The story of a new Underground Jubilee owner

[CWOReilly]

2 hours ago, Flevoman said:

It was the most logical thing I could think of to justify the UJ to my girlfriend. How functional they are! 😇

It would all rattle off in my house. 

[IndyKlipschFan]

Welcome to the club!  

[OilyBoy]

Hey Flevoman! i was away from the forum for a while, offcourse i allready heard from you in person about your purchase. But still, welcome to the Jubilee club! 

I know that there can only be a couple of UG jubs in Europe. Cool to have 2 pairs in our small country.

 

If somebody from Europe reads this, i own a pair of Herriage Jubs also at the moment and i kind of fell in love with them. i`m not sure weither i like the high end more then the UG. Forum member Craig spent a lot of time dialing the UG in here and the Faital HF-20AT are very good drivers. But the sweet spot is a lot smaller then with the Herritage. I did read that adding the phase plug of the Herritage to the UG widens the sweet spot.

 

But the Low end of the Herritage is a whole different story. No subs needed. offcourse it totally depends on your musical taste.

So for me, the performance of the low end, together with the estatics of the Herritage made me to love the Heritage more. but this doensnt mean i love the UG less. they share the 1st place

 

I am still a bit in doubt about selling the UG, but then again.. i dont really use them now. (this is the pair Flevoman talked about before buying from KT88).

 

If somebody is interested feel free to send me a PM

 

I think i will put them up for sale next year otherwise.

 

I will follow this thread Flevoman! very interesting. and again conratulations!

[Flevoman]

@IndyKlipschFan @OilyBoy thank you guys 😊.. I'm happy to join this group.

 

Hey @OilyBoy, great to see you active again. And thanks for the congratulations.

Maybe it’s a good idea to list your UJ in the garagesales section? That way it might get some more attention.

 

I think you’re part of a very small group that owns both the UJ and the HJ, and can compare them in the same room. You’ve already mentioned some differences above, but why not write a more detailed comparison between these two speakers? I think a lot of UJ owners are really curious about how the two compare. At least, I’m very curious. Is it just more/deeper bass and a wider hotspot that makes the HJ better?

 

Quick update,  I’ve placed the Jubilees much further apart. When I see how far apart they are now, I’d say it can’t possibly sound good. Partly because I’m not sitting far from the speakers. Measured in a straight line forward, 12 feet. But surprisingly, it works very well. It adds more air to the music, and there’s now space for everything to be properly placed. From center speaker to center speaker, I have 11.5 feet of space. The result… better placement,bigger soundstage, the music is more detached from the speaker, more air in the sound instead of a wall of sound, and a more realistic experience.

[MMurg]

On 9/14/2024 at 8:05 AM, OilyBoy said:

Hey Flevoman! i was away from the forum for a while, offcourse i allready heard from you in person about your purchase. But still, welcome to the Jubilee club! 

I know that there can only be a couple of UG jubs in Europe. Cool to have 2 pairs in our small country.

 

If somebody from Europe reads this, i own a pair of Herriage Jubs also at the moment and i kind of fell in love with them. i`m not sure weither i like the high end more then the UG. Forum member Craig spent a lot of time dialing the UG in here and the Faital HF-20AT are very good drivers. But the sweet spot is a lot smaller then with the Herritage. I did read that adding the phase plug of the Herritage to the UG widens the sweet spot.

 

But the Low end of the Herritage is a whole different story. No subs needed. offcourse it totally depends on your musical taste.

So for me, the performance of the low end, together with the estatics of the Herritage made me to love the Heritage more. but this doensnt mean i love the UG less. they share the 1st place

 

I am still a bit in doubt about selling the UG, but then again.. i dont really use them now. (this is the pair Flevoman talked about before buying from KT88).

 

If somebody is interested feel free to send me a PM

 

I think i will put them up for sale next year otherwise.

 

I will follow this thread Flevoman! very interesting. and again conratulations!

 

@OilyBoy - One word, multichannel.  Put those UGs in the back as surround speakers.  I have La Scala AL5 surrounds with my HJs and multichannel music is amazing.  I wish I had room for UG surrounds. 🙂

[MMurg]

@Flevoman - Sorry if you've seen the thread I'm going to mention before, but if you haven't there's a bunch in it that will be of interest.  If you are looking for comparisons between the UG and Hertiage Jubilee, this thread from the last JubFest has a bunch of that.  All the attendees (except for me) were UG Jubilee owners and their guests/partners.  Of course, it would be nice to hear @OilyBoy's opinion as well.

