Your first experience

[Fido]

Way back in 1986 my dad told me he wanted a new stereo for his penthouse beach house. We went to the closest high end audio store, Genesis Audio and listened to a full lineup of Heritage speakers. I can’t remember how he chose the Forte 1s at the time but they were far and away his favorite. Genesis was a very high end store and had mostly exotic amps etc. my dad wanted a simple receiver so I gave him my Sony and bought an NAD full separate system for my listening room. I had Cerwin Vega 380 SE at the time and loved them. When I got the fortes setup at dad’s house we played a Linda ronstadt disk which sounded incredible. I came home and played the same cd on my system. The Cerwin Vegas were no match to those Fortes. 
 

when my dads wife got home she had a sh#@#@t fit. lol she hated them but my dad listened to them every day the rest of his life. They passed to me when he died and are now my surrounds in my living room to go along with my Forte IV mains. I love the Klipsch sound signature.

[longhair55]

No idea what was played on 'em,.... it was in  '76.

 

I had a friend, who knew the owners of a local appliance store,one day he told a couple of us,about their new "sound room" where the salesman would close the door and crank it up for potential customers.

 

Well, 3-4 of us went down there,. and we were introduced to "Denny",  and he had Klipsch K-horns,La Scala, and Hersey speakers. He then put something on,.turned it up,. and left the room.  I was hooked!    A few minutes later,..he was back,.. he may have played the others,. don't remember,. we talked $$$. Of course,the K-horns were outta a 20-21 yr. old price range,besides being too big,.. I wanted the La Scala.... but still too big/expensive,... the Hersey looked like a little brother to the La Scala,. with the tweeter and midrange horns, and with a loan,.. I could afford 'em!

 

After taking them to a couple of parties, then stopping,couple of my friends ended up buying their own.

 That store is still there,only sell furniture now

[wuzzzer]

When I was a teenager my best friend and I would visit Audio King, our local audio store.  They had all kinds of Klipsch.  I unfortunately don't remember the exact model, it was either a Belle or LaScala that they had set up in a sound room.  Absolutely blew me away.  I used to go there almost every week to chat with the sales guys and occasionally buy stuff.  Never bought anything super high-end from them in terms of home audio because I was more into car audio at the time.

 

Eventually bought a KV1 center speaker as my first Klipsch purchase.  In the 30 years since then I've had probably a couple dozen different pairs of Klipsch including RF-7, forte I and II, Quartet, KG4, Heresy I, II and III, RS-42, SS2, KG 3.5, RF-25, and on and on.

 

My current setup of 5 Heresys, two AW-650 for Atmos and two horn subs is by far the best I've ever had and the best I've heard anywhere.

[Cathedral Guitar]

A buddy of mine hauled around a pair of La Scalas as his PA system back in 1977, and kept them in his van when not in use at a gig, and kept them hooked up to his car stereo. We spent many hours driving around Denton, TX like that, listening to a lot of the KANSAS / Carry on My Wayward Son LP, and Fleetwook Mac / Rumors. That experience prompted me to get my own La Scalas several decades down the road, although not using them as a car stereo -- but they sounded great in the van.

[Philip McDonald]

I was quite shocked, when Demoing various types makes and models of different speakers, At a store in Pennsylvania by the name of Bryn Mawr stereo, approximately mid 1980’s, they had the standard handheld comparison, clicker button, so you could instantly compare, different speakers, instantly,

I never gave Klipsch belles a thought and also could not afford anything that even looked like that at that time, The salesman was pretty cool throughout my demo. I don’t know how many makes models of loudspeakers I remember hearing but I do remember quite a few pair ,I said to him what about those bigger speakers up there on the same platform he said you mean the oak ones with the light colored grills which were the Kane grills , IDK at the time ? I said to him yes hit those on. I remember him saying to me. Oh those are ridiculous. Well when he hit that comparator button , I was blown away after listening to countless pairs of speakers. They all seem to sound to me like somebody was standing in front of them, or put a blanket over them. I wound up buying a set of polks, I could never afford anything like that at that time . However many years later, after going through countless, makes some models of speakers I found a fellow with a flawless pair of Belles ,the ones I have heard years ago He was the original owner he was being transferred to California from Pennsylvania and did not want to take them with him. Well, let’s put it this way that was over 30 years ago and I still have them now I did hot rod them a bit throughout the years but nothing that you could not put back to stock in a matter of a couple hours and also whet SET 300B I even played with bi amping a bit , For me being a product of the very early 70s I really don’t think I would part with them but I wouldn’t mind trying a pair of …….

