Hi Steve, you persuaded me to go buy a pair of Klipsch Speakers, I chose the RP-150M Reference Premier, and I have to say I am blown away by them, you are absolutely right when you say they are just great fun! I have been very keen ATC customer for 25 years, and I still adore them and will never be without a pair, but I always have a secondary system, And these little Klipsch Speakers are amazing, extraordinarily enjoyable, thank you so much for your “brand/tech” recommendation and enthusiasm! 😀
Finally an audiophile giving some recognition to klipsch and horns in general! This video is like a breath of fresh air! Thank you Steve. Its about time klipsch started appearing at high end shows
many music listeners do not use true class a amplifiers , because too much power is converted into heat , but if u use a high efficiency speaker like the klipsch family , you do not need hundreds of watts .... i use a home made class A amp camp amplifier , designed by nelson pass . it uses 2 x 19 watt to produce 2 x 5,5 watt clean power , and i will never go back to anything else ! if you try it , you love it :)
@@billdrummer1197 so OLD, DUMB and still uneducated. That's even worse. No prayers for you though as I find religion to be for the more gullible of people who always think they know better.😁
@@billdrummer1197 hmmm , you are 7 years older compared to me , i do not know if that makes a true music listener . i also no not understand how calling someone young , dumb and uneducated can improve the sound quality of a music set . i just no longer believe all snake oil stories that make people pay far too much for their music system . but if people have no problem with that fact , i will not stop them .
@@@r2dno1 HEY Pal, I did not insult you...as a matter of fact...I wouldn't waste my uneducated life teaching an arrogant idiot , Do you know me....it is clear you don't so here is an abridged list....IQ=154 ..My junior and senior years in High School I set an academic record in the City of Hammond, Indiana, and the entire STATE of INDIANA; I scored a PERFECT 100% both my junior and senior years of high school in '74 & '75. I also earned the honor of being inducted into Who's Who, In AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL students. YOU say i'm gullible, and religious. HUH??? IT's clear to me now....YOU must be a SEER....Therefore I"ll say a few prayers for you....ou need it. Oh, and BTW I'm sorry for using sarcasm as a literary tool
YES! When The Tragically Hip played their last concert live on TV I had my Klipsch RB 62 and SVS SB1000 rocking out at 96db and I WAS THERE at the concert! Never heard anything like that from a sound system before! And yes you are right about the audience sound! That was a big part of the experience! I LOVE my speakers!
Great video Steve! I own a pair of the RB-61s (there predecessor to the ones in this video). I love them. I do like the front port allowing me to place them in a dampened bookshelf. Funny that Klipsch moved the port to the back while ELAC just moved the port to the front of their 6" bookshelves. I agree that horns are special and as a musician, every instrument has a type of horn to allow the sound being produced to have a larger affect on the air that is the medium by which all sound we hear is delivered to our ear drums. I guess the ear is like a receiving horn. Without dragging on too long. My appreciation for horns and classic Klipsch design was heightened when I visited the small Klipsch museum in Hope, AR where my personal tour was guided by one of the actual speaker craftsman who built Kipsch corner horns in the 60's and 70's. What he was able to tell me about Paul and his attitude, brilliance, and methods blew my mind. More horns indeed!
Love this. My favorite Horn Memory: a big pair of Klipschorns, driven by a 25 watt/ch Audio Research tube amp, with ‘So What’ from Kind of Blue on the turntable. Pure bliss, circa 1978.
37 years ago the way I thought a speaker should sound like changed forever when heard my first fully horn loaded speaker the Klipschorn. That moment took my breath away and still does every day since beacause I bought them. They have been making them for 72 continuous years in Hope AR, awe inspiring musicality . For me that how instruments really sound. Thank you Steve love your videos.
Hope is the home of the Klipsch museum of audio history and if you call ahead you may also get a factory tour how's that for fun. Give it a shot and thanks for the reply.
