Khorns with Sub

[PYRO]

Just curious who is using a Sub with Khorns?

What sub do you recommend for use with Khorns?

I was thinking one of the JL Audio subs.....

Thanks....

[seti]

I use a sub somtimes but it isn't really needed with Khorns. It is a little hard to integrate into the system or at least imo. On some material it is nice and but on most a PITA. I find that it is better to xover at 40hz and have the volume down low so it is more of a feeling than hearing. The khorn horn loaded bass is a little different if your not used to it. It is fast clean and accurate with low distortion. A sub is more trouble than it is worth with khorns.

Here is an old pic of my sub with my old now gone to another home Belles.

[PYRO]

probably won't add a sub just interested in what others are doing.......

[Cut-Throat]

I had a Rel Strata III with my old Mini Monitors. I kept the Rel and hooked it up with my Khorns. Sometimes I turn it on. Especially with movies.

Rel Subs are very easy to integrate and very musical. I'm keeping mine. I have thought about getting another for the other channel.

[seti]

probably won't add a sub just interested in what others are doing.......

I tried to like it perhaps someone will post a better experience.

60th anniversary khorns!!! Very nice. I saw some on the factory floor in Hope 2006. Which numbered pair did you get?

[PYRO]

165

[JJkizak]

I use the RSW-12 cut in at 80hz full volume. It helped remove some of the nodes and I finally heard a 19hz note. (frequency test record) I am driving the hell out of the low end at 98 db SPL (+6db on the equalizer at 30hz to the K-horns with the compander/expander only using a separate receiver) and the bass up from 6 to 10 db on the receiver feeding the K-horns, sub, and Cornwall center and the side and rear speakers. Receiver set to Dolby PLC-II. The K-horns work very well down to 40 hz but fall off rapidly at 30hz and by 29 hz not much. When I view Eric Claptons Crossroads there are some bass notes that go down real low that rattle my chair and the living room at 98 db. I couldn't guess how pumped up the low end is with the settings I employ but I ain't never heard anything like it except in the flesh.

JJK

[PYRO]

Are you using the sub in 2ch/HT or both?

Thanks!

[JJkizak]

HT/3.1, 5.1, & 7.1

JJK

[DTLongo]

Try it you may like it. Seriously, Khorns are very amplifier-sensitive. Run with a good compatible amplifier they don't need a sub and you will get the advantage of their very tight, fast, full bass. My challenge though has been running them in a three-channel audio setup with a Belle center, ergo with a variety of solid state home theater receivers. With the Khorns, except for one vintage-1990 Pioneer the receivers have all been shy in the bass. And the beautiful-sounding Pioneer is an obsolete Pro-Logic model and its synthesized center channel does not sound great and at loud volumes would cause the amp to safety-shut down.

So, I am using a Velodyne S1500R sub with the Khorns and presently an Onklyo TX-DS575 HT receiver. The combo sounds fine even though, psycholgically, it is frustrating to eye those big beautiful Khorns and know that their bass capabilities are not being used to their full capability.

[JJkizak]

When I first hooked up the Denon 7.1 receiver to the Khorns the bass was lacking so I hooked the old 2 channel Denon reciver back up to the K-horns and fed it with the new 7.1 pre amp output and there was sufficient bass. Then used the 7.1 to feed the center channel, sub, side and rear speakers. This also had sufficient bass for the center channel. I set the volume on the slaved receiver to the proper level to match the 7.1 receiver then used the 7.1 for the final volume adjust. The slaved 2channel receiver follows the master just fine. The 7.1 receiver is rated at 100 watts per channel and the 2 channel 55 watts per channel that has a huge low end far better than the 100 watt 7.1. The 7.1 receiver seems to work OK driving the Cornwall center however. So the 100 watt rating on the Denon 7.1 is totally bogus. I would rate it at somewhere around 20 watts per channel bass wise when driving at the full 7.1 hookup.

JJK

[DTLongo]

Above I wrote about my Onkyo receiver-plus-Khorns setup that "...The combo sounds fine even though, psycholgically, it is frustrating to eye those big beautiful Khorns and know that their bass capabilities are not being used to their full capability."

Well, finally that frustration just got to me and I spent a few hours yesterday replacing the Onkyo with the 1990-vintage Pioneer VS-5700S receiver I mentioned. That old pro-logic receiver doesn't even have a subwoofer output. But boy, does it ever make those Klipschorns sing. After hooking and tweaking everything up carefully, I turned it on and the Khorns just seemed to BLOOM. The amplifier difference was noticeable INSTANTLY and was just how I remembered. With that amp and the Khorns you don't need a subwoofer!

The synthesized center channel with that old receiver is what it is, not full range. Its quality is rather like old AM radio audio. It is listenable and adequate for the purpose to "anchor" the soundstage center while the Khorns carry the main sonic load. So, the Belle center speaker is in a sense underfulfilled but I can live with that. Plus, for whatever reason the amplifier safety-shutdowns at high volume with the center channel active that I mentioned above do not appear to be happening, amen.

The Velodyne S1500R sub is hooked up to the "B" speaker terminals on the amp and so is available when I want it for below 35 hz. stuff. It's Xover is set to 60 Hz and its volume control is up only about one-third, and that is plenty with the Khorns.

So I am again a happy boychick. But sad will I be if and when that good ol' Pioneer dies.