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Klipsch vs Altec

timsclips

timsclips

Well-Known Member
I have never got a chance to hear the Voice of the Theater speakers from Altec and I wonder if they are comparable to the somewhat similar Klipsch speakers from the legacy series (Klipschorns or La Scalla) or did they sound completely different?
 
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I have both Klipsch Cornwalls and Altec Valencias. I've used both in my main system and have found the Cornwalls to be brighter and more detailed. The Valencias are smoother and not as fatiguing.
 
I've listened to Cornwalls. A bit bright and prone to listener fatigue. Find a pair of Model 19's and your hunt will be over.
 
I have Klipsch Cornwalls and Altec Valencias as well. I have paired the Vals with a nice sub and they sound great. IMO you can't go wrong either way.
 
Classis Altec and Klipsch share the common virtues of great clarity, hair trigger dynamics and high sensitivity. As for tonal balance and voicing, well that varies even between different models of the same brand and even between various types of VOTs. You gotta listen for yourself, I could tell you what I preferred (I owned a great deal of both Klipsch and Altec) but that shouldn't matter to you. IMO any big classic Altecs or Klipsch are worth a listen.
 
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I am waiting to try a Klipsch
I had an Altec A7 sold it and bought a Pioneer Exclusive Model 2301 but still too big for small rooms
Now on the lookout for a more compact woofer and horn speaker
2 weeks ago I went to a shop and demoed his A7 biamped with an electronic crossover
Once we had tweeked the xover and put on a jazz vocal , they sounded great

In Japan we have many A7's and A5's
The shop I demoed at had 3 pairs for sale and 2 in his personal collection
But unfortunately very few Klipsch
 
I've had Valencias, 19's, A7's and multiple Cornwalls, Lascalas and finally Klipschorns.

Valencias are great in the midrange, 19's are very good all round with punchy bass , the A7's needed a ton of room to work best , but would be clear at high volumes (the louder the better)

Cornwalls are decent, a little on the bright side - Lascalas need help in the bass area and its more noticeable than the bass missing with the Valencias - of all these the Klipschorns are still here , they use the corners and the walls as part of the sound and have bass that is unlike other speakers.

All of these speakers are very big and take up a bunch of room - for me the Klipschorns work best with the room I have and take up less floor space than the others.
 
I have the Chorus I's and AL Model 14's. Both are completely stock with no work done to either pair. Frankly prefer the 14's to the Chorus, but not by much. Less bright and a bit bigger and smoother overall. That's with a Citation II as the amp source. My two cents.
 
Currently run both Model 19's and Klipschorns. Stock to stock I prefer the Altecs. Wonderful midrange and tight bass. The Klipschorns have a much better upper range however. I think you'll always be faced with the 2way-3way difference. Modified Klipschorns are a different story. They can be improved by modifications to a completely superior level.
 
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I'd love to have some of the bigger Klipsch or Altecs, but for those of us with space limitations, build a pair of Econowaves. Mine are in Heresy cabs which are manageable. Bob Crites sells a two way horn too. Not saying this route is a replacement for the big boys in any way, shape or form, but that it can get you the efficiency to play with SET amps and other low power gear.

Klipschorns in the corners of a big room are outstanding.
 
I listened to a set of Altec 19's for about two hours back in the 80's and have never to this day heard anything that sounded that good.
K-horns did not sound as good (Bright !!!) but the listening area was not ideal when I heard them so that must be taken into consideration I would think.
 
I have Khorns, 19's, A-7s, and larger VOTTs. and have owned Cornwall, Choruses, and Fortes. They all sound good and they're all different. What they share is their horn design and their efficiency.

Horns and tubes baby!...:rockon:
 
Tom Brennan's answer was better than the one I would have given... so, I'll just say "+1" to Tom's.

... and most folks here know which I prefer (FWIW).
 
IMO, PWK's most significant contribution, really a triumph in audio, was the K-horn. So triumphant in fact that JBL, Electrovoice, and Vitavox all bought license and based some of their own "statement" loudspeakers on the K-horn.
 
bowtie427ss said:
IMO, PWK's most significant contribution, really a triumph in audio, was the K-horn. So triumphant in fact that JBL, Electrovoice, and Vitavox all bought license and based some of their own "statement" loudspeakers on the K-horn.
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yup... introduced in the 1940s and still in production today.

Also, more or less, true of the Altec Duplex - although there have been a couple of hiatuses (hiatii?) in its availability, and several corporate owners/manufacturing entities involved.

(well, technically, this is also Klipsch's case... but not quite as sad a history as Altec's)
 
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