If all you drive is an A-model, you think it is the best. I threw the whole idea out the window over 30 years ago. I got tired of endless tweaking and frequency holes. If you have never listened to great speakers, you will never know the difference. It is the poor mans way of getting volume. NOT fidelity!
Thanks Steve, you inspired me to get the r51m’s as my first audiophile speakers and I couldn’t be happier! Yeah I know I could’ve gone with more accurate sound like the elacs, but you’re absolutely right about the experience of horn speakers and what they bring to the table. Cheers and thanks for the content.
I agree with this. I've been involved in audio and the electronics industry for 50 something years, and I'm also a trained pro audio sound tech. I developed my love for horns from working with pro audio. There are many other types of tweeters that can sound good, but nothing has the lifelike presence and dynamics of compression drivers on horn loaded waveguides. They can have their limitations; not always the best for near field, for example. But so long as they have a little space around them, horns can produce a realism that no other tweeters can. Yes, some speakers, some Klipsch models included, have made horns that were too raw and/or not crossed properly. But don't condemn all horns because of a few mistakes. To the poster that said Steve just likes horns because his hearing is fading...I had dog ears when I was younger. Seriously...I could hear high frequencies that human aren't supposed to hear. I could hear "silent" dog whistles and ultrasonic pest repellers (man, those things lit me up!). My hearing has faded a bit at 61, but only to the point to where I am finally topping out at around 20K hz where human hearing is supposed to stop at. Even with these dog ears, I love me some horns! One last thing...horn speakers such as Klipsch aren't always the best for poor quality recordings. They tend to be very revealing, which can highlight a poor recording or mixing. Reason being, you're hearing things that lessor speakers don't reproduce well, and that can include the poor quality stuff. So if you've heard horn speakers that were fatiguing, it might just be because they are revealing the poor quality of the source.
I only hear this story from engineers that can't mix. Send me over one of your board recordings. I will reciprocate. If you drive an A-model your entire life, you think it's the greatest. I used horns for years and they suck. I have done over 3,000 shows and I do not consider them speakers. They are noise makers! I will put my front load system up against any horn system and the contest won't be close.
I agree, Ken. Klipsch has a great portfolio of products. I have RF7-II's and RF82-ii's in Quadraphone, all of them in the corners of the room. The system fills the whole house with crisp sound that transports you to a new place. That, is what it means to own a great system. Forget going to concerts. Just stay home, get some good audio and enjoy life in comfort. I've had some other box speakers, and they were okay, but the horn configuration is the way to go. It puts the sound in the listening area, not 1 meter away from the tower.
@@johnparsons7801 "Send me over one of your board recordings" What? So you can just "engineer" out the true sounds you don't like? You put crap in, you get crap out. Horns reveal _everything..._ like being naked. You just want to cover everything with layers of makeup and clothing. Maybe try working with a better source.
@@user-mp9rd4hg8b You need to educate yourself. I am not about adulterating the original signal. You are saying that horns don't add distortion and narrow the polar response? You better check again. I have been an instructor since the 90's and I have done over 3,000 shows and I have owned a sound company since 1980. What have you done? What is your experience? Like a lot of people, you are a victim of fake information. I agree that horns have good dynamics due to narrowing of the pattern. The thing that you haven't learned about is the new small cone drivers that do a much better job without horns. I have designs with 6.5", 5"and 4" drivers that I use in combination with tweeters. I have listened to side by side and the horn is always a big loser. You need to do some side by side if you want real truth. Horns are typically used with crappy drivers to get more output. If you use a horn, you have no choice but to notch out the nasty and adjust for the roll-off past 8Khz. With my front loaded line-arrays, I do virtually no EQ and I get 160 degrees dispersion. I have tried all types of horns. The best horn is a lens horn. You can get them with 160 degree dispersion but they still don't sound as good as the cone mid and tweeter combo. If you want a live mix, send me your email.
