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Help me understand the Heresy III


wdrazek

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I have pretty much decided that I'm going to get a pair of Heresy's, the question is which version. I have narrowed it down to the Heresy I or the Heresy III. Yesterday when I heard the older model I discovered that the bass does not go as low as I'd like it to. I've read that the new model has better bass. Since it is still a 12" driver and the cabinet size is the same, it seems logical that the difference in bass is the level, not the extension. Is this correct or does the new model actually go lower than the previous versions?

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I would not rule out the Heresy 2. The 1's and 2's sound more similar than not. So if you like one you would probably like the other. Either will cost about $250-450 on the used market. The Heresy 3 is reported to have a deeper bass. It probably does but in all honesty I am bit skeptical about some of these numbers. For instance the efficiency or sensitivity reported on the Heresy 3 seems too good to be true. Perhaps they are "adding" a few dB for room gain. I don't know so I am only guessing.

The Heresy 3 has only been made for a short time and not many dealers stock them. So they are not readily avaliable on the used market, and when they are, they will be considerably more expensive than the earlier versions. The new prices seem rather expensive for what you are getting, but maybe I am just too thrifty.

If you are concerned about good bass extension, I would get an inexpensive sub to supplement the system. There is only so much bass you can get out of a small box.

Have you had a chance to hear a Heresy in person?

Good Luck,

-Tom

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Yep; I agree.....

On their own; My H Is can make some clean bass......

Coupled with a sub; they are really great to listen to.......

I would buy a set of H Is used and a sub; unless you can easily afford the H IIIs....(And then you might still want a sub).

(The IIIs are better than the Is......)

Good Luck on your decision......

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Thanks for your reply. Yes, I heard a pair of H2's yesterday. It's funny that most people say that an H1 and H2 sound virtually identical but a vocal minority claim that there are significant differences.

My biggest concern was whether or not I'd be satisfied with their bass extension. I'm not a bass freak but as it turned out I don't think I'd be satisfied with what I heard. So I thought either I'd need to add a sub or just maybe the H3 would provide enough more of what I want. I haven't seen many H3's come up for sale used. That means dropping $1000+ without even hearing them. The only way that would make sense is if it eliminated the need for a sub.

Not having heard an H3 I suspect as you do that there is only so much bass you can coax out of a box that size. A larger box is domestically out of the question.

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Just something to keep in mind...

The Heresy I had a difference from all the rest of the Heritage line (Cornwalls, Belle, La Scala, and KHorn); all the rest were tall and had the tweeter and midrange up pretty high from the floor, the Heresy on the floor has its horns down low. Since the Heresy produces the most bass when on the floor pushed all the way back into a corner, the fix for the mid and tweeter was in the crossover network - the taps on the autoformer gave the horns a +3dB gain more than the rest of the Heritage line. So with more bass from being in the corners, and more high end to compensate for being down low on the floor, the overall result was to smooth out the extremes.

Now this works fine if you put the Heresy on the floor in the corner, but a lot of folks like to set their speakers up on stands a la audiophile style. That does two things; reduces bass, and makes the high end a little bright... the two most often heard complaints about Heresys.

When I had Heresys (for 30 years) I changed the taps on the autoformer to knock it back down, and as for the bass; I never thought of them as being too light in the bass - seemed just fine for music.

Not sure about the H III... with the slant base it is clear that they still want you to put them on the floor, but by slanting them up to direct the highs upward I'm not sure if that means they changed the balance between the high and low in the network. I use to slant my Heresys up sometimes and never really decided whether it made much difference. The main thing is to get them into the corners and toe them inward.

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My H3s are not bad without a subwoofer but they are better with one. I don't like missing the very bottom end so I think a sub is required. My electronics help in the bass region, the NAD pre-amp I use has a good bottom also. Without some tuning the Heresys are a very neutral speaker. Thanx.

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I have the 2009 H III (Cherry) driven by a 1991 vintage Carver receiver. I also have them in a room with hardwood floors which is probably bad. I think the room has a lot to do with how they sound. If the room is really reflective and live they will sound bright.

I do not run a sub, but I listen mostly to accoustic jazz that has minimal bass below 50Hz. My room is to small for Cornwalls and that is why I have the H III.

I think you may like the H III fine without a sub depending on the type of music you listen to. If if is pipe organ you will need a sub.

I bought my speakers new and I think that they are a bargain even at list price. I may get some Cornwall III or LS II someday for the basement, but for now I am very happy. I recently played a 1976 vintage Deutche Gramaphone LP of Night on Bald Mountain and they shook the house. On the RCA Living Stereo LP of the Nutcracker (Reiner) the clarity was amazing.Well recorded CDs sound great too.

Buy what you want and enjoy.

Rich

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(The IIIs are better than the Is......)

The H IIs are better than the originals as well. Way more balanced from bottom to top.

Bruce

That statement has been debated endlessly.

I myself prefer H Is easily. (There are others on this forum who feel the same)

H II's sound may depend if they were produced earlier or later in that production run.

(There were some years where they were "hybrids"; if I recall correctly; '83, '84, '85?)

Everyone's ears are different; so do not want to beat a dead horse by stirring this debate yet again.......

[H]

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Hi:

The Heresy III's are the best bang for the buck in relation to the new Heritage offerings.

You do however have the option to upgrade Heresy II's to Heresy III's via an upgrade kit direct from Klipsch. There are a couple of threads out there that shows the upgrade process in great detail.

Good luck in your adventure and be rest assured that no matter which avenue you choose, it's still Klipsch. [:D]

Thanks

JJ

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I have a set of Heresy 2's with the crites upgraded xover and titamnium diaphrams for the tweets. I like the sound very much with or without the sub. I made a quick video of them last week incase you want to get an idea. Keep in mind they are being powered by my TV ONLY and the video was shot with a little flip camera so not the best quality!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb6DSgQPhZs

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The Heresy IIs sound good and the Heresy IIIs sound better. The H-3 woofer is still a 12-incher, but it's a newer and better model, plus the crossover is really new and improved.

The bass goes lower and is stronger with the H-3, but you'll probably still want a sub. As well, the 2dB gain in in sensitivity is for real, as I saw when I balanced the speaker levels with the H-3 replacing one of the H-2s.

The highs are also more clear with the Heresy III. The new speaker is improved in every way over the Heresy II.

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I guess I am just being pragmatic and thrifty.

Given the prices involved, I would think the solution would be a used Cornwall (and No, I don't care if it was a CW 1 vs a CW 2). They are about $500-750 right now and even if you spent another $50 refreshing the caps, they are still an incredible bargain (and cost less than a Heresy 3, new or used). The footprint is not that much larger and the sound (and the bass) is clearly better than the Heresy.

There, I have said it .....

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