Should I get Heresy's???

[Fairlane]

Unashamedly diggin the hell out of my stock Heresy I's with a little Sherwood tube integrated. They sound great to me.

Might try some of the suggested updates down the road but for now I will enjoy.
Great advice though on the thread even if the discussion was pithy at times. We all love Klipsch bottom line.

 

[toxcrusadr]

As a semi-objective observer, I would just like to comment that issues of facts are different from issues of tone, and perhaps one is far easier to sort out than the other. That's my friendly 2 cents and I'll leave it at that.

 

[chip18sw]

Unashamedly diggin the hell out of my stock Heresy I's with a little Sherwood tube integrated. They sound great to me.

Might try some of the suggested updates down the road but for now I will enjoy.
Great advice though on the thread even if the discussion was pithy at times. We all love Klipsch bottom line.

And there is the thing! I remember hearing a pair of Heresy's wayyy back in the 80's, I hear a pair of Heresy's playing Dire Straight, "Money for nothing!" I don't recall the play back system, and don't recall a lack of Bass?? But what I do recall, is they were loud, impressive and dynamic!!

And what has not gotten mentioned ... is the Heresy's look cool! But I never got a pair ... so far. I did however get a pair of KG 4"s about 12 years ago??? I luv them also most likely they have a lot of similarities?? But I am not willing to uh whale on them at high volume??? They don't "look" like they could handle that kinda crap??/ I don't know ... but, my next find was a pair of Mach Ones! And they have the same visceral look as the (most likely more so that the Heresy's and they can and do play uh ... loud! Both are "fun" speakers and isn't that a part of what this hobby is about???

But the thing is ... that after the craziness is over (if it is ever is??) Some speakers are "worthy of modding" because,you know, perhaps they can be made to "Better??" These days I have three sets of can be better speakers, my KG 4's, my Mach One's and a pair of Nova 8's. I enjoy them all as they are but making them better ... is always on the table. And if there is someone here that is and can help us uh ... "tone deaf" Horn louvers with our Klipsch's, to make them be all they can be ... I say thumbs up!

But back on point, does it have to be an either or for the OP??? I still want a pair of Heresy's ... someday but I would not give up my KG 4's to get them?? Heck I want a pair of La Scala's but kinda pricey, and uh can't really fit them in our house anyway ... but it's nice to have goals.

My two cents.

 

[GChief]

They don't "look" like they could handle that kinda crap??

They’ll handle a pretty good flogging.

 

[chip18sw]

They’ll handle a pretty good flogging.

LOL ... I'll take your word for it! My Mach One's and eimperial, evidence ... 101 + dbs as measured with a sound pressure meter! The "Mach's" just did not care and, they were hooked up to a powered sub in any case and are just stupid fun!! I doubt any KG 4 fan are willing to "proof" that as it were??? So if the KG $4' can do that for hours ... I don't know??? And I have zero interest in finding out??? Time and place a neighbor and his annoying freaking barking dogs!! So I'll drown them out!!! Rest assured if those dogs were still barking ... I could not hear them. I've just always luv'd horns anyway?? So yeah "tone def."

But if one wants to forget the "audiophile" stuff and just wants "stupid brutal load??" And they have both KG 4's and Mach One's at hand ... guest which one get the cal for brutal SPL ?? Now perhaps the KG 4's can do that also ... but I will know??? I luv muy KG 4's ... been 15 years and I will never let them go!! But for sheer out brutal make my ears bleed SPL .... "Mach One's" are my call. Now I would say that most likely with a powered sub ... the Heresy's since that is what this is about can do the same thing???

But stupid load was not really the point of this thread?? It's just a bonus of the Herey's as it were??? They do what they do quite well! I'm still looking for a pair myself, cause you know ... they look cool and I could actually fit them in my home!! The La Scale's which I still lust after ... I can't afford and they would not really fit in my house.

But I still "want them" but I doubt ... I'd subject them to the same "abuse??" I'd do with my Mach Ones??? But hey time and place ... I've dialed it down since those days.
But audio ... you know ... it does not really have to make sense?? ;

 

[moray james]

LOL ... I'll take your word for it! My Mach One's and eimperial, evidence ... 101 + dbs as measured with a sound pressure meter! The "Mach's" just did not care and, they were hooked up to a powered sub in any case and are just stupid fun!! I doubt any KG 4 fan are willing to "proof" that as it were??? So if the KG $4' can do that for hours ... I don't know??? And I have zero interest in finding out??? Time and place a neighbor and his annoying freaking barking dogs!! So I'll drown them out!!! Rest assured if those dogs were still barking ... I could not hear them. I've just always luv'd horns anyway?? So yeah "tone def."

