Kasual Klipsch Enkounters

musichal

poet emeritus
My live-in mother-in-law has an Occupational Therapist in-home visit twice weekly (which I hope doesn't discontinue due to recent legislation) and she is a young, easy-on-the-eye female with a friendly smile and lots of patience for the elderly. Helen is always a welcome visitor. She sometimes whistles along with a tune playing on the Klipschorns, and her tone is pure and on key - heard her softly sing along with one song, and she has a good voice, as well.

Growing up, anyone in our family might at any time be singing or whistling, so I recognized a kindred spirit, especially when I found she loves, and is very familiar with, music from eras decades prior to her own. I've heard her whistle, sing or hum along with Sinatra, Fleetwood Mac, Doobies and a plethora of other artists. She's been coming by for a couple months now, and has remarked about how good the Klipschorns sound previously.

Today, I had just begun the Fleetwood Mac DVD, The Dance, as she entered. As many of you likely know, it begins with a heavy kick-drum beat for The Chain by Mick. She stood enthralled as she watched and listened to the song, then remarked, "These are just the best speakers I've ever heard."

"Not bad for a forty-one year old pair of speakers, huh?"

"What?!"

"This pair was built in 1976, but the design and production began in 1946. A seventy-year-old design that has stood the test of time well enough that you can still buy a brand new pair, still built in Hope, Arkansas."

"...and they sound better than anything built today," she replied.

I laughed, "well, better than anything you've heard, anyway."

"I don't see how it could be better."

"Yeah... me neither, but don't tell my friends I said so."

She looked a bit puzzled but got to her work, which I had delayed. After her half-hour or so of therapy, she said as she was leaving, "I love to come here because the music is so good."


Post your Klipsch Enkounters here.
 
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Perhaps you both need to be reminded that horns are honky... :whip:


Very nice story though!!

:thumbsup::thumbsup:


I had cable installed in the apartment I was in while in Florida.... at the end of the room, I had the system playing and the (huge) K402's were next to the cable workspace.... one of the cable guys walked by them, heard something.... stuck his head almost 100% inside the horn... backed up and said "Hey Billy....these aren't bookshelves...that's where the music is playing"
 
My friend's brother in law mentioned he was going to buy a new pair of speakers, so I invited him over to listen to my Chorus II. His favorite band was Steely Dan so I dropped Babylon Sisters into the cd player. I sat him in the sweet spot and waited. When the break comes in at "Babylon sisters SHAKE IT..." he turned to me and said, "It's as if I never heard the song before." I told him, now go buy the biggest pair you can afford. Too bad his wife shot down my idea but he ended up with a pair of KG 3.5 and still has them 25 years later.
 
My wife introduced me to a couple she had met who asked us over one evening. As the evening went on he was playing music and asked me what I listened to and on what? After I was done he asked if there was really any difference in systems and his opinion that anything beyond a middling system was a waste and you really couldn't tell the difference. I weighed expanding on the conversation but hadn't had enough to drink and decided no need to expand further. I let it go.

They came over a couple of weeks later. He walked in took a look at the refrigerators I had, (Belles), and how old my amp was, (fisher 800B). Though it strange I had such old equipment vs his newer system. I moved on to other folks.

Found him later sitting on the coffee table listening. Asked him if he needed anything he said no. Started to walk away, he said he was wrong. Asked him about what and he said electronics.

Another convert.
 
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Those of you who have, or do, receive in-home health services will be aware of the high turnover rate common among the agencies which send them your way. Because I am provided with an aide ten hours per week (Norma, in her third year with us, and I'm her only client), I continue to have nurses show up periodically to recertify my eligibility. My mother-in-law has even more services than I. So we see a lot of new faces, and one of those showed up yesterday for a recert.

Music was playing in the background as she interviewed me. When done, she remarked how good the sound was "even though you had it turned down so low - you can still hear everything."

So I told her the age of my pair, as well as the Khorn's 71-year run. "Wow, they sound like brand new. I think my husband would love this."

That's it. A casual encounter indeed. I was guarding against boring her with an unshared interest, and inquired about her husband. Newlyweds. So I let her bore me with talk about her husband, his job, and the fact that they're trying. Next visit she'll get a better demo, and it will be my turn to bore her... a little.
 
