Yossarian

It's probably a little unfair to compare the Heresy to an RF 7, is'nt it? Hell a pair of RF 7's are about 2000 bucks a pair, right? A pair of used Heresys? What, about 500 or 600 bucks on the really high end of the Scale? I would think the Heresy would be more fairly compared to something like the RF 3 IIs or their replacements. I have a pair of RF 3 II's, but I can't wait to get my hands on a pair of Hereseys to mate with a sub,PP tubes, and vinyl. Nick

I went to see a 70mm restored print of Lawrence in Chicago about two years ago. I have never seen anything look so good anywhere, period. The detail present in the 70mm presentation is mindbending. I don't know who the cinematographer or director of photography were, but they did some of the best work in the history of cinema, IMHO. The sound at the theater I saw Lawrence at was perfectly adequate, but nothing extraordinary. I guess it just goes to show that even "obsolete" technology can produce a stunning effect if properly implemented. Political opinions aside, I think that it is beyond question that what is considered the modern middle east was born from the aftermath of the First World War.

They quote the same frequency specs of 30 to 20,000 hertz on the XA-12 and XA-15. Magical bass response from what is so clearly a copy of a Heresy! Good looking stuff, though. Nick

I beg you, keep this kind of stuff off of two channel. We don't want to get this thing shut down. Nick

Amen! keep posting on all of this homebuilt stuff! I have been interested in OTL amps since reading about the (now unavailable) kit versions of the mighty Atmasphere OTL amps in Listener several years ago. I had seen the Transcendent Sound site at least a year ago and had often wondered how his kit stuff may sound on Klipsch gear. When you build the T-16 please post some impressions. This sort of stuff is an invaluable resource when contemplating different sorts of kit. Nick.

Does anybody here have much experience with 5881 output tubes in a PP application? Has anybody heard of any particularly good souding examples? I've got an early 90's VTL stereo 50 that runs four 5881s. I've been running a quad of late 90's vintage Sovtek that had been installed by the previous owner weeks prior to the (1997) sale. Does anyone know what family of output tubes this comes from? is it interchangeable (with or without mods) with any other more common or highly regarded model of tube. I have rarely seen the 5881 mentioned on this, or any other, sites I lurk or post on. Any info at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Nick.

Thanks for the heads up on the K-horns. I live about two and a half hours from the Chicago burbs and have been looking for a place to hear the mighty K-horns. I'm in no danger of buying a new pair due to persistent poverty, but knowing that heritage is on display within a days drive is a welcome piece of info. Nick.

I've grown up as a rock n' roll freak, but I have been expanding my jazz collection for the past several years. Kind of Blue was one of the first jazz records to really freak me out. That having been said, how did radiohead get dragged into this thread? Hell, I think the Bends and OK Computer are two of the best and most ambitious records of the 90's. Some of you guys make it seem like dirt-headed swill like Limp Biskit. By the way, Busa, Creep of off Pablo Honey is quite good at high volume. To each his own. Nick.

I started lurking here because I've become really interested in high efficiency speakers and SET amps. I already own and love some PP tubes and pair of RF 3II's. I am trying to help decide which upgrade path to follow in future from learning from some of the people on this board. I don't post all that often, but I check the board on a daily basis, usually. Male, 33, Moline, IL.

Great reply Allan! Always good to run into more Catch-22 lovers. It may not be the best book ever, but it's my personal favorite.

Hi Texas 42. What model of Eminent Technology speaks did you have? I've got a pair of LFT 8's that I dearly love, but I'm looking to try a pair of Heritage to go with a more "live" dynamic that comes with extreme high efficiency. The LFT's do some things wonderfully, but they are a little "polite" IMHO. They are also brutally inefficent, 83 db, I think. Nick.

Using the wrong amps? Hell, we all like what we like. Let's all just try to get over any doctrinal arguments over circuit topology or any other technical matters and try to focus on the fact that all of this is supposed to be about getting more of what we like out of music. Some people like Slayer or Napalm Death and some like Miles Davis or Michael Hedges. Why not try to live and let live. If I like the Beatles through direct radiators and solid state and someone else likes them through horns and SET, who cares? Blackbird is still a lovely song, right?

The almost total lack of dealers who carry the Heritage line is one of the things that makes this board so frustrating to a horn newbie like me. There is an Ultimate Electronics here in the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf, IA and Moline and Rock Island, IL) that carries the Reference series (I was lucky enough to get a pair of REF 3 II's), and there is another local outfit called planet audio that carried Klipsch years ago. Practically the only way a guy can hear Heritage is to seek out someone who owns some, or take the plunge and throw down some cash on a used pair, most likely on E-bay. Then you are probably going to get nailed for shipping unless you get lucky. I know many of the people here on the forum have all Heritage HT, but it seems to me that the almost total unavailability of Heritage speakers means that Klipsch is focusing its marketing almost entirely on HT and has pretty much written off the high-end two channel fans. In this they are certainly not alone. Hell, Ultimate Electronics prominently displays pretty expensive (something like $3,500 a pair) Martin Logans. Why not Belles or LaScalas? Hell, I would love to hear a pair of Heresy II's. I'm fairly certain I will buy a pair of used heritage eventually, but damn, I would love to hear a pair first. Nick

Lord, I hope it doesn't take me twenty more years to shake this disease! I'm hoping to stall its continued advance by getting my hands on a pair of big old horns and tubes, hooking up my TT and my CD player and just letting it rip for a while. I'm not overly obsessed (I THINK) with the gear. I really like what I've heard of high efficiency and SET equipment and the used heritage stuff seems like the most cost efficient way to go. I want to get a pair of Cornwalls and run my PP amp until I try SET someday. I'm not a soundstaging and imaging freak. I just want something that plays the living hell out of MUSIC. I like the klipsch stuff that I've heard. I own RF 3II's and have heard Chorus II's quite a bit. I like the Chorus quite a bit more. I long for the day when I can totally let the upgrade urge pass without thinking I may be missing something. I sure hope it doesn't take two decades or I'm gonna be in deep sheep dip.

