Amy's Blog : Klipsch Archives

Magazine Archive

Amy Unger — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:48:00 GMT

After being around for 63 years, you can imagine the stack of industry magazines we have accumulated. I found Melissa today doing some organizing at her cube, shown here with pages featuring the 50th Anniversary Klipschorn, Epic, Legend, and early Synergy series. Some of the magazines are dated back to the mid-1900s, which makes me sneeze just thinking about it.

Time For Another Caption Contest!

Amy Unger — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Intimate party for ... five? Let the captions fly for this 1970s lifestyle photo featuring a 3-channel Heritage system. Cleverest entry wins a Klipsch prize!

Ho-Hum, Another Major Breakthrough

Amy Unger — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:31:00 GMT

From the classic 1970s brochure...still relevant after 30+ years? You decide.

Oh No! Not again! Yes, it seems that every year someone "re-invents" one of the discarded speakers designs of the past. Or they purort it to modify the laws of physics by miniaturizing a 32-foot wavelength. They may even write a "technical" article on their revolutionary discovery and succeed in getting it published.

We customarily make an optimistic estimate that these speakers will survive five years. Some make it. Some even get re-invented all over again after a subsequent five years. In the meantime they sell. Because they sound different. Different from all other speakers. Different from the live performance.

We'd sort of miss them if they failed to show up. After all, what would spring be without a new major breakthrough? And would it really be fall without the letter edged in black? Pity!

So -- aren't you glad you own KLIPSCHORNS?

Paul W. Klipsch

Klipsch and Associates, Inc.

Download the entire brochure pdf, complete with a list of 28 "major breakthroughs"

Professor Demo

Amy Unger — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:43:00 GMT

I found this in a 1996 Klipsch Korner dealer newsletter, and I'm pretty sure Mr. VP of Product Development will be none too happy with me today. But that's ok. I'm livin' on the edge. I'll just blame it on my cold medicine.

Vintage Rebel Brochure

Amy Unger — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:52:00 GMT

From 1954. "For fine sound reproduction."

The fancy photoshopped background is mine, from today.

Tag Line Contest - Win A Klipsch Prize!

Amy Unger — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:39:00 GMT

I have been scrambling my brain trying to decipher the logic behind this ad image, which appears to be an upside-down Klipsch phono cartridge hatchling.

Anyone want to take a crack at a tagline? Keep it eggistential.

Our Founder

Amy Unger — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:04:00 GMT

Paul W. Klipsch

A Banner Year

Amy Unger — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:45:00 GMT

About a year and half ago, I posted a picture taken of Klipsch Employees circa 1975. This was taken a mere one year later, and you can see the head count nearly doubled. I'm not sure what attributed to the surge... either business more than doubled that year, or perhaps the earlier picture was taken on late a Friday afternoon and half the crew had already snuck out. Hard to say.

The More Things Change...

Amy Unger — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:37:00 GMT

...the more they stay the same. I found this Belle Klipsch ad photo today in our archives, and it immediately brought to mind a photo taken just last year for Mirage.

I love the similar theme...that music is meant to be shared and enjoyed, and how it is an essential part of our lives and the lives of our children. So don't settle for crappy speakers. That's my tag line. Which is why I don't write tag lines.

And I'm pretty sure we had that TV when I was a kid... It was cool because it swiveled.

Home of the Klipschorn

Amy Unger — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:44:00 GMT

I blogged a while back about two vintage "Klipsch & Associates" signs that were uncovered at the plant in Hope (here and here). They have since been retouched, framed, and hung with pride at our engineering facility in Indianapolis, serving as a reminder of our roots for future Purdue graduates. I mean, employees.

Of course, if someone took "Inquire Across the Street" literally, they'd find themselves at the vending machines. Which I'm sure the engineers have been quick to point out.

The World Keeps Getting Smaller

Amy Unger — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:28:00 GMT

This vintage ad circulated around the same time I was learning to walk and eat solid foods. I'm posting it today not only because it's cool, but because I happened to virtually bump into one of the men responsible for its creation.

I know many people think Twitter is a passing fad and a waste of time, including my entire family, most of my friends, and even some co-workers, but I would've never found CajunDave, formerly of Goodloe Stuck Advertising out of Shreveport, if it never existed.

Slug Bug!

Amy Unger — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:07:00 GMT

I really like something about this photograph of the plant in Hope, but can't quite put my finger on it. "Genuine" is a word that comes to mind.

Or maybe I'm simply remembering the bright red VW Beetle I had in high school, and how fun it was riding through town watching people punch each other in the arm.

The Legend of the Glass Klipschorn

Amy Unger — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:25:00 GMT

Once upon a time in the early 70’s, a Plexiglas artist paid a visit Klipsch, deciding this would be a great project. The president of the company at the time, along with the artist and some help in the cabinet shop by the Khorn builder, spent over 1000 hours building it. Very tight tolerances were required for the gaps to be almost imperceptible. To adhere, solvent was injected into the joints with a hypodermic syringe. They were having a sticking-issue with one of the joints when PWK came by, grabbed the offending part, and slathered it with epoxy. The artist broke down in tears…literally.

Apparently they corrected the issue, as there is no sign of PWK’s handiwork.

And they lived happily ever after.

PWK - Pre-"The Feminine Mystique"

Amy Unger — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:45:00 GMT

From the Pine Bluff Commercial, Wed, April 12, 1961. I love the use of Barbie to help explain the oh-so complicated positioning issue to the fairer sex.

My favorite quote in the article: "He (PWK) warned against the temptation of getting too close to one speaker, commenting, 'If you stuck your head in a tuba, you wouldn't expect to hear the whole orchestra!'"

Classic.

PWK: Used Both Sides of His Brain

Amy Unger — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:31:00 GMT

Although I cannot divulge the contents of the folder (translation: Hunter did not let me open it), I can share this PWK-scribbling on the cover featuring what looks to be an early logo prototype...which, it turns out, was likely created by the man himself. Who knew?