Malcolm

Yes, the drivers changed over the years, as they did in most of the Heritage series. This information has been posted before and is in the archives, but I'll repeat here... From the 60s through the end of production, they had at least these: woofer--K-22 EV SP12B alnico (1965) , K-22 CTS alnico with large magnet circuit (1972) , K-22 CTS with alnico small magnet circuit (1974), K-22-EF ceramic (1978), K-22-K ceramic (1984); squawker--K-55-V Atlas PD5V alnico (1965-to near end of production), K-53-K Heppner? ceramic (last ones); tweeter--K-77 EV T35A alnico (1965 through mid 80s), K-77-M EV T35A ceramic (last years); crossovers--Type C (1965-circa 1972), Type E (circa 1974), Type E2 (last ones). The changes appear to have been driven by economics and availability of components. But, despite the changes over the years, and the fact that the K-77-M has 2-3 dB better high end response, all except the last ones with the K-53-K sound very alike to me. The K-53-K squawker has a noticeably different timbre to me. Year of production is encoded in the serial number. Up through the early 80s, it was a letter in the middle of the serial number. You can find a table to decode the letter in the archives. The last models had the year as the first two digits of the serial number. If you are going to buy just a pair, any of them should do you well. If you are going to use them in a HT system, I would suggest you buy all similar vintage so you have the best match of components.

Well, if you really want ebony Klipschorns, the easiest way would be to buy the cheapest pair you can find and have a good cabinet shop veneer them. Ebony veneer goes for $4 to $5 a square foot.

If you like the sound of your Heresies, 5 or 6 Heresies and a good sub can make a nice HT setup. That is what I have, and I love it. With the sub, I don't think you would notice you don't have Cornwalls, at least with your eyes closed. And, For the $900 you'll pay for the two KLF-30s. OTOH KLF-30s would make the basis for a good HT system, too. You'll want a good sub whichever route you take. IMHO, center channel selection is the most important thing in HT. Most of the sound in a movie comes out of it most of the time. It has to be timbre matched to the front left and right front speakers so that the sound moves seamless from side to side. SC-1 is not a good choice for a center to go between two Heresies. Best choice is another Heresy of the same vintage. If you want that center channel form factor, IMHO the best choices are Academy, KV-4 and KLF-C7, in that order. The KLF-C7 is the only one of them that is reasonably easy to find. KLF-C7 would be a good match for the KLF-30s. And, although not timbre matched with the KLFs, the Heresys might work as rears for you depending on how picky you are about timbre match. For me, timbre match is important even with the rears now that we have full range rear channel sound. So, looks like KLF-C7 would be a good choice for you. Finding Heresies is not difficult. More show up on eBay every week. With the exception of my first pair, which I bought new at the local dealer in 1972, that is where I got mine. My best deal was $185 for a pair made in 1965. Most seem to be going for around $400 a pair, plus or minus $50. A few pairs go for over $500. I'll bet you can find them locally, too, if you live in or near a reasonable size town and look for them, probably for less than eBay. Finding a single Heresy might be more difficult than a pair and command a small premium. Probably better to buy a pair and sell one if you don't need it. If you get more Heresies to go with what you have, I would suggest you try to find some of the same vintage so they all have the same tweeter, squawker, and crossover: K-77 or K-77-M, K-55-V or K-53-K, and Type C, E, or E2. This should not be hard to do with your 1980 models. At least avoid the very last Heresies with the K-53-K squawker driver. It sounds a bit different than what you have.

70/watts per channel is just fine. In addition to what has already been mentioned... The muffled dialog with movies sounds like receiver setup issue to me. Most receivers have lots of modes they can operate in. Some receivers keep track of separate modes for each input. Sometimes picking the wrong mode can cause something like this. Sometimes modes get inadvertently changed. Are you sure the receiver is set to the right mode? Could also be relative levels you have the speakers set to. Your center is about 2 dB less efficient than your mains. So it needs to be set accordingly. Have you checked the levels of your speakers? Could be wiring. Are you actually getting anything out of the center channel? If the receiver is set up properly for a center channel, and the speaker is not connected, you will get very muffled dialog, just a bit from the left and right channels. Not sure what you mean by the same thing when playing music. There isn't any dialog with music. Could you explain this problem differently?

Well, I've had Heresys manufactured from 1965 to 1984. None of them needed anything because of their age. I have made some minor tweaks, like damping the horns, and replacing the capacitors in the crossovers. You can search the archives for info on tweaks if you are interested. But if they sound good to you, you really don't need to do a thing. Disintegrating woofer surrounds aren't a factor. That is a problem with speakers with foam surrounds, which became popular in the 70s with a lot of manufacturers. But it doesn't affect the Heritage series speakers. The surrounds on the early Heresys are doped fabric and last just about forever. The surrounds on the later ones are accordioned paper, actually part of the cone. As long as they don't have tears, they are fine.

I don't have any statistics, but what you have is pretty damn rare, if not unique. I've seen a few Klipschorns in ebony and rosewood, but never a Forte. What you have are real special.

