What are you looking for in a new speaker from Klipsch.

[JoshT]

Well, as much as I love your description of the awful B&W demonstration, Boomer9911, I actually think B&W makes fine speakers -- different, but not superior to Klipsch. I prefer listening to my KLF20s then to my CDM1SEs most of the time.

I heard some N801s driven by Krell monoblocks and was blown away. IMPRESSIVE. But come on cc1091, that system cost HUGE dollars! For less money the KHorns blow me away, and Klipsch doesn't make any other speaker anywhere near as expensive as the N801s or that require high power/high current amplification.

No current B&W speaker below the N802 blows me away. I really do like the CDM line and the N805s (but not the 804s), but they do not strike me as superior to the Reference or Legend series. In fact, in many regards I think they are clearly inferior. And they need a lot more power. And they cost more.

I agree in some ways that the old Heresy may be better quality than the RB-5, but not in all ways. Yes they are made out of plywood rather than MDF and have aluminum horns, not plastic horns. But I have also heard that the screw-on plywood back can resonate so loudly it howls, which is why some people replace it with an MDF back. Also, I know the aluminum horns are blamed for resonance too, which is why they are often coated in damping materials.

I haven't heard Heresys in a few years. I liked them a lot, but they seemed awfully bass weak and a bit bright for my tastes (at least with ss amps). I love the sound of the RB-5s. And I have read posts here in which people have compared them favorably to the Heresys.

I'm almost thinking of grabbing some while I can still get them in MAHOGANY.

[cc1091]

I don't disagree with you too much about the B&W line JoshT. Except that I don't feel that the Klipsch RF-3 or RF-5 line compares well to the B&W CDM7s (nor probably the N803,or N804 though I'm not sure I can stretch the comparison that far pricewise). I agree that Klipsch has a good value to cost ratio in comparison to the B&W speakers. I just feel like Klipsch has dropped the ball in the $1500 to $1800 per pair speaker range (a range that I think Klipsch could dominate with the right speaker). The RF-3 and RF-5 in my opinion haven't approached that level of sound quality, the Heresys are not a good solution for the modern mass market in that range (and are not carried by a lot of stores), and the Synergy series has never sounded very good.

"..but they do not strike me as superior to the Reference or Legend series." As I'm sure you noticed, Klipsch no longer makes the any of the Legend series or the Reference speaker that I preferred.

As for a set of RB-xxx speakers and a single or Dual sub:

The combo could be great! Or it could suck. Have you ever tried matching subs to speakers? Especially using someone else's equipment (amps, CD player, etc) and wires, in their listening room. If you do, be sure to spare no expense on the crossover in the sub. It also sometimes helps to stick with the same brand of speaker/sub. As we know, Klipsch is not well liked for their subs (especially earlier models). Velodyne and Sunfire have nice models. Also, subs are quite often ported. I don't like the sound of ported subs (too many extra vibrations). I'd rather have a sealed sub, or a horn loaded sub. Forunately the RP-3s already had this taken care of. The sealed sub was attached to the rest of speaker, and matched by the ears of the folks at Klipsch (who I guess I can still trust somewhat). I currently have a KSW-12 sub that I purchased to run with my Heresys. Helped the bass of the Heresys, but it still doesn't make a smooth a transition from the sub to the rest of the speaker like the RP-3. No, I'll not be replacing my RP-3s until Klipsch makes something in about the same price range that IS better, or I will find another brand.

[J M O N]

What would I like to see in a new speaker from Klipsch?

Well, I would really like to see Klipsch produce a new speaker that goes back to their roots. I would like to see something that is completely horn-loaded. Maybe a new model that could fit in the Heritage line. The Jubilee will fill that bill. Hopefully it will come out soon!

[WMcD]

Bob G.

I may remain a home builder, but I could bite the bullet.

In the sceme of things, I'd get serious about contemplating an HT system by Klipsch if the horn loading got down to the area of 500 Hz. Maybe a single, modern, horn could do this. There is a trend that Heresy, Forte, and other three way systems are much appreciated. I'll chalk that up to the coverage of lower freq by the horns, rather than simply a midrange horn.

Also, it seems to me that the 80 Hz cross over to a sub is just about what the market expects in HT.

This presents some odd constrants. Make a set of matched L,C,R and surrounds with horn loading down to 500 Hz and a direct radiator, etc, down to 80 Hz. A sub does the rest.

I can't speak to price right now. I'd pay a premium for an integrated system. I know the R&D would not make it cheap.

