Does this mean Klipsch is bad?

[Jw_Leonhart]

"Suppose that, for some reason, you either decide not to purchase Bose speakers, or you wish to compare Bose with other speakers. What other speakers should you consider? A complete answer to this question is outside the scope of this FAQ --- consult the "Good Sound for Cheap FAQ." But as a short answer, some brands names worth considering include PSB, Paradigm, Theil, Mirage, Definitive Technology, B&W, Radio Shack LX5 (designed by Linaeum), Magnepan, RDL, KEF, NHT, Signet, Infinity, Spica, Energy, Quad, Martin-Logan, Celestion, Vandersteen, Acarian Alon, and dozens of others. This is not to say that everyone loves all of these brands --- some people love them, some people hate them, and you should listen for yourself --- but most people on the audio newsgroups would rate most of these brands above Bose. Some brands names generally considered worse than, equal to, or at least not consistently superior to Bose include Polk, Klipsch, Sony, Kenwood, KLH, Pioneer, Cerwin-Vega, Advent, DCM, and dozens of others. Of course, again, opinions vary (Klipsch, in particular, has some strong proponents). Given the long list of worse speakers on the market, its actually rather surprising that only Bose receives such criticism on the audio newsgroups. Boston Acoustics and AR have produced some excellent budget speakers in the past, as well as many mediocre speakers; I have heard nothing about the performance of recent models."

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Now from my reading of this it is saying that Klipsch doesn't offer an advantage to Bose and is just another big marketing gimmick? Someone correct me if I am wrong here. I ran across this trying to help my friend steer his father clear of Bose... Someone please shed some light on this and make me understand if this guy is smoking crack? Thanks for any responces, please also give alot of input. By the way, I own Klipsch and stick by it... and I know the specs on Bose, but I am curious why this guy is stating this.

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The quote from above was taken from this site below:

http://www.fiendation.com/300zx/bosefaq.htm

[skeptic]

Generally "Audiophiles" would tell you that Klipsch is just as bad as Bose. Mostly due to the horn design. For some people, the "horn" sound is not what they want. The advantages in efficiency, and dynamics are just not enough to get over the "horn" sound. And also some people think they are too bright.

It will generally get me ranted at by the 18 and under (at least mentally) closed minded Klipsch fanboys(im a klipsch fanboy, but an open minded one) but Bose isn't all that bad. Do I like the sound? Not really. Do I like the efficiency? Nope. Do I like the theory of multiple reflections? Nope.

Does that make them bad? Nope. They are pricey, but they are small. To some people, thats crucial. And some people like the sound.

Generally if you have to talk someone out of buying Bose, its a mistake. If they have the money, have listened to other equipment, and still don't see why they shouldnt buy bose, let them. Its not right for everyone, but neither is Klipsch.

To sum it up, no speakers are perfect for every person. I urge everyone to stop trying to shove their opinions down peoples throats. Some people like Bose, get over it. You probably have at least one product that they would make fun of *you* for.

[ccsakura]

I understand why the author writes that if the author points to the price/performance ratio to some brands which worth more for the money the put on. As they go up to the top of the market the higher price and getting lesser quality gained per dollar.

However it's how the market works in modern world. If u want to get rid of it, don't use any brand name electronics and learn all of everything to build your own electronics(even no radio no tv they are pricy ).

I'd say Polk Klipsch and Pioneer are out of the list. They do have expensive flagship product, but they do have products having price performance ratio as well(if you aren't rich enough just pick the lower end, there's variety of choices). Let Sony stays in it(yea I'm not Sony maniac)

[Jw_Leonhart]

Blah, Sony doesn't make many good products like they used to.

[TheEAR]

"Generally "Audiophiles" would tell you that Klipsch is just as bad as Bose."