This is why I love RU-vid I finally found the speakers I'm looking for, been looking for something for entertainment and music and these are right up my alley for 250 I'm going to have to pick these up!
I had a pair of KG3.5 that I wish I still had. I put Dynamat on the back of the horns, woofer baskets, and a strip on the back panel. I loved the 94dB efficiency and only an 8” woofer and a horn tweeter. They were rated to go down to 36Hz and they sure delivered. KG3.5 is such an underrated speaker. Time to find me some more Klipsch.
If I ever get divorced ... one of the main reasons will be my Klipsch La Scala ....."washing machines" as the wife calls them. She is not a fan .... I want no other main speakers.
@@7karlheinz respect I will not be able to get away with Klischorns. Due to their shape I would be blocking at least one door in the living room and if I do that the wife will declare me mentaly insane and leave .... I know cuz I proposed it before buying the LaScalas
I came back to Klipsch and now I am listening to the music with joy and excitement. Any genre, music and movies are presented in a way that blows my mind almost every time. I love my RF-7 mkll. But hey, be not afraid to give them a lot of power and they will shine even more, at all levels. Thank you PWK and thank you Steve G. for bringing this topic up. Cheers!
alessandra Benz: l purchased four Floor-standing speaker (Heritage Cherry) from yard sale about 4 months ago for $50.00 each. The lady had little knowledge of the speakers and just wanted them gone from her home. I asked if she had more vintage music equipment and went to her home (came back with U-HaulTruck) and there it was I purchased about 900k worth music equipment (SSL AWS 948 DELTA vintage recording console (12) McIntosh MAC7200 and (6) 1958 Fender Bassman Amplifiers, (8) RCF SUB-9006AS Active Dual 18" High Power Subwoofers , Barefoot Sound Mastrrstack 12, T+A, Solitare CWT 2000 SE Speakers, instruments (Taylor PS14ce - Lutz Spruce) Milagro Brazilian and etc. She was filthy rich and her late husband was a engineer for classical sound stages. I gave her 4k for everything. I know have the best sound stage in my basement and theater room. (I was introduced to a big production musical engineer by employee at Best Buy). And the rest is history. $$$$$. Paid my house off in full. I also had to hire a master sound design electrician to rewire my entire basement, sound proof with new windows and satellite system. The new amps and speakers of today are garbage and can not hold a candle to vintage. LOVE HORN LOADED SPEAKERS In closing had to get additional insurance for coverage. Luckiest Guy Ever.
I have been playing with audio gear for over 40 years. I have owned more speakers than I can even remember. I always have always multiple systems in my house and I have had at least 1 pair of Klipsch going no matter what else I currently owned. I have played with electrostatics, ribbons and every type of box speaker imaginable but there was always something about the Klipsch that made me smile. I often ended up with more time spent with the Cornwall’s or Khorns or even the old Chorus IIs than the speakers that frequently cost several multiples of the simple Klipsch. I tell everyone who will listen to forget their prejudices and just listen. Most of my audiophile friends have forgotten the reason we got in this hobby was because we love the music; the equipment is only a means to better connect with the music. Thank you for saying something that people need to be reminded of now and then. I’ve been around long enough to know that different types of presentations can all have their own merit.
I'm glad I found your channel. Horn loaded speakers are transformative. Once you get a good horn-loaded setup, there's no going back. When you have a larger room, they put the sound where it needs to be. Some of the best horn loaded speakers I've experienced are, Klipsch Reference, and JBL SRX/PRX 835's. I'm still trying to get some ear time on Klipsch heritage stuff.
