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Large Advent or Klipsch 4.2?

econeditor

econeditor

New Member
I’m working with an NAD 3020B, and looking to move up from my current Bose 501 series IVs, which are okay but too heavy on the bass, too muddled in the middle, and too harsh on the top for my taste. There’s a pair of refoamed Large Advents and a pair of Klipsch 4.2 with stands on Craigslist for roughly the same price ($200 for the Advents, $250 for the Klipsch); is one clearly better than the other? I’m listening to mostly rock, some acoustic and some electronic. Thanks for any thoughts!
 
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econeditor said:
I’m working with an NAD 3020B, and looking to move up from my current Bose 501 series IVs, which are okay but too heavy on the bass, too muddled in the middle, and too harsh on the top for my taste. There’s a pair of refoamed Large Advents and a pair of Klipsch 4.2 with stands on Craigslist for roughly the same price ($200 for the Advents, $250 for the Klipsch); is one clearly better than the other? I’m listening to mostly rock, some acoustic and some electronic. Thanks for any thoughts!
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I've owned both, totally different sound. OLAs are absolutely classic "vintage" sound: you can listen to them for the rest of your life and never be bothered by them.

The Klipsch are quite a bit newer and have a very forward sound with punchy bass and they can be driven with practically no power.

With that class D NAD amp I would personally go with the Advents, but the Klipsch are a damn fine speaker. Also, quite a bit bigger if I recall.
 
I have a pair of the original Large Advents (OLA) and have had at various times the NLA, Baby II, and Legacy II Advents. I have a pair of Klipsch KG 4.5, a slightly larger version of the KG 4.2.

The Advents are held in high esteem on AK. They are good speakers, but they can be bested by many other speakers. Everyone should have a pair at least once.

I plan on getting rid of both the OLA and the KG 4.5. They are both good speakers. The KG 4.5 has been upgraded with Crites diaphragms and I would give it a slight edge over the OLA.

Either one you listed is a good choice, provided the Advent has been refoamed properly and recapped. If not, I would go for the Klipsch.
 
If you're going to stay with the NAD I'd say go with the Klipsch as they are much more efficient. While the 3020 series has good headroom I think the Advents really are better with more power than the 3020, in all its variations, provides. For the record, I've compared the KG 4.5 with Crites diaphragms to NLAs( both had upgraded caps). To me it was a tie in overall quality though they do sound different. My musician son, with 40 years younger ears, gave the edge to the Advents on detail resolution.
 
Be sure you hear the 4.5s before you buy them. I despise horn drivers......they are torture to my ears and may be to yours. The Advents can be bought without hearing them really......they just are a smooth and great sounding speaker.......they do everything well and nothing badly. I have had set for a long time.

The only thing I did not like was the ugly grill cloth so I recovered mine.

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Another vote for the Original Large Advents here. Love the warm, laid back vibe. I've powered them easily with a variety amps from 20 to 80 watts. Could listen to them all day long. Klipsch are too forward sounding for my liking, but many people prefer that presentation.
 
i vote Klipsch. I like the Advents but not enough to own them. There always seems to be material in the music that is obscured or skimmed over, in comparison to many speakers today.
 
I've owned most all the older iterations of Advent speakers; Small Advent, OLA's, NLA's, 5012's, and 25th Anniversary. None of which I still own but definitely feel like each different pair brought a lot to the table for their time of production and even now. Pricing of them should be a big factor, too. I owned the 25th Anniversary and 5012's at the same time and, let me tell you, when stacked, they were quite impressive. If I had to be "stuck with" a pair of speakers for the long haul, I could live with either of those latter two. The "fried egg" tweeters were nice....but they are quite older and more brittle now.

Klipsch KG 4.2's I honestly haven't heard since they were new but never thought bad of them. Between the two options, it's just a different presentation. If at all anyway possible, buy both and listen to them in your own home with your own gear....then keep the pair that sounds best to you and sell the others.

One thing, though.....I'd recommend slightly angled stands for any of the Advent speakers and not have them directly on the floor as to better get the tweeters firing towards ear level.
 
avguytx said:
.I'd recommend slightly angled stands for any of the Advent speakers and not have them directly on the floor as to better get the tweeters firing towards ear level.
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That advice goes for any speaker really. The RS speaker/end tables work great for that purpose. They get the tweeter right at ear level when seated. I have two sets, one for the living room and another for the bedroom systems. I dont use the speakers in them.

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I like the later Advents with the dome tweeter a lot more than the fried egg versions. The OLA's are easy to listen to and are laid back, which can be a blessing at times. I've had 'em stacked in the house and garage and currently have the New Large Advents doing garage duty.
 
Thank you for all of the great feedback! To report back/close the loop: I checked out the Klipsches; they had been in a barber shop for a long time, which got me worried about what was floating around inside them, and I could absolutely see how their brightness could be fatiguing. I passed on them, and had a look at the OLAs. The Advents were being sold by a former electrical engineer who took up cabinetry making in his retirement and had a side business restoring old speakers; they sounded clean and clear, and the foams had been replaced. I figured I was unlikely to see OLAs in as good a shape in the near future, so forked over the cash and took them home.

I've got them standing on top of the (now disconnected) 501s, and have been playing with them for a few days. They sound...okay? They do everything tolerably well. They have a nice bass response, though I miss the growl and fullness I got from the Bose; the mids and highs are certainly clearer, though they can sometimes be a bit recessed. I think I expected them to be a bit brighter than they are, if not as bright as the Klipsches. Given the esteem with which they are held by AKers, I guess I was expecting to be more blown away, though that was probably unrealistic for a pair of speakers that are at least half a century old. They're certainly a solid set, and I'll continue playing with them for a while, though I suspect more speakers are in my future, much to the consternation of my family.
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  • Media owner econeditor
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They might be helped by a replacement of the caps, though considering you got them from and EE perhaps check to see if he had already done this. As I mentioned before, Advents like power so see if you can borrow something with closer to 100 w/c. to see if that helps. Pete B's BSC circuit also helps Advents. All that said, no, they are not the ultimate speaker for most people but they a decent speaker.
 
Guido57 said:
They might be helped by a replacement of the caps, though considering you got them from and EE perhaps check to see if he had already done this. As I mentioned before, Advents like power so see if you can borrow something with closer to 100 w/c. to see if that helps. Pete B's BSC circuit also helps Advents. All that said, no, they are not the ultimate speaker for most people but they a decent speaker.
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I'm fairly sure the seller recapped the speakers. I think my next non-speaker acquisition is likely to be a power amp to pair with the 3020.
 
I wholeheartedly vote for "none of the above."

The 501s are boomy and amusical. The Klipsch are bright and boomy. The ARs are warm and old. Speakers have come a long way. So many options, some are hard to find, some are easier. The Canadians are usually a good value. I'm a bit partial to Energy in that case with PSB and Mirage in play. Paradigm is solid as well. It's a start.
 
econeditor said:
Which AR's?
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Any of the true 12" 3/way with a dome midrange, although I give the AR12 a pass being only a 10" and include them in the lot.

Actually from the PO's requirements the 12 with an excellent cone midrange and designed as a rock speaker might be the best choice.

One caveat, the 12 only made for one yr with the secret out on just how great it is isn't cheap even if you can find a pair.

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