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Hi, Klipsch forum! I'm still looking for the right way to get into tube sound. Now that I have my pair of KP-201s, the time doesn't seem better to start evaluating what's out there, and word on the Jolida FX10 seems quite positive. One thing I do notice is that it has binding posts for both 8-ohm and 4-ohm speakers. What do you think the difference would be under the hood? My limited knowledge of how amplifiers work tell me that the 4ohm posts probably produce quashed voltage (I think?) to keep it from being overloaded. Thanks to Klipsch Professional publishing all the relevant specs, I know the KP-201s have a minimum impedance of 4.5ohms. Which posts would I want to use if I got that amp? One nice thing about the FX10 is that, being made to be an entry level tube amp, it is self-biasing. That's great, because I'm still not sure I understand bias. In a world where I found an entry-level tube amp that wasn't self-biasing, what would I have to know? Would a new set of tubes typically say on the package how it should be set? Thanks!

It's interesting seeing how many different ways the Heresy has existed. Here's a good one, actually: Does anyone know if the Chipotle Heresies are anything unique? I'd wonder if they're just bare Heresy internals on the other side of the wood panel or if it's a completely livingroom-ready Heresy III hiding back there. And while we're here, in some 3-AM searching recently I found an old thread about some oddball two-way Heresies: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/139246-heresy-2-way-club-speakers/ They're not full-range, being set up for three-way but only lacking the treble horn. My first and only pair of Heresies is a set of domesticated KP-201s, with oak cabinets and no handles or mounting points. I can't make a comparison to other versions, but they sound a delight.

I noticed the ornate carpet in your car; only the best for Klipsch, no? Those are gorgeous restorations you've done. I wish new La Scalas came like that! I like the Heresys hiding next to your couch, too. They look really good with the finished face.

After hearing my proud RP-280Fs be shredded by the old pair of Heresies I bought, I think I'm ready to count myself into the three-way camp as well. The Heresy's mid-horn would just fit into the width of the RP-280F, too. I think that'd be a real giant-killer! And while we're here, what happened to wide floorstanders? I haven't had a chance to set up my KG 5.2s yet (a donation pair from somebody who's moving) and I'll be sure to count them into my 3-way vs. 2-way comparisons, but I really like the wide look. They're the kind of speakers that make your friends say, "Oh, those look loud."

Welcome to the forum! I'm not as familiar with the Gallery speakers, but it looks like the G42 costs $700 new, which sounds like it would put your vendor's G28 offer at $1900. If you're only looking at having a two or three channel system, I'd suggest looking away from the Gallery series entirely and at either the Reference Premiere or Heritage lines. The top-shelf Reference Premiere speakers (the RP-280F) can be had for $1200 a pair, and unless you like to rattle the windows, they'll make all the bass you'll need without a subwoofer. You can also get the Heresy III speakers for $2000 a pair, which would be my personal choice. I have a pair of RP-280Fs and had recently come into a much older pair of Heresies, which I like a lot more. You may want a subwoofer for them, as they don't make very much bass, but they're tirelessly musical. I use them for music and video games with great results. Soundbars are often pegged as being surround sound, but to my ear, they're an enhanced version of TV speakers at best. Since it sounds like you're looking at more of a two/three channel system anyway, these options would work very well for you! It's my preference to have a great two-channel system over a mediocre surround system. (Plus, you can always start with a great 2-channel system and build it into surround later!)

Adcom GFA-535. It's not reputed to sound the best with Klipsch, but mine pushes my Heresies very well. For $100 ($150 if you're impatient), it's a slightly-bright but dynamic amp that I've enjoyed very well. I've had it through three pairs of Klipschs (Synergy F-20, RP-280F and KP-201/Heresy II) and it definitely sounds the best with the Heresy.

Grizzog, would you say that the RP-280Fs sound thin or 'hi-fi' compared to the H3? I've been putting together a lot of mental notes A/Bing my H2s (KP-201) and my 280Fs and I'm almost wondering if I'm doing something wrong. I always thought the RP-280F had a weakness somewhere in the mid-bass where the upper octaves of an upright bass strain to make it out or where some vocals sound nasaly, but compared to the Heresy it sounds like a pit in their response. I do wonder if the 280F is, in fact, less sensitive, or at least a tougher load than the H2. I had a suspicion that lower volume positions (compared to the 280F) got higher levels out of the Heresies, but once set up to A/B, the difference is significant. I will say that the 280Fs are positioned outside them, and thus farther from the listening seat, but it still seems quite a difference.

