How were you "introduced" to the KLIPSCH Heritage Line?

[oscarsear]

My parents had nice gear, Fisher, JBL, Garrard. Growing up in the 60's I was stereo focused and was always looking for 'better' sound. Hit a Federated in Mission Viejo in the early 70's. The place was barren and the one guy working there was bored. We started through the speaker line up in my price range (gag). Then he says, "you wanna hear some REAL speakers?" He fired up the monsters in the back corners of the speaker room, Khorns they were. $1,500 at the time. Anyway, that was that, my audio target was defined. Had a pair by 1986. Been warm and fuzzy ever since (pretty much).

[Rudy81]

Back in 1982 I was listening to what I thought were some fine speakers...the Bose 901's, on those cool round stands. I was also getting into the new tech format, the compact disk. I had come across a CD which was the Overture of 1812 with digital cannons, and the CD had a warning on it. It warned that you could damage your speakers if played too loud. Having an unlimited power rating on those fine Bose 901s, I couldn't resist. So purchased the CD, ran home and cranked it! What a huge disappointment that was. The digital canons sounded like pop guns. Being in the military, I knew what cannons sounded like....these were no digital cannons.

After much troubleshooting and worrying about my system I was told that physics dictated that my wonderful Bose 901s could not produce air movement required to reproduce the sound. What???? How could my beloved Bose 901's not reproduce cannons! It was suggested I find a Klipsch dealer and listen to the CD in either a Khorn, a La Scala or a Belle. I found said dealer and sat in front of a pair of La Scalas. The salesman said 'knock yourself out' and left the room. I finally got to hear the digital cannons.

Before I left the store, I had put in an order for a pair of Oiled Oak Belles...my first set of Klipsh. I have never owned any other speakers for my listening room. I have since had Belles, La Scalas, Heresey, Chorus, Cornwalls and now Khorns.

I could not sell the Bose 901's, but some sucker wanted to trade me his Colt .45 stainless for the pair. I still have the Colt.

[Chris A]

"I still have the Colt."

I'll keep that in mind... [] I bet those Bose 901s would be priceless if you still had them...

Chris []

[Rudy81]

Chris, you just can't a price on 'performance' like that! []

[rockhound]

Some fantastic stories, keep them coming. After I posted this I took a ride on memory lane and threw in some Bad Company but damn it I did not have the klipschorn or heresy at the time but I did have the Ultra 5.1 Pro Media computer speakers so that helped

[Rivernuggets]

1993, at Sound World in Wausau, WI - I was 17. Me and my friend Dean would always go to this Sound World location mostly because the salesmen, Layne, would let us listen to anything in the store. We'd bring CDs and he would show us what's new. Very animated and a Klipsch Head all the way, he really didn't seem to care if he sold anything. Not many audio salespeople give 17 year-olds the time of day, and here Layne would tell us all about speaker efficiency, folded horn design, etc. He was a great guy. At the time I had a bi-amped Panasonic shelf stereo system (still have it!). It was short on bass, so Layne told me how it could work with a Klipsch sub. He allowed me to bring in the Panasonic and try it out. I bought an SW-8 within a month after that, and it's still in use today with my computer. That was my first Klipsch purchase - a sub.....kinda weird.

Anyway onto the Heritage. At some point that year, the store started selling Klipschorns. Dean and I stopped in, ready to listen to a few discs and talk to Layne, like we always did. He was ecstatic and HAD to show us these beasts. We were amazed, absolutely blown away by the sound. I've always remembered that moment and haven't heard KHorns since.

I've been using Reference gear since '01. I bought Forte II's in December '09, my first (extended?) Heritage purchase and have been enjoying them immensely. I know it's just a matter of time before moving up to Cornwalls and beyond.

[Ocnorb]

I have known of Klipsch speakers for decades because of the Khorn, but had never actually heard them myself, only heard the stories of how wonderful they were.

In September of '09 a buddy of mine told me he had seen some smaller Klipsch speakers at a local thrift store for $89.00 so I thought I would go and take a look. It turned out they were KG2s mfg in 1983, they were in excellent shape so I though what the heck and purchased them.

Using only an old sears seperates setup they sounded better than my main system that I had been listening to forever. I was so taken with them that I went to the magical interweb and found this site and started reading and reading and reading. The journey had begun.

By mid October I found a pair of 1976 Heresys locally on craigs list that had just had the crites capacitor upgrades done. I could not believe what I had been missing all these years, and the journey continued as I purchased some vintage Harman Kardon receivers (see sig line) which really made the Heresys sing, especially the HK930.