If you haven't already done so, I suggest you listen to any speakers you are consider buying first. You may decide you like the sound of your KGs better. If you cannot listen before buying, I think either the Chorus or Chorus II is a good speaker. IMHO Chorus II is not inferior to the Chorus, although they do sound slightly different to me. Main difference is the squawker. And the Chorus II has slightly better bass response. I wouldn't worry too much about the decision. If you buy a particular model of Klipsch speaker used, and later decide its not your taste, you should be able to get back what you paid for it when you sell, if not make a profit.

Most people have only one sub. You probably only need one sub. Low frequencies are effectively nondirectional. You won't be able to tell where they came from. Some people like two subs, one for the left channel, and one for the right, They feel it improves the sound. However, there are potential pitfalls from the interaction of the two subs. In some installations, you may need more than one just to get enough volume. If you are using speaker level inputs to the sub, whether it is a passive sub with a dual voice coil, or a powered sub, you just route the wires from the amp through the sub to the left and right channels. So you will have the bass from both channels. Most powered subs also have a line level input that can be connected to the subwoofer output of a HT receiver.

I haven't actually done what you want to do. But I have given it some thought in the past. It is certainly doable, but I don't think you are going to save all that much on size. The size of the squawker will be the controlling factor for width and depth. The job will be easiest if you can find a smaller, say 8", woofer with the same efficiency as the one in the Heresy. I think it should have a paper cone for best timbre match with your other speakers. You choices are going to be limited. I don't recall finding a good choice for an 8" woofer in the manufacturers you listed. I think I found something that was close made by Pioneer. Assuming you can find a suitable woofer, you may have to tweak the crossover between the woofer and squawker a bit to compensate for the difference in high frequency rolloff of the woofer. It might just be adding a cap across the woofer. Another possible source for the woofer is Klipsch. You may be able to find one with the appropriate efficiency that is available as a replacement part. If you cannot find a smaller woofer with the same efficiency, you will have to tweak the crossover to reduce the levels of the squawker and tweeter to match the less efficient woofer. You may be able to do this by changing autotransformer taps the squawker and tweeter are connected to. Doing so may necessitate changes in the values of the capacitors in the network as well.

Click on "UNAUTHORIZED DEALERS" in the lower right corner of your window. You probably will not have a warranty from Klipsch. Some of those internet deals may indeed be scams. But my guess is most are legitimate. Know your dealer before buying.

The Heresy and Heresy II are limited in their low end response primarily by the box size. You need a good subwoofer to go with them.

I am in a similar situation. I had considered the X-10 Powermid but will not be going with it. What I will be going with is a hardwired system, probably from Xantech. The reasons for doing this are to end up with something that is not as visible, is not susceptible to IR and RF inteference, and has better performance. I have an accessible attic to run the wiring so its pretty easy to install. There are also versions that superimpose the signal on coax that can be used with existing TV cabling.

If the transform, solenoid, or relay fried, it doesn't have anything to do with your preamp. Get the amp fixed and enjoy!

Those ceramic insulators aren't going to help at all. I'd use 12 gauge wire for a long run. Should be good for at least 50 feet.

Sounds like you are going to have a very nice setup. A few thoughts... While you can, put in wire, or at least conduit with a pull string, for whatever you even remotely think you may want in the future. Speakers, lighting, home automation, etc. I would use 12 gauge architectural speaker cable. Make sure the job is done to code.

The KSW-10 sub that is part of the Quintet package is available separately retail. I don't know if there is a way to get the Quintet center without buying the package. Call Klipsch. You could use another Quintet satellite as the center. It is video shielded. Sonically it would be a perfect match. You just won't have the center channel form factor. Anything other reasonbably matched center would probably cost more. That would leave you with $150 or so for a sub. I doubt you will be able to find a KSW-10 for that, or for that matter, any decent powered sub. You should be able to find a passive sub in that price range. You do need a sub with the Quintets. The 3 dB down point on the satellite and center is 100 Hz and 120 Hz respectively. In other words, you will be missing the bass without a sub. If you are going to use the speakers for HT, I think you will be much better off with Quintets than the ProMedia 5.1. Quintets were designed for HT. ProMedia 5.1 were designed for game playing on a computer. IMHO your best bet would be to find a complete Quintet system, with center channel and KSW-10. One can be had on eBay now fo $489. That's not much above your target price.

Welcome aboard! As you have probably already found out, the info on this site recommends KV-4 as a match for the KG 5.5, CF-4 and KLF-30. And of course the KLF-C7 is an obvious match for the KLF-30. You might want to call Klipsch tech support and see what they recommend. My guess is that it will be KLF-C7. Neither the KV-4 nor the KLF-C7 is in production. But at least the KLF-C7 is readily available. The KV-4 is very hard to find. I don't consider the KV-4 simply a step from the KV-3. Its really a different beast than the rest of the KV line to me. Its much more like the Academy and KLF-C7. I have owned a KV-3. And I think the KLF-C7 would make a much better center for the mains you propose if you are considering a KV-3 in place of a KV-4. Post some pictures of you subs if you can!

