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Help with Klipschorns for sale in Knoxville


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Hi All,

I'm new to this forum and Klipschorn speakers. Looks like I'm the new owner of the Klipschorns in Knoxville, actually they are in Servierville. I spoke to the owner this morning and he told me they were 82 year model and he has had them since day one. I will be driving from Asheville to pick them so its a real short trip thankfully. I do have a few questions I would like to ask current Klipschorn owners. Mainly what do I need to be on the lookout for when I check these speakers out? I have three amps I will be using with these speakers from time to time they are a Marantz 8b, Acrosound ULII's and a VT-25 set amp 1.5 watts, how well will the horns handle these amps? Currently I'm using Tannoy 15" Berkeley's with the Marantz and Acrosounds and Klipsch Heresy II's with the set amp. I guess the bottom line is, am I in for a real treat when I get these speakers or will my Tannoy's stay right with them? I had Cornwalls some years ago and loved them, but in researching the K-horns it sounds like they are the absolute daddy rabbit. Thanks for your replys.

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Welcome to the forum and congrats on your K-horns!

It will be readily apparent if the woofers are working, you might need to cover the tweeters and the squawkers separately to confirm the tweeters are working.

I believe you will enjoy the K-horns with all your amps. You will obviously get a much bigger sound with the SET/K-horn combo than with the SET/Heresy combo.

Please post photos when you get your new speakers home!

What size is your listening room and what type(s) of music do you listen to most often?

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I would advise not going on Saturday. It took me over 2 hours to get from Sevierville to Gatlinburg last Saturday afternoon - bumper to bumper, all lanes.

You will love the K'horns. I have a 78 pair that I bought new, a 98 pair also bought new, and a 98 Belle, also bought new. All in my home theater - 98 pair and Belle up front, the 78 pair in back. I did upgrade the crossover networks and the midrange drivers on the 78 pair in 2002 to better match the voicing of the 98's.

They are there to stay - won't even consider changing for anything else unless they won't fit in the nursing home some day!!!!!

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My room size is not that big 12' wide x 30' deep, its a finished room in my basement that I converted to my audio room and its totally sound proof, the former owner of this home was a musician and had this room built. I mostly listen to Female vocals, Jazz, contemporary and insturmental music on my tube gear. Thanks for the headsup on the traffic but my trip on Saturday will be an easy one, I will go through Newport from Hot Springs and on up 411 the owner lives alittle ways off 411 so I won't be anywhere near the tinsle town traffic.

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Welcome to the group. You have some interesting equipement to try with the khorns. I look forward to hearing your experiences.

I live in Oak Ridge and have hiked the Smokies extensively. The one rule, stay away when the leaves change color. Sevierville is the gateway to the Smokies. It will be bumper to bumper this entire month, plan your trip accordingly. Expect to see a lot of Michigan and Ohio plates.

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Congratulations, it looks like you're in store for some fun.

The speakers are fairly bullet-proof so it is most likely that thy will either work or not (sometimes people blow out tweeters with too much power, although that version will have had some tweeter protection in the crossover). Certainly check to see if all the drivers are working and that tere are not rattles or scratchiness in the sound. Since they are so large, sometimes they get stored in a barn, basement etc., so check for water damage on the botom.

The cabinets are heavy, about 170 lbs per side. However the top section is removable (a few wing nuts) and the side piece are also removable. These can be damaged in transit so bring plenty of blankets.

Good Luck,

-Tom

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Welcome to the group. You have some interesting equipement to try with the khorns. I look forward to hearing your experiences.

I live in Oak Ridge and have hiked the Smokies extensively. The one rule, stay away when the leaves change color. Sevierville is the gateway to the Smokies. It will be bumper to bumper this entire month, plan your trip accordingly. Expect to see a lot of Michigan and Ohio plates.

Welcome to the forum neighbor!

I work in Knoxville but live in Greenback, off HWY-95. My business partner is a life time Oak Ridger.

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set amp 1.5 watts,

Looky, Z-4 ........

whassat ....??

A 1 WATT SET Amp .......[;)]

and .... I didn't say it ....

Sorry Dukester...that would be a 1.5 watt SET amp...probly a 45 tube. I still haven't seen anyone mention a 1 watter (except you and the Parrot)! [:D]

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With a room size of 30' x 12' .... hmmmm... first off, you have to have good corners, but you probably knew that.

Putting the khorns on the 30' wall (most desirable) will put the sweet spot about 15' back... and your room is too narrow for that.

Putting them on the 12' wall will put the best listening about 6' - 7' back from center.

For the best result you might have to build a false corner for one (or both) of them, but I think if done right, you are gonna be very pleased.

I had Tannoy 15" gold monitors, but I sold them. They were fine, no doubt, but I preferred the Klipschorns and a forum member made me an offer I couldn't refuse on the Tannoys!

No matter what you do, we'll be interested in your thoughts! Welcome to the forum.

Woo

a Marantz 8B? you lucky dog you!

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Both the Acro and the Marantz are well thought of and should really make the K-Horns sing. The only caveat is if there are any problems upstream of the Klipsches, like hum or noise, they will be much more "in your face." The Tannoys are fine speakers too, but in my experience, not as revealing or dynamic. As a side issue, you might want to check the surrounds on the Tannoys. I've seen a few of that vintage -even owned a set of Cheviots - and they were all beginning to deteriorate and split.

Congratulations on the Klipsches - I'm sure you'll be happy with them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

Well I picked up my new K-Horns in Sevierville last Saturday and got them home without a scratch..Hooked them up to my SET amp and all I can say is WOW !!! what an incredible sounding speaker, I simply cannot beleave what I have been missing all this time. I have also discovered that the speakers are more flexable that what I have been told and read. My room is 12' wide by 30' long, so when I put the speakers directly in the 12' corners they were toed in to much and the imaging was way off so I toed them out about 12" from the corners and got the imaging dead on and did not loose any noticable bass, the speakers sound just wonderful in the position I now have them in. All you K-Horn owners who don't have a SET amp are really missing out, mine is DIY SET amp and uses VT-25/10 output tubes and produces 1.5 watts, that amp coupled with the efficiency of the K-Horns I end up having a hugh soundstage, life like music and tremendous bass. Its just amazing how well all the sounds just blend together perfectly with these speakers. And coupled with my Marantz 8b and Acrosound ULII's its just to die for. Fellow audiophiles my system is totally dialed-in and these speakers are worth every penny I paid for them. By the way, anyone interested in a nice used pair of Tannoy Berkeley's? Hee Hee.

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I was going to say 'you will grin' but can see that you're doing that already.

When you're ready for a change, you might try the 30' wall. The sound stage will be great at about the 20 foot spread, and you'll be 10' back to the sweet spot. This will entail creating a false corner for one or both.

With any toe in or out at all, any air leak from the tailboard to the wall corners- creates a noticeable reduction in bass output.

I think you'll enjoy the soundstage better with the Khorns a bit wider than your present 12', but experiment and enjoy.

Michael

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I hate to rain on your parade but if you toed them out from the walls and did not lose noticable low bass response then you did not have the intended bass response in the first place.

A few possible reasons to start with

1) The Khorns were never sealed properly when they were in the corner.

2) The amplifier simply has little low end response

If all things are setup properly system and placement wise you should of had a fairly pronounced difference in the low frequencies. The K-horn absolutely has to be sealed in the corner to have it's intended bass reponse.

Craig

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