Cleve Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Last weekend, I picked up a pair of ESS AMT-1s that I purchased for $225, AND a set of KG-4s that I'm delivering to someone in eastern NYS next week. So obviously, it gave a chance for some interesting auditions. Overall, I prefer my Klipsch CF-4s to the AMT-1s - primarily because the ESS's are smaller, with only a 10" woofer. That being said, for certain types of music, particularly 60's and 70's rock, and oddly DX'ing, the ESS's seem superior. My "Houses of the Holy" album usually sounds rather flat and lifeless on the CF-4s, but it really comes alive (albeit the bass is reduced) with the AMT-1s. The Air Motion Transformers seem to have an unbelievably open, airy quality, with a real razor sharp edge with string instruments, acoustic or electric. I also think, that with piano music, the ESS's are superior sounding. The thing is, the previous owner of the ESS's did a 'decoupling' modification - building a wooden framework for the Heil AMT that allows them to be placed anywhere. Now I've thoughts of adding an active crossover, and placing the Heil's atop the CF-4s, and making them handle everything over 6kz to start with, and maybe modding the CF'4s to cross the woofers over a bit lower than factory setting of 1700khz - those big horns look like they can dig deeper than 1700 khz. At any rate, that's for the future. The KG-4s - they're the "weak sisters" of this trio, however, their sound a bit 'throatier' than either the CF-4 or AMT-1. Nor do they have the same soundstage as either larger speaker. But they're very good speakers, and perform well, just not to the same 'scale' as the CF-4s. Neither ESS nor KG-4 can shake the foundations of the house anywhere near the level the CF-4s can. However, that's my 'two channel' impressions. For home theater, I decided to try swapping my Klipsch RC-25 with the KG-4. And then I replaced my surround RS-25s with the ESS AMT 1's. Then I balanced levels out with my Ratshack sound meter to equalize everything at my viewing position, as I previously had with my other speakers. What a difference - there's a tremendous improvement in the sound field - in the center channel, voices are richer, fuller, and feel 'larger' There's more punch to explosions too. And then the ESS's for rear channel - wow! I never realized the rear channels, particularly on DTS, had so much bass content. I was testing with the "Chronicles of Riddick" DVD - when the Conversion Icon smashes into Helion Prime, the bass radiates TOWARDS my listening position - moving from front to rear. I'm going to have real trouble surrendering those KG-4s next week - although I have dibs on another pair - so maybe I need to make this KG-4 a perma-upgrade? The only thing I'd do is buy some of that anti-magnetic foil for the inside of the cabinet on the side towards the television. One final note - the RC-25 is made in Hope, but (and I never noticed this before!) oddly, and disturbingly, the RS-25's are Chi-Com manufactured. I didn't think any of the Reference line was made there. Boy, I'm sure glad I could help finance Communist aggression towards democratic Taiwan, book burnings, and the imprisonment of innocent Christians with my purchase. I will NEVER buy another Klipsch product made in China ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Only RX-7 series is built in Hope, the smaller Reference speakers are outsourced to China in my understanding. I for one am not surprised at all with the big improvement you noticed by putting larger and more capable speakers in the other positions. In addition, the speakers you used did not even match your mains and it still made a big difference! Better rears actually do contribute to the front soundstage. I cannot understand why some people insist on the WDST sound sprayers in the back with speakers like RF-7's in the front - Yuk! You haven't heard anything until you get a speaker like the caliber of a Cornwall back there - Whoa! Damn those CF-4's dwarf the other speakers. I thought the ESS had a 10" woofer coupled to a 12" Passive radiator in the rear. I loved the sound of the Heil Air Motion Transformers as well. I had ESS speakers many years ago in the late '70's early 80's and really liked them. You really need to get a KV-4 to perform as your center, your front stage will be absolutely seamless then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Boy I remeber those. I personally never liked the EMIT tweeter. To me it was to shrill. However, they were a very popular speaker back in the late 70's. But for 225.00 you sure can't go wrong. Nice find! scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 Scooter the EMIT tweeter was an Infinity product, the HEIL is a totally different animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleve Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 ---------------- On 3/25/2005 9:11:54 AM Frzninvt wrote: Only RX-7 series is built in Hope, the smaller Reference speakers are outsourced to China in my understanding. I for one am not surprised at all with the big improvement you noticed by putting larger and more capable speakers in the other positions. In addition, the speakers you used did not even match your mains and it still made a big difference! Better rears actually do contribute to the front soundstage. I cannot understand why some people insist on the WDST sound sprayers in the back with speakers like RF-7's in the front - Yuk! You haven't heard anything until you get a speaker like the caliber of a Cornwall back there - Whoa! Damn those CF-4's dwarf the other speakers. I thought the ESS had a 10" woofer coupled to a 12" Passive radiator in the rear. I loved the sound of the Heil Air Motion Transformers as well. I had ESS speakers many years ago in the late '70's early 80's and really liked them. You really need to get a KV-4 to perform as your center, your front stage will be absolutely seamless then. ---------------- The AMT-1s have gone through an evolution over the decades - the current version, the AMT-1d, has a 12" woofer and a 12" passive radiator. The Original AMT-1, which I have, had a 10" paper cone woofer and a port at the bottom of the bass bin. They're not complete wimps in the bass department, but nothing near the "Epic" scale of house rocking window rattling water pipe shaking bass that the CF-4s can produce, especially with DVD movies. It's impossible to get a KV-4 for less than 375-400 bucks. However, I have a line on a pair of KG-4s in decent shape for $125. I can "flip" one of the KG-4s, and probably end up paying only $62.50 for the KG-4 as center. I just don't see timbre as that big of a deal with movies as it would be with music. Different sounds come from different channels, usually, so 'matching' doesn't seem crucial to me. I could see it beein important for left and right front to be the same, and left and right surround to be the same, and center front and center rear (if one's talking about a 7.1 system) And heck, I've heard a perfectly timbre matched system - the Bose Lifestyles, and it sounds junk compared to this current setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikie Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Back in the '70's when I was a young 'un my ears lusted for both EMS and Dahlquist. I was young & didn't really know what I wanted in life. Was it the bold pyramid shape of the EMS or the the delicate potato chip look of the Dahlquist. Those were difficult times for me. So many feelings, so little money. But that all changed when I met my true love - the Khorn. Since the day I brought my honeys home my ears have never lusted for another. Sonically satisfied, Mikie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Duh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 My brain was somewhere else Doh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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