tlann
Member
For the last three years I’ve been on the hunt for some Klipsch Heresys at a reasonable price point ($550 or below), and though I’ve come across a few possibilities, it has never panned out — someone always makes their way to the deal before I’m out of work or something like that. Pretty frustrating, actually.
At the beginning of the summer, though, I picked up some Klipsch KG4s. I’ve wanted horn speakers to pair with my Dynaco SCA-35, which has the Dave Gillespie EFB mod and sounds great. Before the KG4s, I ran it with JBL L26s in beautiful condition and always liked the sound, but of course was left wondering what some extra efficiency and clarity might bring to the system. A friend lent me some Heresy 1s for a week, and I really liked the sound.
Anyway, I have been listening to the KG4s for about 5 months now. It took a while to get used to them. The clarity is amazing and the midrange is pretty good for a two-way speaker — definitely more tightly defined than the JBLs. But the first issue I had was with the bass. The room I’m in doesn’t allow me to get them very far off the walls, so the passive radiators get a bit strangled. Still, I pulled them out as far as possible and lived with them. They’ve been great with jazz and anything with a natural, acoustic sound. Plus, while the bass isn’t a visceral experience, it does sound accurate and well sculpted. I decided to sell the JBLs.
Except, then I hooked the JBLs up again for one last session before posting them on Craigslist.
Here’s the thing: the JBLs are more immersive in my room. They aren’t as clear or revealing, but the bass is deep and alive, the top end is airy, and the imaging is three dimensional. Compared to the KG4s, they just sound sweeter. Definitely coloring the sound, but in a really nice way, whereas the Klipsch can feel cold and thin in this room. The Klipsch are better on paper, I think, and would probably win out in an ideal listening space, but that’s the one thing I can’t really change — my listening space is also a dining room and a living room. I’m attaching a picture of the space. This is really the only way I can set up speakers, and the JBLs just handle the configuration better.
Has anyone had a similar experience of letting go of superior speakers because of the constraints of a listening room? It feels hard to say goodbye to the efficient horn speakers, but the JBLs have never seemed to have a problem with the Dynaco’s 17.5 wpc (might be more since the amp has the EFB mod).
Anyway, just thought I’d share and see if anyone can relate. I guess I’m going to stick with the JBLs for now, or at least until I come across some Heresys…for now, the only heresy in my listening room is the fact that I have plants and books on top of the speakers (I know, I know, but aesthetics matter to me, too…I don’t water with them on the speakers).
At the beginning of the summer, though, I picked up some Klipsch KG4s. I’ve wanted horn speakers to pair with my Dynaco SCA-35, which has the Dave Gillespie EFB mod and sounds great. Before the KG4s, I ran it with JBL L26s in beautiful condition and always liked the sound, but of course was left wondering what some extra efficiency and clarity might bring to the system. A friend lent me some Heresy 1s for a week, and I really liked the sound.
Anyway, I have been listening to the KG4s for about 5 months now. It took a while to get used to them. The clarity is amazing and the midrange is pretty good for a two-way speaker — definitely more tightly defined than the JBLs. But the first issue I had was with the bass. The room I’m in doesn’t allow me to get them very far off the walls, so the passive radiators get a bit strangled. Still, I pulled them out as far as possible and lived with them. They’ve been great with jazz and anything with a natural, acoustic sound. Plus, while the bass isn’t a visceral experience, it does sound accurate and well sculpted. I decided to sell the JBLs.
Except, then I hooked the JBLs up again for one last session before posting them on Craigslist.
Here’s the thing: the JBLs are more immersive in my room. They aren’t as clear or revealing, but the bass is deep and alive, the top end is airy, and the imaging is three dimensional. Compared to the KG4s, they just sound sweeter. Definitely coloring the sound, but in a really nice way, whereas the Klipsch can feel cold and thin in this room. The Klipsch are better on paper, I think, and would probably win out in an ideal listening space, but that’s the one thing I can’t really change — my listening space is also a dining room and a living room. I’m attaching a picture of the space. This is really the only way I can set up speakers, and the JBLs just handle the configuration better.
Has anyone had a similar experience of letting go of superior speakers because of the constraints of a listening room? It feels hard to say goodbye to the efficient horn speakers, but the JBLs have never seemed to have a problem with the Dynaco’s 17.5 wpc (might be more since the amp has the EFB mod).
Anyway, just thought I’d share and see if anyone can relate. I guess I’m going to stick with the JBLs for now, or at least until I come across some Heresys…for now, the only heresy in my listening room is the fact that I have plants and books on top of the speakers (I know, I know, but aesthetics matter to me, too…I don’t water with them on the speakers).