What's the benefit of two-way versus three-way? I haven't heard as many Klipsch speakers as many of the folks around here, but in my experience comparing my new-to-me H2s to the RP-280F, it seems a separate mid horn really lets the mids breathe in a way I've never heard from other speakers.

Interesting reads, Fjd! You have to love the personality in those publications. Certainly enough, per Paul's spec, I haven't had any difficulty getting any sound level I can think of out of my 65w amp. (I also didn't blow anything the time I absent-mindedly plugged a preamp into it while it was on, whew)

Square waves fry speakers now? Synth players must go through tons of them!

They say they work well with vintage equipment, after all! I'm finding out they sound good with vintage music as well; I've always enjoyed old recordings, but a lot of my favorite recordings of old swing music (Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, etc) have never sounded better. They dig loads of dynamics out of old music.

Very cool! I just got my first pair of new-to-me Heresys as well. It's some getting-used-to coming from hearing newer Klipsch models, they definitely have the richest-sounding midrange I've ever heard. What are you using to power them?

Thanks for all the feedback! It's good to know what to expect and what to listen for on the way in. I just got done redecorating where I listen (moved the speakers from the short wall to the long wall on recommendation from Mr. Paul) and once I have a chance during the week, I'm gonna swap the KGs in. I just got done spending a week with my new-to-me Heresies and I want to post a non-scientific comparison to the RP-280F pretty soon, but now that I've come into another pair I'll make it a three-way. I'm curious about how that large horn will sound compared to the H2's two!

Is there a curve for the RP-280F out there? I'm curious; I haven't done anything scientific, but my amp seems to struggle with them a bit more than other speakers I've used with it.

I got my RP-280Fs at the tail of their break-in period. The guy who owned them before only had them for two months and I don't think they were used very much, and to my ear still they had to be used a bit more before they'd sound completely right. I can't speak for how the RP-280Fs sound when new out of the box, but I can tell you that when I bought my old pair of Synergy F-20s new, they sounded like horn and tweeter almost exclusively. Glad you're enjoying them though! Have you pushed them loud yet?

Worst case scenario, Amazon might force the seller to take the return. In my experience, Amazon's CS is pretty helpful if you ask nicely. Cherry finish looks nice as well from what I can see, it seems like most people are getting them in black.

I'm from South Jersey, too! As for the Emotiva, definitely try it and see how it sounds. I have an Adcom GFA-7607 7-ch amp that puts better bass to the RP-280Fs than my less powerful daily-driver GFA-535. It sounds good at middle volumes, but compared to the dual-mono 535, it breaks up a lot more when run near distortion levels and has more clattery treble. I've never heard the Emotiva, but it looks beefy. Give it a shot! My experience with Yamaha has been rough, but the one I had was a receiver and not an integrated. It was from the same Natural Sound lineup. An integrated should sound better, maybe try it with your B&Ws and make sure it performs well at higher volumes. Mine was very quick to get to 'wall of noise' levels of distortion; my rule of thumb with Klipsch is that if it sounds like your system doesn't want to go louder, something in the signal path isn't right. 85w from the right amp should work well!

What did they do to package them differently? I'm sure if you contact Klipsch, they'll help you out. Since authorized dealers have to answer to big K, they have a lot of leverage to make sure the brand is being handled correctly. Once you get a pair in fine shape, you'll really enjoy them. I haven't heard as many different Klipsch speakers as some of the people on this forum, but I can vouch that the RP-280F sounds incredibly neutral and clean. They're very versatile, especially for a horn design, and they maintain their sonic signature well out of the sweet spot. Since you're using yours for two-channel listening, you'll want to use a solid high-current two-channel amp for the best results. Be sure to power through the break-in period as well, my experience is that Klipsch speakers sound drastically different fresh out of the box than they do once fully broken in. (My suspicion is that anyone who's ever complained that they 'only hear horns' never did this.) I use mine for two-channel listening all the time, as well as to play video games, and they're phenomenal. Have fun!

