Pondoro

I have R-51PM's and a Polk 10" sub on my computer. I love the combo. The sub is nice but not an absolute must, I was happy before I had it. USB from my PC to the right side Klipsch, RCA from the Klipsch to the sub. The remote and Bluetooth are nice but I do not use them (I tested them, they work, but I am sitting at the computer and the USB cord was free with the speakers). I use my PC for serious music, watching online concerts and giving and taking music lessons over Zoom. The R-51PMs got me so excited that I joined this forum and bought a pair of Heresy speakers that need major cosmetic repair.

True olive oil story, grossly off-topic. I was in Tuscany and they give you olive oil to dip your bread. My host was impressing the Americans. He spoke Italian to the waiter, the waiter brought different olive oil. Our host asked us to compare. The new olive oil was much better tasting! Really. Our host told us that the second batch had been "hanging on the tree" only five days before. I have no idea what it cost, this guy was also ordering $70 bottles of wine. But that second batch of olive oil was better.

I still cannot believe no one has told me to replace the Masonite boards with beryllium or cryogenically-treated particle board.

The Rectangular "Heresy". I am not sure what is "time period correct", but the grill cloth is probably not exactly right. The tops of these speakers are beat up (sides are good, the tops look like they had a lot of stuff piled on them. I am not going for "restore to original." I liked the rectangles. $15 for two.

Ordered!

I can get 1/8" hardboard (Generic Masonite) nearly free ($7.98 per 4x8 sheet) at Lowes. So if I mess one or two up learning how to cut it right I'll have plenbty of backup.

I bought two Heresy speakers, from 1983. They sound great, they have no grills. Not "damaged" grills. NO grills. I bought replacement grill cloth from Crites. I need to make the "boards" that back the grill cloth. I am a decent wood worker. I have many saws. I can buy: 1/4" plywood, in 3 or 5 layers, 1/8": plywood, 1/4" fiberboard, or 1/8" fiberboard. I have never seen original Heresy grills. 1/8" fiberboard seems to be the closest to what I have seen in other speakers. Question 1) What do you all recommend? Question 1a) What is original? Question 1b) What is considered "best"? I am sure someone will tell me to use wonder material X, to reduce some bad effect...😀 Question 2) Any chance of getting replacement logos?

I have been looking hard at $300-$500 amps. Some have DACs, others do not. Many have optical and coax inputs but no USB input. I am also a "store all the music on a PC" guy and also listen to a lot of YouTube and online concerts. I would love to go PC=>Amplifier=>Speakers using only a USB. Price of the amp does not seem to drive DAC, some cheaper amps have DAC, some expensive amps do not.

I have a sub. Rest assured it will be tried. The sub plus powered Klipsch R-51PM's sounds very nice and is actually what sent me on this quest.

I took the plunge and bought two Heresy's on eBay. Looked like a good deal, a day later a better deal showed up, I am OK. It was not crazy better, just a bit better. Drivers are good, the sides of the speakers are good, the tops are a bit ugly, like lots of stuff has been set on them. I have only driven them with my iPad (!) but they sound very nice. I have ordered an actual amplifier but do not have it yet. Serial numbers imply 1983 manufacture. No risers. How much do the risers change the sound? Are milk crates just as good? (Sorry if the milk crate question offends you 😀). I am a decent woodworker and feel confident that I can refinish the tops and also that I could make risers. I would appreciate pictures of your home-brew risers and also appreciate your reviews of those risers.

Yes, good luck, let us know how it turns out! My daughter has a 30-ish year old receiver that I bought for $2 at a yard sale because I had drooled over that model in college. It works! I bought her R51's and they sound great in her small apartment. Up close as you plan to use them I am sure the 41's will do great.

In Dope from Hope Volume 14 number 4 Paul Klipsch states that a center channel is the right way to experience stereo, and he shows how to do it. How would this method compare to playing a stereo LP or a stereo CD through a 5.1 channel receiver and using the "center" speaker output? Center Channel by Paul Klipsch.pdf

I would certainly try the new cable, but it sounds like the problem could be in the digital guts of he R41, not detecting the subwoofer and needing to be reminded. Still a new cable is a cheap experiment.

