TheSoundBroker

There is another factor to take into consideration and will very much depend on your room layout. With a projection setup, you have the opportunity to do an Acoustically transparent (AT) screen. AT screens are pretty much the ultimate way to go. This is how all professional theaters are done. Having the center channel, left and right speaker all at the correct screen centered height with the center behind the screen has a very dramatic effect. You won't know how much better it is until you experience it. This is the way movies are mixed and meant to be played back. AT screen prices have come WAY down with some of the better DIY suppliers out there now. I have a 68" x 160" 2.35 CinemaScope screen going in our demo theater with all the speakers set behind the screen (recommended for a CH setup vs. outboard L/R for a 16:9 setup).

What do you want to bet his wife came home, saw them, didn't say a word, walked into the Kitchen, pulled out a huge butcher knife and just stood there staring at him...[:@]

If you can afford a $3K sub...it isn't a stretch to have a carpenter move two studs. Heck, the thing is beefy enough to practically act as a structural member! First thing we did when we got our DTS-20 demo is measure to see what it will take to mount one in-wall and for those with a closet or space behind, it is no big deal. Does it outdo the Ultra 2 subs...which I do love...oh yes...you might say that []

If you don't mind the drive...I'm up in Bellingham.

Hi Chris, I have some extra grille material from my HT build I can send to ya. It is black, open weave, works fine on my screen wall with the DTS-20 behind it. Oh, and did anybody happen to catch the posting on the AVS forum where the guys at Danley have developed a new sub that will measure 103db from 15 to 25 hz? Not very impressive huh? Well...that is at TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY METERS! [] Yes, of course I've already put in an inquiry with Danley (and my insurance company).

Stick with the SST series and they'll go VERY well with big Heritage. The 6BSST is a beast of an amp, but is overkill on Heritage. You CAN order a non fully loaded 9BSST which will drive the HECK out of any of nearly all the Klipsch speakers except maybe RF-7's, RF-83's and Ultra 2's in a really big space. I've had a few clients use the Powerpac amps with big Heritage with great results. Definitely nice to have the amp right at the speaker.

Got to disagree with those who claim the RSW-15 can't dig down deep. I've done setups on quite a few RSW-15's. The key to that sub is a bit of judicious EQ from a BFD ($100) and some setup. With that in place, I've consistently achieved a solid 17hz with WAY more output up top than the SVS. Up top there is flat out no comparison...the RSW-15 is far superior to the SVS for output, speed and cleanliness. Klipsch chose to tune for speed and musicality, a very legitimate approach. With a bit of help, the RSW-15 is also capable of being ferocious down deep. And no, with all the EQ in the world, the SVS simply won't keep up in the higher registers.

We just set up an an RT-10D for a client and have an RT-12 on backorder for another. These subs are going to shut up a lot of anti-Klipsch guys...they kick butt!

One thing you might want to be aware of guys... The latest digital and high def cable systems depend on a return signal from the cable box and a lot of bandwidth. Not all ground loop lifters are created equally. If you watch any PPV thru the box, or have a high def box, some may create problems. If that happens, your only choice is to put an isolation transformer into the system between the amp and video.

Stick with all Klipsch and you'll get a far better result. Tonal matching is important. The more different each speaker sounds, the more distracting it is. You are looking for a smooth transition from speaker to speaker to achieve an enveloping surround field. Having different sounding speakers in different locations is jarring and detracts from the experience. Using a different MFG's sub is okay as long as it blends well at the frequency the Klipsch's want to be crossed over at and is dynamically capable. The RB's you mention above are all discontinued. Take a look at the newest Ref IV product which has an improved horn design and is smoother. You might also look at the speakers from the Reference Cinema 10 system. That product doesn't get as much attention round these parts but that little system is FABULOUS sounding! Super dynamic, smooth, and well integrated.

Both are great products and yes it will "work"...but you'd be breaking the cardinal rule with LCR of tonal matching. They are very different sounding speakers and you'll end up hearing three separate sound sources instead of a uniform sound field. This is very distracting. Of course the solution is simple...buy Klipsch Mains! []

It is an absolutely FABULOUS combination! I sell them both and the best sounding systems I've done have been Bryston/Klipsch (either big Ref or THX Ultra 2). The newest SST series amps are a near perfect match tonally to the Ultra 2 and the new Ref IV product. Yes, Bryston isn't cheap...but I had to bet the farm on what amp would still be working in 30 years...it would be on my short list. Also, they very quietly have been one of only 3 companies to actually KEEP their promise of a truly upgradable preamp (Meridian and Theta being the other two)...and theirs costs less than half of the competition and quite frankly equals or betters the others (hint...I dropped Theta after getting Bryston in as a "cheaper" alternative).

