A year with my Heresy III's

[33RPM]

About a year ago, I had a pair of walnut Heresy III speakers built by the folks down in Hope, after dabbling with various 2-way Klipsch models on my self-built tubed gear and never quite getting the balance and naturalness of sound I desired. After a year of listening, these speakers have truly "opened up" and have turned out to be a spot-on match for the type sound I was seeking.

The Heresy III is warm and natural without any "horn coloration" or unpleasant, shouty characteristics. I never thought this was possible with a horn-loaded driver, but I was wrong! Highs are smooth, effortless and realistic, and the bass is tight and punchy, if not very deep. A sub may help in that regard, though I personally have not bothered - most of my music (i.e., jazz) has nothing below 40Hz anyway. However, the best part IMO is the mids, especially if one listens to jazz and/or classic rock. Saxophones just seem to be in the room with you - and certain guitar parts float out from the rest of the mix. I've never heard speakers that made instruments sound as though an actual instrument was playing in my listening room vs. a speaker playing a recording. The dedicated mid-horn really does wonders, though I think it is actually the combination of the mid-horn and a low-wattage SET amp that work so well together. Finally, the speakers themselves look cool in my house, and dead-on next to my mostly midcentury/late deco decor and wooden-clad tube gear. My only wish is that they were a bit darker in finish, though the wood has darkened up a bit since they were unpacked.

In short, I was initially skeptical of these little midcentury-style boxes (esp. for $1600), but they gradually won me over. They truly have that rich, "golden age of hi-fi" type sound that Heritage speakers are always claimed to have, and are truly a great match for low-powered SET amps (and I suspect SEP's too). They also sounded good on a low-wattage, class-A MOSFET amp I breadboarded this summer, though the higher damping factor of SS with NFB seemed to take some of the "magic" away. I will likely never have to bother with push-pull amps, thanks to these speakers, until I live somewhere other than a volume-limited condominium.

[tom b. 57]

Glad to hear that they're not too horny for you.

Having a pair of horny speakers shouting at you can cause issues.

I"ve always liked the Heresy in a small to medium sized room.

Tom

[jacksonbart]

Top Notch!!

[Cut-Throat]

though I think it is actually the combination of the mid-horn and a low-wattage SET amp that work so well together.

What SET amps are you using?

[psg]

Thanks for sharing your positive experience. It's always nice to hear.

[dtel]

Finally, the speakers themselves look cool in my house, and dead-on next to my mostly midcentury/late deco decor and wooden-clad tube gear.

They do really nice woodworking in Hope, also they will still be playing in many many years, except for the caps getting old in about 20 years they will probably outlast you !

Cool little speaker. [Y]

[emmvette]

Very nice! Thanks for the update. Any pics you want to share would be great. As I read this, I also am wondering what amp you are using.

[edwinr]

Glad you like your Heresy III's. My Belles took a long time to settle in - or it took a long while before my ears began to appreciate them (I don't know which!). But the Heritage speakers offer a very rich presentation. You could try a sub with your speakers, but you don't have to spend a lot of money. Try one of the Klipsch models, you won't be disappointed.

P.S. I've really only seen the cherry veneer version, so some pics of your walnut veneer Heresys would be appreciated.