Your first Klipsch experience?

[DizRotus]

As described above, my first exposure to Klipsch was at Almas Hi-Fi in Birmingham, MI.  Many years later, my first ownership was a pair of Klipsch Heresy from eBay, which were eventually sold to Michael Colter.  During the decades in between, I was sort of an ambassador for the Klipsch sound.

 

As I've mentioned here before, in 1975 - 1976, to fund grad school, I operated a mobile DJ business in Southeast Michigan.  My plan was to purchase Klipschorn decorators from Hi-Fidelity Workshop in Royal Oak, MI to be powered by a Crown amp.  As I recall, the decorators were about $800 each.  When I was able to persuade Speakerlab to ship 4 SKhorns for $1,600 total, including shipping from Seattle to Detroit, plans changed.  A kit version of the Dynaco ST-400 replaced the Crown. 

 

Although not as good as real Khorns, the factory-built plywood SKhorns with aluminum squawker horns were more than up to the task at hand.  I like to think the exposure to that much horn loaded low distortion dynamic music reproduction started many of the kids on a path to Klipsch.  Frequently boys would ask about the speakers; I would always mention that they were knockoffs of Klipschorns.

 

As an aside, ClaudeJ1 got his first exposure to Klipsch at the same Hi-Fidelity Workshop in Royal Oak.  Perhaps he'll remind us of the details.

[Khornukopia]

23 hours ago, scallywagger77 said:

 

getting hired at K&A as a LS builder, then building and purchasing my very own pair which we still enjoy almost forty years later.

 

 

 

Those are some good looking La Scalas.

[Ceptorman]

10 hours ago, Khornukopia said:

 

Those are some good looking La Scalas.

+2

Sweet

[Schu]

I dont remember the first time... just like my virginity.

 

I do know I was looking at a variety of speakers including the 901 bose before discovering online threads about

Klipsch and the heresy.

 

It fit the price point at the time and I took the chance on a pair... I never looked back.

 

First pair here in the background:

 

 

 

[Ceptorman]

Your speakers will sound better if you spread them out some and turn them right side up

 

Cool pic, love the helmets.

[tom b. 57]

1 hour ago, Schu said:

I dont remember the first time... just like my virginity.

 

I do know I was looking at a variety of speakers including the 901 bose before discovering online threads about

Klipsch and the heresy.

 

It fit the price point at the time and I took the chance on a pair... I never looked back.

 

First pair here in the background:

 

 

 

What? Your not a virgin?

 

Oh my!

 

Tom

[jdmccall]

My first recollection of klipsch exposure was about 1976 at the "House of Sound" in Springfield, MO.  The Jonathan Edwards "Sailboat" LP was a new release at the time that the salesman had playing over a pair of klipschorns.  Great record, btw.  Anyway, I was blown away by the cool, clear sound and especially by the bass.  I ended up buying the LP, but was nowhere near being able to afford, or accommodate a pair of klipschorns.  Fast-forward to 1986.  Flip's Stereo in St. Louis, MO.  Paul Simon's "Graceland" playing over k-horns in their biggest showroom.  WOW!  Simply the best sound reproduction I had ever heard!  Klipschorn's became my "holy grail" that day.

 

Well, I guess that was two klipsch experiences.  Sorry.

[Harleywood]

On December 15, 2016 at 3:40 AM, Coytee said:

Pretty awesome first post!  Welcome to the forum!!

Thanks! Enjoying reading all the stories. I'll bet you Klipsch owners are the only ones who can so vividly remember the moment their life changed. 

[Harleywood]

On December 15, 2016 at 8:02 AM, MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE said:

What Coytee said........awesome post.... Welcome to the forum...

 

MKP :-)

Thank you!

[Rxonmymind]

Great stories. 

My first was actually sight. Having a NEED to have some speakers in the living room I was searching high & low for an appropriate pair to fill the cavernous room. Whilst looking at some estate sales I accidentally ran into these big boxes of speakers being shown. I immediately fell for them. What followed  was a massive neurotic research of these speakers for a whole month as that was when the sale was. Could they really be that good? Ok, I trusted the reviews by many in this community.

I wanted them so badly and hadn't even heard them!

Come sale day I was like a kid on Christmas. Zoomed down there and was first to sign up only to be told the lady hands out numbers. I was #24. I thought there is NO WAY I'll be able to get those being so far back in line. As I entered there was a set of Belle's in the kitchen that weren't to good of shape. Minor scuffs but not what I saw in the pics. Asking if these were the ones she said "no there is another pair in the bar lounge area". My feet flew. The sight was was beautiful to behold. 

As I approached there was a miniature indoor riverbed trickling underneath a spiral staircase. Ascending the "quarter story" (approximately 6" ) of nine shallow stairs I was greeted with a room straight out of Frank Sinatra home. White shag carpet, danish table and wrap around white couch. In the corner was a half circle bar and next to it a full reel to reel Kenwood rack system. Set against the rock/brick painted wall opposite each other were two Klipsch Belle's. People were milling about and I thoroughly enjoyed this moment. I slowly walked over and asked if they were sold. The gentleman in charge said no. I bought them right there. Rented a U-Haul van, and took a better part of couple hours to bring them home taking back routes through residential areas and driving 15-25 mph. 

