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Just bought Heresy II - I'm in heaven!


JoeCool

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I've had the Klipsch Reference RF-3 and the the RC-3 (paired with AR towers at the rear) for my HT setup for more than a year and have been extremely pleased with it.

I had been looking for a stereo audio setup for the study for a while and finally settled for a pair of Heresy II and bought the yesterday. I was a bit hesitant because of their small size and a somehwat boxy sound at the store...but nevertheless decided I wanted these over Paradigm Monitors.

Boy, did I make the right decision! Played them for 6/7 hours out of the box and just didn't want to shut them down until 2 AM! I am absolutely stunned. What an incredible pair of speakers.

The RF-3 is a great speaker and I love it, but it's quite obvious that the Heresy is in a different class.

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Welcome to the club!!

I too adore my Heresy's and chose them over the RF3.

There is some thing that they do to the mids and highs which, IMHO is unsurpassed except possibly by larger Heritage speakers.

Of course they cant live with the bass of the RF3 - you need to get yourself a sub to really get the full range out of them, but, pick the right one and it is a passport to audio heaven.

Just out of interest what amplification / source are you using with them?

I have mine mated to tubes (after long daliance with SS amps). Nothing comes close for the money.

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My System: http://aca.gr/pop_maxg.htm

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Joe

Congrats on your purchase.

It is always refreshing to hear people coments and praise of the Heritage line. For me there is nothing else that will satisfy.

I am glad to see Klipsh has brough back these masterpieces of audio engineering for a new generation of people to enjoy.

JM

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Thanks guys,

I am running them on a Denon Integrated amp (65w x2) and my CD Player is a Harmon Kardon HDCD.

I eventually plan to add a sub and progressively move on to tubes. I say progressively because I have no experience of them and have only heard good things about them and if there is one thing I have learnt about audio equipment, it is patience as well as enjoying the journey.

As far as a sub is concerned, I feel I may need one, but not before at least a month of listneing to the speakers "neat" - one for the break-in and two I want to see if I find the sound pleasing enough after a month. I can sense that while the sub will fill voids, it will also add coloration, but I may be wrong.

By the way - my exact feelings as far as the mids and highs are concerned. Other speakers covered more of the spectrum, especially bass, but the Heresy's mids and highs were simply incomparable and in fact good enough for me to compromise on the low ends of other brands.

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Im confident enought to repeat without being ashamed what others have said, Welcome to the "Heritage Sound"!

For me it has been Heresy's all the way. They are small enought to fit almost in any room, their mid and highs are incredible, just like in the rest of Heritage line, well positioned then can draw a really holographic (should I say Holosonical??) imaging and soundstage.

And about their lack of bass, you just need to run them with a good sub and there you are, right in audio heaven.

This message has been edited by Manuel on 04-19-2002 at 10:01 PM

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I have a pair of older Heresys and a pair of Cornwall IIs. The little Heresys can hold their own with the Cornwalls if you use a good quality sub. They are very sweet. The Corwalls have better imaging and obviously more bass but with a sub the little guys can hang with their bigger brother.

Good luck and enjoy!! PS Good amplification will make a huge difference. When I first brought my Heresys home I used my B&K amp with a good processor and they sounded great. I then installed them in the bedroom and hooked them up to an older HK receiver and they didn't sound as good. Get a good Parasound or B&K amp to drive your new speakers and a descent processor. Receivers really do suck!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Finally managed to change the electronics.

The Heresys are now being driven by a Carver C-19 (Tube Hybrid) pre-amp and NAD 2100 power amp. Changed the CD player to a Marantz CD67mkII.

Amazing what the CD player and the pre-amp have done to the setup.

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Although I have seen a few postings on this bulletin board in which the Heresy has been "knocked" for various reasons, the fact that such a simple speaker originally designed as a "filler" center channel for Klipshorns, not only has survived almost half a century in production, but has always been by far the biggest seller in what is now called the "Heritage" line...this DEFINITELY says more than enough for its merits!!!

Even in today's world of loudspeaker designs, it more than "holds its own" against many speakers higher in price, larger in size, and more complex in design.

I love my Heresys, as do the vast majority of those who have bought them. They have been serving me well for a quarter of a century, and just keep on going with absolutely no problems at all!