My fist exposure to horns was with an old set of Klipshh Corner Horns being powered by an equally old Sansui super receiver of the 70's heyday for those behemoth systems. Brute force and buckets of current without nearly enough purity They were astoundingly dynamic and thunderous in their command of the bass line, but they were so aggressive it almost felt like they were grabbing me by my shirt collar and shaking me. An attribute of great benefit for an AC/DC concert but a bit extreme for more subdued material. That was well over 30 years ago and I steered clear of the horn designs for years afterward, seeking the transparent nuance of more traditional designs. Then a few years back I had the good fortune to encounter a set of La Scalas driven by a sweet old McCintosh tube preamp and amp... it was fantastic. Gone was that aggression and beastly attack, in their place was a delicately detailed rendering of acoustic guitar and the shimmer of a snare drum's sound as the brush moved across it's surface. And now I find myself much as Steve, reevaluating those old notions. Not quite ready to plunk down the several grand for good Klipsch or JBL's just yet, but definitely considering the move.
Huh? "Old Klipsch corner horns" must mean Klipschorns which produce more than 100 decibels of sound with 1 watt @1 meter, very low harmonic distortion and less than 3+- db variation throughout listening spectrum. You must have been standing with your ears in extreme near field to get that effect. Back aways, where wave fronts blend, most people say they are great. They wouldn't be loved for decades by fans, as they are, if at $12,000 a pair they lacked purity (realism?) No. I don't own a pair and am not a dealer.
Steve is right about horns. Magnavox stunned the audio world of 1948 by emulating a theater sound system for their top-of-the line Windsor Imperial console. It featured a huge multi-cellular tar-filled horn sourced from Stephens Tru-Sonic and was paired with a 15" bass speaker. The sound was amazing. I have played this instrument for friends and have had them say it is the best sound they ever heard. Today, this horn often sells alone for as much as $3000. From 1948 through 1973, Magnavox's top-end offerings featured a horn and it became the biggest selling audio brand in the world. Many friends owning McIntosh and other elaborate audio equipment have been amazed at the sound that the horn-equipped Magnavox Imperials and Concert Grands are capable of.
Hi Steve. I found your videos on here a while back and keep coming back for more since. This video is very interesting to me because I actually bought the Klipsch RP 600m, mainly because of your recommendation. I am very pleased with the sound quality. I also own a pair of Klipsch KLF 30 and most likely they end up being the last speakers I ever want to own. I drive the speakers with my Yamaha RX-V1 in all effects off stereo mode. I'm aware of that a surround sound receiver isn't ideal for pure sound but I got this receiver dirt cheap (150.00 in near mint condition) . It does have plenty power (around 100wpc in stereo @ 8 ohms) and it does sound very clear. When I got the 600m I had to test them against the KLF 30 off course. To my surprise they almost sounded better with certain type of music. I have them now both connected and when I listen to low to mid level output I prefer the sound of the 600m over the KLF 30. They actually do produce a pretty powerful bass despite the small size. I tried them with a subwoofer but didn't like the added bass. It seemed to me as the subwoofer was off in timing and didn't go well with the speakers. Maybe I just didn't position it right. But I don't need the extra bass since that are the KLF 30 for. With all that said, I fell in love with horn speakers since I first heard them from a very old Klipsch speaker many years ago. I can't even remember what model they were. I owned many other types of speakers before but none came ever close to the live like music reproduction as the horn speakers. I was always an audiophile, I'm originally from Germany. Most western Europeans take their sound system very serious. But I'm also not a rich man and have to do with what little money I have to get the best sound for my small budget. So over time I found out that Klipsch is the poor audiophile speaker out there (thank you Paul). I will keep the 600m and the KLF 30. And as far as my need for ear bleeding sound levels, the KLF 30 reach levels that actually starts hurting with a bass that shakes my whole house to the point that the dishes fly out of the kitchen cabinets. Thank you Steve for the great videos and valuable information you put out here.
I love my Magnepans, and I love my JBL Studio 530 bookshelfs (horn design)! There is something magical about my horn loaded speakers. The music sounds SO alive and timbrally accurate! Listening to Sonny Rollins 'Sax Colossus' on the horns brought tears to my eye...
