An Unofficial Klipsch Jubilee Buyer's Guide

[seti]

6 minutes ago, habinger808 said:

Can 3way jubilees be run entirely by a tube amp?... If so, how would the LF section compare to the MF/HF sections “sound” wise?

 

They can but maybe tube amps if active. I can't remember if there is a three way passive crossover out there. That is the hard part.  If there is then no problem.

 

 

[habinger808]

1 minute ago, seti said:

 

They can but maybe tube amps if active. I can't remember if there is a three way passive crossover out there. That is the hard part.  If there is then no problem.

 

 

In theory this would work with the 2 way Jubilees then?... I’m looking to put together a set and trying to decide tube or ss amp. Or as mentioned here in the thread, both for each section.

 

what would be the ideal space requirements if there is such a thing for jubilees assuming the room was built for them and acoustically treated?

[Chris A]

22 minutes ago, habinger808 said:

what would be the ideal space requirements if there is such a thing for jubilees assuming the room was built for them and acoustically treated?

Pretty much like Khorns but Jubilees can also be used in very small rooms (even with low ceilings)--unlike Khorns due to their time misalignments of drivers that require a large standoff distance in order to resolve the loudspeakers into a single acoustic source, and their collapsing polar (a.k.a., pattern flipping) midrange horns requiring higher ceilings, or alternatively a fair amount of floor and ceiling acoustic treatments to diffuse or absorb that extra acoustic energy on the ceiling and floor below 2 kHz.  Jubilees also do really well in commercial theater-sized rooms, too.  They're sold as behind-the-screen loudspeakers in the three-way configuration for commercial cinemas.

 

See:

https://community.klipsch.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=60418

https://community.klipsch.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=79896

https://community.klipsch.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=79899  (see figures 12-15 for good relative room dimensions for good bass reproduction)

 

Chris

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, habinger808 said:

Can 3way jubilees be run entirely by a tube amp?... If so, how would the LF section compare to the MF/HF sections “sound” wise?

I think that the answer to this is "yes" if you're going to use a DSP crossover and tri-amping (as is explained in the first post of this thread).  Trying to mono-amp using a tube amplifier and passive crossovers would be an issue in that you'd have to design your own passive crossover with built-in EQ for at least the K-402/compression driver channels.  (The only passive designs that have been done by Roy are for compression drivers that are no longer available new.)  I really wouldn't recommend simplified passive crossovers from third party sources--simply because there's too much performance that's left on the table with these designs--you'll need time alignment and EQ capabilities that come with the DSP crossovers anyway--so it's best to bite the bullet.  Passive crossovers of higher quality and with built-in EQ/notch filtering are expensive (greater than $3K USD) to do it right, and they will still exhibit time alignment issues between the HF, midrange, and bass bins.

 

I don't recommend the KPT-Jubilee/535-B version three-way Jubilee for home duty unless you're going to put them into a commercial-sized movie theater and have a long standoff between the loudspeakers and the listening positions.  The reason for the KPT-535  three-way Jubilee is higher SPL that is shared among three drivers rather than two (bass bins and 2" compression drivers).  This isn't your typical three-way home loudspeaker system.  The commercial version using separate midrange and tweeter horns also has the issue of time misalignment due to the difference in the distance to the tweeter and midrange compression drivers, the polar lobing issues because of the two horns instead of one, and the phase shifts due to the passive crossovers themselves.  It's been my experience that the only people trying to use three-way KPT-535 Jubilees at home are those that are ill-informed as to what those loudspeakers are meant to do. If you want a three-way Jubilee without the accompanying problems of two separate horns (MF K-402 and HF K-510), simply use a BMS 4592ND dual-diaphragm 2" compression driver and tri-amp the bass bin, midrange, and tweeter channels (the last two channels being enclosed in the same compression driver without the lobing problems of using two separate horns) so that you get the inherent fidelity of the two-way Jubilee in a three-way package. 

 

I have to ask why you'd put a separate tube amplifier on the bass bin channels, since these amplifiers are only used below 400-550 Hz anyway.  Tube amplifiers with high output impedance (a.k.a., SETs and OTLs) interact with bass bin input impedance such that they really do need to be re-equalized just because of the amplifier's high output impedance.  Most folks that I know use solid state for the bass bins and tube amplifier for the HF (K-402) horn/2" compression driver.

 

Chris

[seti]

Yeah but that cinema top hat is awesome. I'd use it in my house.

