From Heresy III to IV price increase 33%

[MeloManiac]

An official European Klipsch dealer starts selling Heresy IV at €2,999 while the Heresy III used to be sold for €1,995 just a couple of weeks ago.

Are the new component upgrades worth that amount of money or is there another reason for the spectacular price increase (like import duties and Trump's trade negotiations  etc)?

 

Edit:

Clicking further, the price increase seems to be even more dramatic:

 

 

[Skelt]

All of the above.

2000 to 3000 is a 50% jump

We've seen similar price increases over here too.

[avguytx]

Wow....  There are many other speakers I would buy before going that route.  But that's just me.

[polizzio]

On 12/30/2019 at 4:56 AM, Skelt said:

All of the above.

2000 to 3000 is a 50% jump

We've seen similar price increases over here too.

 

It is just flat ridiculous when you thing about it. And a few would argue they made a legendary speaker (Heresy III) worse. Bass reflex versus the former sealed cab design. Sealed cab loudspeaker designs are going the same way as the dodo bird.

 

I believe it's a sales technique primarily. Sell the latest design improvement @ considerable markup. The latest and greatest. They know someone purchasing the new cornwall or heresy IV models have considerable resources, or deep pockets. Some peeps don't bat an eye to buy the latest.

We have yet to see anyone post here boasting of their new CW4 acquisition/performance. Least I have yet to read such here. A few reviews on line yes.

[xoundmind]

As a newcomer to this forum, it would seemingly be helpful to have an area dedicated to ongoing reviews of the major Klipsch lines. Maybe I’m just missing that? 

[mr clean]

5 hours ago, polizzio said:

 

It is just flat ridiculous when you thing about it. And a few would argue they made a legendary speaker (Heresy III) worse. Bass reflex versus the former sealed cab design. Sealed cab loudspeaker designs are going the same way as the dodo bird.

 

I believe it's a sales technique primarily. Sell the latest design improvement @ considerable markup. The latest and greatest. They know someone purchasing the new cornwall or heresy IV models have considerable resources, or deep pockets. Some peeps don't bat an eye to buy the latest.

We have yet to see anyone post here boasting of their new CW4 acquisition/performance. Least I have yet to read such here. A few reviews on line yes.

Ya but they had to cut that hole and everything!😎

[polizzio]

14 minutes ago, mr clean said:

Ya but they had to cut that hole and everything!😎

 

Cut a hole and splurge for a plastic port thingy

 

I guess the good thing is you could always put a piece of tight fitting foam in there to revert back to sealed cab if you choose.

 

 

[Peter P.]

9 minutes ago, polizzio said:

 

Cut a hole and splurge for a plastic port thingy

The Tractrix port used in the Heresy IV looks suspiciously, EXACTLY like the ports on the latest Cornwall. It makes me wonder how critical port design is vs. cabinet size.

 

Also, I know port length and width affect port response, but the Heresy IV doesn't seem to have any substantial change internally. My old B.I.C. Venturi speakers, with their vented slot at the bottom of the cabinet had a longer, labyrinth port path. Comments?

[Khornukopia]

I hope they sell truckloads of new speakers and continue sponsoring this Klipsch forum website that we use for FREE, without annoying pop-up ads.

[mr clean]

21 minutes ago, Peter P. said:

The Tractrix port used in the Heresy IV looks suspiciously, EXACTLY like the ports on the latest Cornwall. It makes me wonder how critical port design is vs. cabinet size.

 

Also, I know port length and width affect port response, but the Heresy IV doesn't seem to have any substantial change internally. My old B.I.C. Venturi speakers, with their vented slot at the bottom of the cabinet had a longer, labyrinth port path. Comments?

They look a lot like the ones on my RP280F also.

[polizzio]

1 hour ago, Peter P. said:

The Tractrix port used in the Heresy IV looks suspiciously, EXACTLY like the ports on the latest Cornwall. It makes me wonder how critical port design is vs. cabinet size.

 

Also, I know port length and width affect port response, but the Heresy IV doesn't seem to have any substantial change internally. My old B.I.C. Venturi speakers, with their vented slot at the bottom of the cabinet had a longer, labyrinth port path. Comments?

 

I haven't really eyeballed the tractix port guide on the CW or H IV, as to whether they are one in the same, but like Mr Clean says they look a lot like his on his RP280F. You know they have that part readily avail "on the shelf".

 

What I do observe is the thiele and small parameters for most any LF transducer dictate a much larger cab volume for a bass reflex cab vs a sealed unit. Depends on the specific LF driver/transducer but sometimes that equates to one and a half to three times the cab volume for bass reflex. From the comments i read here months ago the Her IV cab is like an inch taller. Also from what I have read/researched over the years, tuning for a bass reflex cab is critical, port size and cab volume. Hence the huge size of the original Cornwall cab design (1959), continuing to date.

 

Too small a port leads to port chuffing @ high output. 

Eminence who makes many wonderful loudspeaker drivers here in the USA (and for many years) has a great tutorial section on how a transducer functions, T&S parameters, cabinet designs, and more. Great informative reading, I will link below. 

 

https://www.eminence.com/support/designing-enclosures/

[polizzio]

Eminence celebrates 50 years in 2016. I believe they supply or did @ one time Klipsch Heritage LF transducers.

https://www.eminence.com/eminence-celebrates-50-years/

[Les Lammers]

18 hours ago, polizzio said:

 

It is just flat ridiculous when you thing about it. And a few would argue they made a legendary speaker (Heresy III) worse. Bass reflex versus the former sealed cab design. Sealed cab loudspeaker designs are going the same way as the dodo bird.