No mister this is NOT true,deaf biggots who calim to be audiophiles and know next to nothing about dynamics and lifelike sound reproduction.True audiophiles know better

Anyone who compares Klipsch wity the likes of B0$e or Nuance speakers is smoking too much weed and a genetic liar.Klipsch Horns,Belle,LaScalla,RF7's and Corwalls are some of the better speakers on the market.And it is evident when pairing them with quality amplification and sources.

Its not my fault some clowns buy quality speakers and pair them with cheapo crappo junkyard receivers.I even read on this site RF7's lack punch and bass! Imagine I wanted to take a baseball bat and take a few swings at the joker.He was of course using a junk piece of crippled,weak,mediocre and grainy amp.Probably reading too much Stereo Review brain pooding all amps sound the same(sure given the changing loads,sure ahem,yeah right).

So if ANYONE starts to compare Klipsch to the joke called B0$e spit them in the face.Or if you are civilised walk away and let them spew lies galore.

Yes Klipsch makes many non audiophiles speakers,and should move the lower so called Reference to Synergy status,but Klipsch finest are AUDIOPHILE speakers.

And I am a Dynaudio,Totem,Spendor and KLIPSCH owner.So those Klipsch bashers can go to hell,and join other Bo$e lovers.

And no I am not bashing B0$e,they offer a low quality product priced several times over its real value and pump a huge amount of green into adds.Its better sales thru brainwash.Even Stalin could learn from B0$e how to brainwash people!!

How can two tiny "full" range units placed in a resonating plastic cubes be transparent and reproduce midrange well?How about dynamics and headroom? How about cutting the sats so the "sub" will not be localised and boom? Why band pass bass modules using $5 6 inch bass drivers?

[Daddy Dee]

To the question, "does this make Klipsch bad?" I'd answer "no."

It seems almost inevitable in the "audiophile" world to be able to appreciate one's own preferences without disparaging other products. Makes "audiophiles" a rather fussy bunch, wouldn't one think?

[Dale W]

How about this approach ? You slander the product your most afraid of or in compition with !

Ever see ford poke fun at mazda ? ever see Dodge poke fun at toyota ?

Ever see GM poke fun at nissian ?

Never !!! You target your trash talk to those that threaten your market share the most.

Notice the statement never pulled out any specific product ? just went after the brandname as a whole ? So is this goofball saying klipsch has never made a decent speaker in all it's years of production .

I say " give me a break " . And i tell others to believe what they want, yet i've never had one person complain of the sound quality in my house.

[caz1604]

I forget who posted this, but it shows how much innovation goes into BO$E. He disects the system from head to toe.

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

[caz1604]

Have you actually read the entire article. The writer does mention BO$E a lot, but he is by no means biased in the first person. He states negatives and positives and discusses in detail what pro bose and Non BO$E say. It is actually kind of interesting, he also points out some of the shady marketing tactics.

[itsmyforte]

There is no such thing as a bad speaker, just bad prices.

[BMX-Freerider]

caz1604, that's a great article! Looks to me like I could build the entire bo$e system reviewed for about $200? Including the piece of sh*t amp.

[ygmn]

Ya know what is funny.....trying to balance out a BLOSE system using a sound meter with pink noise......

Arggggggggg...frustrating as the stupid box puts out more sound level then the cubes...so you can never ever get a true balance for HT......

I showed this to my father a week or so ago....did sound test using AVIA....and he was amazed....it explained why his sound sucked.....the stupid box plays too high so it makes the rear surrounds sound like they are coming from the box.....

Be a friends and do not let friends listen to blose

[Colin]

At the low end of the scale, I did NOT find extremely important differences between Klipsch Synergy and B&W models they both do a good job of reproducing sound for a little money, if not a great job of communicating the joy of music. One important difference though, could be the much higher sensitivity of horn versus cone designs. With the right receiver (vintage harmon/kardon?), a horn lover should be able to get somewhat better sound, at a lower price, than something like the B&Ws, which require amplifiers powerful enough to drive low 2-4 ohm loads with wild impedance curves.

