ODS123

Can't recall if I've made this comment before, but these pics are great - HOWEVER, these craftspeople need to be wearing respirators for gods sake! Know any smokers who have died from COPD? ..It's an awful death. And the same can happen from environmental fallout, like toxic paint/ stains and sawdust. So Klipsch, show your employees some love and appreciation by INSISTING on respirators.

Totally agree with this. ..I'm sure Cory is a good guy and all but if there's a Klipsch dealer within a reasonable distance give them a chance to earn your business. I'd be totally cool with paying a nearby dealer a bit more. If we don't support our local Klipsch dealer they will all soon disappear.

Go for it, particularly if you're able to hear them before buying to confirm nothing was knocked loose inside. ..I would consider that to be highly unlikely. $2000 for cosmetically damaged CW III's seems like a good deal. ..And though you might not be able to make the damage invisible, I'm betting you'll be able to greatly improve it.

Here Is a closeup of my Cherry Cornwall llls

I don't mean to offend, but I would not even think about modifying a speaker in this way - particularly a current production model that may still be under warranty. So you're adding bracing to fix presumed resonances, but you're also decreasing internal volume which is apt to have all sorts of ill affects. Remember, those who engineered these speakers had every opportunity to design bracing into the design if they felt it would improve their sound. And they didn't. Before even considering this I would insist on a careful direct and blinded comparison b/w a pair so modified and an original pair - I would NOT simply take someones word that it improves the speaker. I have Cornwall III's and will admit that they sound fairly hollow and unbraced when you knock on them. Yet, I hear ZERO smearing at ANY volume and with any kind of music or test tones that could be attributable to resonances. To my thinking, adding bracing sounds like a solution in search of a problem.

Sound better after break-in? Doubtful. More likely it's an acoustic issue related to your listening environment. Regarding break-in, here is what Bob Crites (noted Klipsch historian and designer/manufacturer of Klipsch upgrades and replacement components) has to say: (from his website)

Please elaborate. ..My McIntosh MA6600 uses a digital volume control. ..So what exactly am I missing?? My previous integrated amps and pre-amps all used analog stepped controllers and ALL of them attenuated volume at different rates for each channel. ..In other words as you turn the volume all the way down either the right or left channel would go silent before the other. Though not related to the volume controller they all also allowed bleed from other inputs that could be heard by simply playing a source, then turning to an unused input and turn the volume up. ..Before turning the volume half way up you could hear music from the source. ..I found this maddening. This NEVER happens on my Mac NOR my Onkyo AVR - both of which have digital pre-amp sections. And I hear all the detail that I heard through my separate analog preamps (Bryston BP-25, B&K Pro-10MC). As far as I'm concerned, much of what happens in a pre-amp should occur digitally. ..Technology has taken us to a better place where pre-amps are concerned.

Exactly... I'm pretty clear-eyed when it comes to vinyl. I LOVE the format, I do. But not b/c I think it sounds better than CD (it doesn't). But it does sound more than good enough to be enjoyable and wayyy better than a rock being dragged along a plastic grove ought to. What I love about vinyl is the album cover, included lyric sheets, posters, etc.. And just as importantly, the fact that advancing to the next song or album side is inconvenient thereby forcing you to listen to the whole album as a continuous, connected piece of work, etc... Music has never sounded better than it does today b/c of digital. ...But it was never more fun than vinyl. So none of my reasons for enjoying vinyl have much to do with finding the 1-in-100 best sounding pressings. ..But has everything to do with what vinyl represents. So a website like this does relatively little for me. ...But if they're being honest about their process, then I wish them success..

This could mean anything.... "Our full time staff of eight devotes its time to finding, cleaning and playing as many pressings of an album as we can get our hands on. We take only the best sounding copies – we call them "Hot Stampers” – and make them available exclusively to those who appreciate (and can afford) the ultimate in analog sound." This could mean they bought three and picked the 1 best. So the best Chuck E's in Love pressing is $449?? ..It would help make the case if they showed on their website a three foot stack of these that they culled.

Hmmm.... Before spending $449 on Chuck E's in Love I'd want to hear a downloadable high rez file of both their Hot Stamper version and of the regular release so I can compare them through my system and speakers, headphones, etc.. Not holding my breath however. ..I'm sure they'll claim that the advantage of the Hot Stamper version would somehow disappear during the analog-to-digital process - that when digital files are made from analog LPs you'll lose all of that beautiful analog warmth and majesty. ..This would therefore make such a side-by-side comparison unrepresentative. ..This of course would be a nonsense claim, but I'm pretty sure they'd make it. So.... I'm going with "yes, snake oil."

Looking inconspicuous?

All TT's are engineered same goal: Turn the record at the right speed; minimize bearing noise; and provide a low friction tonearm that holds the cartridge/stylus at the correct angle (horizontally and vertically) in relation to the record. That said, not all do it equally well and not all would lend themselves to critical listening.

