Jump to content

Stereophile review of Klipschorn


Arkytype

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, boom3 said:

which brings up the point...when is Klipsch going to offer  active electronics (including DSP) for the Heritage line?

 

I think active DSP is a great idea. Your question is a good one, but do you remember the self-powered, active 2-way speaker that Klipsch exhibited at CES 2017 called The Fifteens.   Forum members praised its good looks and new treble horn, with most of the commenters saying they would prefer an old-fashion passive version.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, jdmccall said:

I too, was very disappointed in the STEREOPHILE review of the new Klipschorn; both in the listening review by AD and in JA's measurements.  AD's room was really not k-horn friendly and JA ran head-long into the difficulties of measuring a horn loaded loudspeaker designed for corner placement and relating those measurements to how the speaker is actually going to be used.  But I think that maybe the most surprising thing about the review, to me, was the low, reactive impedance graph.  Factor that into many user's preference to power their klipschorns with tubes and I have way more questions than I have answers.  When I had k-horns ('98-'03), I last powered them with the same Pioneer Elite VSX-55TXi a/v receiver I'm still using.  I don't know (but I doubt) that the combination caused any of the extreme frequency response variations I encountered, but now I wonder.  At the time I blamed it all on the room.

 

How did your Khorns sound compared to your JBLs and your Bose?  Did you run sweeps on any or all of them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I seem and heard the new Klipschorns at the Toronto Audio Fest.

 

The setup was in a huge room with lots of competing noise in the background - the Klipschorns did not have a favorable corner setup - when I listened to a familiar recording, they still sounded excellent.

 

I have 1985 K-horns and if there was a factory upgrade option (ie. to convert an older model to the latest model), I`d be interested.

 

When I listen to K-horns, I compare them to real life sound (ie. playing in a Bluegrass jam) - many audiophiles who have not owned K-horns and have a casual listen tend to only compare the K-horn to other speakers not giving it a long term listening chance.

 

I am looking forward to hearing the new Klipschorns at the 2020 Axpona for a longer listening session and will bring my own CD`s (maybe near the end of the day).

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

I just read that Art Dudley (the author of the Stereophile Khorn review discussed here) died on April 14 from metastatic cancer.  RIP. 

 

Also, a noted DIY loudspeaker designer Jeff Bagby died in Kokomo, IN on 24 March, an apparent victim of COVID-19.  He was 60.  RIP.

  • Like 1
  • Sad 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Not reply to Chris's post about Art Dudley and Jeff Bagby; my condolences to their families and friends.)

 

Since this thread keeps going on and on, I finally decided to speak up and post my question about that review. The review uncovered some significant resonances in the front panel, which should be the place most prone to resonance, since it is the outer wall of the highest-pressure section of the bass horn. What I haven't seen (maybe I missed it) is any comment from Roy. One would think that of all panels this would be the most heavily braced. If memory serves, the central brace was not added to the back of the front panel until the 70s; if I'm off a decade I won't be embarrassed. Maybe, like a lot of things that show up in measurements, it is deemed to have no audible significance?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/9/2020 at 4:01 PM, boom3 said:

(Not reply to Chris's post about Art Dudley and Jeff Bagby; my condolences to their families and friends.)

 

Since this thread keeps going on and on, I finally decided to speak up and post my question about that review. The review uncovered some significant resonances in the front panel, which should be the place most prone to resonance, since it is the outer wall of the highest-pressure section of the bass horn. What I haven't seen (maybe I missed it) is any comment from Roy. One would think that of all panels this would be the most heavily braced. If memory serves, the central brace was not added to the back of the front panel until the 70s; if I'm off a decade I won't be embarrassed. Maybe, like a lot of things that show up in measurements, it is deemed to have no audible significance?

"Maybe, like a lot of things that show up in measurements, it is deemed to have no audible significance?"

 

Wanna know what really has NO audible significance?

 

S T E R E O P H I L E

 

Otherwise universally known as S T E R E O P H O O L by those who "know" (at least a tiny little bit about sound reproduction)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only review of the Klipschorn that I know of and can regard with a high degree of validity, honesty and integrity was the November 1986 review in Audio Magazine by Richard Heyser.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, artto said:

The only review of the Klipschorn that I know of and can regard with a high degree of validity, honesty and integrity was the November 1986 review in Audio Magazine by Richard Heyser.

link -------

Arkytype

Richard C. Heyser's Klipschorn review

By Arkytype, August 30, 2007 in 2-Channel Home Audio

Rate this topic

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Raygun said:

There is a reason the magazine is called Stereofool. 

The ONLY way to determine how good or bad a speaker is going to sound to you is in your room with your gear. 

 

AND....................use it/set it up properly. Which the Stereophools did not.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, artto said:

The only review of the Klipschorn that I know of and can regard with a high degree of validity, honesty and integrity was the November 1986 review in Audio Magazine by Richard Heyser.

I concur with your statement here, Art. Heyser was well respected by PWK and made huge contributions to the art of sound measurments with his Time Delay Spectrometry. I remember Crown came out with a TDS unit that cost 20 grand. Now we have REW for free!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...