Then in December I see a set of 1977 LaScalas for sale locally on craigs list and could not wait to get them home. They were the best sounding speakers I had ever heard but then I replaced the original crossovers with Bob Crites A/AA crossovers and once again was astounded at how much the sound improved.

I listen to them as much as I can........... it is very addictive.... but in a good way []

My next step will be going to tubes but that is going to take a while and whole lot more research.

Who knew finding a small set of speakers in a thrift shop could be such a life altering experience [Y]

Jim

[sebrof]

I had never seen nor heard any Klipsch speakers (besides perhaps some non-descript version at some point) until I went to purchase the pair of '65 KHorns I have now. That was May 2009. I did a short demo, the seller was a great guy, kind enough to switch amps a couple of times. I was not overly impressed but bought them anyway mostly because of all the diehard fans I read about on the internet. Within a few weeks I got them sounding pretty good, and I've been working to get them to sound their best ever since. I have mine driven by SET amps, and to me the combo of SET and horn is a very pleasing sound. I can certainly see why others choose high powered SS amps with KHorns, totally different presentation. I have a 150 watt vintage Yamaha if I want to go that route, but very rarely do.

Regardless of the amplifiaction, if it's a quality amp the KHorns play music like few speakers (that I have heard, which isn't all that many) do.

[sebrof]

My next step will be going to tubes but that is going to take a while and whole lot more research.

Jim

Jim,

If your LSs are in a not-so-big space and you don't only listen to R&R, consider trying a low-powered SET amp, you might like it. I had my KHorns driven by a 100-watt EL34 amp and one point. It sounded very nice, but similar to a good high powered SS amp. SETs are just different in my experience. Without waxing poetic too much - Intoxicating, palpable are a couple of words that come to mind.

Low powered SETs can be had pretty cheap on the used market. Or one of my favorites is the Decware, I made the kit @ $350 including tubes.

Mike

[colterphoto1]

Besides probably hearing Klipschorns at Graham's Stereo City in the basement of the Glendale mall as a ween teen, my first real experience was when I visited a sound installer/PA house called Calliope Sound back around 1979 for a job interview.

The owner, John Schaeffer, loaded a cassette with Who Are You? on a Nakamichi Dragon which was hooked to a Crown PSA2 and full 4-way MCM stacks.

WHO THE *** ARE YOU????

gave me shivers down my spine at what was probably 110+db.

Years later I bought a pair of totally trashed Cornwalls for $300 that had survived a house fire.

I was hooked.

You guys know the rest.

Michael

[Ocnorb]

My next step will be going to tubes but that is going to take a while and whole lot more research.

Jim

Jim,

If your LSs are in a not-so-big space and you don't only listen to R&R, consider trying a low-powered SET amp, you might like it. I had my KHorns driven by a 100-watt EL34 amp and one point. It sounded very nice, but similar to a good high powered SS amp. SETs are just different in my experience. Without waxing poetic too much - Intoxicating, palpable are a couple of words that come to mind.

Low powered SETs can be had pretty cheap on the used market. Or one of my favorites is the Decware, I made the kit @ $350 including tubes.

Mike

Mike

Thanks for the advice on the Decware, I will add it to my list of candidates for kits.

I listen to pretty much anything these days as the LaScalas have made everything sound so good.

Jim

[blindman]

The genesis for this thread has been around these parts multiple times.

But it has always been a fun thread, so I will play again.

Dateline: 1970, 1971, 1972

When I was in High School, a buddy and I used to make frequent pilgrimages to Dallas to visit the hi-fi shops which were imminently far superior to those that were located in our West Texas home town. We subscribed to Hi-Fidelity/Stereo Review/Audio Magazine(s), so we were keenly aware that our dose of hi-fi "nirvana" was never going to be found at any of the local emporiums such as Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward, Western Auto, Woolco, Kmart, Gibsons, TG&Y, or BEST Products.

We would leave after school on a Friday and drive for 7 hours, spend the night at a cheap motel, and get up early to spend all day on Saturday going to places such as Arnold & Morgan, Mid-West Hi-Fi, Henderson Electronics, Heathkit, Radio Shack, etc.

Our favorite hi-fi shop was right across the street from Southern Methodist University . . . Hillcrest Hi-Fidelity.

That is where I was first introduced to the KLIPSCH Heritage Line by one Mr. Les Sims (salesman).

Hillcrest Hi-Fidelity had the entire lineup in their listening rooms: Klipschorn, LaScala, Belle, Cornwall and Heresy.

