What speakers did you own before becoming Klipschheads?

[JackH]

I had JBL S412P speakers before getting my RF7's.

[stan krajewski]

interesting question. Not sure I can even remember...

First

real speakers, as in not built into the cabinet on the Sears record

player, were no-name particle board thingies from Two Guys department

store. From there, and this is probably out of sequence at some

points...

(and reason for upsize - downsize is moves at various points)

Emerson

BIC Ventury

Ohm E

Electrovoice Interface A (now gone)

Ohm D (now gone)

Ohm C2 (now gone)

Infinity Quantum 5 (now gone)

Infinity Quantum 3 (now gone)

Ohm F (now gone)

DCM Time Windows (now gone)

Dalquist DQ10 with SW1 (now gone)

Thiel CS 3.x (?forgot which rev?) (now gone)

B&W 801f (original series) (now gone)

VMPS SuperTower II A/R Special Edition, (now gone) followed by

Acoustic Energy AE-1 (don't ask...) (now gone)

B&W 801 Matrix Monitor III (now gone)

Klipsch KG-4 (2nd system) (still have)

Klipschorns (now gone)

Klipsch Epic CF-4 (still have)

Klipch La Scala (now gone)

Holy Moley! I can't even believe this list. You have gotten rid of speakers that most of us could only dream of owning.

You sold a pair of B&W 801f's?

Are the CF-4's that good or are they a simply function of space

management? They are surely up against some stiff competition to say

the least!

[Ray Garrison]

Hi Stan.

The first pair of 801's drove me nuts. They were glorious

speakers, did the "leaning forward in your chair into the sound until

you loose sight of where you are and fall flat on your nose" sort of

thing better than any other speakers I've ever heard or owned.

However, they had one serious drawback - they would not play loudly and

dunamically enough for me. I started with a 70 watt/channel

B&K amp driving them, that had nowhere near enough power.

Tried a series of things, finally wound up with a pair of the original

series Adcom GFA-555 amps bridged into mono, something like 600

watts/side. Sound deteriorated a bit at normal levels - grainier,

bit of a haze across is - but it went a lot louder. Now, however,

just when things were reaching a climax (end of the William Tell

Overture, for example), the damn things would *TURN THEMSELVES OFF* as

the protective circuitry kicked in. Drive me absolutely nuts.

I finally gave up, sold them, and bought a pair of the old VMPS

SuperTower II speakers from Clark Johnsen's Listening Studio in

Boston. These things were, like, 6'6" high, with a Phillips

ribbon supertweeter, 5 of the old yellow Focal inverted dome tweeters,

5 midranges, 4 15" woofers and a passive resonator. (Per

side) Surprizingly enough, they sounded pretty good - really

great imaging. And they played at levels the B&W couldn't hit

with a dedicated nuclear plant driving them. I have a picture someplace of me standing next to one, I should try to dig it out...

Couple years after I got those, I bought my first house, and moved out

of the rented house I was living in. New house didn't have room

for "real" stereo, listening room was, maybe, 10' X 12'. Or

less. So I had to sell the VMPS and buy something small that

would work. Wound up with the little Acoustic Energy AE-1's.

Succession of subsequent speakers largely due to moves from place to place.

Of everything I've owned, the Klipschorns were far and away my

favorites. I sold those when my wife died - couldn't bear to look

at or listen to them after I lost her. CF-4 were attempt at

replacing. La Scalas came in later, bought used off EBay, '74

vintage, wonderful speakers, but yet another move into a place where

they wouldn't fit forced sale, this time to Soundog from this BBS,

someplace near Troy, NY. I hope he's still enjoying them...

[Mike Lindsey]

Haven't seen SoundDog since I came back. If I recall, that guy had like 3 or 4 Sony CD changers with 300 or 400 CD's in each.

Mike

[KungFuNat]

since i was about 13, i have wanted nothing but klipsch... 16 years later, i still have never heard anything better.

[Piranha]

Some interesting responses here[]

[spfrss]

Started with Philips speakers, then had for a couple of years B&W.

Discovered Klipsch at Milan Audio fair in 1980 and soon after got Cornwall I kept until 2001, now I have Klipschorns I hope for the remainder of mi life

Mauro

[nuclearay]

Started in high school in the late 80s with a pair of Sansui 3ways with a 12" woofer that was white. Those got stolen while at college.

Then a friend of mine in college bought BIC Venturi's and since he was going to be moving about the counrty, I bought them from him along with a Technics reciever. I still have both after 10 years, but use neither.

I think BIC is the company that is now making the Klipsch knock-offs with the copper woofers.

I held off as much as possible before taking the plunge for what I have now. I knew that if I didn't have the best of the best and settled for something else that I would be longing for more. So I waited, shopped, waited, shopped around some more, saved some more money, shopped around, saved some more cash...

[Mick Bell]

Jenson - 1965-1969

Bose 901 1969-72

Magna Planer 1972-1976

Klipschorn 1976-1985

Quad 1985-1991

Polk 1991-1993

Digital Phase 1993-2005

Belle Klipsch 2005 - present

Klipschorn 2005 - present

First Klipschorns were purchased in 1976. Went back to Klipsch in 2005! Could have saved myself a bundle of $ if I'd just stayed with Klipsch!

