Klipsch Heresy Owners Group

[sbcoffey42]

Has anyone here bi-amped their set of Hiii's. I got this idea from a forum member and started looking into it but it left me with some questions. I have a vintage Solid state (sx-1050) that i would like to use for the low end and a class d amp with a tube pre-amp that I would like to use for the high end. Is it as simple as just plugging the amps into the different post with the shunts removed, or is there more to it? I've been digging and get confused between vertical and horizontal modes and have found more topics on bi-wire that seen to turn into arguments. In the realm of protection of my equipment is there something I should be doing. Should I split my signal through a crossover before it is amplified or is that taken care of with the network in the speaker? When I am in bi-amp mode, is the impedance of the speaker different, say 4 ohms on the woofer instead of 8? If someone knows of a guide that can get me started I would appreciate it.

[wuzzzer]

1 hour ago, sbcoffey42 said:

Has anyone here bi-amped their set of Hiii's. I got this idea from a forum member and started looking into it but it left me with some questions. I have a vintage Solid state (sx-1050) that i would like to use for the low end and a class d amp with a tube pre-amp that I would like to use for the high end. Is it as simple as just plugging the amps into the different post with the shunts removed, or is there more to it? I've been digging and get confused between vertical and horizontal modes and have found more topics on bi-wire that seen to turn into arguments. In the realm of protection of my equipment is there something I should be doing. Should I split my signal through a crossover before it is amplified or is that taken care of with the network in the speaker? When I am in bi-amp mode, is the impedance of the speaker different, say 4 ohms on the woofer instead of 8? If someone knows of a guide that can get me started I would appreciate it.

 

With the jumpers removed the factory crossovers are still in play so you can send a full range signal to either and it'll be fine.

 

The main thing you'll need to do is level match the outputs of each amplifier so that all the drivers are playing at the same SPL.

[wuzzzer]

Did a little experimenting with my Heresy surrounds today.  I laid them on their sides to get the drivers close to ear height while I'm seated.  They're sitting to my sides on small 'dressers' that are about 36" tall.

There's much more separation between them and the sound from my Atmos speakers now.  I like the change.

[Islander]

On 3/15/2022 at 9:45 AM, sbcoffey42 said:

Has anyone here bi-amped their set of Hiii's. I got this idea from a forum member and started looking into it but it left me with some questions. I have a vintage Solid state (sx-1050) that i would like to use for the low end and a class d amp with a tube pre-amp that I would like to use for the high end. Is it as simple as just plugging the amps into the different post with the shunts removed, or is there more to it? I've been digging and get confused between vertical and horizontal modes and have found more topics on bi-wire that seen to turn into arguments. In the realm of protection of my equipment is there something I should be doing. Should I split my signal through a crossover before it is amplified or is that taken care of with the network in the speaker? When I am in bi-amp mode, is the impedance of the speaker different, say 4 ohms on the woofer instead of 8? If someone knows of a guide that can get me started I would appreciate it.

 

Real bi-amping bypasses the crossovers and uses an active electronic crossover.  Bi-amping while still using the existing crossovers is only kind of bi-amping.  Full bi-amping has the crossovers totally disconnected. It's a set-and-forget thing once you're done, but you need to get the settings for the active crossover from somewhere.  Doing it by ear won't give you the results you're looking for.  Your Heresy IIIs are fine speakers, but they can only put out what you put into them.  Vintage electronics are not the way to get great sound from your speakers.  Updating to a modern receiver will allow your speakers to come closer to their potential than doing some kind of untested bi-amping.  The new gear is much better.  I’ve had both.  You will hear the difference.  Going to separates, like a preamp and a power amp, would be even better.

 

Years ago, I temporarily connected a Yamaha MX-D1 power amplifier to my Heresy II surround speakers.  This is a $5,000 500 watt per channel amplifier.  The sound was amazingly good!  I could hear every instrument individually, all the way to the back of the stage, and of course the power was great.  That made total sense.  Then I disconnected the amp and put it to other use, and the H-2s went back to sounding pretty good, which was all they needed to be in the Surround position.  I later replaced them with La Scalas.