The Promedia 2.1s were my first Klipsch experience, as a matter of fact. They weren't even mine, a friend got them as a gift when we were both in middle school. I'd never heard sound like it before, and made it a point to listen to a fair amount of music when I went to his house just to hear them. I never got a pair of Promedias, but I have enough Klipsch floorstanders now, so it worked out. The Promedias might not stick out in the lineup to most audiophiles, but they really did their job to introduce the brand to an audio novice. (And they still sound great; I can't think of anything that sounds half as good for $150)

Since there doesn't seem to be a lot on the internet about the Klipsch KG 5.2, why not a thread? I'd mentioned in passing to a client that I prefer Klipsch speakers for home listening. He then said that he not only had a pair, but that they'd never been used. It turns out that he's moving, and he'd rather give them to someone than keep hanging onto them. In all fairness, I did mention prior that older Klipsch pairs are often worth a buck; he didn't know the model, but he knew they were about twenty years old. Needless to say, when he said he would give them to me, I said I'd have no problem hanging onto them. I spent some time excitedly going through the Klipsch catalog from twenty-ish years ago. Things were either looking pretty good or a bit rough; the early nineties could mean the KG, Epic, KLF, or Cornwalls, based on how big he said they were. The late nineties/early 2000s, on the other hand, could have meant the early Synergy towers. (Never heard them, but based on how my F-20s were, I don't think I'd like the early Synergy towers) As pictured, they're only set up like that to test them out. Everything works! If they've really never been used like he said, they'll be in need of some break-in. Even still, I'm surprised by how much bass they can make. I'd never liked how these looked in pictures, but they're actually quite visually pleasing in person. These have a visual growl that'll tell your friends, "Yes, they go loud." Why did wide tower speakers go out of style? You'll notice the top of the left speaker has been chewed up just a bit. It also has a scuffed corner now, due to an unloading error. How easily can cosmetic blemishes be repaired?

In my limited experience, home theater equipment will always lose just a bit of performance (compared to a similarly-priced two channel component) to make room for all the home theater-related features. It'll sound good, but at either amp's limit, I think something more two-channel dedicated will perform better. Personally, I own an Adcom 7607 7-channel power amp and an Adcom GFA-535 stereo amp, and while the 7607 has stronger bass and more power (125w per channel as opposed to the 535's 65w), it loses its composure much faster approaching its limits than the older 535. Either amp will distort when pushed hard, but the HT amp loses its dynamics and musicality while the 535 stays much more neutral. Perhaps someone who knows either component better can give better testimony, but if I were shopping for myself, I'd be after the Harmon/Kardon or something else more two-channel focused.

Woodford Reserve is a current favorite. (It's also the only one I have right now, not counting the smidge of Bulleit I have left) Heresies are set up right now, so it should be a good night!

I'll have to try that! On the note of cleaning, actually, can one safely dust inside the horns without damaging anything? I think the old owner had a cat, there's fairly pervasive dust on them that, when wiped off with a finger, smells like (clean!) cat litter dust. I know it to be a bit abrasive, I've had it mess up discs that had been left out and can be a pain to wipe off of things. It's not a -thick- layer, and is actually across the front of the speaker in the shape of the grille openings so I think much of it was caught by the grilles, but I'd still like to dust it all off. (Paper cone seems like it's on there for good, though)

I would like to try the GFA-555Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk I'm torn over whether to seek one or not. Adcom is reputed to sound bright with Klipsch. I haven't heard other amps with my speakers, but to my ear that's not a baseless claim. On my old Synergy towers the sound was too bright to listen to certain songs or genres; on my RP-280Fs it's more like the spectrum is just a little hotter on that side. It's not brash or biting, but it's bright. On my Heresy IIs it's a bit forward, but not bad either. So just keep in mind that the 555 will be bright!

2003 Mini Cooper S, KP-201/Heresy IIs. They're a perfect fit, just snug enough that they don't move around back there while you're driving! (Just don't take more than one friend with you when you pick yours up!)