Mick

[J M O N]

The last speakers I purchased prior to making my first ever Klipsch speakers were Cerwin-Vega! PD-15's. I bought them almost exactly 20 years ago and I still have them. I've considered selling them in the past, but have had a change of heart each time. I don't think I'll ever sell them. I guess it's not too surprising that they are very much Klipsch-like. They are very similar in design to Cornwalls, and in fact sound very similar. They have horn tweeters, horn midrange, and a 15" woofer in a vented cabinet. They are very sensitve as CV is also known for (105 db/1w/1m) and can handle loads of power. If you want to rock the house, these speakers can do it. They are incredible Rock 'n' Roll speakers -- probably the best reason why I had a change of heart in selling them.

[JBryan]

This could be embarrassing...

This obsession started slowly. My dad took me to my 1st audio shop when I was 9 to replace a pair of speakers that I had blown on the 1st system I ever bought. I walked out with a pr of Bozaks mainly because I liked the wood cabinets. I used the Bozaks with various systems for the next 20 years or so and still have them. The rest were brought in, listened to and shipped out at a pretty fast clip (in chronological order - * still have these)

PRE-KLIPSCH

Boston Acoustics (bookshelf)

KEF (bookshelf)*

Polk Audio Model 10s

Advent 2a, 3a

ProAC 2s (monitor)

B&W 801

KLIPSCH ERA

Klipschorn - 2 pr*

Cornwall (I, II vert) - 4 prs

Heresy - 2 pr

Epic CF-3*

OTHERS (Klipsch era)

Dukane DUK 50 w/plasma tweeters*

JBL L-85 (Jubal), L-200 (Studiomaster), L-300 (Summit)

DIY full-range horn w/Madisound sub

Cain & Cain Abbys*

Oris 150 full-range horns w/AER drivers*

Pioneer PAX-12 coaxial driver (ca.1957 pre-TAD)*

Altec 604e coaxial drivers*

I'm sure I left out a few - no wonder the basement is an obstacle course!

-Bryan

[pmsummer]

This could be embarrassing...

This obsession started slowly. My dad took me to my 1st audio shop when I was 9 to replace a pair of speakers that I had blown on the 1st system I ever bought. I walked out with a pr of Bozaks mainly because I liked the wood cabinets.

Dang, boy! You were buying Bozaks when you were 9?!? What were you LISTENING to?

[JBryan]

"Dang, boy! You were buying Bozaks when you were 9?!? What were you LISTENING to?"

I used them with some piece o' crap early '70's stereo whose manufacturer I can't possibly recall w/tuner, turntable and 8-TRACK! It was big, looked late '60/70's cool and seemed like a good idea at the time. It certainly wasn't close to hi-end but it served me well as I listened to records and 'Doctor Demento" late Sunday nights.

That got me into high school when I bought a JC Penney receiver (anyone remember MCS?). I bought a Sansui G-7000 receiver when I went to college and that kept me entertained until I found my first tube equipment in the mid-80's. I found a pr of McIntosh MC-30's at a 2nd-hand shop for $150 when I thought McIntosh was the end-all-be-all of audio. I finally retired the Bozaks when I bought a friend's MC-2100 amp and Polk Model 10 speakers.

I wouldn't want to list all the amps and preamps I've gone through over the last few years... I need help!

-Bryan

[pmsummer]

Here's what I was listening to when I was nine.

[Mighty Favog]

My first purchase/pair was ElectroVoice Interface D's in 1979 or so & I still have them

Second purchase about 1980: LaScalas & still got them too

[]

Do you have a pic of the EV's?

A former co-worker has a pair and I've never seen or heard them. He siad the tweeters in them are leathal.

[BS Button]

Marantz vinyl veneered two ways

Cerwin Vega DC-9's, I think?

B&W CDM 1's

Velodyne Subwoofer

Then trouble set in.

Heresy 1's

Heresy 2's

Cornwalls- Present

Another pair of Heresy Decorators-Sold to Colter

La Scala's-Present

[artto]

First there was the Zenith console (LMFAO) I bought in High School (although I must admit, the mid/treble was horn loaded). Then came my first "real" stereo, JBL L-100 studio monitors. Then Klipsch Cornwalls, then Khorns

[DrWho]

Klipsch was the first brand of speaker I ever bought...SC-1 to use as a

center channel between a pair of Marantz 940's (which I saved from the

trash and repaired for $20). They then got replaced by a pair of Chorus

II's.

But I was a klipschhead far before owning my first pair of

speakers....I got to use klipsch PA speakers many times early in my

mixing days and was a die-hard fan ever since.

[Tom]

Hi, what would you have to get for a pair of your CS 99A's? I've been looking for a nice pair. Thanks!

[TubeGuy]

FIrst started with AR 2Ax's with a Sansui reciever and AR turntable. Pretty nice sound.

UPgraded to a McIntosh 6100 - Really nice sound.

Switched to Heresys and some Van ALstine pre's and amps.

Upgraded to Cornwalls and a VPI/SME 309 table and went on a tube equipment binge.

Went to Khorns in '90 and still loving tubes!.

(side note: My favorite amp is Nori Komuro's 845 single ended - oh what that can do pushing a set of Khorns!!!!)