Generally the cheap box store offerings are just that cheap. Many of my friends love the small size of Bose. I seriously auditioned their Jewel cubes, in my home, with the same equipment and the same music, for EnjoyTheMusic.com. Because of the lawsuit-happy Bose Corp., the review did not appear. The small, stiff and sturdy cubes however, do a very good job of casting a wide, but diffuse, soundstage within much of the musically critical range. They do not have the sparkling highs and trembling bass that tweaking audiophiles cherish. They do not have the sensitive mid-range detail or smooth tonal balance.

Many people simply do NOT seek the 3D illusion of the sonic holograph, which is the Holy Grail of tweaking audiophiles. I want my home movie and music reproduction system to fake me out make think that somebody, if only a singer and a small acoustic band, are right there, somehow, just beyond my front wall. Few HT lovers actually want. Star Wars objects whizzing by on the right and the left are enough of audios magic for them.

It is true that Klipschs big ole horns are pedestrian fare in the audiophile market. They are cheap American family sedans compared to some of the sleek sportsters available out there. Fine by me, I need the most stereo for the money. If their Heritage horns are so big that they suffer resale market appeal, so much the better for me. The amazing sensitivity of big ole horns allows mere $549 Bottlehead 2A3 Paramour monoblocks (http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1202/bottleheadparamour.htm) to drive them to wonderful performance levels.

[burtlively]

i like mine.

[kenratboy]

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On 1/27/2004 3:16:01 PM Colin wrote:

It is true that Klipschs big ole horns are pedestrian fare in the audiophile market. They are cheap American family sedans compared to some of the sleek sportsters available out there. Fine by me, I need the most stereo for the money.

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It's like comparing a Corvette Z06 to a Porsche GT2, Ferrari 360, etc. People will refuse to admit that someone 'got it right' or there is just a few items that excel many times over for their price. Anyone who owns a $150,000 car will REFUSE to admit that the $50,000 Z06 can turn better (or within a few %, plus OR minus) lap times than the car they own at 3X the cost.

[DrWho]

it could also depend on the purpose of the speaker...

for instance, i would never record using klipsch speakers or even a horn loaded speaker for that matter.

i would also never use klipsch HT speakers for a PA system.

I wouldn't use klipsch HT for stage monitors.

i would never put a khorn in my car.

i would never use an RF-7 for underwater speakers in a pool.

I don't think i'd use the small heresies as headphones either.

I would however use klipsch for HT and home 2 channel listening (even the "lower" synergy series sounds great for the money).

I would definetly use pro klipsch for PA and stage monitors.

all that to say, your "audiophile friend" probably wants speakers for something other than what the klipsch he's referring to is good at. Btw, I'm also not trying to say that anything with the klipsch name is "good" either; they make plenty of crap in both the newer and heritage series

[Thors1982]

I admit I am very new to home theater. But when I went to audition speakers I listened to many speakers lower than what I ended up getting more around the R-35 price range. But, I was blown away at how terrible the B&W sounded. Granted I bet it was because the store didn't have enough power going to them. I couldn't believe it, I didn't even want to listen to an entire song on those speakers.

However, the klipsch took me away into a heaven I couldn't find with any other speakers.

Reminder I do live in a small town and I didn't test even 10 different name brand of speakers. Also, I know my home theater is set up better than my local store and sadly I don't even have my rears mounted yet, so yes I realize the B&W's were set up wrong.

Also, I am so new to home theater I can't tell you if klipsch had better mids, lows, highs, or whatever... But, the klipsch couldn't be matched by anything, period.

[BBB]

WARNING ! RANT! RANT! RANT!