I use R-51PM's as computer speakers and love them! They are 20 feet away from the back wall because my computer desk faces away from the wall so I can use the wall as a green screen for Zoom. I have a small sub (Polk 10") and it is barely noticeable. I do not play earth-shaking movie special effects, just rock, country and folk music. I can tell if the sub is on or off but it is not a huge deal either way. They are probably overkill but I also listen to online concerts at that computer. I bought my daughter a pair of R-51M's that she uses with a vintage 40 watt per channel receiver, probably 10 years older than yours. She had been convinced that she needed a subwoofer but after a few weeks she says she doesn't need a sub. Her speakers are probably a foot from the back wall.

You got some nice birch, most of the time it has less interesting grain. Birch can be pretty "blah", yours has a bit of curviness.

Thanks everyone. Shipping is high. Lots of them say "local pickup only." Unfortunately most are on the coast or in Texas. I'm within a five hour drive from several large US cities in the midwest. I will watch for a while. Sounds like original series, slightly damaged on the outside, is the ticket.They would be in the family room, not the "show off to guests" room, so slight cosmetic damage would not bother me.

Bought a pair of R-51PM as computer speakers and love them! I may have the bug. Heresy speakers on eBay seem affordable, I have never heard them. Thinking of buying a pair. What size amplifier would I need? My family room is 16x24. I mostly listen to music, I rarely watch movies. What should I watch out for buying used Heresy speakers? If the seller is rated 100% is that enough info?

We have a feral cat who begs when we eat out back (totally our fault.) I threw her a garlic chicken wing and instead of eating it near us she picked it up and raced off, as if she was afraid we might take it back.

I read a story in the BBC about a retired Brazilian soccer star. he was a star before stars got rich. They painted him as a quiet and happy man who was not bitter about the fact that he never got rich. He lived in "a small, government furnished apartment." He enjoyed a nice glass of wine and "playing his trumpet." Playing a trumpet in a small apartment...

Thanks for your patience with my new guy questions. Before I got the Klipsch speakers I had a cheap (<$100) set of computer speakers with a small sub and two tiny right/left speakers. All driven by the 3.5 mm jack on my computer. I bought an ASUS PCle 5.1 Soundcard, as I said it was like $40. I also used it's 3.5 mm jack to drive my cheap system, the sound quality definitely improved. So in my opinion the add-on $40 sound card did something. I didn't need 5.1, I just bought that soundcard because reputable friends said it was good. At $40 it was a worthwhile experiment. The computer does not have optical out but the add on sound card does. Purchasing the Klipsch speakers gave me the dilemma - USB out to them or optical digital from the aftermarket ASUS soundcard. I tried both (into the new Klipsch speakers) and heard little or no difference. Reading up here and other places it seems that USB out is directly off the motherboard, never going through the sound card (either soundcard) so I have learned something. I think that the ASUS soundcard tries to make 5.1 sound out of 2 channel stereo. I'm not really interested in adding speakers for 5.1, just curious. Does the optical out carry all of the 5.1 channels? Or is it just a pass through of digital signal from the motherboard?

So, as I thought, the USB sound is directly from the motherboard, and not through the (probably $2) motherboard sound card? I have seen "audiophile" soundcards for $200 plus. Is it possible for them to improve the sound from a computer, or do they somehow synthesize back channels or center channels, or are they hype?

All I bought a pair of R-51PM speakers to use with my computer. The computer basically is my stereo. I play mp3's and CD's and watch livestream concerts. I am pretty advanced in the PC world due to my work, but not an expert at PC sound. I can connect the R-51PM's as follows: 1) Directly into the USB of my PC 2) Into the "stereo out" jack of my $40 gaming sound card (three-connector mini jack) 3) using the "digital out" (optical) jack of that same sound card I have tried 1 and 3 and I don't think I can hear a difference. I think that option 1 bypasses all sound cards and I think option 3 may bypass the soundcard as well. I am not sure here because the gaming sound card has analog out for stereo front, stereo back, center front/subwoofer. So the optical digital output may be some mishmash of those. I'm happy with the sound regardless but I would like to understand what actually is happening. Oh yeah, I could use Bluetooth, but I see no reason to do that. Thanks