jdm56

dondd, I don't know if I can add anything new here, but I just wanted to get my 2 cents worth in. No, klipsch speakers for the most part are not phase coherant. Very few speakers are. Only Dunlavy and Thiel come to mind, though there probably are some more. But the audibility of time/phase alignment is very questionable. The phase aligned speakers you heard and liked so well may have sounded good due to other aspects of design. (frequency response, etc) The fact of the matter is phase and time aligning of horn speakers is not very practical. Avant Garde does stagger their drivers to achieve a more phase coherant wave launch, but I don't know if their x/o's are phase coherant or not. And as someone has already pointed out, even with the right crossovers and with physically staggered drivers, true phase coherance will only be achieved at one particular point in space; Phase coherance being the simultaneous arrival of all frequencys at the listeners ears. In fact, the klipschorn, la scala and belle klipsch are probably three of the least phase and time coherant speakers on the planet, yet in my humble opinion, they are three of the greatest speakers on the planet. So much for phase and time alignment. I would recommend not worrying too much about performance parameters of dubious audible consequence, and just listen for the speaker that sets your foot to tappin' and puts a big smile on your face -- the one that makes you feel good. Chances are it'll be a klipsch! ------------------ JDMcCall

I am not actually a belle owner (yet!), nor am I knowledgeable, but I do have k-horns and I have heard belles a number of times, so I hereby certify myself qualified to respond to your question. In comparison to newer klipsch designs, I think the belles will sound bigger and more lifelike. And cleaner at high levels. Really, you could say they'll sound similar to the KLF's, but just have "more" of what makes those speakers so good. And oh yeah, one more thing - that big horn midrange will just give you fantastic clarity and detail compared to some of the newer designs. ------------------ JDMcCall

Just out of curiosity; do you intend to use that klipschorn by itself? I assume you do. Does that mean you feed it with a mono front end of classic vintage, perhaps? How about source components? And one more; do you also maintain a separate stereo rig? I hope you don't mind the grilling. I just wondered how far somebody might take the retro thing. ------------------ JDMcCall

Tommy, I think a room can be too small for k-horns. The first room I had mine in was only 13x16.5 feet, but the sound was great, due to "open" floor plan. The current room is 16x18.5. The sound is even better. But - I have heard klipschorns sound awful. It's usually been in rooms that were too/small and/or too dead. But still; BUY THE HORNS AND BUILD ON! ------------------ JDMcCall

Assuming this is an A/V rig, I'd look for KLFs all the way around - C7 center, and whatever will fit for surrounds. Three channels across the back seems to be the way to go now, so three identical speakers there should be desirable. How about a trio of KSP-S6's across the back? Well actually, one centered on the back wall, the other two on the sidewalls, about even with the listening spot. ------------------ JDMcCall

You probably could match levels with your current speakers but the overall system output capability/dynamic range is going to be limited to that of the weakest link - that being the Rock Solids. So to have a really satisfactory system, I would definitely recommend upgrading center and surrounds to klipsch. Not only for the efficiency, but to provide a better timbre match all the way around. ------------------ JDMcCall

I'm a Sony fan, so I would of course recommend their stuff, particularly the ES line. But if you follow this bb much you'll see a lot of support for Denon, which I think is well placed. Also, I believe Onkyo, Marantz and Yamaha are typically very high quality and offer outstanding value - a cut above the next tier of mass market AV gear,which will remain un-named so as not to incur the wrath of loyalists. ------------------ JDMcCall

As to which speaker set-up to use, I don't think there is a best way. Just try it different ways and go with what sounds best to you. But being as how you asked, I would bet that if most use is with video, you would get more satisfactory results having three identical speakers across the front. And for music, with the speakers you mentioned, I would think best results would be obtained using the Infinitys w/o center channel, and using a pair or the sats for surround. Let me modify that last sentence a bit; if your music preference is "typical", meaning mostly popular music (rap, new country, dance, etc.), then just the Infinitys by themselves even, might be best. Horns "project" better for the same reason a spotlight projects better than a floodlight. They focus the sound into a relatively smaller area than domes, meaning you hear more signal, less room. ------------------ JDMcCall

dougdrake, thanks a bunch for all the great pics. it's the next best thing to being there! ------------------ JDMcCall

If Billy C bought klipsch speakers, that may be his one and only redeeming act. Heck, if he does hav'em, he probably stole them, or received them as a "contribution" for which he no doubt either pardoned or hired somebody. Wonder what dubya listens to? ------------------ JDMcCall

blklab, last thing first: concerning k-horn placement in a corner - no, there is not any allowance for fudging the angle off of 45 degrees. They MUST fit tightly in the corner to get proper bass performance. period. so if that's a problem, better stay with belles or la scalas. but you know, there is some flexibility in the sweet spot. you don't have to sit right on the horn's axis. my room sounds best about three feet further back from where the speakers axis' cross. as for the best musical diet to feed horns, I heartily recommend a balanced menu of rock, country, jazz, classical, pop, folk and whatever floats your particular boat! good horns sound good on anything that is well recorded, but will ruthlessly reveal inferior recordings. ------------------ JDMcCall

Damping materials? SET amps? Just call me tin-eared, but I just luvz the sound of my '98 k-horns "as-is"! And I run cheap "mid-fi" (I hate that term AND whoever came up with it) Sony gear. I'm all solid state and listen almost exclusively to digital (CD and DAT). So if anybody should be having horn-itis, it should be be. I admit, I am toying with the idea of some kind of damping on the squawker, but then again, "if it ain't broke..." ------------------ JDMcCall

