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Altec Model 19 vs . Klipschorn


dkalsi

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Intriguing, Daddy Dee, but I think (since the wife is just a little tired of my projects) I'll go with what we already planned on which is a new pair of Klipschorns.......unless you think getting an older pair of Khorns and modding it like you did with the Tractrix is really the way to go?

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... the altecs easliy go down to 30hz. Altec spec sheets show 30hz- 20khz freq response, Khorns show 33hz- 17khz.

... Yes, the A7s didn't have a great low frequency response, and their high end response was only as good as the khorns.

Spec sheets are not as helpful as they sometimes seem. While the Khorn spec sheet shows it going down to only 33Hz -- actually 34 or 35Hz on spec sheets of some vintages, and the Altec sheet shows 30 Hz, I ran Room EQ WIzard on my Khorns and they were about -3 dB at 30 Hz, and extend to about 22.5 Hz at - 10 dB. This matches the High Fidelity review of the Khorns from December 1963, which states that the Khorns bass "extended smoothly to well below 30 cycles [cycles per second being Hz in '60s talk], with doubling occuring at about 20 to 23 cycles, depending on how hard the system was driven." As everyone says, a lot depends on the room, especially with Khorns. In a graph some of us have seen, they appear to be down 5dB at about 34 Hz, with a narrow, anomalous little dip at 60 Hz in the Klipsch anechoic chamber, but the chamber only has sidewall support out to about 4 feet. Klipsch may have gotten the 34 Hz figure from that test, knowing that they would go considerably lower in many rooms.

Altec specs are also not necessarily useful. Many Altec sheets used to say their tweeters went out to 22K Hz, but I have never seen this confirmed by other testers. In at least one pitting of the Altec A7 against the Khorn, the Khorn had considerably better very high frequency response, even though both did not extend much beyond 15K Hz.

In listening to the A7 in one corner, and the Khorn in the other, I felt the Khorn was warmer and brassier, while the A7 was colder. The Khorn bass was better.

I have never heard the 19 pitted against the Khorn, but I agree that it is a very good speaker. As someone else said, I'd be happy with either of them.

In picking out a speaker, I would rank extended listening as much more important than spec sheets, or even independent testing.


Dr Morbius: It looks like, as of June 2, you still haven't bought anything. By reputation alone, I would certainly consider a pair of Klipsch Jubilie. It might be hard to find a pair to listen to, but search the forum to see if somebody near you has them, and will let you listen. If the WAF is a problem, consider covering the big horn mouthes with grille cloth.

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Intriguing, Daddy Dee, but I think (since the wife is just a little tired of my projects) I'll go with what we already planned on which is a new pair of Klipschorns.......unless you think getting an older pair of Khorns and modding it like you did with the Tractrix is really the way to go?

Doc, regarding the stock vs modded tractrix,, recommend getting in touch with

Blister8160 he has both & can give an honest assessment of the differences.

Good luck,

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Dr Morbius a new pair of Khorns will sound fabulous. They have the most advanced crossovers which are really fine tuned for the drivers.

especially with the wife tired of projects, it's a can't go wrong option!

I wish I had an option to get some new khorns. [:)]

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Thank you for your input, Daddy Dee, I'll go with the new Khorns. Truth be told I've never listened to a pair of Khorns but I do have the Cornscalas and am blown away by their openness and clarity so, along with my HH Scott amp and Empire turntable connected to the new Khorns..........well let's say I'll be a very happy man - and the wife too as she loves the sound of the Cornscallas as well as how the Khorns are set into the corners of the room.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dr. Möbius - Dee is right. Although we have industrial La Scalas now and having sold our K-horns recently, my wife and were pleasantly surprised by how little space they actually occupy when nudged into long wall corners (in our case, 21 feet apart). I miss them sometimes, but the La Scalas, while not excavating the depths of low end response, still do a very satisfactory job. I think you both will like them very much, both for their aesthetic qualities and their incredible sound. I know you'll enjoy the process of getting a new pair of these legendary speakers!

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I'll go with the new Khorns

Just a side comment.... though there are other issues to resolve, a new pair of Jubilee's might actually cost you less than a new pair of Khorns (and perhaps sound better) Might at least be worth investigating.

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Coytee, will you EVER stop pushing Jubilees? [:-*] It is not the only hammer in the toolbox.

I have Model 19s in the downstairs kitchen, and modded 63 Khorns in the man cave, and they both are outstanding. The original KHorns I most recently sold to a friend in southern Illinois, who is ecstatic about them. This is a win-win situation.

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Coytee, will you EVER stop pushing Jubilees? Whisper It is not the only hammer in the toolbox.

If someone is contemplating new Khorns then I think they might want to know about the Jubilee's. Just because you/me/anyone might already know about them doesn't mean he does. I don't pretend to presume that just because you don't care to hear about them that someone else that (might not know about them) doesn't.

Had he not made his comment about buying a new pair of Khorns, I would have not said anything. Given that he did, I thought he might want to know that as big of hammer that the Khorn is, there are in fact, bigger hammers out there.

Feel free to ignore my comments.

[:D]

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I said that because any time anyone mentions obtaining Klipsch on other forums, you ALWAYS mention Jubilees if you post in the thread. Including the guy who had $500 and was thinking of Fortes. It's fine when when within the scope of purchase, but when brought up all the time, and recommended for consideration when thousands over budget, multiple friends have indicated in passing that excessive Klipsch shilling is almost as bad as the Bose bashing. You may want to slack off a little, so your positive comments regain an appropriate level of credence. YMMV

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Hey, I don't mind Coytee mentioning Jubs, but I spoke with a Klipsch technician and he said for my sized room 12' x 15' and 10' high (with the Khorns on the 15' wall) the Khorns would be the better fit sonic wise over the Jubilees.

Interesting. Did he say why (in detail)?

Does it have to do with the dispersion properties of the horns?

Was he a Hi Tec or a Low Tec?

Although I have had Khorns sound good
excellent in a small room and in a big room, word of mouth and
technical data seem to indicate the Jubs would be better. I haven't
heard them, though.

In any case, you will want to experiment with
absorbers & diffusers -- or at least a few wall hangings and
bookshelves or whatever to break up reflections. For two rather
different takes on what might be a good approach, explore the posts by
Artto and Cask, if you have not already done so. Naturally, keep all
true obstructions (like the side of a bookcase, or other furniture 4
feet or more from any corner in which there are Khorns.

Be sure to try several listening locations.

I have had my Khorns since 1982, and I'm still experimenting.

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