playntheblues Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 Hello again to all! You all were very kind and helpful to me about 3 weeks ago when I was looking for a pair of Klipschorns. If you remember I found a pair in S.F. and had problems shipping. Since that deal fell through I went back to the drawing board so to speak, studing, reading, debating etc. etc. I just about had decided on a pair of Newform R645's speakers. There is nothing but praise for these speakers everywhere you go. AND THEN all of a sudden out of the blue a pair of Oak 1980 Klipschorns has become available on ebay about a 2 hour drive from me. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Any thoughts from the Klipsch form? All the best, Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 Well, Guy, considering this is a Klipsch forum, you probably aren't going to get too many people to recommend buying ribbon speakers. It's not that hard to find praise for *anything* or criticism of *anything* on the web. But Klipschorns are certified classics and will still be around when Newform is long forgotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playntheblues Posted February 5, 2003 Author Share Posted February 5, 2003 paulparrot, thanks for your response. I have a soft spot in my heart for Klipsch. I loved them when I was a teen and owned a pair of cornwalls in my late 20's. I just get tied of people calling them fart boxes. AHHHHHHH I was hoping some here might have heard the Newforms and would be objective. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 Guy, Don't downplay your attachment to Klipsch. Pay attention to your gut feelings and forget about anyone who is ignorant enough to make cracks about them. I'd be willing to bet that if you get any other brand of speaker, you'll be second-guessing yourself/kicking yourself forever. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 Well apples and oranges really. Which do you prefer? I have not heard the Newforms, but they are ribbon drivers with cone bass units, right? Not horns. So what you like really makes the biggest difference. If you have not heard horns, it is hard to buy them sight unseen. Big old horns are often cheap to the market because they do not look like any conventional loudspeaker. They are large, boxy, with plain cabinets. And most conventional electronics make them sound harsh, bright and spitty. Especially something as ultra-sensitive as the classic Khorns with their incredible 104dB/w/m. Do you realize just how efficient that is? All you need is a low powered integrated tube amplifier from yesteryear with those big old horns and you have yourself a wonderful combination of mega-buck sound. Not every aspect of the high-end, mind you, but most of the qualities that only a superb, and expensive, amplifier can give you with ribbon loudspeakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 Colin's got it right here, I think ... I have a pair of Klipschorns and I love them dearly. The sound that fills the room is heavenly, in every sense of the word. However, there are two really important considerations: (1) Do you have the right room for them? and (2) Do you have the right amplifier to feed them? As far as (1) is concerned, you may be one of the lucky ones that has two good corners in the same room, but these corners (ideally) need to be pretty far apart to get the best sound. The ONLY two corners I have in my home are in the LR, and they don't share a common wall ... they're in opposite corners. I'm willing to live with the lack of soundstage (for now) because my NEXT house (whenever/wherever that is) WILL have a good room, even if I have to build it. But try to avoid a situation where you're putting the Klipschorns in a very small room and have a near-field situation. They'll still sound great, but you'll be leaving something on the table. For (2) above, I've tried a few amps with the Klipschorns ... I'm not sure what you're using for amplification, but less is definitely more. I started with a Cary-based SuperAmp (KT-88's, 15 wpc) and it was a bit incisive through the big horns. I think went to an Eico HF-81 and it sounded wonderful (even better when Craig was done with it), much smoother and more lush in the midrange. I tried Jeff's Scott, and that was also very, very nice. Finally, I got a good deal on a pair of Wright 2A3 3.5 WPC SETs, baby-sized, flea-powered things, but the sound is HUGE and wonderful in all aspects. Kelly's heard the Wrights and owns the Moondogs, and he gives the nod to the 'dogs of course (slightly better bass), but he'd live with either. I've never heard a 300B SET like the Apollos, but I think they would sound nice as well. IOW, a really fine "first watt" is what's called for. That's what PWK was looking for when he voiced these speakers. And they ARE the finest sounding speakers I've EVER heard. They sound even better than my mighty Bose AM5 passive radiator cubicles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 Guy, Well, it would be hard to select two speakers that more differenter than each other. I have heard (extensively) the Newform R830 (850? 