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Heard Klipschorns for the first time!


juniper8

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A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to meet forum member Cut-throat for a listening session with his modified Khorns. The Idea was to compare a panasonic digital amp, to one of his very nice tube amps. Unfortunately, we never got around to placing the digital amp into his system. I left the amp with him, so he could make up his own mind and to see if there is any synergy with his set up and space, and also to try a more high powered chip amp. Cut Throat has a lot of amps, of many different types, including a small watt chip amp, and many beautifully restored, vintage amps, in mint condition. First off I was surprised by the scale of the Khorn, even though they sit in the corner, it is a large speaker. Also I was really suprised by how small the sweet spot was for such a large speaker. This could be a product of the room itself or the design, this I dont know because this obviously is a room dependant speaker design, and I know very little about the Khorn, this being my first listen. Another suprise the khorn creates a sound stage like no other speaker I have ever heard. There exists a folding of sound from what I heard, that encompasses the room like nothing I have experienced when you are in the sweet spot. Listening to classical music, I actually had the illusion and feel of the stage rumbling like I was in a well designed concert hall, when over hundred musicians chime in at once. This was a wonderful experience!!!! If you have a chance too listen to a pair, and if you like BIG SOUND and a HUGE SOUND STAGE these might the speakers for you!!!!!

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You mentioned "modified" Khorns..........How so?

1993 KHorns - Midrange replaced with Altec 1005B Horns and 288-16K
Drivers - Single Order Crossovers, with 400 hz and 6,000 hz crossover
points

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First off I was surprised by the scale of the Khorn, even though they sit in the corner, it is a large speaker.

Actually, you should see Jubs in person...

Also I was really surprised by how small the sweet spot was for such a large speaker. This could be a product of the room itself or the design, this I don't know because this obviously is a room dependent speaker design, and I know very little about the Khorn, this being my first listen.

If you are talking about a "stereo sweet spot" then I'd say that any stereo imaging system will have a fairly well-defined sweet spot between the speakers in which the phantom center image is strongly apparent. However, the rest of the sound image outside of the phantom center channel should be quite large, as you have reported.

Another surprise the khorn creates a sound stage like no other speaker I have ever heard. There exists a folding of sound from what I heard that encompasses the room like nothing I have experienced when you are in the sweet spot. Listening to classical music, I actually had the illusion and feel of the stage rumbling like I was in a well designed concert hall, when over hundred musicians chime in at once. This was a wonderful experience!!!! If you have a chance too listen to a pair, and if you like BIG SOUND and a HUGE SOUND STAGE these might the speakers for you!!!!!

This is the effect that you should hear: a huge soundstage.

What's strange to me is that any would like to go back to a small soundstage image once you hear the Khorns, Jubs, or other Heritage speaker placed in the corners of a well-treated room.

Chris

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Cut-Throats modded K-Horns are something special.

I've had the privilege to listen to Kevin's system a couple of times and after each time it would take me a month or two to start liking my K-Horn setup, again.

Kevin has the ideal set-up and you can tell a lot of time was spent getting it just right.

Also, he is a very gracious host!!

JJ

P.S. Did he show you his secret tinkering room behind k-horns/entertainment center? The last time I was there, there was "Fly" tying going on in one corner, crossover tinkering in another, and some stereo receivers in the process of being re-conditioned.

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Thanks for the kind comments J.J. !...........Also my listening room is always open to any forum member who happens to be live or visit in the Minneapolis Area.

As for my impressions of the Pany Chip Amp, is that it sounds a lot like the Trend Chip that I have.......While very good, it is missing the 'Tube Bloom' of a SET amp.

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I left the amp with him, so he could make up his own mind and to see if there is any synergy with his set up and space, and also to try a more high powered chip amp.

Careful...you might not get it back.Stick out tongue

Actually, he doesn't need to worry too much. I already have the Trends Micro Chip amp, which won a Shootout among Digital Amps a few years ago. If you'd like to read the shootout the link is here. http://www.stereomojo.com/SHOOTOUT2007INTEGRATEDS.htm I will say that I preferred the sound of the smaller Trends Micro over the Pany Receiver.

With that said, chip amps cannot come close to a 45 or 2A3 SET amp. They are good for what they are, but SET amps and Chip amps are in completely different leagues.

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