Avangatds uno’s but I still  can’t condone spending that kind of money irregardless of whatever my income, but you never no maybe I’ll get a chance to find out someday. Very interesting and enjoyable. posts we all have various types of storys throughout our trials and tribulations with this hobby, that’s one of the things that make it so interesting thanks everyone happy listening respectfully yours

 

i agree much too Lengthy I haven’t told that story in years probably do to, The nature of the hobby, extremely thin around here 😮

 

[pnort]

I got into music around 6th or 7th grade in the mid-50s. Our record player couldn't do justice to rock n roll. I started out buying 78s, thinking 45s were just a fad. At the record store I saw speakers like Jensen and ElectroVoice. With the Allied Radio catalog I bought a University 312 tri-ax speaker and build a knockoff cabinet like the Airstocrat (I think Klipsch had a hand in that model). That and a 24W Allied tube amp using 5881 output tubes. A mono system. That did the job until the early 70s when the amplifier's transformer died and I couldn't find a replacement.

 

So I began auditioning speakers while in Graduate School in Syracuse NY. In the first two or three stores I heard nothing that was as good as my single Airstocrat knockoff. Finally, a store in North Syracuse had some Klipschorns. By this time I was bringing my own records to the store for auditions--Rolling Stones and some classical music. The Klipshorns satisfied and I exchanged several letters with Paul Klipsch about the speakers and why the are so good. As a research assistant I could only afford one at time--they were $884 each! Took me a few months to go from mono to stereo. I built a Heathkit AR-15 receiver and was set then for maybe 20 years. Later I got Sony and then Denton receivers, but a could years ago I went back to tubes with the Elekit 8600S and Western Electric tubes. Life is good.

Klipschletter2.pdf Klipschletter1.pdf

[Abomb]

So loving reading everyone's stories. Thanks everybody. It so nice to know there are so many folks out there that share the same delight and awe that I felt in hearing Klipsch for the first time. On a side note. I remember going up to Lake George in upstate NY one year to play the bar circuit over the summer. Some dude out there cut the firewall out between the cab and the bed of his pickup truck, put a permanent camper cap on it and was running two Heresy's back there. This was around 91 or so. You could here those things for blocks. 

[Philip McDonald]

15 hours ago, Philip McDonald said:

I was quite shocked, when Demoing various types makes and models of different speakers, At a store in Pennsylvania by the name of Bryn Mawr stereo, approximately mid 1980’s, they had the standard handheld comparison, clicker button, so you could instantly compare, different speakers, instantly,

I never gave Klipsch belles a thought and also could not afford anything that even looked like that at that time, The salesman was pretty cool throughout my demo. I don’t know how many makes models of loudspeakers I remember hearing but I do remember quite a few pair ,I said to him what about those bigger speakers up there on the same platform he said you mean the oak ones with the light colored grills which were the Kane grills , IDK at the time ? I said to him yes hit those on. I remember him saying to me. Oh those are ridiculous. Well when he hit that comparator button , I was blown away after listening to countless pairs of speakers. They all seem to sound to me like somebody was standing in front of them, or put a blanket over them. I wound up buying a set of polks, I could never afford anything like that at that time . However many years later, after going through countless, makes some models of speakers I found a fellow with a flawless pair of Belles ,the ones I have heard years ago He was the original owner he was being transferred to California from Pennsylvania and did not want to take them with him. Well, let’s put it this way that was over 30 years ago and I still have them now I did hot rod them a bit throughout the years but nothing that you could not put back to stock in a matter of a couple hours and also whet SET 300B I even played with bi amping a bit , For me being a product of the very early 70s I really don’t think I would part with them but I wouldn’t mind trying a pair of …….

Avangatds uno’s but I still  can’t condone spending that kind of money irregardless of whatever my income, but you never no maybe I’ll get a chance to find out someday. Very interesting and enjoyable. posts we all have various types of storys throughout our trials and tribulations with this hobby, that’s one of the things that make it so interesting thanks everyone happy listening respectfully yours

 

i agree much too Lengthy I haven’t told that story in years probably do to, The nature of the hobby, extremely thin around here 😮

 

 

[Philip McDonald]

Just now, Philip McDonald said:

 

 

[Philip McDonald]

Klipsch Belles, Hypothetically speaking I

often wonder from time to time if the Belles were still being produced today . What would you think the , MSRP would be , it would have be somewhere in between or in the middle of

the K-horn and the Lascala , I was told by

A former kilpsch employee that was one of the reasons it was dropped off the line, along with countless other marketing decisions, I also was not aware, they were available for sometime after they were dropped, but had to be a special order only very interesting . Could it be a better seller than some of their current lineup only in the heritage series ? the same former KLIPSCH  employee also went on to explain to me, they were the hardest and most time-consuming loudspeaker to produce in some ways .what do you Think ? to me there would have to be a countless changes implemented. A very decisive decision. Where would it come in at? I have my own thoughts on this, perplexing as it seems when you’re talking profit margins, corporations want to see profit margins not complex marketing decisions, that may not materialize, One thought I have  and I believe I am 100% positive if you have a pair of bells and enjoy them consider yourself lucky because a new pair of bells today if still available wherever you purchase them you better be able to walk in with an open checkbook …. I miss the old days 🤷

thank to all in advance just something to think about, I remain respectfully, yours, happy listening, 

 

[scalawag]

It was in mid 1976 after moving into our first home that I decided to "upgrade" my hifi system which consisted of a Sansui receiver and 3-way speakers purchased from the PX while I was serving in the Army.  Knew nothing about Klipsch, but a coworker mentioned the La Scala as a possible candidate for my new system.  So happens there was a Klipsch dealer in my hometown (Pro Audio, Oakland CA) and they had a pair of the LS’s on the floor.  At first sight I knew I had to have them, even before the salesman turned on the system.  We made a deal for the LS’s and a Yamaha CA-1000, and I’m happy to say they are still in use today, almost 50 years later.