I own a pair of 4429 and I love them. So happy someone is finally talking about them ! Problem is that Harman does a terrible job at marketing them, so you have to be a JBL fanatic to know about them. Can't wait to hear more from you.
I first heard a horn speaker in 1972 in a Cleveland Hi-Fi store. A pair of Klipschorns which were about the size of a VW Bug (I exaggerate a bit).The sound was like nothing I had heard before and the power needle on the amp barely moved off 0. In 1989 I splurged on a pair of Klipsch Forte IIs. About 5yrs ago I updated the x-overs and tweeter diaphragm and I still use them today. They're good for another 20yrs. 2 Yrs ago I was setting up a system with a pair of M-L Edges as the main R-Ls. The results were terrible. I ended up picking up a pair of Klipsch Heresy cabinets and did a complete rebuild. The results were spectacular. The M-L are used for fill and the Heresys are the new mains. There are many good speakers out there but few as sweet as a horn.
Cleveland Hi-Fi store.....ah ..I'd bet it was Hoffman's house of Stereo. Rich on the east side, and Howard(with Jim Andeen) on the west. Oh, and I worked there part time while working on my engineering degree. Great days!
When I was 16 I worked at a movie theater built in the 30s that housed three giant Altec horn speakers. It was comprised of 14" horns with 20" woofers. Since that time I had always lusted for a nice set of Klipsch corner horns for my stereo. Alas too pricey for me in those days. Now I use a nice compact pair of Klipsch 41-Ms pointed directly at my ears in my bedroom. They're essentially my headphones and work very well at lower volumes. The horns give the music so much life and clarity helped by a Modi3 DAC. Adding a BBE 282 module I can now tune these monitors to accommodate my 60 year old ears to find the sweet spot of my audio. Thx for taking up the cause of the horns. We should not forget that people used to stick horns in their ears to simply hear anything in their golden years.
Glad to hear this. I finished my set up a few months ago, decided to go with Klipsch in wall Horn speakers for L,C,R also a LRS and a RRS as well in wall. For the Surround Speakers I went with Klipsch Monitors RP 150M in some Ultimate Support 100B Stand that make those Monitors looks even Sexier, Those RP 150M have some nice deep clear crisp sound, couldn't be any Happier with my 7.2 Set up. Thanks for giving Klipsch their Props.
@ᴀʟᴛ-ᴄᴇɴᴛʀɪsᴛ you're the type of guy that actually believes his word is magic and all others are wrong no matter what. Congrats....you're an audiophile
Have to agree... ever since I heard a pair of Onyo Sceptre 500 and Altec 19s. After six decades of buying and making various speakers, about ten years ago I ended up making a pair with Onkyo HM 450 horns, T33A tweeters and two 12"" base units in each one. They are still there and so is the smile on my face...
Wow Steve after all these years in audio and you’re just getting around to horn speakers? Interesting cuz you seem really excited! Cool, the passion is still there!!👍🏻
I love it!! I am glad that you also know that this comparison is stupid. It is impossible for a horn to increase the fidelity of a driver. What rock have these people crawled from under? This isn't the 70's!
I spent the first 39 years of my life being told that horn speakers are not true audiophile speakers. Even when they blew me away, I'd say they were too fatiguing/too colored/too megaphone-like. After going to RMAF 2018 (and meeting Steve), I bought a pair of Klipsch Forte IIIs and couldn't be happier. The texture is so "right". Cymbols sound metallic, violins have a woody characteristic, and so on. Drum strikes are immediate and amazingly lifelike. It would take, from what I heard at RMAF, a $26000 pair of traditional direct radiating speakers to sound like a $4000 pair of Klipsch Fortes.
