitivity, then a smooth, flat response becomes difficult to achieve at a given price point - though it may well be that Avantgarde has demonstrated it possible if enough money is spent. The kind of sensitivity gained by the use of horns, I think, comes at a price.
Those who hate the Khorn think that price too high for this brand, and some become vitriolic in saying so. Fine, that is their opinion. Cupped hands, shouty and honky are the descriptors often cited. Since I agree that they do tend toward a slightly nasal presentation at some frequencies then I can see where honky comes from. However, that is as defensive as I will get here. Detractors have the right to their opinions. So do I.
Stridency in the upper mid to lower treble range can be exacerbated by an amp. For example, I have made the compromise of using a small form factor amplifier (only 8.5" in width, Emotiva A-100 Flex amp) because it fits my custom-built walnut cabinet (my own design) with all the other components I want in here. It does a nice job despite both its small size and small price, 50wpc at eight, 80 at four. A little headroom, but no monster here.
Of course, it kind of becomes a monster with this kind of sensitivity attached. However, I've heard Klipschorns driven by stout old Crown, tube and SS McIntosh, Nak CA-7/PA-7 combo, various NAD components and spent a lot of time listening with Audio Research's giant M-300 tube monoblock amps with an SP-11 as pre. My Emotiva runs from the room like a scared little girl faced with those. But at the volumes I play, it acquits itself better than I anticipated. Now and then when I get really rowdy, I do find myself backing off a db or two when the sound becomes piercing. It still is plenty loud. Was the sound better with those other, way more expensive, way more powerful amps? You betcha, it was also better with the ST-70, but not night-and-day better. I do still get by just fine, though.
Some criticize its placement requirements (corners), but we can criticize that with any speaker. Most require being too far out into the room. For me, corner placement up against the walls is almost ideal - from a lifestyle/foot-traffic perspective. I do wish mine were just a little further apart. I am okay with compromise, anyway, and I'll make this one (corner placement) every time.
The K-horns sound great to me. A bit brash? Yeah. However, I have heard some smoother-sounding audiophile-approved speakers which I thought so polite as to be uninvolving - not many, not most, but a few. To me, the Khorn sounds like music, and I do love them. Would I ever replace them? Maybe, if I hit the lottery.
All that said, I do sometimes miss a smoother, less colored presentation because I've also experienced that in the past. After really thinking about it, I anteed up for a pair of the planar magnetic headphones listed in my sig. Will they ruin Khorns for me? Doubt that, but they do offer a different listening experience - rather, I fully expect such to be the case. They should arrive today.
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