 

[Flevoman]

@MMurg I think by now I've read every topic or post that includes the word "Underground Jubilee" 😂 But thanks for pointing me to this topic.

 

The reason I think @OilyBoy findings could be interesting is because he owns both speakers and can compare them in the same room. This is something I haven't come across this very often on this forum.

[babadono]

3 hours ago, MMurg said:

One word, multichannel.

And another couple...room treatments...man the room looks "hard". I went from hard to a treated room ...there ain't no going back IMO.

TURN UP THE QUIET!

[babadono]

BTW....Heritage..sure look better with the grills ON...IMHO

[Flevoman]

I always listen to every speaker with the grills removed. But indeed, the HJ looks better with the grill on.

[Travis In Austin]

8 hours ago, Flevoman said:

@MMurg I think by now I've read every topic or post that includes the word "Underground Jubilee" 😂 But thanks for pointing me to this topic.

 

The reason I think @OilyBoy findings could be interesting is because he owns both speakers and can compare them in the same room. This is something I haven't come across this very often on this forum.

@Chief bonehead owns both, compared them extensively in the same room (and of course designed them both). 

[capo72]

11 hours ago, Travis In Austin said:

@Chief bonehead owns both, compared them extensively in the same room (and of course designed them both). 

Yeah, but can you believe that guy's assessment with all hyperbole he uses when he describes his creations? "They sound OK" 🤣

[MMurg]

On 9/17/2024 at 1:19 PM, Flevoman said:

@MMurg I think by now I've read every topic or post that includes the word "Underground Jubilee" 😂 But thanks for pointing me to this topic.

 

The reason I think @OilyBoy findings could be interesting is because he owns both speakers and can compare them in the same room. This is something I haven't come across this very often on this forum.

 

That was one of the things that happened at the last JubFest, we got to hear the UG and HJ side by side in the Klipsch lab listening.  It was one of each in mono with Roy playing the same demo material on each, back and forth. 

[Flevoman]

@MMurg I understand your point; however, for this demo, the K69 driver was used for the UJ, which, as I understand, is not the best option. OilyBoy uses the Faital driver, which will likely perform much better. Given the same space and the better driver, I think it would be quite interesting to hear a more detailed comparison between these two powerhouses from him.

[OilyBoy]

On 9/17/2024 at 5:22 PM, MMurg said:

 

@OilyBoy - One word, multichannel.  Put those UGs in the back as surround speakers.  I have La Scala AL5 surrounds with my HJs and multichannel music is amazing.  I wish I had room for UG surrounds. 🙂

LOL, Craig (Born2rock) tried to trick me into that also.... but i would still love to have some floorspace.

[OilyBoy]

On 9/17/2024 at 9:48 PM, babadono said:

BTW....Heritage..sure look better with the grills ON...IMHO

agree, they were only off because we just placed them in the room when i took the picture.

[Flevoman]

4 hours ago, OilyBoy said:

LOL, Craig (Born2rock) tried to trick me into that also.... but i would still love to have some floorspace.

I've seen your listening space. More than enough room for a 7.2 setup with Jubilees 😁

[Kev23]

On 8/10/2024 at 7:08 PM, Flevoman said:

One thing I always really enjoy about this forum, besides all the help and useful information, is reading about other people's experiences.This time, I thought I’d contribute my part; I’m on summer holliday and have some time, so here’s my story about the Underground Jubilee. For those who aren’t interested in a lengthy (because it will be) ramble, this is your chance to spend your time in a more meaningful way. For those still here, welcome... I hope my writing is at least somewhat enjoyable to read.

 

**Background:**

 

Let me start with a bit of background to clarify where I come from in terms of audio. Many years ago, I began with the RF3, which later became the RF3 II. After hearing the Forte 2 and a La Scala, I knew for sure that I needed to own the La Scala as well. However, these speakers aren’t exactly common in the Netherlands, but I managed to find a pair of AL3s in Belgium.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to enjoy them for very long. My passion for audio and Klipsch faded after a failed upgrade of my Dynaco ST70, which dulled the sound. At that time, I didn’t have the resources to solve this, and as a result, my passion for audio and Klipsch waned. The La Scala went into the garage, and I spent years listening to a Sonos system (shame on me).