At that time period thier flagship was the Klipschhorn model. Hooked up to a Krell or the like it was a sonic shovel full of glass. They have not truly addressed it in a balance until the latest model. They tried with the cf-(which I have but those are a like hi-q Cerwin Vegas-or bland/bass heavy). I would argue the RF-7iii or the rf600m(with a sub) as thier best audiophile model's ever offered for daily use as far as long term fatigue/excitement balance. Maybe the first models (RF-7iii/600m/rf8000) offered to embodie thier sensitivity /low watts(stay in class A operation) philosophy truly. The newest sound the best to the most people.(The old ones would be the Cornwall in my opinion as far as sounding the best)- * Try a tube amp with the RF-7i-*
You've not been lied to in 39 yrs. HORNS FUCKIN ARE NOT AUDIOPHILE.. go buy a pair of vintage INFINITY LOUDSPEAKERS.....only then will you hear "Metallic CYMBALS".....They make those? I hear yah BUB....plastic violins suck just like HORNS..... Don't get me wrong Steve, you're a great actor....But just because you have money, that kind of shows the opposite
@@billdrummer1197 Wow, that might be the most incoherent rant I've seen in a RU-vid comment. I LOVE the sound of Infinity ribbons, but no. They sound exceptionally detailed due to their low mass, but don't sound "real". And they're dynamics don't begin to approach those of horns. Trust me, I hated on horns for years. But I was wrong.
What about JBL ?- Are those trash speakers...I have studio 580's and their significantly better than my 6400$ Genelec which are badass , actually. Infinity ???- That's a good laugh...how about Polk.
I love my Heresey's, they are on garage detail right now paired with a velodyne, so I can enjoy them at extreme levels while tinkering. I never had been able to find a conventional driver capable of keeping up with a compression horn.
Oh, this is so good to see! Let me add to the Klipsch topic... (you can find me in the Klipsch forum titled 'Right This Minute' usually on the weekends) . Loving horns in my home as well... I have two systems in my dedicated listening space. A kit of rebuilt and UN-altered Dynaco Mark 3 mono blocks driven by a fully recapped UN-altered Dynaco PAS-2. All factory wired and date stamped November 8, 1965. That feeds a pair of UN-altered Klipschorns from 1967. The speakers are 18 feet apart center to center, so there is PLENTY of breathing room. Choice of two turntables, a reel to reel, cassette and an 8 track are on this vintage system as well as an Oppo 203 multi disc machine. Sitting on the same rack, is a Marantz 6011 9.2 AVR which drives the SAME family of speakers that Steve has in this video which is pair of flagship Klipsch Reference Premier 280F towers. I have visitors on occasion and usually listeners are AMAZED at the sheer dynamic range of the Heritage system and what kind of sounds could be had back in the mid 60ies if one had some $$$ to spend... The modern gear is quite different, but very good clarity and dynamic range can be enjoyed with the RP series too. Both systems can run at the same time, and one can toggle instantly between them with remotes. Its fun, and greatly enjoyed... You can sign up and look for me on the Klipsch forum within their website, I go by the name 'Tigerman' and you can send me a private mailing for further discussion if you like... Thank you Steve for the daily shows, I always look forward to these informative vids each day when I get home from work (O:
I'm glad for the joy that you and many others get from horn speakers😁. My ears cannot bear the sound, the "screech" or hollow "holler" as I can best explain it, is in bearable at any decent volume. Can't explain it, just the way it is. Bravo however!
This video made me think of grabbing a pair. I did get a pair of the Elac B6 when he was raving endlessly about them. I ended up selling them after 4 months. Regardless of his recommendation not working for me, his videos are still part of my daily life!
Don't let these people turn you into a Monkeys Uncle. Horns are not superior. Output is increased by narrowing the pattern. This is why if you compare a 500 watt narrow bulb to a 500 watt flood the 500 watt narrow is going to be a lot brighter. The total energy is focused into a smaller beam. When you do this with a speaker, you have a very small sweet spot where you can hear all frequencies. Narrowing with a horn also adds distortion. I used some Danley subs which get great reviews. They work okay if you are standing directly in front. One step to the side and you lose about 6db. If horns are so great, why are they disappearing from the pro market?