 

I don’t remember the very first piece of music I played with my new hifi setup, but I’m sure Carlos’ "Switched On Bach" vinyl LP was near the top of that list.  And BTW, I still have that LP as well.  I guess some things just never get old !!

~

[Philip McDonald]

13 minutes ago, scalawag said:

It was in mid 1976 after moving into our first home that I decided to "upgrade" my hifi system which consisted of a Sansui receiver and 3-way speakers purchased from the PX while I was serving in the Army.  Knew nothing about Klipsch, but a coworker mentioned the La Scala as a possible candidate for my new system.  So happens there was a Klipsch dealer in my hometown (Pro Audio, Oakland CA) and they had a pair of the LS’s on the floor.  At first sight I knew I had to have them, even before the salesman turned on the system.  We made a deal for the LS’s and a Yamaha CA-1000, and I’m happy to say they are still in use today, almost 50 years later.

 

I don’t remember the very first piece of music I played with my new hifi setup, but I’m sure Carlos’ "Switched On Bach" vinyl LP was near the top of that list.  And BTW, I still have that LP as well.  I guess some things just never get old !!

~

 

[Philip McDonald]

Just now, Philip McDonald said:

 

Gorgeous looking rig amazing condition,

I would have to say congratulations from 1976

wow you’re also implementing some nice electronics there. Congratulations man beautiful best of luck with it in the foreseeable future NICE, I have to get my room looking like yours. Awesome.

[JohnA]

On 3/12/2024 at 12:01 PM, Abomb said:

Any suggestions for what I should play on mine when they show up? Two Heresy IV's in Black Ash showing up by 7PM today. 😁

 

At least 40 hours of Dub-step with the bass knob at full boost; doesn't have to be loud.  Just shut the door and go have dinner and a movie. 

 

Then, I'd look for "Unforgettable" by Natalie Cole and "The Book of Secrets" by Loreena McKennitt and listen for all the cool nuances. 

[Marvel]

The first Klipsch I heard was at a coworkers house. We were working in a TV news department in Memphis, TN, and had a light schedule one afternoon, so we stopped by his house where he had a pair of decorator khorns. I don't remember what he played. They sounded great!

 

That was in the mid '70s. By the early '80s we moved to Madison, WI. I borrowed a pair of speakers for use while I ran sound for a small conference. They weren't Klipsch, but had home made LaScala bass cabs whit a big horn mid and tweeter on top. They made for a great sounding p.a. They were built by the late Dennis Kleitsch, aka djk on many audio forums, here included.

 

Fast forward to the 90s and my older son and I were looking up how to build some LS clones. That's how we found this place in 2001. Same older son goes off to school in Florida and comes home with a pair of Heresy IIs. He sets them up in the  living room, moving the cables over from my JBL 4311s and powers them up. They were a gift to me. (I still have the 4311s, btw).

 

Still have them, and just finished a crossover refresh. I've since had two different pair of 1st gen LS, some of the pro line and other horns.

 

I will keep the HIIs. There's other stuff around the house, though.

 

And... wow, that was long.

[Abomb]

A bit off topic but I finally put the last piece on the system. It's not much, but it sounds good and will work for now.

[JohnA]

 

[jp_nh]

I just about fell out of my chair! I couldn't believe how realistic it sounded on the Forte IIIs. Though it took some tweaking afterwards to get them to sound a bit better.

 

My first experience was earlier this month. Never heard a pair previously and bought them sight unseen on a whim based on reviews.

Edited April 2 by jp_nh

[Shakeydeal]

My first experience with Klipsch was back in the early 90s when I bought a pair of KG 3.2s. I wasn't really crazy about them and didn't keep them long.

 

Fast forward to 2013 when a buddy let me borrow a pair of original Heresys. I was smitten. And even though I had a much more expensive pair of full range floor standing speakers, I thought "this is the sound for me". I found a pair of Cornwall IIs on craigslist and the rest as they say, is history.

 

And no, I can't remember the first thing I played on any of the above speakers.

[Marvel]

On 3/15/2024 at 11:57 AM, scalawag said:

I’m sure Carlos’ "Switched On Bach" vinyl LP was near the top of that list.  And BTW, I still have that LP as well.  I guess some things just never get old !!

Walter, now Wendy, Carlos uses Cornwalls for monitors in her studio.