But as they say, blood is thicker than water, and after years of treating music as mere background noise, the desire for more immersive sound returned. I managed to get a good deal on a pair of Heresy 2s, and with that, Pandora's box was opened again. 😁

The passion came back, Klipsch remained my kind of sound, and soon I followed up with the Chorus 1, the CW3, then traded the AL3 and CW3 for the CW4. Of course, it could always be better, so hop, onto the AL5... and now, for the past few weeks, my endgame speakers, the Underground Jubilee.

 

**Acknowledgments:**

 

Now I’d like to take a moment to thank two people for making it possible for me to own the UJ. First, @KT88, for his patience in providing information and assistance, for facilitating the deal, and for not selling his UJ to the highest bidder online, but instead offering them to me at a very fair asking price. And @mikebse2a3, who greatly helped me with his knowledge, patiently answered all my questions (and there were quite a few), and provided insights and knowledge. Thank you, gentlemen!

 

**The Purchase:**

 

The UJ first came into my sights when I purchased someone’s 45 SET amp. This person also had the UJ, and half-jokingly, I said, "If you ever decide to part with them, please contact me first." Knowing how rare these speakers are in Europe and how unlikely it is that they would ever be sold. Months later, I received a message offering the UJ due to the purchase of other speakers. Naturally, I was super enthusiastic—this was a unique opportunity. What I considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime chance...

But it was also quite daunting. My knowledge is still at a beginner’s level, and these are definitely not plug-and-play speakers. What if I couldn’t get the DSP box set up correctly? What if I didn’t receive help through this forum? What if I couldn’t get the speakers to sound right and ended up losing my passion again? I had already experienced with the AL5 that a better speaker in the Heritage line doesn’t automatically mean it will sound better in your home. Eventually, I managed to get the AL5 to sound amazing, but it took some work. So, what if I couldn’t get these working in my living room? Could I sell these speakers if needed without suffering too much financial loss?

As you can see, I had many uncertainties. I saw a lot of obstacles... but the UJ!!! Come on, I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity because of a few doubts! This is unique... I wasn’t going to walk away just because I didn’t dare take a gamble!

 

**Research and Decision:**

 

What followed was a lot of reading and researching on the internet and reaching out to forum members with questions. How does the AL5 compare to the UJ? Is the UJ really better than the AL5? How difficult is it to set up the DSP box? Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to listen to the AL5 and the UJ side by side.

Due to uncertainties and other factors, I hesitated to close the deal—too much money was involved, and for me, there were too many obstacles... Shit...

However... KT88 was busy in the meantime and had acquired a Khorn somewhere. Now, owning the La Scala, Khorn, and the UJ apparently gave him enough motivation to make a choice. Suddenly, there was a message from KT88 asking if I might be interested in taking over his UJ and its accessories. He knew about my previous interest in the other UJ and understood that my interest in these speakers was still there.

And so it happened that I was presented with a fantastic offer, both in terms of the package and the asking price. The UJ, TAD 4002, Faital drivers with passive X-over, original K69 driver, and the Yamaha 2060 DSP. An offer I simply couldn't refuse—truly a unique opportunity, in my opinion.

And so, after some waiting, a German van drove into the street with KT88 at the wheel (he even delivered them) with his van filled with goodies. It was great to finally meet KT88 in person after weeks of communicating via PM. He’s a very calm and friendly man who did his utmost to leave everything in perfect condition, connected, and set up. He spent a few hours working on this, and I was immensely grateful, as I think it would have been a tough job for me due to my lack of proper knowledge. Shout out to KT88

 

**The Experience:**

 

And then, suddenly, they were in my room. I always thought the AL5 were very large speakers, but the UJ makes the AL5 look small. These speakers are visually imposing. Pffff... I still chuckle sometimes when I see them standing there. The UJ with TAD 4002... how much better could it get?? Wow... And now that’s in my house!!

But somewhere, I also miss the appearance of the AL5. I really thought they were beautiful speakers with their veneer finish and design. I saw them as pieces of furniture in my living room, eye-catchers... Often, I would walk by and let my hand glide over the top of the speaker, making contact with my love for audio and Klipsch. I was also proud to own them. These were, in fact, my endgame speakers. Maybe I would add a Heritage sub next to them, but they weren't going anywhere. 