I absolutely agree; horns need to become more widespread. I was an engineer at Altec Lansing in the early 80s, and have a modified pair of Voice of the Theater A7-500s. The thing is, horns are very difficult (and expensive) to "get right". The stereotype people have of horns being harsh and piercing their eardrums is actually quite accurate - IF a lot of care and expertise hasn't been expended in design and manufacturing. But if done correctly, horns do have dynamic realism and the ability to reproduce transient signals like no other technology, and the sense that the performers are actually THERE is uncanny, and no other speaker type, no matter how expensive (unless they're horns) can touch that. The fact that horns can do all that with just a few watts of power is icing on the cake, and accounts for the very low distortion of horn drivers. It should be mentioned that to qualify for being a "genuine" horn driver, there must be a *compression driver* driving the horn proper. The compression driver is fundamental! Many supposedly "horn speakers" today simply place a horn-like waveguide in front of a conventional dome tweeter. Compression drivers can be extremely expensive to make since there's a lot of precision machining involved. These costs could come down dramatically if there was enough manufacturing volume involved.
For me, I prefer speakers with dome tweeters. I love the wide dispersion and soft warm intimate sound of a very well designed soft dome or beryllium dome tweeter. I love my Q Acoustics 3020i bookshelf speakers.
Great thoughts Steve! Some 8 years ago I got to hear a pair of Avantgarde Acoustics Uno horns speakers. Together with a pair of 300b tube SET amplifies the liveness and soul in the music blew me away! And I never looked back. I now own the Duo from the same company, still pared with some lovely 300b amplifiers, and this music they play is magic. On your “one man campain”, I would like to encourage you to give the new Uno Fino from AA a listen. At roughly 20k and not to large size, they are almost within the normal audiophile landscape…
I still go back to Klipsch after all these years. My first pair of real speakers were the Klipsch KG3's. I always kicked myself for letting them go. I had a pair of the RP-150's recently and loved them. They reinvigorated my attraction to horns. I've since moved on to the RP-160's amongst about four other pairs of bookshelves. I always revisit the sound. Horns will forever be a part of my existence. Spot on Steve.!
20 plus years ago I listened to Klipsch speakers and their horn tweeters made my ears hurt. Two years ago I purchased a 8 watt class a tube amplifier and needed a high efficiency speaker. So, I gave Klipsch a try again. I went with the Klipsch RP-160M Bookshelf Speaker. Wow, a match made in heaven. The new tweeters are clear, dynamic, pain free and non fatiguing. The Spun Copper Cerametallic Woofers are very detailed, tight, dynamic, clean and low distortion. My main system is a Magnepan 1.7i driven by an 800 watt Crown amplifier. I love both systems, but they are totally different. Klipsch has come a long way in imaging and horns that don't cause your ears to bleed.