830? Think it was called the 830...) which is similar to the 645, and I've owned (at different times) Klipschorns and La Scalas. Both the KHorns and the Newforms are superb speakers. They have VERY different sounds. If you love one of them, you probably wouldn't be happy with the other long term. The Newforms do the ribbon thing very well. Open, transparent, detailed, smooth, voices sound like real voices (one of my most important characteristics), and in the upper midrange and treble they are quite dynamic. *BUT* their "kind" of dynamics is very different than the KHorns kind of dynamics. The KHorns have the most alive sounding, effortless, dynamic and "punchy" sound from the midrange DOWN to the mid and low bass of any speaker out there. They are very alive and open through the upper mids on to the highs, but not like the Newforms. Have you ever heard the Newforms? Listen before you leap... couple of other thoughts. Newforms are more forgiving of placement. KHorns *MUST* be in a corner (real or false) to work correctly. There is a market for used KHorns if you grow desireous of changing things down the road, don't know whether that's true of Newforms. Newforms will be more demanding of amplifier power - it's easier to get a really good sounding amp that will drive KHorns than a really good sounding amp that will drive Newforms. Also, don't know if you have pets, young kids or clumsy friends that scamper about, but the Newforms have this relatively fragile, long, thin ribbon housing jutting a couple of feet straight up out of the top of the cabinet. As long as we're trying to compare apples and oranges, how about throwing in a grapefruit and asking if you've considered any of the Magneplaners? They also sound really good, and are about as unalike either of the other two as you can get. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 right Ray, maggies! I would love to have those three (maggie 3.6, k-horns and some ribbon tweet dynamic) plus, perhaps a revel studio or JMlab utopia for the dome tweet sound. I have some ribbon tweet units in my home theater (aurum cantus, who private label the red rose line) and they sound nice and clean in the high end but certainly different than my k-horns sound and different than my maggies (smg-1c) sounded. depends what you're hankering for...no? for the money it's hard to beat k-horns, but what did you expect ME to say! lol! listen the three with some of your favorite CDs (or LPs if you are "one of those") and take a shot at the one that grabs your heart...best regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmslaw Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 Allow me to offer my 2 cents: I currently own a new (2002 revised model) pair of Klipschorns. In the past 5 years I have owned several pairs of Magnepan, Martin Logan, Soundlab, Thiel, Cabasse, Piega, etc... My system consists of CJ Premier 8A, Premier 16LS, Jadis JD1 transport, Jadis JS-1 tube dac, Philips SACD, Purist Audio cabling. This system is extremely revealing and will really bring out the best in a speaker. I have been alternating between the Klipschorns and Martin Logan Prodigys for the past few weeks, really comparing/contrasting the differences. I am used to the hyper-detailed presentation of the Logans and feel that in virtually every department (treble extension/definition, midrange purity, bass extension, soundstage, etc..) the Logans are the better speaker. That being said, every time I disconnect the Klipschorns and reconnect the Logans, I feel LESS connected to the music. The Klipschorns simply sound more live and ALIVE! This is hard to verbalize and I cannot explain why I feel this way about these speakers. Perhaps it is the effortless way in which they render dynamics or the huge, enveloping way they energize the room. Yes they have obvious colorations, but they simply recreate the feeling of being at a live event better than virtually any speaker I have yet heard. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. If I did not have the ultra-transparent Logans to use as a benchmark I probably would never yearn for any more transparency than the Klipschorns provide. I am really torn between these two speakers and think I will probably end up keeping the Klipschorns, even though I know they are bettered in most respects by the Logans. This says a lot about how musical and satisfying the Klipsches are. The audiophile "elitist" in me keeps saying that the Logans must be more "real", but my heart tells me that I enjoy the Klipschorns more. I guess this is what they call the accuracy vs. musicality debate. Oh well, I'll enjoy my dilemma a while longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 as my grandmother used to say "I should have such problems" !!! Isn´t that just the greatest thing about this hobby? how it just hits you in the guts at an emotional level? the k-horns talk to you...bring you the music...what more is there to say??? tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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