I got Klipped!

[Colin]

Ever since Klipsch BBS poster Mike Lindsay brought his new light yellow Birch LaScalas over to my house (on their way to poster Qman for a refinishing), I knew that there was something better than my big old Cornwalls for my tube based system. While the bass was slightly less punchy than the Cornwalls, the smooth openness, clarity and larger image of the mid-range more than made up for it. The larger mid-range horn of the LaScalas makes a noticeable - and for many, it will be a big - difference in the mid-range presentation. If you like the Klipsch sound of musical realism, this was more of it.

When I heard about a loudspeaker repair shop near my new employment, I had to check it out. Inside a small mom and pop shop crowded with JBL home and professional loudspeakers were a pair of Khorns, looking just like the pictures: walnut wood veneers and black grilles. They are 1989 B models with the AK-2 crossover. The crossover wired with old Monster wire to an inset box with five-way binding posts, looks able to bi-wire and might be able to bi-amp too.

I had to have them. They are the ultimate expression of the Klipsch philosophy, perfect for my delicate flea-powered 2A3 amplifiers and large open-ended room. The asking price was $1000/pair; certainly reasonable, if not an outright bargain, compared to what they sell for on eBay. Plus, the pair are ½ hour away from home. The acquisition was life-changing serendipity: the charmed discovery of another path by accident.

The crude dimensions of the Khorns belie the simple fact: these babies are BIG! Klipsch Cornwalls are big, but the Khorns are much bigger. In fact, multiplying their volume by their 167 pound weight to get an idea of their cubic mass, the Khorn mass is 3 1/4 times larger than Cornwalls! And Cornwalls are no small potatoes either. Their 2 by 3 mass is about six times greater than typical bookshelf loudspeakers. The Khorns fill the back of a small pick-up truck, barely make it down hallways and furrow fancy living room furniture aside like a mechanized field plow. No wonder they are so cheap. While they are one of the best loudspeakers ever made, the enduring classics from the 40s fill a room like a set of sumo wrestlers and make NFL defensive linemen look lean and mean. (http://www.klipsch.com/products/cutsheet.asp?id=15)

My work kicked us out early enough yesterday to enjoy the typical South Florida summer weather; a few puffy clouds in the bright blue sky and a heat index of 100 to 105 degrees. So I stopped by the repair shop to visit my new babies. Why dont you take them? the man said. I didnt have my rope, moving blanket or dolly, but they assured me they would help.

As soon as we got them into the back of the truck, a sun shower drenched the Khorns and me. We barely got them covered in plastic sheets before it was over. Nonetheless, I was dripping like a soaked sponge. We quickly wiped them down before mopping off our own faces. Then I stood a bottle of water upright on the dash and drove so slow that the water barely shook and city buses zoomed around me in disgust. The shop is a straight shot to my home: I made only six tediously slow turns.

I slid them off the back of the truck by myself while men of all ages, on their walks after work, studiously ignored me. The small collection of loudspeakers under review and every piece of furniture in my living room had to be moved out of the way of the behemoths rolling in.

The construction of the Khorns is much better than I remembered or expected. The triangle at the back truncates into a narrow flat panel. Two rubber rolls descend down the panel so the big old horns can snuggle up tight into a wall corner without leaving a lasting impression. Solid black grille panels square off the front side. Unlike the photographs, on the real thing, the separation between the horn module on top and the bass bin below is barely noticeable. Without the ubiquitous black grille or typical array of round black drivers, a wall of fine Walnut grain greets you. Construction is so heavy that the cabinets do not jiggle a glass of water with mid-90dB peaks at the 3-watt mark. Tucked into the corner, the floor-space required is no more than most cone loudspeakers that need to be 2,3, even 4, feet way from the front and side walls.

With the crossover exposed on the Khorns open back, hooking them up to my delicate tube amplifiers was a snap. Even when out of phase, I noticed that the imaging of the Khorns was more focused than most loudspeakers I have ever heard (how many out of phase speakers does anyone get a chance to hear?). I did not cram them as tight as possible into the corners, but I did angle them to point at my listening seat at the apex of a 14 equilateral triangle.

It was too late to do any serious listening. The Test CDs that I played sounded marvelously clear, free of artifacts, natural and real. Initially, it sounded a lot like my Cornwalls, just more of the same wonderful qualities. No wonder these classic speakers, despite their size and unique power requirements are still in wide circulation today. They exhibit elusive and enjoyable qualities, which only dream systems costing several times their price, can display.

The cymbals ring like they are in the room; vocals are large, natural and easy to listen to; the upper bass is lean, taut and extremely well defined. Recording noise and details are quite noticeable. It is too soon to tell if this will detract from the listening experience. Soundstage is huge very wide, but shallow focused back along the front wall. They do not wrap-around the way some excellent cone loudspeakers, (like the Vince Christian E6c system does, when positioned almost in the middle of the room; reviewed here: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0702/vincechristiane6c.htm). The sound-stage on the Khorns however, is so real, so wide and so dynamic that it easily fools you into the you are there, listening in front of the stage feeling. The overall presence and realism is as good as the top-of-the-line, spare-no-expense dream systems I have heard. Nonetheless, I will try pulling the big old horns out from the walls a foot and filling the bottom with active mid-bass and sub-bass woofers.

