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My new K-horns setup needs your help.


pallpoul

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I am the blessed new owner of a brand new pair of Klipschorns 70th Anniversary edition, that arrived today on crates and still in boxes.

 

https://www.klipsch.com/products/klipschorn-70th-anniversary-edition

 

I have the perfect room for them, with matching corners,  room is an open living/kitchen with about 30#15#12 foot ceilings.

 

I have few amps, some SS some Tubes, and have no previous experience with the K-horns, I am hoping you can please help me choose the one that would best match with them, I own a few amp, here's a list.  

 

1- Cary Audio CAD-120 MKII ( with the SL-100 pre and Dac 200 from Cary Audio)

2-Prima Luna dialogue HP. original tubes.

3-Yamaha A-S1100

4- Pair of Emotiva XPA-1 Gen 2.

5- Musical Paradise MP-501 V5 with KT-150's ( or the kt-120's)

6- Onkyo M-504. 

7- Yamaha A-S2000

8- Yaquin amps, with KT-34's, or KT-88's, Bewitched Amp with 6550's tubes.

9- Onkyo 9150, and 9050, and NAD C316BEE V2

10- McIntosh MA5300 Integrated Amp.

 

Please advise. 

Tysm.

 

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Im running my La Scala II's with primaluna dialogue amps, and the sound is the best I ever heard in 20 years

But i'm not biased lol

But try them all and find the one that you love and believe me you will know when its the right one [emoji6]5e99f20d9058f0b68ced6c9bb3ee0dd2.jpg

Sent from my LG-H990 using Tapatalk

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You have a lot of nice amps, and great speakers.

 

It would be very labor intensive, but why not cut the list in half, then try about half of them for about 1 week each, with the same collection of music of many types.  

 

But first, lightly treat the room, if it isn't treated already. 

 

Find Chris A's thread, titled "Corner Horn Imaging" on this forum.   He describes (either in that thread or another) some special room treatment configurations for corner horns, like putting an absorber on each side wall to catch the sound from the midrange horn where there would be an immediate reflection off the wall.  You only need 2 feet in width, by 4 feet in height.  He gives instructions on exactly where to place it.  Chris also recommends that nothing be placed between the Khorns.  I seem to remember that info came from Roy Delgado the Klipsch chief engineer.

 

I have no particular amp recommendations.  My Khorns are powered by NAD, and I like the sound. 

 

They aren't supposed to need burn-in, beyond about 30 minutes or so, but I noticed (or imagined) that the Klipsch stock upgrades I put in mine began to sound better after several weeks of daily playing.

 

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There's a 79 page thread in General that is tailor made to your question. I'll give you the cliff notes, they all sound the same, pick the one with the most gee gaws.......:blink:

 

Seriously though, the right one is the one that makes you want to tap your toe and listen to more music. But looking into my crystal ball I will say it will be either the Prima Luna or the Cary. Maybe the Mac.

 

I will say that my experience with a Cary SLI-80, an SLP-98 and a pair of Six Pack monos has shown the house sound to be warm and pleasing, but with not much jump factor or resolution.

YMMV

 

Shakey

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10 minutes ago, pallpoul said:

No love for the Yamaha a-s1100 ? 

If it is anything like the A-S1000, it is dead quiet, built like a bank vault(51.4lbs), and punches way above it's price point.  Mosfet output transistors which offers a slightly warmish presentation.  My A-S1000 has been very reliable.  Did I mention the tone controls?  By far the best implementation I have ever used.

 

Now as far as mating well with Khorns, can't say for sure but it's very low noise floor sure can't hurt.

 

Bill

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10 hours ago, pallpoul said:

Thanks y' all . It seems I can narrow it to three so far : the Cary, or the PL, or the Mc.  No love for the Yamaha a-s1100 ? 

Really,  it's not a matter of love or hate... those other amps are just different.

Think of it more as a preference over bad amplification... and you're going to be extremely happy with tubes if you can differentiate the sound. Some folks can not and can be happy with budget solid state playback.

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I know this sounds condescending but...try them all and decide for yourself.   First if all, it is a great way the spend the weekend, to set up the rest of your system and swap out amps while listening to your favorite music.  Secondly, in the end, recommendations serve very little; the decision as to what sounds good in your room, with your ancillary equipment with your music is very, very individual.  Enjoy the process and decide what works for you, not for us crumb bums....please do let us know what you decide works best for you and why, we love to hear about those processes and decisions.  Warm regards from sunny El Salvador,  Tony

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3 minutes ago, sunnysal said:

I know this sounds condescending but...try them all and decide for yourself.   First if all, it is a great way the spend the weekend, to set up the rest of your system and swap out amps while listening to your favorite music.  Secondly, in the end, recommendations serve very little; the decision as to what sounds good in your room, with your ancillary equipment with your music is very, very individual.  Enjoy the process and decide what works for you, not for us crumb bums....please do let us know what you decide works best for you and why, we love to hear about those processes and decisions.  Warm regards from sunny El Salvador,  Tony

Best advice yet.

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I would lean toward the Cary combo, but I would not be to quick to pooh pooh on the MP-501.

 

I have not heard the 501 but I do own a Musical Paradise  MP-D2 DAC and believe it to be one of the

great performing tube DACs.

Your MP-501, in stock form is reported to be nice... modded up, it is suppose to be great!

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The experience can't be read or downloaded. I have the M504 and it's a great amp. It's the preamp  that might let it shine or be garbage in garbage out. I too have the Yamaha AS1000 and nothing but good things to say about it. The kill isn't as much fun without the thrill of the chase. Try them all, then you will start to know, and then second guess if you were to couple...

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