I would not get one with tubes. ..Something simple like this exceeds our hearing threshold for distortion. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_745PP2E/NAD-PP-2e.html?search=nad_pp_2e&skipvs=T

RIAA equalization (phono stage) can be accomplished very affordably - there is no need to get some exotic, full-sized component with a 1/2" thick faceplate and armor-plating. You'll find several on Crutchfield.com that do their job quite transparently (ie., without introducing audible levels of distortion) for under $200.

No, not at all. ..So long as the table gets to speed quicker than you can drop the needle, you're fine. ..And the 1210gr most certainly does that. ..It gets to speed w/in about 1 sec. ..compare that to most belt-drive tables.

IMHO, the biggest challenge of a turntable is to turn the record at the correct speed w/ inaudible fluctuation. ..Secondly, is to do this with minimal bearing or motor noise. ..It is for these reasons that I much prefer direct-drive tables to belt-drive. Direct-drive tables tend to measure better and sound better. Again, if your budget can accommodate give a look to the Technics SL-1210GR - $1600 from Guitar Center. https://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1210gr.html In addition to sounding fantastic, it has an incredible build quality. ..It feels like a precision made instrument rather than something made in wood shop like most of the similarly priced tables. Both the aforementioned Pioneer and AudioTechnica are nice too for the money. Personally, I'd take either of them over a 20 year-old used Technics SL-1200. ..Yes, the SL-1200's were wonderfully made and built to last but 20 years is 20 years. Should something finally fail it will be much harder to get it fixed.

I have a 1 year old SL-1210gr which betters the new SL-1200 only slightly in terms of specs. My 1210 is .Absolutely the quietest TT I have ever owned plus piano notes are rock steady. And when I cue up the same 12 minute song on both my CD player and SL-1210gr and synchronize them they both play in perfect sync with each other all the way to the final note. ...No warbling sustained piano notes, no speed issues, and no audible rumble whatsoever. ..I've never been as impressed by any exposed rubber-band/ motor TT.

To me, there's no comparison b/w mono and properly recorded stereo. Stereo wins hands down. HOWEVER, some of the early stereo recordings were so absurdly mixed that they are unlistenable . The only way I can listen to them is in MONO. Some early Beetles, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan come to mind where the voice comes entirely from one speaker and instrumental accompaniment entirely from the other. These songs are WAY more enjoyable after engaging the MONO switch. I'll never again own an integrated amp or pre-amp that lacks a mono switch (or tone controls, for that matter).

I am unable to elicit ANY feedback whatsoever from my Technics SL-1210GR, even with my Cornwall tucked in a corner a mere 2 feet away.. I paid $1600 for new about a year ago. It is a fabulous TT imho.

Perhaps... and it is also true that Atkinson seems to always measure speakers to be less efficient than specified by the manufacturer. ...But NEVER to the degree that this particular speaker came up short on its efficiency rating.

I don't follow. ..So who is misrepresenting the truth?? ..I wouldn't like a Klipsch speaker less to learn that it is less efficient than it's rated. But it would reflect poorly on Klipsch and make me less likely to believe other specs. So what is the right number??

Yes, it is indeed positive but it raises some questions about Klipsch's efficiency ratings. ..I don't have the review in front of me but Atkinson measured it to be something like 4 or 5 db lower than Klipch's stated rating. So who is right? ..I looked in the back of the issue for a response from Klipsch in the Manufactures' Comments section but... nothing. I would have expected Klipsch to reply if they wished to defend the accuracy of their efficient ratings.

This would be my go to. Review with (more importantly) measurements: https://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/audiosource/amp-100.htm Just $119. AND it has a Balance And Tone Controls (on back, which is a bit unusual): https://www.crutchfield.com/p_021AMP100V/AudioSource-AMP100VS.html

Now THAT's the way to have Klipsch Speakers shipped. ..Though Klipsch Heritage speakers are great, their boxes a bit flimsy. ..But having them shipped wrapped on a pallet makes it a non-issue. Enjoy them... They're great!

The likelihood of hearing any differences in audio quality b/w these amps is nil, IMHO. Todays solid-state amps are engineered to be sonically linear while driving any typical loudspeaker, and the Klipsch is a very easy speaker to drive. 50 watts is more than enough unless you're interested in causing long-term hearing loss. So, with that in mind, I'd consider the amps feature set and form factor. Several of these amps (the Peachtree, and Sprout for example) lack a balance control, would that be a problem (it sure would for me but not for everyone)? ...And tone controls (for me a must-have, but not for others)? ..How about the digital display on the NAD C 368? ..In my experience, these displays and touch-screens can deteriorate with time, but my one experience might not be representative. ..And how about having an internal DAC? Some believe that DAC technology is apt to change so you might believe it better to keep this "outboard" (I do not share this view). Are you ok with a "push & scroll" control knob that you use for both volume AND to chose inputs and access other settings? Some prefer this for it's simplicity/ tidiness, Others, like me, prefer separate, faceplate mounted controls for these purposes? If it were me, I'd probably pick the Marantz or the Cambridge Audio, but only because of their feature set and form-factor. ..But sound-wise, I think they will all do just fine. ods