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🏆HOLY GRAIL - The Golden Jubilee $125,000.00 Tryon, North Carolina


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3 hours ago, seti said:

 

There are different horns 

  reverse-engineered k-403 horns , the texture of the horns is  different , there are no holes drilled , it's a  custom made Horn  for Mrs Valerie Klipsch  

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5 hours ago, ClaudeJ1 said:

Thanks for contributing to the accuracy of the story I got sucked into with limited, multi-party, misinformation. All I did was to share my Experience as a "non-insider" who spent a few days, 10 years ago, with a Klipsch DEALER at the time, asking for my help on a special project of his making.

 

I am not Rigma or MikeBSA, but I was part of the same privileged group as you, by invitation, in 2007. It was easy to hear how great the U-Jubes were, but especially the K-402 horns on top of the MWM, which caused me to part with my beloved Khorns and Center LaScala 15 years ago. I still enjoy the journey.

 

All of my posts here have been in the spirit of keeping it real and factual as much as possible. I'm one of those who is not afraid of the truth, wherever it comes from. I don't mind being corrected with facts from others here, and I'm also not afraid of calling out others' Bullshit when appropriate, when my information refutes the worthless opinions so prevalent on the internet in general, with no data or experience to back it up.

 

So basically, I find the asking price of the Goldens to be outrageous, with like kind reaction here. On the other hand you gotta admire the guy's intestinal fortitude in asking that price for a legendary product WITHOUT the benefit of the inside knowledge, and superior memory recall,  so many here possess.

Hey, if my post sounded like I was pointing the finger at you as the source of the misinformation, that wasn't my intent at all. 

 

I'm sure that Klem was told whatever he was told by Ms. Valerie (who wouldn't have any idea regarding the specifics), and that was related to W.C.(with or without sales puffery, who knows?), I'm sure that W.C. related to you and others as accurately as he could what he knew about them. 

 

Roy has been interviewed several times about the development of the KPT-KHJ-LF and it has been consistent every time. PWK saw the curves of the bin, was very excited and wanted to see/hear them, they set it/them in the lab listening room (I can't remember what horn Roy used for the demo up top), Roy played it/them. PWK said "how soon can we go into production? Roy drafted the plans/drawings. PWK named the product the Klipschorn Jubilee. The working prototype, the one in all of the photos at CES, is in the Klipsch Museum of Audio History with the wooden horn made in Italy. 

 

There are still details I don't know. The original AES article was submitted in 1998 when Paul was 94. It was revised and published in March of 2000 when Paul had just turned 96. I don't know what the revisions were, What Valerie used could have been Paul's set of the drawings that Roy printed out for them. I doubt it, but I don't know for sure. I think Roy had a hand, directly or indirectly, in the entire process as it was a lead up to the re-dedication of the Paul W. Klipsch School of Engineering at NMSU in October of 2008. The Golden Jubilees were brought down to NMSU, along with other items from the Museum for the re-dedication. Valerie mentioned the Golden Jubilees in her speech (her conclusion) as part of her concluding remarks (below):

 

Paul unfortunately did not see his last dream come true in life, so I took up that dream as a labor of love and followed it through with a few of those people who are truly dedicated to him and his life's work.   The Golden Jubilee is that dream.   It is a speaker different from his others in that he desired to make a full range, horn loaded, two way loudspeaker with the efficiency and sound he was accustomed to.   I have now realized his dream and have seen my work through, this labor of love, a complete project, as we gather to honor and celebrate my husband, Paul W Klipsch once again and his last great loud speaker, the Golden Jubilee.    It is fitting to celebrate his lifetime of work as this final speaker joins the rest of his Original Heritage Line speakers in the Paul W Klipsch Museum here at New Mexico State University.

I love you Paul

 

I could be wrong, but I think Roy, was in there somewhere on helping her find the builder (who probably was the guy who built all of Roy's prototypes); selected the 403 and arranged for those to be available, right down to the design of the balancing network. Probably Jim Hunter as well in certain spots. "Followed through with a few of those people who are dedicated to him and his life's work." I don't know of anyone who fits that bill more than Roy and Jim. I know there are others, but they would be at the top. 

 

 

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A bit of a rhetorical meandering....