The first Klipschorn I heard was mounted in the corner of a surgeons home office. It was a mono system. probably the best I ever heard when using a mono recording. Mixing down a stereo recording to mono kills all the ambience of the stereo recording. If stereo hadn't been available at the time. I could have said it was the ultimate system. Using Mac electronics, a TT and tape deck. I wish that sound could be available today so economically and life like for the younger generations to fall in love with as I did.
 
Back in 1979 I borrowed the $$ to purchase my Cornwalls new unfinished with risers ($945.00) and a few months later I get laid off plus my wife and are divorcing and she took her stuff and left. I paid two off duty Fireman to help me move them to Dad's I was moving in a apt. with a friend so room for them. I was unhooking my Ham Radio gear when they arrived early . When they saw how big they are they understood why I wanted them to pick them up and move them. One of them asked if they worked so I jammed them and one said WOW.........BEST speakers I have ever heard. When we got to Dad's that guy said to Pop your Son has some awesome speakers. Pop said come inside and listen to my Klipsch K-Horns. BOTH men were Blown away by the sound one of them said I thought those other ones were great. But these you have are even better.... then Pop told him how much they cost new and both said WOW . I said yea tell me about the cost, I am still paying Dad back for mine. They stayed in Dad's office for several years until I remarried, and back in a house again.....I still live here and still have my Cornwalls. I did add a SVS PB 13 Ultra Sub and Crites mods.
 
It's amazing. I have many good friends and yet I am the only "Hi-Fi buff" in my group. I've always had a stereo prominently in my homes, however with my Klipsch/Fisher setup I get tons of comments from my guests. Several weeks ago I was playing The Allman Brothers: Live at Fillmore East on the TT during a cookout after church with about 3 other couples. I only have Klipsch KG 4.5's (until my budget allows for Cornwalls next year) but I had two of my buddies pull me aside privately and ask if I could help them build a stereo. I am in my early thirties and it's amazing how few of my friends have ever heard a proper Hi-Fi setup. Everyone I know has an HD TV but the days of everyone having a designated stereo setup are gone.
 
I have a pair of LaScalas in a small 12 x 12 room in a two room apartment. They pretty well dominate the room as you might expect. I had a neighborhood kid (20 years old) over one day because he was a really good drummer and we were putting together a project. I had a record playing at medium volume. Loud enough to be more than background, but not so much to prevent conversation. After a little while he pointed to one of the LaScalas about 4 feet away and asked "What is that?" Not as in, "what kind of speaker is that," but as in what is that big thing sitting in the room over there. He had no idea the music was emanating from the speakers, just that the sound was everywhere.
 
Cool thread, I find myself looking at other people's homes when we go visit and see if they run any nice vintage stuff. Not too many, however, we recently had a get together at our house. I have my Pioneer Sx-1250 powering my Klipsch Chorus I's in my living area all out in all their glory, not our usual gathering place for friends, most of the lights were down in the room, but as one neighbor walks in I can see him look into the room. Sure enough, about half hour later he asks about the speakers. Are those Cornwalls he asks? Close, Chorus's I told him. Then we go into talking systems and my 1250 and how he wants a pair of Cornwalls for his house. Good to talk to folks that appreciate nice systems.
 
I've had similar experiences. When people see my system, they often say, "that looks cool but I doubt my ears would know the difference." I'll usually ask what kind of music they like then offer.. "Give me 2 minutes and I think you'll change your mind.". ..I cue up something in their genre and turn it up a bit. They alway say something like "Wow! ..That is awesome sounding!" I'll say, "See, you can hear the difference!"

When they ask and I tell them my system costs many 1000's of $, they usually gasp. ..At which point I say, "well, I don't have a Harley, a bass boat, snow mobile, etc.. I have this, and I'm able to use it almost 2 hrs each and every day. How many people can say that about their expensive toys?"
 
Just can't get past the KKK in the title of this thread, and the fact that nobody else has commented on it yet...
 
yikes, you're right. Can an OP change the title of a thread?? ..I think I would be inclined to do just that.
 
umm... Encounter is spelled w/ a C, not K. ..I'm not saying it was the OP's intent to create this eye-popping acronym, but seeing that it's there - i'd change it for sure.
 
Oh good grief. I don't come to AK to read about sensitivity issues - take that crap elsewhere. The OP used a K in each word as a play on Klipsch and nothing more. It was clever, caught my eye, and welcomed me into the thread with open arms.

OP - no denying the relevance of the K-horn in the big scheme of loudspeaker design. Thanks for sharing the story!
 
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