On a cable movie channel, broken-face Eric Roberts in Stiletto Dance was even, balanced, large and natural sounding. While some deep bass may be added for the lowest action notes and timpani passages, the Khorn covers the upper and the mid-bass quite well.

It is too early and too soon to give more details than that. Suffice to say, I am thrilled aloft. My mood is as buoyant as a balloon. The 2A3 and Khorn combination really is one of the lower cost and more magical solutions for audio nirvana in the home. Watch this space for soon-to-be-sold mint condition Cornwall Is.

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Colin's Music System Cornwall 1s & Klipsch subs; lights out & tubes glowing!

This message has been edited by Colin on 08-15-2002 at 09:29 PM

[Mike Lindsey]

Great news, Colin! Now I'm the jealous one.

Let me know when you're up this way and I'll have you over for a listen of my rig. Next time I'm in your area I will stop by and check them out. BTW, what store did you get them from?

Mike

[jtkinney]

Congrats also Colin, you got a great deal. I just came home with '78 k-horns last Friday, it took 2 trips in my Suburban. Like you I am still enjoying the newness of them. I have LaScalas and still notice a difference with the K-horns. Mine still need to be moved into the family room to be with the rest of the HT, but for now they are 2 channel only in the living room.

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Jim

Family Room:

1979 La Scalas (mains), SF-2 Center (pair), RS-3 Surrounds, RC-3 Rear Center, KSW-10 Subs (pair)

Yamaha RX-V1 Reciever, Yamaha CDC-655 CD Player, Toshiba SD-1200 DVD, Toshiba TN50X81 50" HDTV

Living Room:

Yamaha RX-V590, 1978 Klipschorns Mainsc>s>

[edster00]

Congratulations on your K-horn find Colin!

While I enjoyed several tube amps with my Cornwalls, there is nothing quite like the K-horns and 2A3's (that I have heard so far). How do you like the bass with the K-horns? Are you still using the same sub(s)? I found that I could do without the sub with my SET amps and K-horns (2 channel listening).

I'm looking forward to your next installment on your review!

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2 Channel System:

'78 Khorns w/ALK networks

Welborne Labs Moondog 2A3 amps

*coming soon* Supratek Syrah preamp

McIntosh MCD 7007 CDP

Sony S9000ES SACD

McIntosh MR-78 Tuner

DIYCable Twisted Cross Connect Speaker Cable

Silver Audio Hyacinth interconnects (preamp->amp)

DIYCable Superlatives (CDP/SACD/->preamp)

DH Labs Silver Pulse interconnects (Tuner->preamp)

f>

s>

[Colin]

so far no subs and no bi-wire or bi-amping, but just enjoying their natural sound and stilled thrilled!!!

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Colin's Music System Ak-2 Khorns & Klipsch subs; lights out, tubes glowing & smile beaming!

[ShapeShifter]

Having listened extensively to all the wonderful Heritage Models, except the La Scala. I find the Khorns easily take me to a place musically the others did not. My experiences initially and presently are as Colin described. Very nice write-up.

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KLIPSCH IS MUSICf>

My Systems f>s>c>

[Mike Lindsey]

Colin,

What store did you get them from?

Mike

[Q-Man]

$1000.00, What a deal!

Now I don't feel so bad about you not making it to my home the day Mike over. Does your wife like them?

A Klipschorn is a big boys speaker. It's always fun to give them a bear hug to pick them up and move them around.

Q.

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Q-Man

[DizRotus]

I enjoyed your description of gingerly moving the K-horns. It reminded me of the many times I moved 4 SK-horns.

26 years ago I dragged 4 Speakerlab K-horn clones (I know, no match for the real thing in quality, but they weighed the same) around in a mobile disco business. With 300 watts/channel of Dynaco SS power (into the 4 ohm load of the two 8 ohm speakers/channel), I deafend adolescents all over the Detroit area.

It would have been sacreligious--and prohibitively expensive--to subject real K-horns to that abuse. I knocked down the plywood shipping crates to permanently attach false corners.

As I would roll the first one off the trailer using a dolly, people would gasp at the size of the flat black wooden refrigerator-sized speaker. When I told them that three more were coming, they'd freak.

The sound from those knock-offs was loud and clear, although I fried the T-35 voice coils regularly. EV gave me an open account. A call on Monday would have the new voice coil and a bill for less than $20 at my door in time for the next weekend.

One time a woman called to again book my services. She asked if the price quoted included the drummer. I had a diffcult time convincing her that there had not been a real drummer the last time. She was not used to hearing horn-loaded bass speakers played at high volume.

I wish I still had those speakers. Actually, I wish I had the money and space for real Klipschorns. For now I must remain content listening to Heresys.

This message has been edited by DizRotus on 08-16-2002 at 10:27 PM

[Colin]

$900 actually,

So FLA Speaker Repair, Lake Worth,

20+ years of speaker repair, sells a lot of JBL stuff, has big bass bins, did not get #s,

nice story, Diz, I would gate to have to move these things, can't bear hug them myself, love the smoothness of the mid-range and the spereation of the instruements, added LF10 sub at 40 Hz and 1/2 power to the bottom and playing with KSW200 at 40Hz and 1/4 power (more of the mid-bass, despite the low EQ settting), but absolutely love them, much better sound than the Cornwalls, subtle, but better with my 2A3 amps ...

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Colin's Music System Ak-2 Khorns & Klipsch subs; lights out, tubes glowing & smile beaming!