 

I believe it's a sales technique primarily. Sell the latest design improvement @ considerable markup. The latest and greatest. They know someone purchasing the new cornwall or heresy IV models have considerable resources, or deep pockets. Some peeps don't bat an eye to buy the latest.

We have yet to see anyone post here boasting of their new CW4 acquisition/performance. Least I have yet to read such here. A few reviews on line yes.

 

I have a pair of B stock H3's in Lacewood veneer that I bought in 2012 for $1299. The H4's have a tractix midrange and the crossover appears to be different. I drive them with tubes. I'm not sure *I* could tolerate them driven by solid state. I wonder if the new designs were voiced to accomdate solid state amps? I'd like to hear the 4's but don't think I'll part with my 3's.

[polizzio]

1 hour ago, Les Lammers said:

 

I have a pair of B stock H3's in Lacewood veneer that I bought in 2012 for $1299. The H4's have a tractix midrange and the crossover appears to be different. I drive them with tubes. I'm not sure *I* could tolerate them driven by solid state. I wonder if the new designs were voiced to accomdate solid state amps? I'd like to hear the 4's but don't think I'll part with my 3's.

 

Les, why do you say you could not imagine your H3s driven by SS? What tonal qualities would be undesired/objectionable? Too bright perhaps? I ask because i am simply trying to understand your opinion on tube vs SS with the H3.

You sure got a killer deal on new H3s in 2012.

 

I think the Klipsch engineers sole purpose in venting the H4 was extended LF response. Gained ~ from 58 hz to 48hz, least by the published Klipsch frequency response specs. Bottom line.......more bass generation. 

[ricktate]

I think the new models sound better but are they worth extra cost??? I dont think they are myself. You could buy the original Heresy and a sub for far less money. Cory said he really likes the new cornwall 4. I think he selling a lot of Fortes and cornwalls. I heard the new Forte at Klipsch pilgrimage and really liked them ...did I like them enough to part with that much money NO. Wait for used ones to pop up I would say.

[Fattner]

Had the heresy III  they sound amazing with tubes ,purchased the LAScalas II (new) cheaper then a new pr of Cornwall IV !!  Good deals are out there !!

[jjptkd]

The new line should be pretty significantly better IMO without hearing them first hand major improvements are the new mid driver which so far has had no mention in this thread which is head and shoulders better than the old one the III's have not to mention improved horn technology and phase plug in the tweeter and improved steep slope crossover design and slightly larger cabinet that is now ported I'd say yeah, lots of good stuff happening with the IV. Is all of that worth the price difference? I think that is going to be a very subjective answer only each individual can figure out for themselves based on their own ability to pay for one.  

[Les Lammers]

On 1/1/2020 at 7:00 AM, polizzio said:

 

Les, why do you say you could not imagine your H3s driven by SS? What tonal qualities would be undesired/objectionable? Too bright perhaps? I ask because i am simply trying to understand your opinion on tube vs SS with the H3.

You sure got a killer deal on new H3s in 2012.

 

I think the Klipsch engineers sole purpose in venting the H4 was extended LF response. Gained ~ from 58 hz to 48hz, least by the published Klipsch frequency response specs. Bottom line.......more bass generation. 

 I think the H3's would be too bright with many SS amps but I'm pretty much a dyed in the wool tube guy. I use a sub with the H3's and don't feel I'm missing anything. The tractix midrange is interesting and wonder why it was not implemented sooner.

[JohnA]

On 12/31/2019 at 10:54 AM, polizzio said:

 

It is just flat ridiculous when you thing about it. And a few would argue they made a legendary speaker (Heresy III) worse. Bass reflex versus the former sealed cab design. Sealed cab loudspeaker designs are going the same way as the dodo bird.

 

I believe it's a sales technique primarily. Sell the latest design improvement @ considerable markup. The latest and greatest. They know someone purchasing the new cornwall or heresy IV models have considerable resources, or deep pockets. Some peeps don't bat an eye to buy the latest.

We have yet to see anyone post here boasting of their new CW4 acquisition/performance. Least I have yet to read such here. A few reviews on line yes.

 

Have you heard them?  Perhaps you would not be so quick to be negative if you had.  There are several mini reviews of the H IV from Chief Bonehead's class. 

 

[JohnA]

On 12/31/2019 at 5:07 PM, Peter P. said:

The Tractrix port used in the Heresy IV looks suspiciously, EXACTLY like the ports on the latest Cornwall. It makes me wonder how critical port design is vs. cabinet size.

 

Also, I know port length and width affect port response, but the Heresy IV doesn't seem to have any substantial change internally. My old B.I.C. Venturi speakers, with their vented slot at the bottom of the cabinet had a longer, labyrinth port path. Comments?

 

Obtain a bass cab modelling program or manually run the equations (try "Loudspeaker Design Cookbook") and you will see that port resonance is quite important, but there are several ways to arrive at a resonance.  I did not probe the Cornwall IV port.  While obviously similar, the H IV port has 3 pieces, 2 flares and a tube.  All 3 determine the port resonance.  So, maybe Klipsch DID reuse Cornwall IV flares, but I suspect the tube is sized just for the Heresy IV.  A Cornwall IV has 3 short ports, how would that have any bearing on the design of an H IV's single long port?

 

Since woofer, box volume and port resonance must be designed as a system, 

comparisons to a different speaker are invalid.