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Heritage pricing?


jimjimbo

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Heritage speakers is a critical part of the marketing of the Klipsch brand. They bring authenticity and authority to both our brand marketing and our other speaker lines.

 

They won't be going anywhere, as there will always be people who want to buy this type of product even if it's niche. "Niche" doesn't have to mean they don't help our business financially or brand-wise.

 

More on this to come later.

Edited by Alex L
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Heritage speakers is a critical part of the marketing of the Klipsch brand. They bring authenticity and authority to both our brand marketing and our other speaker lines.

 

They won't be going anywhere, as there will always be people who want to buy this type of product even if it's niche. "Niche" doesn't have to mean they don't help our business financially or brand-wise.

 

More on this to come later.

 

 

A niche?   The Heritage line and its upper models with horn loaded cabs were the norm and was what helped Klipsch get worldly known.  Its almost like this line is heralded as what Klipsch use to be.  Its unfortunate this line has to be stuck in a "holding pattern" for life never to be offered with any true updates. I think its time Klipsch step outside the box or rather, step back inside their "old" box.   Forgive me, but IMO, Klipsch and its new offerings have been stagnate for almost two decades.  Where are the ideas of the 1980's and 90's with the likes of the Fortes', Chorus and others when it seemed there would be more improvements and innovation after releasing the second versions of each?   Why are we not seeing more horn loaded incorporations at the drawing table?  Why are the new minds of Klipsch not pushing the envelope instead of high fiving over these same old tired tower designs?  Surely there are some there that are hungry for a real breakthrough or should I say "breakout' of this continuous loop. 

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Heritage speakers is a critical part of the marketing of the Klipsch brand. They bring authenticity and authority to both our brand marketing and our other speaker lines.

 

They won't be going anywhere, as there will always be people who want to buy this type of product even if it's niche. "Niche" doesn't have to mean they don't help our business financially or brand-wise.

 

More on this to come later.

 

 

A niche?   The Heritage line and its upper models with horn loaded cabs were the norm and was what helped Klipsch get worldly known.  Its almost like this line is heralded as what Klipsch use to be.  Its unfortunate this line has to be stuck in a "holding pattern" for life never to be offered with any true updates. I think its time Klipsch step outside the box or rather, step back inside their "old" box.   Forgive me, but IMO, Klipsch and its new offerings have been stagnate for almost two decades.  Where are the ideas of the 1980's and 90's with the likes of the Fortes', Chorus and others when it seemed there would be more improvements and innovation after releasing the second versions of each?   Why are we not seeing more horn loaded incorporations at the drawing table?  Why are the new minds of Klipsch not pushing the envelope instead of high fiving over these same old tired tower designs?  Surely there are some there that are hungry for a real breakthrough or should I say "breakout' of this continuous loop. 

 

 

Points to make...

 

- You are definitely right that we have made some missteps and need to do better. 

- You are right that some people at Klipsch took Heritage for granted. I can promise you that is not the case right now.

- Someone already posted a PWK quote that applies as a response...but essentially the Klipschorn is a 1%er speaker. That's who it was made for. That is the definition of a niche. It's not an insult in any way. The simple fact is that the Heritage Series is for the high-end market, particular with the current state of things. You can still make a good deal of business from a niche series. Heck, Audeze is a niche headphone brand and they make a crap ton of money selling headphones from $700+++. B&O does as well with its ridiculously priced systems. My greater point was that the Heritage speakers themselves are niche, but they are not niche to the brand itself. 

- There are people on these forums even that prefer Reference Series to Forte/Chorus/etc. Subjective to conclude that there has been no improvement made there.

- All the principles of the Klipsch Heritage Series goes into the design of all Klipsch speakers. It is drilled into the engineers and everyone else here ad nauseam. Are there times when those principles are violated? Sure. Even PWK knew there was a time and place for that - Heresy.

- We DO make improvements to each speaker line. Reference Premiere vs. Reference II is a big-time improvement. Listening is believing.

- The Klipsch "Bridge' concept we showed at CES is a great example of what we can do. It takes some of our best new technology from the Stadium with wood cabinetry. As I said in its thread, the new demo blew everyone away. 

- The Heritage Series is not done improving yet.

- There are even more cool things that we are working on that were not displayed at CES. We have to develop alongside what sales/PD/retailers dictate the market wants. It is simply bad business to go through all the R&D and then no retailer wants to take in the speaker.

 

Essentially, I could have erased all of that and said "I don't think you'll be disappointed by 2015-2016."

Edited by Alex L
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He never had the proper corners for them and they were in his dining room. It looked kind of funny, actually. You could look into the back of them through the window from his front lawn. Plus, he was moving.

Ha, Ha, Ha....... I read this post first before the previuos ones leading up to this and at first I thought you were talking about PWK. Ha, Ha, Ha...

My bad.

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- We DO make improvements to each speaker line. Reference Premiere vs. Reference II is a big-time improvement. Listening is believing.

- The Heritage Series is not done improving yet.

 

A lot of folks may have not understood this, but everyone needs to remember it.

 

Bruce

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It would be nice if Klipsch offered an update kit for older K-horns and Cornwalls like crossovers, 2" diameter drivers and horns for midrange, and extended range

tweeters. I would be salivating over that package.

JJK

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"It would be nice if Klipsch offered an update kit for older K-horns and Cornwalls like crossovers, 2" diameter drivers and horns for midrange, and extended range tweeters."

 

The Klipschorn has always had updates availalble (no 2" throat though).

 

The Cornwall had some updates available, but woodworking would be required to change out horns (no 2" throat though). I obtained a lot of K55V and type B networks from mid 80's updates (K52H and type B2). 

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- We DO make improvements to each speaker line. Reference Premiere vs. Reference II is a big-time improvement. Listening is believing.

- The Heritage Series is not done improving yet.

 

A lot of folks may have not understood this, but everyone needs to remember it.

 

Bruce

 

 

I guess I'm one of the ones that didn't understand it.

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I bought brand new Cornwalls in January. Even at UK prices, each model in the Heritage range looks very good value to me vs.comparable western-made high end brands, Tannoy for example.

The Cornwall III is a very nice speaker...They are $2,000 each/$4,000 a pair in the USA. I am not sure what the 2-channel market would be for them comparatively speaking, but for Home Theater in the Klipsch line most would choose upper end Reference Mains. Center, and sub for that price.

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Because the Heritage line are such a different approach to the current speaker mainstream, it's difficult to make like for like comparisons, but I'm fairly confident that nothing else available in the UK will do what my Cornwall's do for the same money.

It's worth noting for example that the top end of the Tannoy Prestige line sells for double the price of KHorns even at UK "£ for $" prices, not an unfair comparison I think.

Edited by UKNorton
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If only some of you could see the things deep inside the Skunkworks that we call the Klipsch engineering labs. Be assured, we take "real updates" very seriously. The goal is not to answer the question "so.... what's so different?" It's to smile and get the question "How did you do that???" :)

Edited by DaveWJr
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