In my experience, most people don't even take the time to attempt to properly set up whatever mass market gear they have. I've known too many people, some of whom have already spent a fair amount of money on electronics, that don't even bother to position their speakers so that they have any soundtage or imaging at all. I've seen people with bookshelf speakers on different heights, located different distances from room boundaries. Many people with floorstanders just stick them into the corners and forget about it. Also, it seems that many people only have two criteria for Stereo or HT; does it play really, really loud, and does it have a lot of bass? I've had many friends of mine freak out when I simply make an attempt to position their speakers in a position where they will properly load the room. Unfortunatley large numbers of people have almost zero interest in bothering to sit between a pair of speakers. When they do it's 'Hey, it sounds like his voice is coming from the middle! The guitar is over to the right!, etc. Some people who are willing to invest in 5.1 have never even bothered to explore the possibilities of good old, antique 2.0 channel. I firmly believe that a shameful amount of the populace have simply never heard a really good stereo. Not a great "high end" system, but simply a well designed carefully assembled rig owned by someone who is an enthusiast. I also believe that once they are exposed to good hi fi they quickly take steps to better, or at least properly use, what they have. Nick.

Mobile, You are dead right when you say that proper set up counts for a lot with the LP 12. When set up right it is absolutely spectacular and just sounds so damn musical that it can be addictive. But, I have moved three times since buying the Linn and can attest to having it set up at a less than optimal level. I have never heard mine sound anything less than good, but there are times I wish I would have went with a less finicky table. I have heard some VPI gear that I think is very, very good. The Linn is good enough that it has turned me back into a devoted vinyl freak, however. I don't regret buying the machine for a second. The LP 12 and my Rega Planet totally changed my mind about high quality front end equipment. The next thing I will buy will be an SACD player.

Hi Mobile, The arm is an Ittok, I think. I went with the cheaper arm because I spent some extra dough on the Lingo electronic power supply. I always figured I would upgrade the arm, but have found no reason (or money) to do so, as yet.

I had the oportunity to audition that setup for two weeks a couple of years ago. I was really impressed. I attempted to buy the table, but the dealer had already promised it to another customer who had dibs on it. The Basis was so good that it drove me back to listening to vinyl. I had auditioned the table because I had never had a really good TT in my own home. After listening to the Basis and being denied purchase I lost my mind and went out and blew all of my upgrade money on 25th anniversary Linn LP 12 with a Benz Micro Glider cartridge. The glider is a really good cart, but it IS pretty low output, be sure you have enough gain in the Phono-stage or look into a step-up transformer. For the Money I would jump all over that rig!

VTL stands for Vacuum Tube Logic. VTL was started by the Manley family back in the 80's before the family members split into two companies, VTL and Manley. VTL may have had some reliability issues in the early days, but I have had a VTL Stereo 50 of early 90's vintage since 1997 and have had no problems at all. It runs 5881 output tubes and is surprisingly muscular sounding for its size and rated output. The quantity and quality of bass is very, very good IMHO. I bought it used just to see what all the fuss about tubes was all about. I have never been disappointed since. I have also heard a huge pair of VTL 250 watt monoblocks running a monstrous pair of Planar Magnetic speakers. Awesome! Nick

NOS, Dumb question, but those are going to be monoblocks,right? How much output power did you design them to produce, 35 watts? 50?. It really looks like nice work. I hope some forum guys get their hands on a couple to post some reviews.

After living with RF 3 IIs for a while I am favorably impressed enough to consider trying some heritage gear. The Heresy's are affordable and I have a good subwoofer (REL Strata II). My concern is that if I really like the Heresys I will immediately begin lusting after a pair of Cornwalls. Cornwalls are pricey, even used, and shipping will make them even more so. Are Heresys with a decent sub in the same league as a pair of Cornwalls, or should I simply save money and wait for a pair of Cornwalls? I have a small listening room now, but that won't last forever. Nick.

I've had a Rega Planet since 1998 and have been overjoyed with its sound quality and bullet-proof construction and design. It's a great player. I can't say that it is necessarily any better than some of the modern SACD machines, but if you could find one for a good price it would take care of your two-channel needs quite readily. The machine is not a world champion at being hyper-detailed, and some may find it "laid back", but it is a very pleasant machine to listen to and it is very, very non fatiguing. Good luck.

I have used bi-wired Terminator 2's with both solid state and tube amps and with Planar Magnetic and conventional speakers and I have found them to be quite good. I certainly don't feel they have ever degraded the performance of any of the gear I have used them with. I must confess, however, that I have grown a little skeptical about the overall relevance of cables and interconnects. I am currently using good ol' 12 gauge copper on my RF 3II's. I'm going to hook the MIT back up eventually, but I don't feel that I'm suffering with the 12 gauge.

If anyone is ever in Pittsburgh there is a good used vinyl store called Jerry's Used Records in the Squirrel Hill area.

Hey dndphishin, Does this mean that you are currently in possession of TWO pairs of Cornwalls? Since I live in Moline I'll have to make a point to attend the next Chicago horns meeting. I would love to hear some of this stuff.