But if one wants to forget the "audiophile" stuff and just wants "stupid brutal load??" And they have both KG 4's and Mach One's at hand ... guest which one get the cal for brutal SPL ?? Now perhaps the KG 4's can do that also ... but I will know??? I luv muy KG 4's ... been 15 years and I will never let them go!! But for sheer out brutal make my ears bleed SPL .... "Mach One's" are my call. Now I would say that most likely with a powered sub ... the Heresy's since that is what this is about can do the same thing???

But stupid load was not really the point of this thread?? It's just a bonus of the Herey's as it were??? They do what they do quite well! I'm still looking for a pair myself, cause you know ... they look cool and I could actually fit them in my home!! The La Scale's which I still lust after ... I can't afford and they would not really fit in my house.

But I still "want them" but I doubt ... I'd subject them to the same "abuse??" I'd do with my Mach Ones??? But hey time and place ... I've dialed it down since those days.
But audio ... you know ... it does not really have to make sense?? ;

I think that you could fall in love with a pair of KLF30 which run dual twelve inch woofers, each cabinet will on its own push as much air as 1 1/2 fifteen inch woofers can so for a stereo pair it is as if you had three fifteen inch woofers in the room. Faster than a fifteen and with double the power handling, relatively compact and powerful they do require some solid power but they can really deliver. so can the CF4 also a dual twelve cabinet but they have a WTW configuration which you might not like as much as a WWMT configutation they also need some power but can also deliver the goods. If I had a CF4 I would re configure it as a WWT like the KG series use as I am not a fan of the WTW set up.
Upgrade work requires time materials and knowledge. You want to carefully select loudspeakers which have the capacity to shine but need some TLC to get there. The mods required to upgrade say a Mach 1 are going to be much the same as to upgrade a Forte or Chorus, the point here is that the components in a Mach 1 are never going to reach the level that the components in a Forte or Chorus will so if you are going to spend time and money you want to obtain the best possible results. With some work you can close the gap between a Klipsch and a seventies era JBL component and that is just not going to happen with lesser parts.

 

[GChief]

My KG4’s where “ abused” for many years by a Pioneer Elite AVR I bought in the mid 90’s. They survived its 125wpc in 2 ch and asked for more.

 

[GChief]

My Mach One's and eimperial, evidence ... 101 + dbs as measured with a sound pressure meter!

I am guessing this is what you mean...

 

[chip18sw]

My KG4’s where “ abused” for many years by a Pioneer Elite AVR I bought in the mid 90’s. They survived its 125wpc in 2 ch and asked for more.

Oh most likely my KG 4's are gonna be safe, from the "sonic madness" as it were. Repairing my AA-40 Heathkit amp and hooking them up to that is my goal for next year.


But a 125 watt per channel Receiver from the 90's??? I'm familiar with Pioneers Elite gear but I did not think AV Receivers got over 100 watts till about 8 years ago??? My Yamaha DSp 2080 was 80 watts ... when it worked!! Guess I bet on the wrong horse as it were. The Pioneer, still works???

 

[BilboBaggins]

I had a pair of Heresy 1s years ago. At that time, I didn’t like them that much and sold them. I now have a pair of Cornwall 1s and I like them very much. They are still stock. When I first got them, there were many advising me to do the Crites upgrades. I decided I wanted to get to know them first. I’m still getting to know them after owning them for a year, and I have no desire to start along the upgrade path. I may in the future, but only once my ears tell me it is time.

 

[GChief]

It may have actually been 135wpc, my first one was a VSX-59 if I remember it’s was right at around 90wpc the VSX-99 was above 100. Could be wrong, going by memory. Anyway, yes they are both going strong in a nephews and kid at works systems.

 

[chip18sw]

I am guessing this is what you mean...
View attachment 1309212

Yep that's the thing ...of course I had the Radio Shack version. I can't really remember what the peaks were with the Mach One's but they were pretty high?? I finally backed them down before the cops got called or something blew up??? But they were on a subwoofer aslo ... so I suppose I cheated??

But back on point the Heresey's hooked to a modern sub ... might not be musically accurate, but they would be "FUN!"