 

What was the exact top horn designed to go with these?  

 

If it was the K403 then....those are now gone so these are not a full pair, as designed.  Seems to me if you had a 100% authentic GTO or Enzo Ferrari.....  it would have a higher value than if you had the same vehicle with a different brand engine where it got swapped out.

 

"These" are not as designed by PWK (seems to me).

 

He will likely make a profit on these but I doubt he'll make the killing he's trying to get.  But, who knows.  

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54 minutes ago, OO1 said:

  reverse-engineered k-403 horns , the texture of the horns is  different , there are no holes drilled , it's a  custom made Horn  for Mrs Valerie Klipsch  

Are you sure about that? That the 403 horns were custom made for Valerie Klipsch? Or are you using deductive inferences to reach that specific conclusion?

 

I think @seti knows the answer to this question as he has had many conversations with Roy about the 403. 

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14 minutes ago, tigerwoodKhorns said:

 

This would be the Holy Grail if they had a pair, with that finish and horn, but still not worth $125K. 

 

The Seller's listing at $125K is baiting and working. 

 

 

 

The Museum has half a grail. That exact speaker, the original wooden horn for the photoshoot, and a 403 or two. 

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On 10/10/2022 at 3:28 PM, seti said:

Those are the ones.

Here are some pics.

pwkjub403.jpg.bc754fb5fffb810896fd3de6b3902b49.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tractrix on tractrix...

13587224_index2.jpg.03f46b0a5a55fcdccf01d8ef94d43641.jpg

Right out of the mail 8-)

IMG_1293.thumb.JPG.90defd47196f8d1af7b0b8c2900d5cc4.JPG

 

 

IMG_3546.thumb.JPG.0c7045415c070de8910c3e681f635d4e.JPG

 

 

 

 

You need to put those on Ebay for $25,000 with an ad that says Golden Jubilee Original 403 Horns.

 

Then in the description, put something like, "for those Golden Jubilee owners who have bass bins but are looking for the original MF/HF horns to go with them, here's your chance!" Add something that you will supply a full and complete provenance with them. 

 

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52 minutes ago, Travis In Austin said:

The working prototype, the one in all of the photos at CES, is in the Klipsch Museum of Audio History with the wooden horn made in Italy. 

As a pure co-incidence, as Technical Editor of Professional Photographer Magazine, I was attending an all digital photo Seminar in Caesar's Palace in early 1999, which started at the tail end of the CES show. I was totally unaware of this coincidence.

 

Imagine my surprise when, to my left, I saw the KLIPSCH Room on my way to the photography stuff. So I stepped inside, saw the Beautiful Jubilees in Mahogany, and asked Roy, who I had never met,  if Paul Klipsch was there. I remember Roy giving me a funny look like: "Who is this character?" LOL. I was told I had missed him by about 10 minutes!

 

Since I had spent a full day with him at the factory and a half day at his home in 1985, I'm sure he would have remembered me, if I had arrived 1/2 hour earlier. That was one sad, missed opportunity! Proving that ignorance is not bliss once again.

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59 minutes ago, Travis In Austin said:

You need to put those on Ebay for $25,000 with an ad that says Golden Jubilee Original 403 Horns.

 

Then in the description, put something like, "for those Golden Jubilee owners who have bass bins but are looking for the original MF/HF horns to go with them, here's your chance!" Add something that you will supply a full and complete provenance with them. 

 

I think the picture you showed is the same one I saw at Ms. Valerie's subsequent house next to her Bosendorfer piano in 2007 with the black 503. The ones I saw in 1999 had the Mahogany Horns on top like the photo below taken at Ms. Valerie's. Not sure they were ever hooked up to play at either location.

DSC02033.JPG

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13 hours ago, Travis In Austin said:

Are you sure That the 403 horns were custom made for Valerie Klipsch?  

 The picture at the very Bottom  of this post shows the  K-403 that was used by RIP Mrs Valerie Klipsch to commission   2 pairs of  GJ horns  .

  

ZAKO

Just reading part of this,,Klemintovich and the 403 horns,,Mike gave it to me,,,The throat of that horn  would not couple to the driver properly,, Delgado said it was not one of theirs,  gave them away to some gent in Arkansaw  

 

deang

Posted January 27, 2013

about the horns that Valerie had made up for her Jubilees. All we know is that she had one of the originals, and had it reverse engineered. 