Welcome to PWK's biggest surprise in a small package Heresy Club! Smile.gif

It would be interesting to find out which subs Heresy owners have found to be an ideal match for them...and how these subs were placed in relation to the Heresys.

------------------

If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

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HDBRbuilder... my music system now consists of a pair of KHorns, a Belle, and a pair of '83 Cornwalls that you may have made. I have the opportunity to pick up a lone Cornwall to fill out a 6.1 music system... but now you have me wondering if I should have a rear array of three or four Heresy's instead.

My concern is more about tone & timbre rather than space & price... but I'd appreciate any comments you might have. -HornEd

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HornED,

With what you already have, I envision the k-horns up front, with the belle as the center channel....that leaves you with a pair of Cornwalls.

You can use the cornwalls as speakers at the sides, or as the right and left rear speakers.

If the Cornwalls are used at the sides, then either three heresys at the rear OR another pair of cornwalls with a heresy center channel at the rear could be used.

If the Cornwalls are used as the right and left rear speakers, then a heresy between them would work, and a pair of heresys for the sides.

Here is what I envision as the ideal heritage home theater/music set-up:

1. K-horns in each corner of the room, with a Belle or LaScala centered along each front or rear wall.

2. Cornwalls, Belles, or LaScalas in the middle of each sidewall

2. Upside down in each corner over the k-horns against the ceiling and slightly angled toward the sweetspot, a LaScala, and over each belle, LaScala, or Cornwall an upside down heresy angled in the same manner.

Keep in mind that the points where these upside down speakers are, there will be a downward angled ramp added to each corner at the ceiling for the bottom of these speakers to mount to and also the same will be done for the heresys over the side speakers, suspending the speakers from them...this ramp would be solidly attached to the ceiling's trusses, etc. and can easily be dry-walled in to make it look like part of the ceiling.

Basically you are turning the ceiling into another floor for speakers, picturing these speakers as being on "risers" aiming at the "sweet spot".

This set-up gives you a three-speaker stereo array along each wall of a room, and repeats itself in a mirror image on the ceiling....thus utilizing every positive factor in PWK's proponency of the stereo three speaker array to provide the ultimate surround home theater system!! The sweet spot would just about be the entire room, too!!!

To this I would add just one subwoofer at each end of the sofa in the middle of the room, to be used in theater applications, ONLY!!...no other sub would be needed. Each heritage speaker would have amplifiers rated at 50-90 Watts RMS per channel powering them

Of course, the cost in amplification and speakers would be pretty high...but, if done properly, nobody's home theater system could exceed this in performance!!! Nor would any professional theater!!

Just a dream I have!! Smile.gif

Knowing Mr. Paul, if his spirit were to enter this home theater, he would wake up the owner and say: "Thanks for buying all those speakers of mine, but you could have done perfectly fine with just the three you have on the floor in the front of the room!"...LOL! Smile.gif

------------------

If you want to send a private message, or have already done so, be aware I have not as yet been able to retrieve them. Send e-maill instead, please...just note Klipsch forum in the heading so it doesn't get deleted.

This message has been edited by HDBRbuilder on 05-16-2002 at 04:47 PM

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That is SO cool! I want some now!

If you don't mind me asking (as is my nature) what is the hi-end audio scene like in Pakistan? The most exotic place I have lived is Hong Kong (Kowloon, actuallySmile.gif) but that is different.

------------------

Receiver: Sony STR-DE675

CD player: Sony CDP-CX300

Turntable: Technics SL-J3 with Audio-Technica TR485U

Speakers: JBL HLS-610

Subwoofer: JBL 4648A-8

Sub amp: Parts Express 180 watt

Center/surrounds: Teac 3-way bookshelfs

Yes, it sucks, but better to come. KLIPSCH soon! My computer is better than my stereo!

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kenratboy

Text - Don't mind you asking at all (not sure how Karachi ranks on the exotic list though!).

Audio scene out here isn't really all that hot, however, you can get pretty much anything you want if you're prepared to pay a slight premium and wait a couple of weeks (length of time directly related to size/weight of what you want). There are a couple of authorised dealers here (Klipsch, Rotel, Mark Levinson etc.), but typically, they will stock little and ask you to place orders.

There is a very interesting second hand market and mostly only the adventuresome will venture out there but you could come by some amazing bargains.