 

[GChief]

Yep that's the thing ...of course I had the Radio Shack version. I can't really remember what the peaks were with the Mach One's but they were pretty high?? I finally backed them down before the cops got called or something blew up??? But they were on a subwoofer aslo ... so I suppose I cheated??

But back on point the Heresey's hooked to a modern sub ... might not be musically accurate, but they would be "FUN!"

That is my current KG4’s with a 10wpc Maggie 8802 tube amp just before it starts distorting

 

[TheLostBrain]

I have Cornwalls, Heresys and KG4s

Both the Corwalls and the Heresys are 1980's ver 1.5 w/ resin horns and the same exact high and mid drivers... have no idea on the KG4s.

For better or worse all are completely stock w/ non-recapped crossovers.

All of them sound excellent ..and all of them sound different from each other!

My favorite by a good margin are the Cornwalls. They sound big, alive and have impact you can feel... and they require minimal power to get the job done. I power them with a 35 Watt Sansui 1000x.

The Heresys are closest in sound to the Cornwalls, at higher volume levels they have excellent tight "hit you in the chest" mid-bass. They can't go low (bass) like the cornwalls but are still very good. I power them w/ a 60 watt Marantz Model 15 dual mono amp.

The KG4s sound completely different from the Cornwalls and the Heresys... but again they also sound excellent, just different. I find the KG4s to be a very well balanced speaker with excellent full-range-ish bass response...actually the bass response can be quite startling for their size!

As far as what I have hooked up where... Cornwalls are in the living room and serve defacto music and home theater duty. The Heresys are in my home-office "listening space"... and the KG4's are sitting (not connected to anything) in the back of my old pickup in the garage lol. I need to give em a good freshen up (oil, etc.) and then hopefully find a permanent spot for them.



Quick Pros / Cons

Cornwall Pros:
-Effortlessly sound Big and Alive, serious impact you can feel!
-Takes very little power (comparatively) to sound loud and fantastic

Cornwall Cons:
-Size? ... I actually like that they're big


Heresy Pros:
-Sound very close to Cornwalls (that "heritage" sound?)
-Mid bass is VERY tight and can give you that great "hit in the chest" feeling w/ volume
-Aesthetic... with the tilted risers they look drop-dead gorgeous. Honestly, this a big reason they're in my office and not the KG4s.

Heresy Cons:
-Not as big and alive sounding as the Cornwalls...
-Low bass is indeed pretty non-existent. Careful EQ and room placement can help w/ this though.


KG4 Pros:
-Very well balanced
-Very good bass response...no special eq or room placement necessary

KG4 Cons:
-If I had to think of something I'd say maybe the midrange could be a bit thin when directly compared to Cornwall and Heresy... but just barely.

 

[Grenadeslio]

I have Cornwalls, Heresys and KG4s

Both the Corwalls and the Heresys are 1980's ver 1.5 w/ resin horns and the same exact high and mid drivers... have no idea on the KG4s.

For better or worse all are completely stock w/ non-recapped crossovers.

All of them sound excellent ..and all of them sound different from each other!

My favorite by a good margin are the Cornwalls. They sound big, alive and have impact you can feel... and they require minimal power to get the job done. I power them with a 35 Watt Sansui 1000x.

The Heresys are closest in sound to the Cornwalls, at higher volume levels they have excellent tight "hit you in the chest" mid-bass. They can't go low (bass) like the cornwalls but are still very good. I power them w/ a 60 watt Marantz Model 15 dual mono amp.

The KG4s sound completely different from the Cornwalls and the Heresys... but again they also sound excellent, just different. I find the KG4s to be a very well balanced speaker with excellent full-range-ish bass response...actually the bass response can be quite startling for their size!

As far as what I have hooked up where... Cornwalls are in the living room and serve defacto music and home theater duty. The Heresys are in my home-office "listening space"... and the KG4's are sitting (not connected to anything) in the back of my old pickup in the garage lol. I need to give em a good freshen up (oil, etc.) and then hopefully find a permanent spot for them.



Quick Pros / Cons

Cornwall Pros:
-Effortlessly sound Big and Alive, serious impact you can feel!
-Takes very little power (comparatively) to sound loud and fantastic

Cornwall Cons:
-Size? ... I actually like that they're big


Heresy Pros:
-Sound very close to Cornwalls (that "heritage" sound?)
-Mid bass is VERY tight and can give you that great "hit in the chest" feeling w/ volume
-Aesthetic... with the tilted risers they look drop-dead gorgeous. Honestly, this a big reason they're in my office and not the KG4s.