Gil

[TBrennan]

Actually I don't think the company need do more than get the Heritages back on line. I don't understand the reasoning behind the Jubilee. PWK was frustrated that his folded basshorns had poor response above 400 cycles, that forced him to use phenolic diaphragm 1" compression drivers and that forced him to do 3-ways. So now they have a folded horn that gets up around 800 cycles and will allow the use of an aluminum diaphragm 1" driver and thus a 2-way. So instead they're using a 2" driver which they could have gone down to 400 with in the first place. All this work to do a 2-way at 800 they could have done at 400 with the old basshorns. I don't get it. And I could care less whether the hi-end types like horns are not, I gaveup on those ninnies many years ago.

[Colin]

I am looking for each speaker to be labeled on the back with their frequency response curve, sensitivity, impedance response curve, dynamic output with 1,10 and 100 watts and how much power that speaker needs to hit the musical peaks of a CD, SACD and DVD-A ...

I am looking for a 115 dB/w/m model to blow Stereophile's socks off with revealing 3.5 watt 2A3 amps...

I am looking for complete HT systems with receiver and sub-woofer choices to match speakers of multiple colors ...

I am looking for Klipsch to bundle their big old horns with a tube amplifier from a name brand company like McIntosh so stereo store guys will stop thinking that because the classic horns are so big they must need concrete Krell blocks for power ...

I am looking for a modular tube powered moderate cost pre-amp/receiver type equipment that will take me from two channel sound to six channel DVD-A without losing any of my current equipment ...

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big old Cornwalls, Bottlehead 2A3 Paramour tube amps, Dynaco series II tube pre-amp, Rotel CD player, KSW200 & LF10 subs

[boomer9911]

POWER.....good "clean power"...guess that's why I'm a heritage owner.

This message has been edited by boomer9911 on 08-12-2001 at 12:37 AM

[soundog]

Now that Klipsch has acquired a high-end pre-amp and amplifier company, I would like to see them produce a system that would deliver digital sound from a pre-amp that would contain a digital crossover circuit and deliver this output to a speaker that would contain individually amplified speaker components (either two or three way).

HT-1

Klipschorns w/ ALK crossover upgrades

4 Klipsch LaScalas (surround & rears)

Heresy components in custom cabinet /monitor stand (center)

Panasonic 32 Monitor W/ component video input

3 Sony CX400 CD changers

Sony CX-200 CD Changer

Nirvis Slink-e computer interface (downloads cd track info, album covers, some notes and lyrics, programs & controls changers).

Nirvis DXS digital controller (auto selection of whatever source is playing)

Nirvis CDJ (CD Jukebox Software)

Sony Viao Laptop Computer

Sony S530D DVD Player

Sony 798HF VCR

Sony XA1ES CD player

Dynaco PAS4 stereo preamp W/ Tesla Tube upgrades (also outputs to HT2)

Technics SL3300 DD Turntable w/ Shure cartridges

Outlaw 1050 6.1 A/V Receiver

Perpetual Technologies P1A Digital Correction Engine (jitter reduction, 16 to 24 bit conversion, future speaker frequency correction, and room acoustic correction )

Perpetual Technologies P3A DAC ( plus 44.1k to 96k CD upsampling)

Klipsch KSW-15 sub (for DVD LFEs )

Klipsch LF-10 sub (rarely use with music)

Phillips Pronto TS2000 Programmable Remote

Scientific American Explorer 2000 Home Communications Terminal

X10 computerized lighting controls

Radio Shack Wireless Remote Control Extender

HT#2

4 Klipsch KT-LCR THX Speakers

4 Klipsch RS-3s (side & rear surround)

2 Klipsch KT-DS THX Surrounds

10 Linaem Tweeters

Outlaw 1050 6.1 A/V Receiver/Preamp

Outlaw 750 5 channel Amp

MSB Technology Digital Director w/ jitter reduction

Sony X111 ES CD Player

Sony 775HF VCR

Sony STR-G3 (supplemental amplification for extra speakers)

Toshiba 61 High Definition TV

Sony NS700 Progressive Scan DVD

Toshiba 4205 DVD Changer

Klipsch SW-12II Sub

Klipsch LF-10 sub

Sony AV2100 remote

Scientific American Explorer 2000 Home Communications Terminal

X10 Computerized Lighting

Vibrapods (vibration isolation for components)

[Lone Palm]

Didn't know there were any speakers other than Klipsch!

[jdm56]

Like someone already said -- I just want the heritage speakers back in production.

But, since you asked, a subwoofer and a bipolar surround speaker to match the heritage speakers both acoustically and asthetically, would be nice. I'm thinkin' basically an RSW-15 in heritage clothes for the sub, and maybe, say the midrange and tweeter horn from the heresy, times two, with a side-firing woofer. Horns aimed front and back.

