Tom 2003 Khorns/Tubes Audition

[garymd]

I was going to wait for pictures but while I have the time I'll go ahead and post a review and let Tom post pictures later.

I spent the other evening with Tom Longo and his 2003 light oak khorns which I first listened to in August. At that time he was using a walkman and an old kenwood SS and I wasn't impressed whatsoever. He upgraded to a pioneer SS and DVD/CD player. I wasn't expecting much to be honest.

First I wanted to hear his existing system and was bowled over by the difference. Even with the pioneer and inexpensive cd player the sound was wonderful. He has perfect corners and the bass was incredible. A tad muddy but amazing anyway. The highs just enveloped you and the soundstage was excellent.

We first swapped in the SACD and found a subtle but noticable improvement. Mostly additional clarity. I was too impatient to wait much longer so I hooked up the fisher X-100-C tube rectified 17 watt(?) amp that has about 10 hours on since rebuild.

WOW! The khorns just bloomed. We played song after song with big grins on our faces. Tom was drooling over the tubes while I was drooling over his speakers. The room was redesigned to have 4 feet of wall on each side of the khorn for perfect bass. There is an opening to the living room between them. The room is 13x15 (I think) with a cathedral ceiling and the khorns on the long wall. The soundstage was into the living room. The highs enveloped you, voices towered over you and the bass vibrated the seat.

We played every type of music you can imagine and at very high volumes most of the time. The khorns weren't even straining and the amp had plenty of juice to go. Less than 10 watts/channel on khorns in a room that size was more than enough.

I was most impressed with the bass. I don't know if it was the room or the speakers or both but I never thought I'd hear such clean, deep, powerful bass. It was truely amazing. The fisher and the khorns seemed to be made for each other.

I'll let Tom post some pictures and add his thoughts. I was pleased to get a chance to let him hear the type of amp those speakers were designed to mate with. I think he'll own a tube amp of some sort very soon. I wish I could say I'd be owning khorns soon but unfortunately it's not in the cards.

Thanks for your hospitality Tom and I'll see you this summer.

[3dzapper]

I'm surprised that he didn't give you the ole boot and keep the Fisher as spoils.

So Tom liked the tubes. Can't say as I'm suprised. Did he mention a time frame? Dean is just chomping at the bits to spend someone elses money again. Dang he's good at that!

Rick

[garymd]

I'll let Tom speak for himself. If I actually owned that fisher, which I will eventually, my guess is he would have made me an offer on the spot. I don't even know what it's going to cost me yet. I'm using it on a trial basis.

I think Tom will probably go with an integrated amp similiar to the fisher or a scott. He has the perfect spot for 1 unit. After hearing the fisher in that room, it'll be hard to convince him to go a different route.

[Woodog]

Sounds like a really cool way to spend an evening. I've GOT to hear Khorns. Edster in GA has offered to let me hear his with a SET amp when I'm down his way, but that's going to be a while.

patience...

Forrest

[DTLongo]

Thank you Gary MD for your account of our Khorn session.

I should maybe title this post "Religion, getting of." Gary's description of the sonic qualities we both heard, both with my Pioneer SS receiver and his Fisher tube amp, are spot on. He is not exaggerating! The Khorns with the tube amp sounded that good. The experience opened my eyes (ears).

For his part, Gary said my Khorns as set up as they are and used with the tube amp were just about the best he's ever heard.

So, yes, I am now in the market for an integrated stereo tube amp. I welcome your recommendations. And yes, if Gary had had that Fisher amp available for sale, I might very well have grabbed it on the spot.

I am posting some pics one by one in this and successive posts since I don't know how to put up multiple pics in one post. Total of five pics. This one is a general view of Gary's amp on the floor. My DVD/CD player is on the middle shelf, the Pioneer receiver is on the top shelf and atop it is Gary's SCAD/CD player, a Sony if I recall. The successive pics are closeups of the amp, and views of the left and right Klipschorns in their corners. The room is 12' x 15', and the Khorns fire directly at the sofa center seat sweet spot on the opposite wall. showing their corners.

[DTLongo]

Pic 2 of 5.

[DTLongo]

Pic 3 of 5.

[DTLongo]

Pic 4 of 5.

[DTLongo]

Pic 5 of 5.

[LarryC]

Tom,

Beautiful K-horns, in a beautifully appointed and furnished living room and nearby kitchen! It looks like the molding and maybe the cabinetry are oak as well, a pleasing combo. What a terrific setup and great room for the speakers! I think this shows that K-horns have an excellent, classic, living-room appearance as fine furniture, and yet can function extremely well as one of the greatest speakers ever. What other speaker can claim all that?

Larry

[WS65711]

I notice that the cat can't take his eye off of the Fish(er).

[garymd]

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On 1/17/2004 10:27:23 AM WS65711 wrote:

I notice that the cat can't take his eye off of the Fish(er).

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The cats were sniffing that amp all night! I unplugged it before going to bed so there would be no electricutions.

[fini]

Looks like the kitchen cabs were partially inspired by Klipschorns, too!

I am kind of getting a hankerin' for Khorns. I even have a couple of good corners! I was close on an eBay pair a while back (within driving distance), but the seller pulled some obvious shill crap, and when I busted him, pulled the auction. Nice walnut pair. I'll have to do some trading, or selling to get them, though.

[Parrot]

Do it, Fini.

Thanks for the pics, Tom.

[DTLongo]

Thanks for the kind comments.

My house, which I moved in to July 2002, has nice interior wood trimmings which the light oak Khorns blend with well. Ditto the newly remodeled kitchen and rebuilt former porch, parts of which you can see in the background of the picture of the left Khorn.

BTW, the dinky little TV visible in pic #1 is just a cheap b&w I use to look at DVD menus, when necessary, when I play DVD audio through the Khorns. The opening sequences of "Top Gun," for example, and the Terminator flicks are awesome through those puppies.

Part of my home theater is glimpsable in the left background of the pic of the right Khorn. Onkyo A/V receiver, classic Large Advent speakers helped out by Radio Shack add-on tweeters atop them, JBL 100 powered subwoofer, small but impressive, and small KLH center and surrounds, A nice sounding system but certainly not Khorns. I don't have an unbroken wall with good corners such that I can set up a home theater with the Khorns. Maybe in my next incarnation .

[Deang]

I wonder what PK would have thought about the new Klipschorn. In several ways, they do not sound like his Klipschorns.

1.5 db less output from the squawker and tweeter. The overall presentation is much more balanced, and also in part accounts for the apparent increase in bass presence.

No peaks in the response, or resonances that I can detect.

The K-401 is completely inert. Combined with the new driver, and whatever they did in the crossover -- the sounds of rainfall in movies, and crowd applause in recordings no longer have the sound of bacon frying.

The front and the top of the bass bin is MDF. The top is MDF. It adds mass and density, which stops bass energy from being lost through vibration. More of this energy now comes directly from the driver, and it's not subtle. Excellent slam and transients from percussive instruments, and good definition from strings.

This is one hell of a speaker.