Potentially polarizing question regarding Klipsch

[electronjohn]

My experience with Klipsch is somewhat limited. First exposure was quite a few years ago in a gentleman's "music room". This was a big space...20X30? Big enough to hold a Yamaha grand w/room to spare. One wall was rock w/fireplace...flanked by a pair of Klipschorns. Over in the corner was a rack with a pair of Mac monoblocks glowing merrily. Needless to say I was highly impressed.

Fast forward to last summer, when I landed the garage sale find of a lifetime...my KG5.5s. First run at home was with my lil' Pioneer. Then hooked up my buddy's ST-70 which I'd just finished. Finally, gave 'em a shot with my Heathkit AA-111. The Dynaco was probably the winner...just plain outstanding with the Heath a close second...even at 14WPC. The Pioneer does a fine job as well. I too think they may be a little "shrill" at times...but backing off the treble a notch or two fixes that. And, at high volume bass needs to be backed off a tad as well. I am considering doing the Crites diaphragms, but time will tell. For now...they're the finest speakers I've ever owned.

 

[mkane]

enjoy

 

[Porkloin]

My question is for those of you who have followed the klipsch story for a while. Will I achieve audio-nirvana with a pair of La Scalas or a pair of Heresy? Or am I pretty much out of the Klipsch game?

I suppose another analogy would be getting dumped on by some gal and wondering if you'd like her sister better. Your ears, like many others, interpret the horn sound as harsh and metallic.
Learn from your experience and go find yourself a nice girl with a pair of sticky domes or ribbons or AMTs.

 

[Tom Brennan]

Learn from your experience and go find yourself a nice girl with a pair of sticky domes or ribbons or AMTs.

Or horns other than Klipsch.

 

[drtool]

Though I'm a fan of Klipsch, I also liked the Heils... even electrostatic....

I'm just addicted to the dynamics of horns!

I never understood what someone meant when they said "it was like a veil was lifted from the sound"... then I had a chance once to be at the Klipsch factory and we did some critical listening (in their engineering listening room)

Specifically, did a listen of a regular crossover verses a steep slope crossover.... Though I would not be able to walk into your room and say "HA, you have a (enter crossover style) in your system!!" with any authority, it was pretty interesting to hear the difference and on a side by side, you can EASILY tell the difference. The only phrase that came to me at the time was "gee....it's like someone is lifting a veil from the speaker" and I finally understood what people meant!!

Coytee, did Klipsh use cd's or Lp,tube or SS. Just ?. How many speakers did they demo? The Best I have heard were stats in 1982 (with amps and TT). System cost $16k. I had to look away. I had just spent 6K cash.

 

[Coytee]

as best I can recall (this was about 9 years ago) they used a CD on rather pedestrian electronics (solid state). One of the jokes there was Roy saying they needed a CD player so went to Walmart to get one and spent $50 on it. Speakers were their Jubilee in a 2-way setup

 

[drtool]

Thanks C. I always wanted to hear Jubilee. Really thinking about building for a mono set up.

 

[tensleep]

My Klipsch KP301 sounded good and loud, pushed by a big QSC amplifier, 600wpc (the thing was a beast). They sounded better, once I tuned the ports to 38hz and biamplified them with a unique Panasonic all-digital AVR (believe it or not). But, they took a whole leap forward when I started driving them with a Sherbourne preamp/Sunfire (Carver) amplifier.

What I am getting at is the amplification did make a big difference, as in all my systems. A couple of years ago, I put a refreshed Yamaha CR-1020 on my Bozak 302a and they really woke up. This week, I just got back a Mitsubishi preamp/amp combination from my tech and hooked it up to my Bozak Symphonies. The 4-12s are really under clamp-down control now. However, the 302a have better high end, because I have rebuilt those crossovers.

As I can't afford better quality tube amps, I can't comment on how the Klipsch would sound on tubes.

Your Klipsch, or any speakers, will perform better if the out of spec components are replaced and if the drivers are improved, within the original design parameters. For example, I changed the original paper cone tweeters in my Bozak Symphonys for later model tweeters with aluminum cones. The improvement is immense. Also, my Klipsch are part of the industrial line, similar to the ported Chorus 1, but with a stronger woofer, Tractrix horns and factory titanium drivers for the mids and, I think, for the tweeters. The cabinets are super stiff, being made of 3/4" Baltic Birch with 1" baffles. Klipsch couldn't build and sell like this at a consumer price point. My point is, if you read many of the threads regarding Klipsch upgrades, most deal with cabinet reinforcement, driver upgrades and crossover upgrades. Klipsch knows how to build speakers like that, but not at the price of the KG series.

Finally, use the best electronics and source material you have in front of your speakers - that could be the weak link. Oh, and speaker placement, too (which you probably already know). I'm out.