Colin, As for good deals in EQs, I really love the digital parametrics Sony is building into their A/V preamps and some receivers. But for separate components, I like the Audio Control gear. Have you seen their multi-channel home theater equalizers? Real nice. I'm not really up on the pro sound stuff, but there is probably some good equipment for home use there, too ------------------ JDMcCall

Oh yeah, the 20/20. It's all coming back to me now! You know, I thought dbx was kaput. So, is your 1231 more of a "pro audio" component? Is that where dbx operates now? Concerning the 3BX, I pretty much left mine at about 60% of maximum. This seemed to be unobtrusive on almost all music. But even then, say if you had a solo piano or flute passage with a fairly high amount of background noise, the 3BX would audibly modulate that noise. UGH! My last house also had a family room with the length being almost exactly twice the width. And due to the layout, the listening position had to be right in the middle of the room, so...huge boom at about 50hz. Bad! Had to move audio rig up to "formal" living room - great sound, but unhappy wife. But being the sweet, understanding person she is, she put up with it (and me). The perfect soundroom; now that's what you call an oxymoron. Really, I think if you can just keep all the room dimensions as mathematically unrelated as possible, you've a got a good chance to achieve satisfactory results. Size, as in other matters, does count too! Man, I just luvz muzik and odd-eeh-o! ------------------ JDMcCall

Sharp has introduced a new, high-end digital integrated amp that was well received by Michael Fremer in Stereophile a while back. Don't some subwoofers already use class D switching amps? I definitely think this will be a growth area, and not just for subs. As for music and ears being analog; Although our eardrums are analog devices, I believe that the way the brain actually receives information from the ears and processes sound has been likened to an analog to digital conversion. ------------------ JDMcCall

Jon, This is from one of my klipsch brochures I've accumulated over the years: CHORUS II SPECIFICATIONS: Bandwidth: 39Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB Sensitivity: 101dB sp, one watt/one meter Maximum Continuous Output: 121dB Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms Power Handling: 100 watts maximum continuous (1000 watts peak) Enclosure Type: Vented box (via passive radiator), three way system Drive Components: K-79-K tweeter K-61-K midrange K-48-E 15" (38cm)woofer KD-16 15" (38cm) passive radiator Weight: 89 lbs. (40.4kg) Dimensions: Height: 39" (99.1cm) Width: 18 1/2" (47cm) Depth: 15 1/2" (31.1cm)

dbx 1231... was that that real cool, real expensive eq they came out with that was all electronic - no sliders? Probably the neatest eq I've ever seen that wasn't in a recording studio! I was a big dbx fan myself - had a 3BX also. Of course this was when I was deep into my "black box" phase of audiophilia. ------------------ JDMcCall

Man, talk about bein' lost in the seventies! The Blind Melon - Cheech and Chong connection was so strong in my time warped brain that I had totally forgotten about the band "Blind Melon"! What a geezer I'm gettin' to be! May have to get a new moniker. Wish I still had my old C&C albums...or were they my ex brother-in-laws? I remember playin' 'em real low so the folks wouldn't hear...And 8-tracks! Whew! The best medium ever devised for listening to two tracks at the same time.

28 X40? You call that a room? Man, thats an auditorium!s> I'd definitely go with the short wall for home theater. As for the ceiling, I don't know. I'd be inclined to leave it if the sound in the room is satisfactory now. You don't want to mess up a good thing. Besides, can't you leave the ceiling as is and just wall or stand mount the heresys? ------------------ JDMcCall

<<RogerG: Will off axis response (a traditional horn weakness) be improved by crossing over the top woofer into the midrange or by the new horn design?>> RG, Just gotta stick my 2 cents worth in here; Many people consider the "controlled directivity" of horns to be a GOOD thing! I know I do. -JDM

To All, Please excuse the preceeding post - it was made while in a sleep deprived stupor. ...which is a lot like my normal, everyday stupor, except with more drool. -Blind Melon McCall

Steve P, Blind Melon? That's from a very politically incorrect '70-something Cheech and Chong comedy album. I think the character was actually called "Blind Melon Chitlin". Kind of a stereotypical blind, rural, southern blues man. Like I said, definitely not PC. Concerning choice for a center speaker, my system is strictly music only, all A, no Vs>. So, I really wanted to stay with the full range horns. Oh uh, bill - about sharing that; I hope your dealer isn't in Tulsa. Wouldn't want any collateral damage. ------------------ JDMcCall

Concerning EQ: I If it feels good do it. II ...But don't do it too much! III digital beats analog. IV parametric beats "graphic". V you can cut a room resonance down to size, but... VI ...you can't fill up a "black hole" null. VII in a perfect world, they would not be needed. VIII the world ain't perfect! IX we are all equal under the law. X except some are more equal than others. (right, bill? hill?) These are the ten commandments of EQ -Blind Melon

Concerning EQ: I If it feels good do it. II ...But don't do it too much! III digital beats analog. IV parametric beats "graphic". V you can cut a room resonance down to size, but... VI ...you can't fill up a "black hole" null. VII in a perfect world, they would not be needed. VIII the world ain't perfect! IX we are all equal under the law. X except some are more equal than others. (right, bill? hill?) These are the ten commandments of EQ -Blind Melon

Just my personal opinion: I never much cared for the Epics that I have heard, except for the 2's which I heard a couple of times and thought they sounded pretty nice. I always wondered about that whole "Epic" epic; they did get a big publicity campaign when they were launched, and then in a few years -- poof! No more Epics. Killed the whole line. I suppose sales just weren't what klipsch had in mind. I imagine the "story behind the speaker" would be interesting. ------------------ JDMcCall