And also, could a heritage center channel be made using just the upper section of a belle, with perhaps a pair of eight-inch woofers flanking the horns to run the response down to 80hz? Or maybe a single, larger down firing woofer. Something like that would sure be an easy fit in an A/V rig running k-horns, belles or la scalas for front L and R speakers.

...oh well, just the musings of another klipsch fanatic.

------------------

JDMcCall

[jdm56]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kevin S:

Legacy Focus was the speaker I bought to replace my K-horns. It is indeed an excellent speaker. However, neither the Focus, or any other speakers I have owned or heard, have made me want to listen to music like the various Klipsch Heritage speakers I have owned.

I certainly cannot explain this, but that is what it is all about as far as I am concerned. And that is why I have come back to Klipsch.

---

Your experience closely mirrors mine; I left klipsch ('85 cornwalls) for a pair of Amrita Reference Standards. But I missed that klipsch sound. I then heard and liked the Legacy Focus, but even though it went deeper than klipschorns, went higher, was probably smoother through the mids (maybe), and no doubt was an easier speaker to integrate into a room, it just simply did not make me smile like k-horns do. It's odd to try an analyze; even though other speakers are probably superior on paper in many areas, klipschorns have this amazing ability, when fed with suitably high quality recordings, to just make me spontaneously break out in this huge idiotic grin. They sound...alive; they let the music breathe. Every subtle nuance comes through. The clarity, dynamics and power is just amazing. Somebody stop me...

K-Horny In MO,

------------------

JDMcCall

[eq_shadimar]

I think that the Klipsch line will be well balanced when the Heritage line comes back online. It will give them the true horn speakers that are so famous. They are doing a great job with the new Reference series too. This is a nice entry point into the mid-fi market and will serve them well as Klipsch are very well suited to 5.1 systems. Not everyone has the room for K horn's, Cornwalls etc. In order to keep the company growing they need to continue to have a line that fits into somewhat smaller boxes and address different markets.

I have the ProMedia's on my PC and they just rock but at the same time require a different type of sound then the classic horn. They need to rock and provide awsome bass from a small package. Being totally accurate from 20 to 20K is not as important as "sounding" good (a la Bose). I also have the R*3 series which are awsome too and provide great value. I love my Cornwalls too but not everyone has room for these.

If I were to ask for a totally new speaker(s) this is what I would want:

- MOST IMPORTANT IS QUALITY. I don't care what the price point is or what type of system is being offered it must be top notch quality. The biggest danger to the Klipsch name as the company grows and gets into different markets would be to let the quality slip. I would extend this to the dealers as well. I purchased my R*3 speakers from HillCrest HiFi in Plano. They had all the Klipsch reference line and subs hooked up in a theater settings. It was simply awsome. I read other people's bad experiences and it makes me shudder. It is hard to get new blood when the speakers can't be heard.

- Unpowered subwoofer aka SVS. Heck just rebrand SVS with Klipsch name hehe. And the woofer line in general but I think that they are taking care of this if the new ones ever get released.

- Center and surrounds that would match the Heritage line (esp Cornwalls hehe) but not break the bank (maybe $400 each)

- Add the Cornwall's to the Heritage line.

Laters,

------------------

Main System -

CORNWALLS (circa '79 yippe)

RC-3

RS-3's (white)

SVS 20-39CS

Harman Kardon AVR 510

Hafler P505 (running bridged 800W/4 ohms for sub)

ProMedia 4.2 v400 for PC

Bedroom -

KG4's or RF-3's (haven't decided yet)

Harman Kardon AVR 20 MKII

[discorules]

Well, I own both a SB-3 and a Magnepan 1.6qr. The klipsch's are used for HT and the Maggies for basic stereo listening.

While I hope/plan on having a pair of Khorns one day, I would like to see Klpisch make perhaps scaled down version of the khorn. Not just in size but price. This would probably mean 45 hz response but it might be worth it. Even more so, work out some engineering magic so that the tweeter horn extends to and beyond 20khz within 3db.

As for comparisons. Vandersteens are really over rated in my opinion and Klipsch's top models easily outperform them. As for my own 1.6qr. While they can't match the heritage line in terms of dynamic range, it does equal the heritage speakers in dynamic scaling. Both designs are low distortion and very linear.

[TBrennan]

DiscoRules----How right you are about Vandys, a totally unremarkable speaker with a muddy bottom end that proves that many hi-enders are really into Mellotone and would probably be very happy with Bose 901s if they could be made fashionable.