 

The better the signal you can feed your speakers, the better they will sound.  Their output can only be as good as their input, so I'd be looking at upgrading your electronics before doing anything to the speakers, other than experimenting to find the best position and orientation for them.

 

Good luck and happy listening!

[sbcoffey42]

8 hours ago, Islander said:

 

Real bi-amping bypasses the crossovers and uses an active electronic crossover.  Bi-amping while still using the existing crossovers is only kind of bi-amping.  Full bi-amping has the crossovers totally disconnected. It's a set-and-forget thing once you're done, but you need to get the settings for the active crossover from somewhere.  Doing it by ear won't give you the results you're looking for.  Your Heresy IIIs are fine speakers, but they can only put out what you put into them.  Vintage electronics are not the way to get great sound from your speakers.  Updating to a modern receiver will allow your speakers to come closer to their potential than doing some kind of untested bi-amping.  The new gear is much better.  I’ve had both.  You will hear the difference.  Going to separates, like a preamp and a power amp, would be even better.

 

Years ago, I temporarily connected a Yamaha MX-D1 power amplifier to my Heresy II surround speakers.  This is a $5,000 500 watt per channel amplifier.  The sound was amazingly good!  I could hear every instrument individually, all the way to the back of the stage, and of course the power was great.  That made total sense.  Then I disconnected the amp and put it to other use, and the H-2s went back to sounding pretty good, which was all they needed to be in the Surround position.  I later replaced them with La Scalas.

 

The better the signal you can feed your speakers, the better they will sound.  Their output can only be as good as their input, so I'd be looking at upgrading your electronics before doing anything to the speakers, other than experimenting to find the best position and orientation for them.

 

Good luck and happy listening!

Thank you for the information, I really appreciate it. As for something modern, well that is where I am at. I have been considering one of the Cambridge Audio amps or some type of integrated amp with some streaming capability. I am alos considering just a power amp and a pre-amp to handle the streaming. Lots of choices out there, just not sure where I am going to start. I do have this itch to build a couple of the power amps from the DIY Audio Store. I have only heard good things about the Amp Camp Amp. So perhaps I can focus on the perfect pre-amp first.

[billybob]

31 minutes ago, sbcoffey42 said:

have been considering one of the Cambridge Audio amps or some type of integrated amp with some streaming capability. I am alos considering

Not new but, nice Cambridge integrated in Garage Sale here you may have seen. Do not know if it has the phono option however.  Alright...☕

[Islander]

That’s a good idea.  Do some research, and some of the Forum members may be familiar with some of the gear you’re interested in.

 

Keep in mind that your speakers cost around $2,000 per pair when they were new (correct me if I’m wrong). They deserve to be fed a really good signal if you really want them to shine.

 

You’re right about looking for streaming, plus wi-fi capability is very handy, allowing you to listen to Net Radio.  I had a decent 2005 receiver, but in 2016 I replaced it with a new higher-level receiver, partly to get HDMI connectivity.  Having wi-fi as well opens up my listening to stations from around the world, as well as local stations.  

 

This really matters to me, because all the new taller condo towers that have popped up around my condo tower in the last 20 years have nearly wiped out FM reception.  I got tired of messing around with the antenna to try to get a clean signal, and every year it got worse.  Now I can hear every station with complete clarity, and all it needs is the tiny wi-fi antenna right on the receiver.  That was a stressor removed.

 

Finally, if you’re not in a panic to buy something right away, you have time to do all the research you need, plus if you keep putting money aside every month for your electronics upgrade, you’ll have more cash ready when the time comes, so you’ll be able to afford higher-level gear, for more better sound.

[sbcoffey42]

1 hour ago, billybob said:

Not new but, nice Cambridge integrated in Garage Sale here you may have seen. Do not know if it has the phono option however.  Alright...☕

I saw that and just for the price alone have been wanting to jump on it.

[wuzzzer]

32 minutes ago, sbcoffey42 said:

I saw that and just for the price alone have been wanting to jump on it.

 

Cambridge and Klipsch are a great match.