They also had the entire lineup of McIntosh components and they even sponsored the "McIntosh Clinics".

http://www.roger-russell.com/clinics.htm

After I graduated from High School I moved to Dallas. I continued to lust after Klipsch. But since I had a minimum wage job, and I was a poor college student, I had to put my dream on hold. Until finally in 2002. I discovered the used market on E-Bay. See my profile and you will see why I have a sh**-eating grin plastered on my face now-a-days. :-)

[RT FAN]

My buddy came home from the navy in the early 80's after making a stop at the PX and dropping some coin on a new stereo to bring home. A big old Yamaha amp and a pair of Klipsch Heresys. He cranked up Neil Young's Zuma lp and that's all she wrote. I told myself when I buy some new speakers, I'm buying Klipsch.

A couple of years later I was moving into a new apartment and decided to treat myself to some new speakers. I had been buying one good quality piece at a time from Continental Sound in Queens NY. Stepped up to the Sony ES line, 500 Integrated Amp and CDP-7ES cd player, went back for speakers and auditioned the Fortes, played John Lee Hooker's "The Healer" with Carlos Santana, the sound was incredible. The salesman said: "If you like these you should buy the Chorus II's for $500 more", glad I did. Took me nearly 20 years to get around to picking up the Fortes.

I still use "The Healer" to check out systems, lots going on in that recording, Hooker's vocals were at the top of his game, searing guitar work from Carlos, and the Santana band was very tight with tons of various percussion spread across the soundstage.

[colterphoto1]

kinda cool how so many guys not only note where and when they first heard Klipsch Heritage, but remember the SONG that was being played.

sounds like music to me!

M

[Cal Blacksmith]

Yep Michael,

1976-1977, Sound Systems INC, Fayettville NC Mac 225 and Khorns in the high end room. Linda Ronstadt Silver Threads at about 120 db[][]

A vintage link and not quite the "released" version but you just GOTTA love those skirts in the '70s!

http://www.smashbeats.com/v2154016/linda_ronstadt_silver_threads_and_golden_needles

[dtel]

My search was a little different, I was looking for Altec Lansing. I had seen and heard many years ago some giant "voice of the theater " speakers in an old movie theater. They sounded great but way to big for a house and at the time Altec Lansing was only selling little speakers for consumers and they were designed nothing like the ones I had heard.

It was years later when searching for any speaker company who used horns that I found Klipsch. With no place to hear them and a slim chance I could afford them I bought a book on speaker design with horns. I found a design I liked and with the help of my dad built them. I had found a store in New Orleans that sold parts and rebuilt speakers for musicians. I talked with the man and explained what I was doing and he had parts that were very close to what the book called for including the crossover. After building them I was very surprised at what they sounded like, it was the best speaker I had ever had.

Years later I went back to look at some Klipsch models and found a surprise, the speaker I build was within 1" of being a Cornwall, also with a horn Mid and tweeter. I started looking at other Klipsch models and ended up trying some Synergy's for Ht.

I never owned any Heritage until I won some Cornwalls a few years later at the Klipsch Pilgrimage, and barely survived the almost heart attack I almost had that evening.

It was the horn sound I was hooked on an have no reason to look any farther, although the speakers I ended up with are almost the size of the original Altec's I first heard.

I am finished looking.

[pandaboy]

I was a student at New Mexico State University. I was in the Electrical Engineering program there. I received a scholarship from PWK's wife. In the lecture hall there are two Klipschorns. It was love at first listen. There is also a Klipsch museum at nmsu!

[Chris A]

kinda cool how so many guys not only note where and when they first heard Klipsch Heritage, but remember the SONG that was being played.

Yep, first impressions are usually the most indelible - and the Klipsch impression is one that I remember most since I was being told at the time that "it's too good to be true".

"Horns introduce their own colorations to the sound. - that's why (brass) horns sound so good playing on a Khorn."

"Look at the power-spectral response - they're terrible speakers."

"Been there - done that. Old hat..."

"No one wants a speaker that only needs 1 Watt to drive - because no-one makes good 1-Watt amps - and you couldn't make money on them if you did make them."

"The speakers are way too big and you have to put them into a corner."

"I want speakers that I don't have to look at..."

BTW, I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there that bought Bose 901s, Polk SDAs, Magneplanars, etc. thinking that they had just bought the last speakers that they would ever need...

Chris

[Rudy81]

BTW, I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there that bought Bose 901s, Polk SDAs, Magneplanars, etc. thinking that they had just bought the last speakers that they would ever need...

Chris

Been there....done that!

[indyhawg]

kinda cool how so many guys not only note where and when they first heard Klipsch Heritage, but remember the SONG that was being played.

sounds like music to me!

M

The first Klipsch speakers I ever heard were KG2's at Custom Audio in Little Rock- Eye in the Sky by the Alan Parson's Project was the song. KG2's will always have a special place in my heart. Then, the salesman showed me the Heresy's with Take it Easy by the Eagles. This was in December of 1983.