Klipschorns in a Volvo wagon?

Hey
Congratulations on a great score. My k-horns pretty much filled a ford ranger. But they were new in the box. And no mine weren't free. Enjoy, Eric
 
Speakers and Volvo
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Congratulations on acquiring the K-horns! I'm sure the man who had them is relieved to get those big, clumsy, ugly boxes out of his way. You did him a service.

You will post us some pics of the insides, won't you? Even though I've seen dozens of them, it's still a thrill (such as it is) to see the guts of the these workhorses. Looking forward to hearing your impressions of them, too.

GeeDeeEmm
 
I haven't brought them in the house yet, But I have tried them out and they sound amazing. I just have them connected to a Realistic STA-46 (because it was in arms reach), a nice sounding low power (16 watt?) receiver, but far from what they deserve and they sound incredible, I can't wait to hear them with my Sansui G-8700DB (if they go in the bedroom I'll use a Sansui AU555A), Extremely efficient and as clear as possible. At first I was thinking about trading them (for about a minute) because they're so big, Much larger than my DQ-20's, But after realizing it's a once in a lifetime score and probably wouldn't find another pair locally at a price I would pay I decided to keep them and make room in the living room for them. They would have fit in our last house without a problem, but this is a smaller rental We're staying in until we find something (or build something, which is looking more likely) and it's really not designed for Khorns. But now that I have them they are going to be an important part of the design of our next/last place. If I move things around here they'll fit but I'll have to build a false halfwall for one which doesn't sound like it will effect the sound much. One thing they did was make me realize I have a few pairs of speakers I'll never listen to again.
 
I haven't brought them in the house yet, But I have tried them out and they sound amazing. I just have them connected to a Realistic STA-46 (because it was in arms reach), a nice sounding low power (16 watt?) receiver, but far from what they deserve and they sound incredible, I can't wait to hear them with my Sansui G-8700DB (if they go in the bedroom I'll use a Sansui AU555A), Extremely efficient and as clear as possible. At first I was thinking about trading them (for about a minute) because they're so big, Much larger than my DQ-20's, But after realizing it's a once in a lifetime score and probably wouldn't find another pair locally at a price I would pay I decided to keep them and make room in the living room for them. They would have fit in our last house without a problem, but this is a smaller rental We're staying in until we find something (or build something, which is looking more likely) and it's really not designed for Khorns. But now that I have them they are going to be an important part of the design of our next/last place. If I move things around here they'll fit but I'll have to build a false halfwall for one which doesn't sound like it will effect the sound much. One thing they did was make me realize I have a few pairs of speakers I'll never listen to again.
I'm with ya on designing the listening room to maximize the K-Horns, then y'all (you,the wife, and the speakers) can grow old together in harmony. :smoke:
 
If you don't know this yet.... then realize the Khorns will probably be the most space/room efficient speakers you've ever had. Even though they are huge by any measure, once you tuck them into their respective corners, they will "disappear" into the room. You will then realize they take up FAR less room space than (insert almost any other speaker made) because (insert almost any other speaker made) usually has to be pulled out from the side and back walls a bit to shine. These instead, need to be pushed tight into the corner which is otherwise, generally dead space.
 
If you don't know this yet.... then realize the Khorns will probably be the most space/room efficient speakers you've ever had. Even though they are huge by any measure, once you tuck them into their respective corners, they will "disappear" into the room. You will then realize they take up FAR less room space than (insert almost any other speaker made) because (insert almost any other speaker made) usually has to be pulled out from the side and back walls a bit to shine. These instead, need to be pushed tight into the corner which is otherwise, generally dead space.

Makes you wonder a bit what a current designer might be able to come up with in a corner design today. You'd think it could be smaller these days. Andrew Jones, get on it!
 
If you don't know this yet.... then realize the Khorns will probably be the most space/room efficient speakers you've ever had. Even though they are huge by any measure, once you tuck them into their respective corners, they will "disappear" into the room. You will then realize they take up FAR less room space than (insert almost any other speaker made) because (insert almost any other speaker made) usually has to be pulled out from the side and back walls a bit to shine. These instead, need to be pushed tight into the corner which is otherwise, generally dead space.

It seems to me that the issue with corner speakers is more about today's rooms than with the speakers. Weren't corner speakers designed for simple rectangular shaped rooms with small door openings? They just don't seem to translate well to modern, open concept floor plans. In my house, I don't have a room with two symmetric corners suitable for corner speakers.

Makes you wonder a bit what a current designer might be able to come up with in a corner design today. You'd think it could be smaller these days. Andrew Jones, get on it!