Biggest sonic shortcomings...probably overall ultimate detail. Compared to an ultra high rez amp like a 4BSST, the XTi comes up a bit short (then again so does everything else in the range). Would I use one in a dedicated 2 channel setup? Probably not. But for home theater, with all that horsepower on tap and an entire stack of them costing fractions of what many big name audiophile brands cost...they will certainly make most folks grin from ear to ear. Other complaints? Only two...the XTi4000 is perpetually sold out from Crown (they flat out can't keep up with demand) and they are pro gear so they are bloody unprofitable [].

Same price range...but then again it is arguable the PLX series was brought out to compete with the CE-1000 series (and honestly stomped it). As I understand it, Crown has some pretty nifty circuit architecture in the XTi and a few of my clients have done the back and forth and come out very impressed with the XTi. Looks wise, I think they look good racked up...but that is in the eye of the beholder (try to convince my wife a pair of La Scalas are "beautiful"...you'll get nowhere fast). Yes, QSC makes a really great amp...the ONLY thing I couldn't get around on them is the fact they are back to front ventilation. This just flat out doesn't work with a lot of home theater installs with in-wall racks and rear heat management setups. If you reverse the fans, QSC will void the warranty (believe me, I asked). As for the Bryston...listen to an SST series amp...it will very seriously change your mind compared to the earlier versions that were pretty flat sounding. The newer SST series is simply glorious.

Same price range...but then again it is arguable the PLX series was brought out to compete with the CE-1000 series (and honestly stomped it). As I understand it, Crown has some pretty nifty circuit architecture in the XTi and a few of my clients have done the back and forth and come out very impressed with the XTi. Looks wise, I think they look good racked up...but that is in the eye of the beholder (try to convince my wife a pair of La Scalas are "beautiful"...you'll get nowhere fast). Yes, QSC makes a really great amp...the ONLY thing I couldn't get around on them is the fact they are back to front ventilation. This just flat out doesn't work with a lot of home theater installs with in-wall racks and rear heat management setups. If you reverse the fans, QSC will void the warranty (believe me, I asked). As for the Bryston...listen to an SST series amp...it will very seriously change your mind compared to the earlier versions that were pretty flat sounding. The newer SST series is simply glorious.

Probably comes down to just the factors you mentioned...big, heavy and expensive. The DTS-20 is a horn sub, just a very unique design and one that can still (somewhat) reasonably fit in most rooms. Other companies have made big horn loaded subs (ala Avante Garde), but the market for them is so small that it is hardly justifiable to go into production on a manufacturing basis. If you think about it, few people want to give up the space needed to fit K-Horns. Imagine trying to convince them to put something in 2-4 times the size. Besides which...if you have K-Horns in the corners...you will run out of corners. Where you gonna put a corner loaded sub? As for why didn't he...back when PWK designed speakers, as noted, your biggest limitation on bass was the playback medium (LP's). Until the advent of CD's and in particular DVD's, there wasn't much call out for truly deep frequency extension as there were few turntables capable of digging that deep and not much material out there that had the extension. In essence, PWK would have built a speaker that reproduced turntable rumble (remember Rumble Filters? High pass filters to keep the low frequencies OUT of the signal?). For most folks, the K-Horns were the very pinnacle of awesome bass (not to say some fringe element audio guys didn't make big subs back in "the day"). The big push for subwoofers came exactly at the time digital came into it's own but still remained a specialty item until the advent of digital 5.1 home theater with a dedicated LFE channel gave the subwoofer it's own starring role and something for the engineers to play around with while mixing soundtracks. Would I love to see one? HECK yeah! Would I display one in the store? Probably not...the DTS-20 is enough for most folks to swallow but at least it can fit in a lot of spaces, and it has the sound characteristics that allow it to mesh with high impact speakers like Heritage and not be embarassed, combined with god awful massive quantities of low frequency output.

