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Appropriate amplifier for Klipschorn


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Thank you very much for all these suggestions! Indeed my Accuphase is a very very good amplifier,

but with Khorns sometimes is too bright. For example, the tenor saxophone I listen from Khorns is not the real one. The same with trumpets.. But it is very transparent, the sound is very clear, very detailed. I would like to compare this sound with that from a good tube gear, class A, in order to decide which one is better for me. Perhaps I will go back to Accuphase. Or a nice power amplifier like the Accuphase A-46 or A-65 with a good preamplifier, like Accuphase C-2820. Or perhaps a tube preamplifier with an Accuphase power amplifier. All these combinations are under question.

Additionally, the Khorns upgrade is an open question too. Will I improve the sound with the big V-Trac horns, the BMS 4592ND Midrange Drivers and Beyma CP25 Tweeters, the TK400 Crossover Networks, Crites 1526C woofers, and a wiring kit? Did anyone spent $3800 to do that? and what are the results?

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http://klipschupgrades.com/dansessay.shtml

http://klipschupgrades.com/whattheysaid.shtml

I can't comment on the K-horns but I did do the whole upgrade to my Belle's and they sound so much better in every way. Tighter and cleaner bass which seems like it goes lower than before. Much smoother highs, and the Mids are so much more open and fluid, more realistic and pleasing.

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Thank you very much for all these suggestions! Indeed my Accuphase is a very very good amplifier,

but with Khorns sometimes is too bright. For example, the tenor saxophone I listen from Khorns is not the real one. The same with trumpets.. But it is very transparent, the sound is very clear, very detailed. I would like to compare this sound with that from a good tube gear, class A, in order to decide which one is better for me. Perhaps I will go back to Accuphase. Or a nice power amplifier like the Accuphase A-46 or A-65 with a good preamplifier, like Accuphase C-2820. Or perhaps a tube preamplifier with an Accuphase power amplifier. All these combinations are under question.

Additionally, the Khorns upgrade is an open question too. Will I improve the sound with the big V-Trac horns, the BMS 4592ND Midrange Drivers and Beyma CP25 Tweeters, the TK400 Crossover Networks, Crites 1526C woofers, and a wiring kit? Did anyone spent $3800 to do that? and what are the results?

Do trumpets on a variety of recordings sound "wrong?" Trumpets sound great, and very natural*, with my Khorns, driven by a NAD C 272 150 w.p.c. solid state power amp. Tenor Sax, generally very good, once in a while perhaps too much detail .. sometimes too much spit, or bad reeds revealed. Massed strings on certain recordings can be more of a problem.

I agree with an earlier poster that the tube McIntosh 275 ia a very good amp. It exists in two versions, the version of the '60s, available used, and a reworked version of ... when? .... the '90s?

* I heard them live, 5 days a week for about, 10 years +

Edited by Garyrc
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Man, I type to slow.

No, you don't have to spend $3800.00 to get what you're looking for, and you don't need a horn the size of Rhode Island. I'm getting ready to do some LaScalas, and I'm on a pretty tight budget. I can get 95% of the performance for half that amount. I'm a former Klipschorn and Jubilee owner and I've been down this road before - it'll be much more fun this time around without the mania and 50,000 forum opinions calling the shots.

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Man, I type to slow.

No, you don't have to spend $3800.00 to get what you're looking for, and you don't need a horn the size of Rhode Island. I'm getting ready to do some LaScalas, and I'm on a pretty tight budget. I can get 95% of the performance for half that amount. I'm a former Klipschorn and Jubilee owner and I've been down this road before - it'll be much more fun this time around without the mania and 50,000 forum opinions calling the shots.

The less folds in a bass horn the better. Now I'm liking my new Quarter Pie horn. LaScala bass is similar to my FH-1, so you will have to tweak around it's anomalie, but I'm sure you know that.

It think the OP is trying to eliminate harshness, which is, perhaps, inherent in the K-400/K55 so I think it may be barking up the wrong tree to spend big $$ on a fancy tube amp when those same dollars could be spend attacking the ROOT CAUSE of the problem. He has a great amplifier already that reveals the flaws rather than trying to mask them like tubes might do.

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Dave Harris builds higher quality horns for about the same or less money. The Eliptrac 400 is an outstanding piece of engineering. Combined with the B&C de120 tweeter, you'd be sitting pretty sweet.

www.fastlaneaudio.com

I agree this may be the way to go as long as there's a driver upgrade too. Lots of good 2" throat drivers out there.

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So the harshness is a problem of the Khorns and the Accuphase reveals that problem. People suggest tube amplifiers because tubes mask this problem. Interesting.. So the first step is to upgrade the Khorns, and then see whether the Accuphase is good or not..

I think you would pass that exam. with a 100% score.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Again! As you know, I have a new pair of Klipschorns.

Lately, I had some interesting conversations with some people.

Two conclusions/answers:

1. Klipschorns like tubes. But which one?? 2A3? 300B? or the bigger 845, 211, or KT120??

2. Some say, Klipschorns are good, but Tannoy Canterbury or Westminster are much better, so sell the Khorns and buy Tannoys.

What do you think???

Of course the Khorns will be upgraded..

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I assume you have taken care of room problems, etc. with treatments.

Even with the K401 horns, my Khorns sound fine, without harshness, when screening movies (twice a week or more) -- the movie industry seems to have upheld their audio standards. CDs sometimes often do have harshness problems, SACDs, more rarely. I think the recording standards for CDs have largely gone down the tubes. Chesky is O.K.

The SS my Khorns sounded best was a Luxman L580 (an integreted amp), It sounded great flat, and even better with slight tone control manipulation, current doctrine be damned! The Luxman had bass and treble controls with a choice of three turnover frequencies each, plus a three position bass boost switch (off, low high). I could make almost any idiotically recorded CD sound good.

NAD tends to be good SS.

As to tubes, both my Dyna Mark IVs (two for stereo), some borrowed McIntosh 40s and Mc 275 were all great and warm [as was the Luxman SS, above]

Anything you buy you should hear first. I hope there are still dealers out there that will let you take stuff home over the two days they are closed. Unfortunately, the one near me just retired, and closed his store, but he still loaned me a few small items he had at his home.

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