If I come across a product that does not live up to what it is advertised to be, costs more than a similar product for no good reason and ends up falling apart with normal use OR doesnt even perform as promised or IMPLIED by the manufacturer as soon as it has been delivered, unwrapped or opened then I will tell my friends and family to steer clear of that product. That seems to make sense. Right? Well we are not doing that every day when we purchase inferior goods. Every time we buy a product because its Good enough or Cheaper without learning of why its INexpensive OR why it is MORE EXpensive we are doing ourselves a disservice. To me something that is cheapER is something that was cheap to begin with. I buy things that may be considered cost effective to use or appear to be a better value but not cheapER. Am I being picky with my wording? You bet I am. Also with my purchases. Am I a snob? I dont think so, unless all the people on this forum that own the same equipment as I do are considered as such. And if so then by whom? You dont have to be considered a snobbish Audiophile to participate in a discussion on these boards in order to make an educated decision of what audio/video gear best suits your purposes and gives the most satisfaction in ones environment within a cost that falls within a budget thats affordable. People that pay more for a product that supposedly is the Improved, Advanced, Revolutionary, Exclusive, One Time Only model without finding out what REALLY makes the Special Edition so Special are adding to the problem of polluting the consumer market with inferior goods even though their intentions are well meant. If I know of someone that is spending $1,500 for an audio product that essentially costs a tenth of that amount to manufacture because the cost of the B S filled advertising of this junk is built into the manufacturers suggested retail price then Im going to let them know about it. People say we should mind our own business because it has nothing to do with what WE use in OUR homes, listen and watch in OUR living rooms and drive on OUR roads BUT thats where theyre wrong. How many times have you heard the expression They dont make them like that anymore or You cant get those anymore? Check out our members in the 2-Channel forum who are constantly looking for quality amps and speakers and a variety of other audio items that can ONLY be purchased second hand in todays market place. Theres a reason for it. Thats why the problem of having only the option of choosing between one inferior product and another inferior product instead of what we really want is OUR fault. Our selections, when comparison shopping, have been reduced to one item being characterized as Not as bad as another instead of it being Better than another. Why? Because we have been looking out after our own interests and just watching idly, without comment, while our friends, family and neighbors buy garbage that will soon be the SAME garbage WE will HAVE to buy one day because we wont be left with a choice due to the fact that the masses are inadvertently supporting the manufacturers premise that they no longer need to make quality products in order for them to make money. Every time we turn our heads when the bottom of a plastic garbage bag falls out, a box of pens doesnt write or buy a 40 watt per channel receiver thats been rated at a bogus 100 watts per channel by the manufacturer without complaining about it we are letting these Bunko Artists get away with pulling the wool over someone elses eyes. The long term effect will be the reduction in the overall quality of EVERY consumer product that WE buy no matter HOW much money we are willing to spend to get the Best because the Best just wont be available anymore. There are slanted opinions, paid opinions, common sense opinions and then theres truth. The consumers responsibility is to find what truth, if any, lies within those opinions. We can remain in charge of the quality of our lives if we dont let the manufacturers rob us of the ability to do so by rejecting their inferior products that they have become accustomed to bombarding the market places with day after day because the money they are making dictates that they can get away with it. At the rate things are going the people that work at Walmart wont be able to afford to buy a product that they stocked on the shelves yesterday with the money that they will be earning today without it falling apart at the checkout counter tomorrow.

[3dzapper]

Klipsch

Speakers are so bad. That their best ones have to stand in the corner!

[D-MAN]

APPLES vs. ORANGES; speaker differences using price points as an example:

Dollar for dollar they are all about the same, perform about the same and compete with each other in the consumer market at the same "price point". Mass market consumer-level speakers are all alike; some perform worse than others, some have better "gimicks" but even the "best" of breed cannot compare to more expensive speakers; but that is another ball game.

When you up the dollars, you change the market "price point". Then things get different. So you really cannot compare apples to oranges in a meaningful way...

BOSE vs. KLIPSCH? does BOSE make anything like the KLIPSCHORN? negative, but Klipsch makes speakers as BAD as BOSE for the same $$.