And now this stands in the living room!!! Ok, I knew in advance that they have a different look, and I had also planned to work on the UJ's appearance if everything sounded good. My idea was to recreate the HJ look but slightly narrower. But until then, they are enormous black boxes that do nothing good for the aesthetics of the living room...

 

**How Do They Sound?**

 

So, how do they perform? How does the UJ sound compared to the AL5? First, I want to say that through my experience climbing the Heritage ladder, I’ve noticed that each speaker has its own unique sound. At first, I thought the Chorus would sound like a Heresy, just with more bass. Now, I have to say that I found the tonal difference between the Heresy and the Chorus the least noticeable, apart from the fuller sound. But for example, the CW4 or the AL5, I find to be really different tonally. You recognize the Klipsch roots, but the CW4 sounds bright to me and has a more modern sound, whereas the AL5 had a slightly darker sound, with a huge midrange that also has a delightful kick and punch.

The UJ, again, sounds very different from the AL5. Somewhere, it was quite naive of me, but I had assumed beforehand that the sound would be somewhat like the AL5, just with more and deeper bass. No... the UJ simply sounds very different. This took some getting used to for me. I had become very familiar with the AL5 sound, which I loved. And now, suddenly, it was gone. 

I could tell that these speakers had much more potential than the AL5 in every way, but because the amplifiers were not yet properly matched, and I was initially using the wrong amplifiers, and because I still had to get used to the different sound, I didn’t immediately get that WOW feeling. 

Well, I did have a WOW feeling because these speakers can create an enormous amount of sound and a grand soundstage. They were definitely impressive. But the sense of being drawn into the music, which the AL5 did so well, was missing. I caught myself skipping tracks in the first few days rather than listening to them all the way through because I wasn’t being drawn in as much. The UJ made me feel a bit restless, whereas with the AL5, I could just zen out in pure bliss.

Gradually, with a lot of help from Heinz and Mike, they started to sound better. First of all, I’m convinced that despite my large living room, I have a lot of acoustic issues. Initially, the bass sounded boomy and dominant here. After finding a better amplifier combination, properly adjusting the balance between the amplifiers, and using the DSpeaker anti-mode 2 (which made a world of difference for me), the UJ started to sound more musical. Gradually, I also began to get more accustomed to the different sound, and soon came the first evenings where I was really enjoying myself. There was even one evening where I was so emotionally drawn into the music that I started to tear up... something that had never happened before.

 

**Final Thoughts:**

 

Now, several weeks later, I can give a better comparison of the UJ vs. AL5. I’m still not completely there, especially in terms of the holographic imaging, which I believe can still be improved, but the UJ sounds grand. It sounds grand and full of energy. It’s truly impressive. The UJ can create a real wall of sound. Additionally, the speaker sounds very clear. Much clearer than the AL5. I really had to get used to this clear sound, as the AL5 had a somewhat darker tone (at least that’s what I think). You also hear much more detail. Electric guitars, cymbals, they sound rich and full. The bass is much more present than with the AL5, which also took some getting used to for me. I’m not a basshead, so at first, I turned down the bass a bit in the DSpeaker settings. But the bass is full, has punch, and goes deeper. After getting used to it and fine-tuning, I’m very happy with how the bass now sounds compared to the AL5.

The UJ outperforms the AL5 in every aspect. The only thing the AL5 did very well in this living room was giving the feeling that the band was really in front of you, that they were live in the living room. Unfortunately, I still get this feeling less with the UJ. However, I attribute this not to the speaker but to my acoustics (which is still a subject I need to work on) and further fine-tuning.

Sometimes, I still get some sharp/harsh edges in the music that are annoying. But that's not a deal breaker, something that should be solvable one way or another. I also feel that a bit more warmth in the midrange would be more pleasant. This could very well be the result of my adjustment to the AL5 sound, but for now, it would be welcome. I still have a way to go to get these speakers to sound just right. I knew this beforehand—they aren’t plug-and-play speakers, but that’s okay. This is part of the hobby. As long as I don’t hit a wall due to lack of knowledge and skill, I have every hope that I will get there. For example, I’m currently working with REW and a Umik 1 microphone, and I think there’s still room for improvement there as well.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate that this opportunity came my way and I’m extremely grateful, just as I am for all the help I’ve received. To those who managed to keep reading until this point, thank you for your interest, and I hope it was somewhat entertaining to follow along with my journey.

 

Flevoman

Interesting story.