The Crown XTi's make great full range amps. We just did a THX Ultra 2 setup and used XTi-1000's with GREAT results. We used an XTi to run a Danley Labs DTS-20 on the bottom end. Sonically, they are every bit as good as a K1/K-2...plus they have lots of tuning options. If you have the budget...Bryston is my first choice. But barring that, the XTi hits the sweet spot for value/performance. Fans are no big deal as they rarely come on and are brain dead simple to switch out to quiet versions. Oh...and it is TheSoundbroker.com []

The 83's is the more brutal of the two. Higher output, more gutsy sounding. Better for big home theater and for those liking their music large. Sub that matches should be capable of a whole lot of output without compressing or it won't keep up with the mains (think RT-12). The 63 is lean and mean. Better for a smaller space and really good if you listen to smaller music (classical/Jazz, etc). 63 needs a sub that is cleaner up top since it wants a bit higher crossover freq (think RT-10). Chances are, either one will make you happy as a clam.

I had a customer trade in a pair of Oak KG-4's. They are in decent shape...some staining on the top of one (haven't had a chance to hit them with any lemon oil to see how they will clean up) and a few corner nicks. All the drivers are in good shape and they sound wunderbar. Good cheap speaker for those wanting to try cheap glowing glass bottle amps. If not for a pair of JBL 4425's I got in to play with (yeah yeah I know...SACRILEDGE, but you got to love those Dolly Parton Horns!)...I'd keep them around. Rather sell them local than ship them so anybody in Western Washington or up in B.C. feel free to come up to Bellingham and take them home for $249 for the pair.

I am pretty sure the amps were built by ATI and as far as I know there are no manuals still available. Not sure on the preamp, but Parasound is a good bet. I have one of the Paramount amps laying around here somewhere. Actually not a half bad sounding little amp. A bit thin sounding, but if the price is right, not horrible. I've used it to drive surrounds. Never heard the preamp.

Hi Jeff, You may get a few biased answers around these parts but I'd say the in-walls range from pretty decent (the entry level stuff) to darned good (Reference...R5800, etc) to "Oh MY GOD!" (the new THX Ultra 2 inwalls). Compared to JBL, the Klipsch inwall line up is far deeper and more varied. It is also exceptionally well suited for home theater since they are, to my knowledge, the only company making several models of side surrounds horns (R5650S and the new THX Ultra 2 sides). I've put together a bunch of systems based around the R5800's with R5650S and R5600 rears with the Earthquake Thor in-walls. For the price, that system is darned hard to touch as an in-wall home theater setup.

Reason to do a larger version or a floorstanding version is to fill larger spaces. There are people with very big spaces that the KL650's are on the edge in. I have an 8000 ft3 demo room and I have clients with even larger spaces. Besides which...if there was a KL-6500 that had two of the Ultra 2 sub drivers, two of the 6" midrange drivers and the compression driver in one box...who here wouldn't lust after them?

Your BEST bet is to try to locate a single Cornwall. Twin centers will always cause lobing and cancellation issues...that is why not one single manufacturer out there...Klipsch included...sells a multi-center setup. Yes it will "work" and you'll get sound ...but only when you replace it with a larger single speaker will you realize the gains in vocal intelligability to not only the center listening position but the outboard seats as well (remember...for many, home theater is a family or group event). The REASON to do it for many is to increase the dynamic range and bass of the center...so you have to ask what are the best ways of doing so without going to multiple centers? You could use a second Heresy and disconnect the mid/top...but you still have output from the woofer up to the crossover point, causing interference and potential bass doubling plus a shift in tonal balance in the center (bad). You could get a dedicated center channel sub. This avoids bass doubling by rolling a center sub in below the Heresy's roll off point. If you have a processor with advanced bass management and multiple sub outputs, this is a great way to go. If you use separate amps, you can insert an electronic crossover inline, set the center to large and roll the bass out to the sub electronically. That option gives you maximum bang for the buck while minimizing lobing and greatly increasing the center dynamic range. Or...you could find a single Cornwall and be done with it. Wouldn't take up much more room than double Heresy's, would have better LF output and a better mid horn.

Scam. They try to get you to wire money overseas to them. Tons of these now on Ebay...I report them all the time. They steal people's user names/passwords thru phishing e-mails then post using their account and feedback. Posting has now been removed.

Well...since Klipsch has been building some of their models continuously for...what...50+ years, I think you probably have some time. Unlike a lot of other company who depend on bringing out new products every year or so to boost sales...Klipsch relies on the quality of their product to generate sales. The THX Ultra 2 is such an overwhelming success that I don't believe you'll see any replacement...you'll see additional add on product to the line (such as the EXTREMELY imminent THX Ultra 2 in-walls. Also, guys like me have been asking for a larger version of the L/C/R...or even a floor standing model for larger theater spaces. Besides which...if you bought an Ultra 2 package today and Klipsch pulled a fast one and something new came out in 6 months...you still would have an unbelievably awesome speaker package on your hands.