Normally the drive home on the freeway would have been a fifteen minute affair.

Got them home and I was stunned. I couldn't hook them up! I somehow lost the screws that held down the speaker wire. I KNOW they were there when I unscrewed them. I was...in disbelief. I promptly called the uhaul guy an he told me they weren't in the backof the van. Hustling over to the sale, the ladies looked at my face and said "what's wrong". 

Scratching my head I told them I was missing a "few screws" which had them laughing and being older then me they assured me there's a few more that'll go in time. I was still young. We had a good laugh. Anyway, I  was lucky to have located them ON the speaker wire laying on the floor where I had left them.

All was well. Oh, when I finally got them turned on with a little jazz I knew I had found my speakers. I'm be proud to be the next care taker of these beautiful speakers which will stay with me forever. PERFECT jazz speakers.

Thanks for the read & welcome here.

[chriswhotakesphotos]

On 12/16/2016 at 8:03 AM, DizRotus said:

During the decades in between, I was sort of an ambassador for the Klipsch sound.

 

I think we've all been that person once or twice!

[gibson66]

For me it was a home run. It was 1977 and I saw an estate sale auction for a pair of Klipschorns.The owner was an engineer who had purchased new. Raw birch wood. I bid $600 and won! My car was a VW square back. I had 3 hours to remove and I lived an hoour away. Had to make two trips as you can imagine. I've enjoyed all these years. They now are part of my home theatre. Two heresy's in center (bridged) and KG5's as surround. I play them on a 24' wall. 

[RT FAN]

My friend Don got out of the Navy. early 80's, & I checked out the system he bought at the PX. Klipsch Heresy & a Yamaha Int Amp. (He still has the Heresys) At the time I had EPI speakers which still sound good, but the Klipsch were at a another level. After college I started building my first "better" system one piece at a time. I went to Continental Audio on Queens Boulevard and bought a Sony ES amp & CDP. I auditioned Fortes and loved them, but then the salesman mentioned the next step up, Chorus II's. I ordered them sight unseen, one of the better decisions I have made in my life. I picked them up the morning I was moving into my first apartment in Manhattan & when we got there the elevator was out.

 

 Two of my buddies carried the Chorus up 6 flights of stairs....they were not very happy.

[MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE]

20 hours ago, Rxonmymind said:

where I had left them.

That's where everything is....... where you left it..... I bet you were so happy to find those little screws...

 

Great story...

 

MKP :-)

[Rxonmymind]

18 hours ago, MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE said:

That's where everything is....... where you left it..... I bet you were so happy to find those little screws...

 

Great story...

 

MKP :-)

Thanks. Yup, I sure was. Here the gent had it for 30+ years, saved even more years before that and TWO hours in my custody I loose speakers parts. Sheesh. Too excited I guess. Take the screws out and ZOOM I'm oughta there can't wait to listen to them. Only one problem with that "plan"....

[Harleywood]

29 minutes ago, Rxonmymind said:

Thanks. Yup, I sure was. Here the gent had it for 30+ years, saved even more years before that and TWO hours in my custody I loose speakers parts. Sheesh. Too excited I guess. Take the screws out and ZOOM I'm oughta there can't wait to listen to them. Only one problem with that "plan"....

Been there just this week. Got my xo's back and was mounting them to the cup. Got to the last screw and my phone rang. Took the call then got back to work but couldn't find that dang screw anywhere. Wasn't until I got on all fours to look under the table that I realized I had stuck it in the end of the screwdriver that has a screw holder on the end of it. That tool sure makes starting screws easier but it's not for the easily distracted.

[Confab]

In the mid 80's at Appletree Stereo in Normal, Illinois, I heard a pair of Fortes that I never quite forgot. While I never did get them it did eventually lead to my Cornwall IIIs. 

[dtel]

On 12/15/2016 at 1:12 AM, Budman said:

 

 

Have been looking for it but that's not it, I think it was years before that ?

[dtel]

Went looking again, could not find it, I did find out it was back in 2002. It was called "Storyteller Contest" I could find different threads on it but nothing else. I could be wrong but I think it was something special on the main site and not on the actual forum. Just a guess.

 

From reading the prizes were many speakers, including new Klipschorns and Heresy's, so it was a big deal.

 

I wish it was available for reading, there were some great stories, it also makes some great advertising  Maby Chad can find it.

[YK Thom]

A friend back in the mid eighties had a pair of what were probably Fortes. I recall liking them and being impressed by the bass output which was noticeably more than the pair of EVs I had at the time.

Did some work for a friend's elderly uncle or great uncle around 2000. He had a beautiful old century home that was being renovated and had a crazy looking pair of speakers in his living room that turned out to be KHorns. He played hours of great music through them and impressed me to no end. I'd never heard anything like them.