seasterl

That's great to hear because they'll integrate well with my sub, but what I'm really hoping for is to get great resolution in the midrange, esp. with low male vocals and complicated midrange passages in rock-n-roll. I know they will be bright and can play loudly. This was the biggest problem with the RF83 (even though I know the Heresy III should sound better despite costing $1000 less than the RF83), plus, I read on another thread that a new HIII owner reported the same lack of midrange resolution with complicated passages. Granted, they were not broken in yet, but IME, break-in usually only helps to attain better bass reproduction and to smooth out the mids & highs (not necessarily add resolution). Has anyone experienced what I heard and can say, "yes, they lack midrange resolution, (and RF83 definitely lack it!), but it will be there once they're broken in" or say something to this effect. I already know I will break in for at least 100 hours before I do any critical listening, but just wanted to feel confident before I spend $1500 sight unseen / sound unheard. Thanks in advance for all the helpful comments!

How do the new H3 sound with mids & highs compared to it's bigger brothers (C3, La Scala II, and Khorn)? I'm on the fence trying to choose between the La Scala II and the more affordable H3, and I know I need a 3-way for better vocal reproduction. BTW, do the H3 tend to be much brighter and more forward compared the a recently-auditioned pair of RF83 I heard? My choice will be my first Klipsch and I want to make the right choice. Sadly, I can only hear the RF83 at a local dealer, and I wasn't impressed with them. To make a long story short, according to my predictions and room size, room configuration, etc., I think I might like the H3 and this thread caught my attention. Thanks, guys and girls!

I searched the currently-available models and the only Jubilees I found were the commercial models meant for stages and auditoriums that are very large. My room is only 12x13'. The specs indicate that they would also be VERY heavy. The more I think of it, perhaps the Khorns will also just be too large and heavy for this application (and my knees carrying them upstairs!). If these are too large, it'll destroy the balance of the small room. Does Klipsch still use the same drivers in the newer models, or was there a time when they updated crossovers and drivers without changing the name? If the new ones use the same old internals (drivers and crossovers), then maybe I should reconsider a "vintage" model. BTW, any recommendation on the Hersey III? It's less expensive than the KL-650 Thx! What's up with that? Should I expect better vocals from the Thx compared to even the Hersey III, or are the Thx prices inflated to profit from unsuspecting HT buyers?

Thanks for that great reply. The only thing I might have against "vintage" is that I'm expecting the latest variation from Klipsch to have the latest technology and design improvements (like with the standing wave issue, if it really is an issue). Plus, there's less chance of finding one that has become someone else's project speaker where they may have played around with the internals (perhaps for fun but in the spirit of getting an improved sound). Finding something unmolested that's a year old in great shape is still okay (if not preferred) with me. Without hearing them, I think I agree with you that I should get a full horn-loaded model. Perhaps the La Scala II version. I can't find a Belle anywhere. What about the Hersey,... or is it not fully horn-loaded? Good call on the Cornall and room size.

I've been doing a lot of searches and reading here and I really like this forum. I am wanting to purchase my first pair of Klipsch speakers and could use some advice because I have not been able to find a place to hear the Heritage models. My current two-channel system is in a dedicated listening room and pretty laid back and nearly perfect for what it does. I love it. Now I'm doing a 2.1-channel home theater setup in a different room (12x13') and I want something that is to be used for music concert DVDs (55%) and movies (45%). My current two-channel setup is great for many genres of music, but honestly, does not do rock-n-roll as well as I'd like. That's why I'm considering Klipsch. I recently had the opportunity to go to a Klipsch dealer that sells only the Reference models, so I spent about an hour listening to much of my music (many different genres) to get an idea of what to expect. (His amp was a Sony ES model.) The best model he had for me to audition was the RF83 (which was one of the models I was considering). It's a two-way desgin using a horn tweeter and three 8" drivers. Just as I expecting, the absence of a midrange horn (or even a midrange cone) and the addition of an extra 8" driver really made the mids muddy. The single horn was having to do just about everything, and it just could not keep up with complicated passages. For instance, when listening to LeeAnn Rimes "Amazing Grace" accapala recording, it sounded very good. Electric guitar solos (Guns & Roses "Slash") sounded great. But when the rocks really got to rollin', the horn just couldn't keep up, IMO. When I listened to Blind Boys of Alabama or Fairfield Four where a male bass voice was predominant, the frequency was reproduced by the 8" drivers and it sounded pretty bad. I concluded that what I was looking for was at least a 3-way design using at least two horns (one for highs, one for mids), but preferably all horns. Needless to say, the RF83 were NOT for me for music-only. However, I really appreciated how cleanly the horns sounded on some movie clips I had on CD for sound effects. The horns did not disappoint at all. Oh yeah, this room was heavily damped and despite the use of the Sony ES amp, it did not sound terribly forward, bright, or aggressive. It just sounded alive, and that's what I'm looking for right now. So now I realize that I probably should be looking at something that is fully horn-loaded from the Heritage line. I already have a Bag End S18E-I 18" passive sub (sealed enclosure) with the Velodyne SMS-1 processor to help blend the sub with the two mains. I want to start with a couple mains that would typically be used as "full-range" speakers, but I'm not in dire need of something that has extra bass. (In other words, if a particular model is a little lacking in bass, I can make that up with my current sub.) I was considering the Belle, but now I realize that they are no longer being made. (I'd like to get a new speaker or mint as opposed to vintage.) I cannot really place these in a corner, so does that mean I should not consider the Klipschorn ("corner" horns)? If all I lose is bass, I can make up for that. Then, there's the well-reviewed LaScalla II with the same drivers as the Khorn. Question: will either of these two really rock? Will they sound better on Guns-n-Roses than those RF83 I auditioned? Some threads I've read so far claim that the Belle does not sound good with rock, but since it's now discontinued, I can't buy it in black now, anyway. Lastly, the Cornwall III seems like an okay choice, but it has that 15" woofer that I don't really need, plus, its horns are not the same as those in the better Heritage models. I'm a bit worried the Cornwall III might not be what I'm looking for, either. If you guys agree with dismissing it, should I focus on Khorns, La Scalla II, or used Belle? (Don't forget to address whether I can still use the Khorns even if I can't place them in corners.) Sorry for such a long post. As you can tell, I need some direction. I don't want to spend thousands of dollars on something that will be disappointing. At first, I thought I might find the Klipsch too bright, but I'm beyond that now, and dampen my room and use tubes if necessary, but sort of need that brightness for movies and rock. Oh yeah, I'm assuming that either of these will still work for movies, right? Although I have not been able to audition the 650 Thx home theater speaker, I'm assuming they're more in the same class as the RF83 with Chinese-made copper-colored cone drivers.