I assume you are talking about Toslink cables. One thing I can tell you straight off is that gold plating the connector has no effect on the performance of an optical cable. My guess is that the cheap ones will work for you just as well as the expensive ones on a 2M run. If the cheap ones work at all, more expensive ones will probably not sound better. You would expect more expensive ones to have more parallel, better polished ends, a tougher jacket, better connector, etc. The slightly better optical performance of the expensive cables might be relevant on a long run. Whether the other improvements are worth the money depends on your environment. So you might want to try the cheap ones first. Or you might just want to go with the expensive ones anyway. Top of the line MonsterCable Interlink LightSpeed 200 cables have a retail price of about $80 in 2M. Thats peanuts compared to what some people pay for speaker cables.

Another KT-LCR would be just about perfect.

I've never built a Klipschorn, but have built a number of speaker cabinets over the years. I would recommend baltic birch plywood for the main cabinet. Unlike most plywood, all plys are made of the same species and it is void free. The main advantages are that consistent, relatively dense, and very stable. MDF is a great substrate for veneering to. And it will also help minimize problems with cabinet resonances. But I don't think much of it structurally and wouldn't recommend it for the main cabinet, maybe just the inside parts that are protected by the main cabinet. I'd use whatever thickness material Klipsch used. Of course, there is also concrete...

How about vertical cellular blinds? No gaps to let light through. You can even get ones that are 99% opaque.

Gee, I have to differ with Mike on this one. If Klipsch recommends the KV-4 for a center channel, I think you may be disappointed with a KV-3. The KV-1, KV-2 and KV-3 are pretty much a family with similar timbre, just differences in low end and efficiency. But the KV-4 is really a different beast. Besides bigger woofers and higher efficiency, it has a different tweeter than the others. I had a KV-3 for a while with my Heresys. It was a good speaker, but not a good timbre match for the Heresys. I've heard a KV-4 with Heritage line speakers and its a better timbre match. My guess is the the same will apply to the CF-3s. A KLF-C7 might be a better choice. Its closer to a KV-4 than a KV-3 is. And, they are readily available.

The KLF-C7 is definitely not universal. It is popular with a lot of folks because it is the closest match in a center channel form factor that is currently available new, retail for many of the Klipsch series. A lot of people with Heritage series speakers use a KLF-C7, but a lot use a Heritage series speaker, e.g. Heresy, Belle, LaScala. Timbre match between the three front speakers is very important in a HT system. Most of the sound is coming out of it most of the time. If it is poorly matched, you will definitely hear it when the sound moves from speaker to speaker. Some people think timbre match is not so important for the rear speakers. But I disagree with that now that most of the material I see has DolbyDigital or DTS sound. My HT system is based on 5 closely matched Heresys and a good subwoofer. I am in the process of building a speaker with a center channel form factor that will match the rest of the speakers in the system. You'll get the best match by using the KV-4 as recommended by Klipsch. I have seen KV-4s on eBay. But they are even rarer than Academys, which might be another option.

The one you saw on eBay is the art deco look I was refering to. All I remember seeing on eBay was a front on shot of it. I don't know if this is the original Klipsch look or whether somebody customized it. The size looked about right to me for a predecesor of the Heresy. But the outside doesn't tell a lot. Its what is inside that tells the story. Acoustic suspension woofer, horn midrange, horn tweeter. The acoustic suspension woofer was the "heresy" part of it. Don't know for a fact, but early Hs could have had a University 4401 for the tweeter and SAHF for the squakwer just like Klipschorns of the same era. No idea what the woofers might have been in early ones. My guess would be EV or Stephens, just Klipschorns. Anyway, between the info Gil and Justin gave and my experience, you get an idea of the history of the Heresy.

By "it doesn't look like the Heresy" do you mean the one you saw had a kitschy art deco look with kind of a frame on the front? If so, its still pretty much a Heresy. Similar components and size. They came in other styles, too. I saw a 1960 or so model H in theater black that looked just like what what you would expect of a Heresy. My guess as to why model H and H700 do not show up in the product list is that they are just lumped in with Heresy. I remember a post by BobG a long time ago saying that in the earliest Heresys the squawker and tweeter ran flat out and the woofer kept up as best it could. Haven't had a chance to see inside one up close, but I would expect that the crossover would not have the autotransformer we are familiar with in the Heresy. The change to a full range speaker seems to have been made at least by the early to mid 60s. H700s appear to be virtually identical to Heresys. My 1965 H700s have K-77, K-55-V on K-700 horn, K-22 (Electrovoice SP12B) and Type C crossover. My 1972 Heresys have K-77, K-55-V on K-700 horn, K-22 (CTS with big magnet circuit) and Type C crossover. My 1974 Heresys have are a bit different with K-22 (CTS with smaller magnet circuit) and Type E crossover. Box sizes are virtually identical. The crossover differences between type C and type E appear to be due to the difference in efficiency of the woofer when they went to the smaller magnet. I think the move to actually calling them Heresys in public may have been a marketing ploy in the 60s as Klipsch started to push them as main speakers instead of just center channels. I remember a lot of print advertising pushing them.