 

post-15072-13819828204212.jpg

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4 hours ago, capo72 said:

@seti Iain, do you have more info about your mini punches? I gleaned your website but did not see anything. I like the smooth curve and clean look of yours.

 

They aren't mini punches but JC full tractrix horns. I can't remember exactly 60hz-600hz?? They are among my favorite horns as well. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, OO1 said:

  reverse-engineered k-403 horns , the texture of the horns is  different , there are no holes drilled , it's a  custom made Horn  for Mrs Valerie Klipsch  

 

Because Klementovich sprayed them with some crazy texture. It makes no difference in sound.. I've seen their birthplace and they are just fine... 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Travis In Austin said:

You need to put those on Ebay for $25,000 with an ad that says Golden Jubilee Original 403 Horns.

 

Then in the description, put something like, "for those Golden Jubilee owners who have bass bins but are looking for the original MF/HF horns to go with them, here's your chance!" Add something that you will supply a full and complete provenance with them. 

 

 

Hell no! I will only part with my K403s on death 8-)

 

 

 

 

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Were the Jubilees commissioned, just named plated Golden Jubilees and then donated as a tribute?  Golden referring to their color.  Only two sets of name plated Golden Jubilees exist along with the wooden horns?  So, are they recreations of the prototypes or first of a kind from drawings? 

 

 

I wouldn't mind owning a pair of these:

image.jpeg.b07391d49c1aa87440a1150925af4df7.jpeg

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2 hours ago, Wrench said:

 

Where these commissioned, just named Golden Jubilees and then donated as a tribute? 

 

I wouldn't mind owning a pair of these:

image.jpeg.b07391d49c1aa87440a1150925af4df7.jpeg

 

I've read that the Plexi Khorn didn't sound that good.  It was a Plexiglas clone of a wooden Khorn, which is probably why.  In most cases, when you make a clone of an object, with the exact same dimensions, but use a very different material, it doesn't generally work that well.  Different materials may be stiffer or less stiff, for just one example.  Cloning a cast-iron engine out of aluminum, for another example, would not work well, because of the different stiffness of the aluminum, different heat propagation properties, and so on, so an aluminum engine may have the same bore and stroke as a particular cast-iron engine, but nearly everything else would be different, like the wall thicknesses in many locations. 

 

However, the Plexi Khorn was not built to sound good, it was built to show the complexity of the Klipschorn cabinet and horn construction and sound path, and it was quite effective for that purpose.

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2 minutes ago, Islander said:

 

I've read that the Plexi Khorn didn't sound that good.  It was a Plexiglas clone of a wooden Khorn, which is probably why.  In most cases, when you make a clone of something, with the exact same dimensions, but use a very different material, it doesn't generally work that well.  Different materials may be stiffer or less stiff, for example.  Cloning a cast-iron engine out of aluminum, for another example, would not work well, because of the different stiffness of the aluminum, different heat propagation properties, and so on, so an aluminum engine may have the same bore and stroke, but nearly everything else would be different, like the wall thicknesses in many locations. 

 

However, the Plexi Khorn was not built to sound good, it was built to show the complexity of the Klipschorn cabinet and horn construction and sound path, and it was quite effective for that purpose.

I find it appealing that it is one of a kind.  Visual over sound.

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22 minutes ago, Wrench said:

I find it appealing that it is one of a kind.  Visual over sound.

 

Yes, and you can imagine how it would look in a dark room with cool lighting!  Trying to explain the sound path of a Khorn, or even one as simple as that of a La Scala, to someone who's unfamiliar with horn speakers, can be challenging, when you see that they just can't visualize it, no matter how expressively you move your hands, lol.  Even drawings may be inadequate, but a see-through full-scale model is just the thing to make it clear in the listener's head.

 

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On 10/11/2022 at 8:24 PM, seti said:

 

Hell no! I will only part with my K403s on death 8-)

no one is asking you  to sell the horns , but  how about  loaning  the  horns for an  Exhibit /Event  at the  klipsch Museum .

 

 

 

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