mcp Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 I'm currently enjoying my KG4s, but feel there's room for improvement; especially in the midrange. The biggest speaker I can put in this room is the Quartet (wife exercising veto power). Should I look for a pair of Quartets or Heresies w/ a sub. Will be paired with a Marantz 2230 or H/K 430. Listen to all kinds of music-but mostly rock (not metal) and jazz. Room is 12 X 20, 8 ft ceiling rising to 12 ft--speaker placement on the long wall. What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumpelstiltskin Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 Heresy with sub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUDA Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 Quartet more balanced! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumpelstiltskin Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 ---------------- On 2/19/2005 4:32:30 PM BUDA wrote: Quartet more balanced! ---------------- Ummm....Oh yea.....I must have forgotten the Heresys are so "un-balanced".....what was I thinking?? Still, they probably won't tip over if you sit them on a level surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heresy2guy Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 Quartet's should sound a little more "balanced" in my opinion because they dig a lot lower then the Heresys. The Heresys have great mids and highs but the argument can always be made that the bottom end simply cannot measure up to the rest. I personally run an HK430 with my Heresy IIs and find the bass to be fine. I listen to music and do NOT use my Heresys for movie soundtracks or that kind of stuff so there's no complaining about how shallow a T.Rex's roar or bellow is or the lack of rumble in an explosion because it's simply not applicable. To me, the differences between the Heresys and Quartets are the bass response and the sound of the squawkers. The Quartets use a tractrix horn. The Heresys use an exponential. Personally speaking, I like the sound of an exponential horn better. The Quartet's dig a lot lower but they have a passive radiator, like the Forte and the Chorus models. I like the clean, tight bass from the sealed enclosure of the Heresy better. It might not go as low as the other models mentioned but it's really tight and very fast. I'm using an HK430 too, don't forget, which puts out a lot of bass. This has a lot to do with how I currently view the bass response from my Heresy IIs. If I were to swap the HK430 for a Technics (which I had before...see another post of mine from 2 years ago or so) then the bass response from my Heresy IIs would be so thin and basically non-existent that I'd want to either a) get rid of the Heresys for a speaker that digs lower, add a sub, or c) ditch the Technics. I chose "C" based on Andy's advice and it was the right choice in my opinion because not only did it give my a lot more bass, but it really, REALLY opened up the mids and highs. It was truly a night and day difference. As for the question of Quartet vs. Heresy, I would say Heresy, particularly if you will be utilizing an HK430. But the choice is yours. Maybe you'll like the tractrix squawker better? Best bet is to try and listen to a pair of each with the amp/receiver you plan on using. That really is the best (and safest) way to go. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heresy2guy Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 I just re-read your post and see that you want to use a sub with the Heresys. I guess it depends on the type of bass you like. Most subs tend to sound boomy or sloppy compared to the sealed-enclosure response of the Heresy. Yeah, the subs go lower, but the bass isn't the same kind of bass. It depends on your own preference. People speak highly of the sunfire subs as being quick and accurate but they're really expensive. For the price of a sunfire sub, you can buy a used pair of La Scalas! Doesn't make much sense to me but hey, it's up to the individual to decide that for himself. There seems to have been a spawning of "bass-heads" over the last few years who are just enamored with deep bass, irrespective of it's quality. It's something I just can't understand, but to each his own. I've even heard people talk about needing a subwoofer with a pair of Khorns. If the Khorns are positioned properly into the corners and are driven with quality equipment, I happen to think that the idea of adding a subwoofer is just plain overkill, not to mention a bit nuts. Can the 35hz a Khorn gives really not be enough for some people while listening to music? I guess so. But they must be those few who seek to try and make the improvement from 99% to 99.9%, assuming 100% is never truly obtainable. That's fine by me. It just isn't me. I see it as trying to argue how best to kill a stationary fly - with a flyswatter or 12 gauge. Just kill the damn thing already and my argument is that a flwyswatter will do the job just fine. I'm not saying the Khorn is a flyswatter, but 35hz is pretty low and just how much recorded music actually dips lower then that? One percent maybe? People talk about pipe organs producing lower notes but really, who the hell listens to pipe organ music? Some might and if they do then by all means get a sunfire in addition to your Khorns if that will allow you to hear the pipe organ better. But for the most part, I see it all as irrelevant given that most music doesn't fall below 45hz or so, if I can recall correctly. Home-theaters and movie-soundtracks are a different animal altogether. But to get back your original question, I think you should really try and listen to them personally with the amp/receiver you intend to use. If you love a lot of bass and have the money to spend, then a Heresy/Sub combo will probably make you very happy. If your wallet's a bit thin right now then the Quartet's without a sub make better sense. If you like tight, fast, clean bass then Heresys without a sub driven by an HK430 will do just fine. I've been lurking this forum since 2001 and posting off and on since 2002 I believe. There's plenty of advice to be found by tons of people who are nice enough to take the time to offer it. The end result, to me, however, is that it can seldom stand up to the harsh light of an actual in-person audition and your own personal tastes. Like I said above, I hope this helps. Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcp Posted February 19, 2005 Author Share Posted February 19, 2005 I'm not a bass freak, but 60 Hz doesn't do it for me. I would need to supplement the bottom end with a sub. I've had alot of experience with sub setup over the years and can dial in a sub without it being boomy. I know it would be ideal to listen to both, but its pretty difficult when you're talking about used equipment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUDA Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 i too believe that its a personial perfernce i've lived with my quartets now for 15 years, and have only recently removed them from my system,after interchanging them with cornwall aquired two years ago. the bass of the quartet does digs deep and is not to be dismissed too hastely, i believe the area that is beign missed is found in the lower mid bass where the true balance occures in the voicing which really allows the quartet to stand on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted February 19, 2005 Share Posted February 19, 2005 If Quartets are the biggest allowable then buy a pair and enjoy. Think about this tho. The footprint of a Forte II isnt much larger than a Quartet. If you could swing it, Id get the Forte IIs. Theyre a notch higher on the food chain. Having said that, I listen to my Quartets a lot and I enjoy them a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr-dezibel Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 Get the Heresys and a good sub. My Sunfire is crossed over at 60 Hz and fills the lack of deep bass without affecting the tight fast bass of the Heresy. I enjoy both music and movies with that combo. Ground shaking bass without any boomyness. You will be more flexible and have a basis for a killer HT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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