Cheers.

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As you surmised, HDBRbuilder, that's how I have the music room in a 5.1 system. I will be moving later this year and expect to expand the system. I am negotiating on a second pair of KHorns now and have another Cornwall available to me locally.

My hero, Q-Man and I have been exchanging ideas about improving our respective Heritage rigs. As you know, Q-Man uses inverted LaScala's in the way you suggest.

I have enjoyed Klipschorns, Belles, LaScalas, and Cornwalls... but I have never owned Heresy. I was thinking that they might do well as Front Effects and Rear Effects speakers with four K-horns and a Belle center. I will probably use a pair of SVS Ultras with the SS drivers that is specially tuned low to catch more of the moving experience that a good pipe organ can throw my way... and run them up to where the K-Horns roll off.

I have gone through the trouble of disassembling my SVS Dual Ultra 7' Tower to interface them with the K-Horns. The SVS units blend so well with the K-horns that one is hard pressed to say where one stops and the other takes over... and with 1,000 watts pushing them, the SVS pair gets about 122.5 dB... crisp, clean and as musical as units costing much more.

Floyd E. Toole, Ph.D., probably the most respected authority on acoustics by the audio industry has suggested that setting up a home theater in a diamond shape could be very effective. Thus, the screen and Belle would be in a "flattened" corner (the flat part of a diamond cut gem) flanked by K-Horns (probably set in false corners). A second set of K-Horns would be in the natural corners and an array of four Cornwalls, LaScalas or Heresy's across the rear. I would also mount LaScalas or Heresy's as Front Effects speakers inverted and mounted high to take advantage of the ceiling.

BTW, just how close are the tone and timbre of Heresy's compared to a Cornwall, Belle or K-Horn?

I continue to enjoy your posts... particularly when you respond to someone who knows Klipsch personnel that were there during your tenure. Keep up the good stuff... nobody's bitten you yet! -HornED

PS: My HT system features six KLF-30's with a pair of KLF-C7's for Front Effects speakers plus the SVS Tower subwoofer. Maybe not quite Heritage but certainly Legendary!

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Joe,

Now that you have the speakers and the electronics sorted out you will probably want to start looking for a sub.

I cannot recommend the REL Strata 3 highly enough as a match for your Heresy's. It integrates perfectly into the bottom end so that you think your Heresy's are simply going down to 20 Hz on their own.

Most people who come to my house forget completely that I have a sub. To me that is the measure of the thing. In fact there have been many times where I have got up to check it is still on. It is only when you switch it off you realise the contribution it is making.

Be warned though - it is probably not cheap in relation to other subs you might be able to find locally.

I paid about $1000 for mine and they are regarded as inexpensive here in Greece relative to other places.

------------------

My System: http://aca.gr/pop_maxg.htm

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Maxg,

Thanks - I've already got an old Mirage subwoofer (180 watts, 12 inch, front firing) that I am currently using. It's nice enough for movies, but not quite there for this setup.

I have ordered the Rel Strata III (without even listening to it!), principally based on the reviews here and elsewhere. I'm hoping to have it within the nest feww weeks. It's costing me approx.USD1,100..so that's not too bad.

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Nice one Joe - way to go!!

I am sure you are going to love it, and the process of setting it up!!

This is not a simple sub. You have various options for connection (I use and would recommend the speaker level connection) and multiple settings (volume and cross-over (or roll off) points according to whether you are using the high level or low level connections (RCA or speaker connections).

The booklet explains everything fairly well - although I have still not figured out how to connect 2 subs using the speaker level connects (Not really relevent as I only have one - just curious).

One thing - give yourself plenty of time to find the right roll-off point. It took me a few weeks to get it to the right place for all my music.

The other main thing is placement. The first trick to try it to place the sub where you normally sit and whilst it is playing walk around the room seeing where it sounds best. Put the sub there (for me it was tucked away in a corner). To date I have never had cause to move it.

Oh yes - one more thing. As this is a downward firing sub you may find dramatic changes in the sound according to what the sub is standing on. I tried it on Carpet, Bricks and the marble floor - the bricks worked best.

Other than that - enjoy and let me know when you have it.

------------------

My System: http://aca.gr/pop_maxg.htm

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