I agree that it would be cool to see a modern redesign of the corner speaker. Seems like it would be possible to cobble something together since many modern (smaller) subwoofers are designed for corner placement. What else would be needed to replicate the corner speaker sound signature?
 
It seems to me that the issue with corner speakers is more about today's rooms than with the speakers. Weren't corner speakers designed for simple rectangular shaped rooms with small door openings? They just don't seem to translate well to modern, open concept floor plans. In my house, I don't have a room with two symmetric corners suitable for corner speakers.

Yep, great big speakers not meant for the great room!
Dedicated theater rooms might be one of the best uses remaining for these and would translate to great 2 channel listening as well.
 
Makes you wonder a bit what a current designer might be able to come up with in a corner design today.

If you want to see an updated version of the Klipschorn, just go look into the (Klipsch) Jubilee. It doesn't save anything on size but as far as sound goes, it's in another league. (disclaimer: I currently own LaScalas, used to own Khorns and replaced them with the Jubilee so I might be a little biased!)

Weren't corner speakers designed for simple rectangular shaped rooms with small door openings? They just don't seem to translate well to modern, open concept floor plans. In my house, I don't have a room with two symmetric corners suitable for corner speakers.

I thought they were simply designed to bring the Orchestra into the home. That they were designed during a period where the typical home had rectangular rooms might just be happenstance. You don't need corners though... PWK wrote about (and I'm told had himself) some "false corners" in his home. The plans are out there but you can build a quasi corner to place the horns in and this 'false wall' will complete the horn. With the Jubilee, that isn't as necessary because the Jubilee (still designed to use the corner to maximize the bottom extension) has the enclosed back and brings all that energy forward, much like a LaScala might.


I agree that it would be cool to see a modern redesign of the corner speaker. Seems like it would be possible to cobble something together since many modern (smaller) subwoofers are designed for corner placement. What else would be needed to replicate the corner speaker sound signature?

See above. Jubilee uses two 12" drivers in the bass bin. What seems to offend most people is that (glorious sounding) large horn on top. I guess some folks hear with their eyes....and some hear with their ears.

:biggrin:
 
nice volvo! :)
i see u already picked up the speakers. but i was gonna say just about anything will fit in a 240/740/940 volvo "wagon"
in sweden they are named 245/745/945 best volvos ever made
 
I thought they were simply designed to bring the Orchestra into the home. That they were designed during a period where the typical home had rectangular rooms might just be happenstance. You don't need corners though

Somehow I got it in my head that corner speakers were primarily about controlled dispersion and relied on the adjacent walls to provide the ambient cues (echos) that would be experienced in a concert hall. As such, my subwoofer comment above doesn't make any sense. I have a lot to learn when it comes to this subject...
 
Somehow I got it in my head that corner speakers were primarily about controlled dispersion and relied on the adjacent walls to provide the ambient cues (echos) that would be experienced in a concert hall. As such, my subwoofer comment above doesn't make any sense. I have a lot to learn when it comes to this subject...

I don't pretend to be an expert.... I wasn't there. What I've been told over the years is that PWK got enamored with sound. He realized that corner loading a speaker helped its over all response. He wanted as low distortion as possible.... he felt corner and horn loading met his goals.

He (so I've been told) wanted to hear in his house, what he heard when he went to see the orchestra. The Klipschorn was born. Whether someone loves them or not, it's not too shabby for a first attempt at designing/building a speaker..... which today, is the longest speaker in production. He must have gotten something right!
 
I brought them in the house and set them up in the livingroom with the Sansui G-8700DB and they sound great, They are so clear and clean I'm hearing things I've never heard before (even with the DQ-20's they replace). My gf wasn't buying the story that they disappear into the corners, especially since one is six feet from the corner because the woodstove is there and not moving (I plan on adding a false wall tomorrow) , I also raised the TV up six inches so they wouldn't appear as big. I had no problem getting them in the house since they were able to fit thru the smaller door (26" wide) saving me a trip up steps and thru the house. The detail these things have is amazing, nothing disappears into the background, everything is there if you listen. They've been approved with WAF because they sound so good but I will have to add tops and cloth sides to improve their looks. Since I plan on keeping them I think it's worth giving them a nice veneer job and real Klipsch cloth in the future.
 
It's always nice when stories have happy endings.

What I gather from your comments above though are that at least one of them is not in a corner but rather, sitting along the wall?

If true, the it will get even better once you get it tucked in. They use the walls as the final flair of the bass horn so you are not hearing the full impact them (or at least that one?)
 
So how did they sound in the Volvo? Ignore me if the question was already asked. Or just ignore me.
 
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