Heresy Cons:
-Not as big and alive sounding as the Cornwalls...
-Low bass is indeed pretty non-existent. Careful EQ and room placement can help w/ this though.


KG4 Pros:
-Very well balanced
-Very good bass response...no special eq or room placement necessary

KG4 Cons:
-If I had to think of something I'd say maybe the midrange could be a bit thin when directly compared to Cornwall and Heresy... but just barely.

Set the Heresys on top of a pair of 12" Dayton subs as stands, improves the imaging and soundstage. And of course fills in that last octave down to 25hz, well below the rest of the Heritage line without assistance. Placing the Heresys on top makes it act like a complete system, preserving the Heresy sound only BIGGER. Dayton Sub 1200's from Parts Express run about $148 so a pair cost about what a set of speaker stands would. If like me you'll find filling in the lower octave's affect magical with the Heresy.

 

[chip18sw]

I think that you could fall in love with a pair of KLF30 which run dual twelve inch woofers, each cabinet will on its own push as much air as 1 1/2 fifteen inch woofers can so for a stereo pair it is as if you had three fifteen inch woofers in the room. Faster than a fifteen and with double the power handling, relatively compact and powerful they do require some solid power but they can really deliver. so can the CF4 also a dual twelve cabinet but they have a WTW configuration which you might not like as much as a WWMT configutation they also need some power but can also deliver the goods. If I had a CF4 I would re configure it as a WWT like the KG series use as I am not a fan of the WTW set up.
Upgrade work requires time materials and knowledge. You want to carefully select loudspeakers which have the capacity to shine but need some TLC to get there. The mods required to upgrade say a Mach 1 are going to be much the same as to upgrade a Forte or Chorus, the point here is that the components in a Mach 1 are never going to reach the level that the components in a Forte or Chorus will so if you are going to spend time and money you want to obtain the best possible results. With some work you can close the gap between a Klipsch and a seventies era JBL component and that is just not going to happen with lesser parts.

I've always luv'd British speakers .. also but I have never owned a pair.

A pair of B&W 801's slipped thru my fingers many,many years ago. And I remember, hearing the little Kef 101's! Pretty much neutral and music did not sound like it was coming out of a Box! I was impressed by those but ... sigh I never got a pair.

Video Lady detailed the mods required to upgrade the Mach's and Nova B's they are both uh very long threads! So no need to reinvent the wheels the wheels as regards those guys. And again the "upgrade" path for "klipsch" speakers as a group ... is already out there. It's always going to be up to the individual to decide if "upgrading" will produce a "better" sound for them?? One could easily ,make the argument that "better" is not why one likes a given speaker, had they sounded "better" (after modification) then maybe one would not have gotten them in the first place???

But since Klipsch and Kef's and upgrades got mentioned ... this is interesting,:

and does point to how good a given speaker can become?? I was surprised by the guy's choice of speaker at the end. And the crossover's in the Kef's?? OMG ... those are complex!! I'm not sure what all that madness is about?? But it sure does not follow a KISS philosophy ... just saying.

And I've never heard a WTW combo speaker?? Are they that different??? I have nothing against them, it's just not a combo I've ever heard??

 

[chip18sw]

That is my current KG4’s with a 10wpc Maggie 8802 tube amp just before it starts distorting

LOL ,I have a Magnavox Console with that tube amp. But ... I'm gonna recap and put it back where it came from (in the console) ... so I can't use that one for the KG's.

 

[timmage89]

I've owned KG3.2's and Heresy I's simultaneously. Sold the KG's.

The bass on the KGs was more abundant, but not as tight or controlled in comparison to the Heresy. Also I thought the KG3.2's top end was too bright and clinical, and the midrange lacked detail compared to the Heresys.

 

[Grenadeslio]

I've owned KG3.2's and Heresy I's simultaneously. Sold the KG's.

The bass on the KGs was more abundant, but not as tight or controlled in comparison to the Heresy. Also I thought the KG3.2's top end was too bright and clinical, and the midrange lacked detail compared to the Heresys.

Agreed, not that the 3.2 is bad and why I often recommend them, just in comparison with the Heresy. And why should it be, the Heresy is a lot more expensive, hopefully the extra coin gets you something lol.

 

[telemike]

Maybe someday I'll get a pair, just not right now