[Tom05]

On 3/20/2022 at 10:20 PM, wuzzzer said:

Did a little experimenting with my Heresy surrounds today.  I laid them on their sides to get the drivers close to ear height while I'm seated.  They're sitting to my sides on small 'dressers' that are about 36" tall.

There's much more separation between them and the sound from my Atmos speakers now.  I like the change.

Glad to hear that laying them on there side works for you, I ran a Heresy center on its side with good success a few years back . I think there is a risk of doing such things though, some purist out there might tell you how wrong you are and why it violates all known audio principles , personally though, I trust your experienced  ears 🤓

[Derekc503]

Hey new poster here.  I acquired two pair of heresy speakers from my wife’s uncle this past weekend. I am trying to figure out what series they are. I believe if reading the serial number correct they were made in 1983.  Any help appreciated! 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Derekc503
Needed to add photo

[wuzzzer]

4 hours ago, Derekc503 said:

Hey new poster here.  I acquired two pair of heresy speakers from my wife’s uncle this past weekend. I am trying to figure out what series they are. I believe if reading the serial number correct they were made in 1983.  Any help appreciated! 

 

They would be original Heresy, sometimes called Heresy I.

[Tom05]

Hey Derekc503 , Welcome to the forum, your wife’s uncle has good taste in loudspeakers .🤓

[uteman1011]

On 3/22/2022 at 7:30 PM, Derekc503 said:

Hey new poster here.  I acquired two pair of heresy speakers from my wife’s uncle this past weekend. I am trying to figure out what series they are. I believe if reading the serial number correct they were made in 1983.  Any help appreciated! 

Can't go wrong with those!  Have you hooked them up yet?

[M_Klipsches]

On 3/22/2022 at 9:37 AM, Tom05 said:

Glad to hear that laying them on there side works for you, I ran a Heresy center on its side with good success a few years back . I think there is a risk of doing such things though, some purist out there might tell you how wrong you are and why it violates all known audio principles , personally though, I trust your experienced  ears 🤓

I’ve ran a center Heresy on its side for ages, it sounds fine. It does tend to agitate the purists, dispersion & what-not, but  to my aging ears it sounds about the same as vertical. That being said I have wondered if it would be possible build a Horizontal Heresy, oriented like the old horizontal Cornwalls. 

[billybob]

11 hours ago, M_Klipsches said:

I’ve ran a center Heresy on its side for ages, it sounds fine. It does tend to agitate the purists, dispersion & what-not, but  to my aging ears it sounds about the same as vertical. That being said I have wondered if it would be possible build a Horizontal Heresy, oriented like the old horizontal Cornwalls. 

Yes it would and I approve of this message.

Pure...

[mds3017]

For those thinking of placing Heresy’s a little higher off the floor, I didn’t go the stand route but crafted a set of modified risers for my IVs. For my room they needed to get a little elevation to avoid the audible sense that I was sitting in a balcony. These risers are little more than a box, 7.25”tall at the front edge and with a bit of slant like the originals, that is just big enough to allow the old riser to slide inside for a secure fit and no vibration. To my ear and in my room this was the modification, which was roughly $20, needed to take these speakers from good to great. 

[uteman1011]

Seems like I've seen this blonde colored woofer in 1970's Heresy's?  Is this original?  Just sun fade?

[jcn3]

19 hours ago, uteman1011 said:

Seems like I've seen this blonde colored woofer in 1970's Heresy's?  Is this original?  Just sun fade?

 

those speakers are from 1978.  the paper surrounds look right, but i haven't seen that cone color before.  having said that, the color on the surrounds of my k22 are not that common either.

[Howard Emerson]

On 9/9/2021 at 1:09 PM, wuzzzer said:

Hey, there's an Epic group.  Why not Heresy?  🙂

 

 

My proof of membership started out as a very, very rough pair of Heresy I that a good friend gave me back in March of 2021. They'd been used as a PA system for a local guitarist/singer we knew, and they had been beat up, but still worked fine. I refurbished them in white oak veneer and Tru-Oil, and along with a Sony STR-7045 & Tascam CD200BT I'm enjoying them a lot! I did post a build thread about them while it was happening if anyone is interested.