DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 After an over four month wait I took delivery last week of my new 2004 Belle Klipsch for use with as a center channel with my '03 Khorns in a home theater. Here is a pic of the rear of the Belle. Belle purchase list price $3,000. I got it for somewhat less, ca. $2500. Pricey, but I again thank folks on the two-channel forum who urged me that for a center channel with the Khorns, the Belle was the only way to go. (continued)Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 Closer view of the 2004 Belle crossover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 The Belle being set up between my Khorns. The Belle does not disappoint! It is an EXACT sonic match with the big fellas. It is not possible, sonically, to tell them apart. Finish-wise the new Belle is a little darker than those lighter, sensual blonde particular pair of Khorns. But I can live with that. (continued) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 The TV is a Hitachi CRT 32-incher. Sufficient until it breaks, by which time HDTV might reach this rural area. My receiver is a venerable vintage-1990 Pioneer Pro-Logic VSX-5700S which does a marvelous job still of pushing bass through those Khorns and the Belle. I love that old tank Pioneer. It matched or bettered a tube-amp Jolida 102 I tried with the Khorns and have since sold on eBay. A near top of the line Pioneer VSX52TX receiver is on order, expected in another week or so. I hope it won't disappoint! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 At last! The room set up. New Khorns plus the Belle - the audiophile dream of a lifetime (I'm 63). More sonic impressions to follow later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 This photo shows the rear wall including the Klipsch RS-35 surrounds. A Velodyne S1500 servo subwoofer is visible at lower left. The big Velo does add something to explosions and booms etc. in movies below 35 hz. It adds little if anything musically above that. The Khorns plus Belle pushed by that older Pioneer provide everything one would want in the musical bass area. Again, I hope the new receiver won't disappoint in its bass oomph by comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 People on two-channel forum asked how the array sounds and about room dimensions. The Belle is a PERFECT sonic match for my Khorns. Sonically one cannot tell them apart. Sound pans from left to right and back across the front soundstage are absolutely smooth and seamless. A voice walking from left to right, for example, retains absolutely the same tone and timbre the entire way. It is a more noticeable improvement than I thought it would be. The RS-35's do their surround thing too. Since the Pioneer is only a Pro-Logic receiver the surround sound is not discrete but still pleasant. My new Pioneer Elite receiver on order should be an improvement in that respect. The room was recently remodeled from ca. 12 x 16 feet to ca. 16 x 16 feet. The seemingly small 4' extension made a big difference. The room had and retains a cathedral celiling that opens it up still more. The attached pic will give an idea of the remodeling. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Tom Congratulations on the fantastic room. It seems like it will only get better with the new receiver. Ive had the pleasure of listening to Klipschorns in several different environments and I have never been disappointed. jmalotky and Artto would be great sources for advice and comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiob Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Nice setup! Have you treated the room accoustically? looks kind of bright. Nice job though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 I haven't treated the room acoustically. But with its sloped 15' cathedral ceiling, large doorway openings in the left side and back walls, and the carpeting and big sofa, the room does not appear to be particularly acoustically bright. Nor particularly boomy or peaky at certain bass frequencies (standing waves). The Belle is new Klipsch stock. I am not familiar with the innards of older Belles so cannot judge what might have changed in my Belle. The Belle fortunately (!) has no influence on the TV picture. The big woofer magnet is low down and away from the CRT, and I guess the midhorn magnet is far enough to the rear and the tweeter horn magnet is small enough to have no effect. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Tom Nice front ARRAY 4 months - definetely worth the wait to get an AB4 Belle to match your AK4 Khorns. I bet it sounds great. To finish it off, If I were you, I would look into replacing your Ref surrounds with some Heritage. Enjoy Tom. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTLongo Posted September 15, 2004 Author Share Posted September 15, 2004 It do sound great, to be sure. All the slam, power and dynamism that Klipschorns and Belles are known for, plus their incredible smoothness, delicacy and imaging. And you don't have to play them that loudly in order to enjoy the latter. But man, they can play LOUD, yet so effortlessly, when the mood strikes! Full bore stadium rock concert levels without the strain and pain. Point noted about Heritage surrounds. In an ideal world that would be great, but as can be seen from the pics I don't have a lot of room behind the couch. Heresys wouldn't fit. RS-7 surrounds were too big. The RS-35's fit fine and look pretty good, too. The new Pioneer Elite receiver I am getting has customizeable EQ on all channels. The receiver listens with a microphone to set all channels automatically to a close volume + timbre match. One can also do custom EQ on each channel manually by ear. The Khorns and Belle are already identically matched, but the receiver should help to bring the RS-35's quite close tonally to the front array. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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