 

 

[Chris A]

1 hour ago, seti said:

Yeah but that cinema top hat is awesome. I'd use it in my house.

I don't know what to say, other than "I really wouldn't". 

 

But for commercial cinema and the typical listening distances involved there (i.e., 50 feet or more), I understand that it doesn't make a lot of difference.  Perhaps that's what you're used to listening to...at a 10-12 feet listening distance?  Not my cup of tea.

 

For me it's easy to do better than that in a home hi-fi environment. I instead recommend a BMS 4592NDs on K-402s for home hi-fi.  Dial them in carefully and bi-amp them.  Voila! Problem solved.

 

Chris

[babadono]

If you like the looks of the "cinema" tophat with two horn lenses just disconnect the 510 and its driver. Now you've got awesome looks and sound.

[ClaudeJ1]

On 3/2/2020 at 10:09 AM, Chris A said:

I have to ask why you'd put a separate tube amplifier on the bass bin channels, since these amplifiers are only used below 400-550 Hz anyway.  Tube amplifiers with high output impedance (a.k.a., SETs and OTLs) interact with bass bin input impedance such that they really do need to be re-equalized just because of the amplifier's high output impedance.  Most folks that I know use solid state for the bass bins and tube amplifier for the HF (K-402) horn/2" compression driver.

 

Chris

THE Saul Marantz himself, told me this back in 1976 when he was President of Dahlquist. I spoke to him at length at a Rogers HiFi show in Detroit's Cobo Hall. He had Solid State on the subs and he told me that woofer and sub woofers were better served by solid state bacause their inherently low Source Impedance gave much better woofer control. This applies to BASS HORNS as well as direct radiator bass. The only time I didn't follow this rule is when I had a re-capped Marantz 8B amplifier on my Khorns for a few years in the early 80's. Even PWK approved my choice of tube amp, which was eventually sold off at twice what I paid for it. I eventually went to Hafler DH-220 amps, but that is another story.

[LTusler]

Does anyone have a pic of the inputs to the bass bin?  I've got my order into Paducah and I am planning for the installation.  They won't be in a corner and will be right up against a wall.

[Chris A]

 

Bass bin still in its box with the plastic sheet on top.  You're looking at the top of the bass bin with the right-hand horn mouth on the right side of the pix.  The connector strip is shown through the plastic sheet.

 

Chris

[babadono]

Yea but that's not how it is done anymore. Wish it was. I'll get a picture and post it. Unless somebody beats me to it.

[LTusler]

Thanks Chris, babadonoI look forward to it TIA!

[Khornukopia]

I have this picture.

 

[LTusler]

Perfect, thanks!

[babadono]

@LTusler

Sorry could not post from laptop at home.

Caveat ------Mine are a little over 2 years old, but i think this is where they still put the inputs to the bass bin:

[LTusler]

That will work, supposedly shipping today!

[ClaudeJ1]

On 2/22/2020 at 9:19 AM, polizzio said:

 

That would be just duplicating what is already there on the XLS series of Crown amps........the Left and Right channel gain pots present on the amp. Like I said earlier, these XLS amps are PA amps and if you expect total silence @ 90-100% gain, you will be disappointed. Even with fabric/textile tweeters, or a LF driver. Respect their limitations and there is reward for the price of admission.

Oh and I forgot to add the XLS series has two selectable input sensitivities, .775 and 1.4 volt.

 

The opposite of the XLS is a used McIntosh MC-150 amp I recently picked up. Rated @ 150 wpc 2, 4, or 8 ohm load @ .005% THD. Pause signal, max gain = total silence. Weighs 60 lbs. Mac rates their amps @ full output, not cheater "10 watts" or other BS numbers.

So switch to the 1.4 settings and turn the gains way down, this will force your preamp to put out more voltage and improve the S/N ratio.

 

[OO1]

10 hours ago, babadono said:

@LTusler

Sorry could not post from laptop at home.

Caveat ------Mine are a little over 2 years old, but i think this is where they still put the inputs to the bass bin:

 

WOW -----First time , I see a Raw Birch  Jubilee ---

[babadono]

16 hours ago, LTusler said:

That will work, supposedly shipping today!

You ordered last Thursday and they're shipping today? WOW unusual, no?

[babadono]

9 hours ago, RandyH000 said:

WOW -----First time , I see a Raw Birch  Jubilee ---

Yes they will get veneered----still looking for that round tuit.