I was shopping for either a Definitive Technology or Martin Logan 5" woofer "bookshelf" speaker, that I would eventually pair with a subwoofer. But when I saw the Klipsch R-51M's selling at an amazing price ($160 pair!) I decided to give them a try, unheard. The BIG reason I went with them is because of your enthusiasm for Klipsch! Well, I was not impressed with them out-of-the box, they sounded too clinical and cold. But after about 30 DAYS of break-in, they finally warmed up, and now I'm fairly happy with them. And sure enough, I eventually got the Klipsch R-100SW subwoofer, and the combo is just about perfect for my needs, and works great as home theater setup too, with the Klipsch R-52C center channel. It's an excellent budget speaker system that doesn't break the bank, but sounds really good. And you can pretty much use any receiver you want to drive these things. Here's my own mini-review of the R-51M's after owning them for several months: - A subwoofer of any kind is a MUST HAVE with these to get the best sound. - The bass and mid-bass is weak. It's there, but there's no "oomph" to it. As a matter of fact, these speakers have the weakest mid-bass I've ever heard from a small speaker, regardless of brand and price. That's why a subwoofer is a MUST. - Not surprisingly, the instrument that sounds the best coming from these speakers is the trumpet. Sax isn't bad, but the lack of a good, solid, warm midrange is noticeable with alto and baritone sax. Hence the need for a SUBWOOFER. Same with the lower octaves on a piano, you can hear them, but the warmth just isn't there. - On the plus side, there is literally NO DISTORTION of any kind with these little guys. The sound is super clean, almost too clean really. No warmth, it's rather "cool" and technical. Again, a subwoofer REALLY helps out here. - They love to be played LOUD, and since they are super efficient, it's really easy to do! They are lively. - But they do sound good at ALL volume levels. Even at softer volumes, they are easy to listen too. - They can be bright and forward at loud volumes, not terribly so, but it's noticeable. I actually like it, as the high hat and cymbals on the drums are easily heard, which isn't always true with a lot of speakers. - Human voices and vocals are SUPER CLEAN coming from these little guys. Lyrics and dialogue can be made out with ease. I really like them for that reason. - Overall, and excellent buy for their price point, but if you can afford it, the RP-600M's will be the better choice for almost anyone who has a little extra room for their slightly larger cabinets, and a little extra money. I would also take any Martin Logan bookshelf speaker with a 5" woofer over these, because their ribbon tweeter and midrange are just silky smooth, and have the warmth and "oomph" these guys lack. But the problem is, you are going to pay a whole lot more for the privilege of owning Martin Logans. - Did I mention you REALLY need a subwoofer with these? Even at low volume, a subwoofer really helps to warm things up. Set the crossover fairly high: 110 or 120 for best results. Yes, I would rather own a pair Heresy III's or IV's rather than these little guys. I would even love to try out the Wharfdale EVO's, which seem like a really neat loudspeaker design. But with the space and budget restrictions I have, these will do for now. :-)
I’m thinking Daniel Hertz M1, high efficiency and can produce large shifts in dynamics. Personally, I’ve only owned dome, ring radiator and folded ribbon in the tweeter sections. Will check out horns.
With refined amplification (class D need not apply) they sound equally good at low volume. The "first watt" really defines their sound because you'll seldom use more power than that.
@martin I built a pair of Pass ACA Class A kits as balanced monoblocks and was not impressed. I have many speakers to choose from but most are not very efficient. KEF Q100, Elac B6, Polk RT55, Polk LSi25, Polk LSiM 707, Martin Logan Motion 40 and Totem Hawk. The ACA sounded anemic the best pairing out of the group was to the Motion 40 which are the most efficient of the bunch but at 4ohm was not ideal for the amp. The ideal for the amp is to see an 8ohm load as push-pull balanced monoblocks vs single ended stereo amps. So maybe the RP-600 with a sub is with a try. For most of my amplification, I prefer McIntosh C47/Mc452, MA-5200, Rotel RB-1590,RA-1570, I also use Marantz, and Onkyo for HT and a vintage (reconditioned by myself) Sansui AU-6900. I used the balanced pre-out from my C47 to drive the ACA which can easily supply enough gain to drive the ACA into clipping. It’s likely not manly enough like First watt or the Pass XA or XS.
@@mpitogo Pure class A runs out of power on less efficient speakers, which is why class AB is much more popular. Your Pass ACAs won't run out of power on Klipsch speakers!
Martin Tousignant thanks so I’ve been looking at options for the ACA monoblocks and the RP-600 maybe a good match and I have a spare sub sitting around to fill in the low end.
A horn speaker provides a better impedance match between the radiator and the air in the room. I was involved in high end audio professionally for 44 years. Once when walking in winter near Berkley college in Boston my friend and I heard a jazz group coming out of a nearby apartment. We stopped and listened as they were quite good. As we walked on I asked my friend was that live or a recording. We both knew instinctively it was live. They gave no clue whether it was live except for the fidelity. Being January the windows were shut in their apartment so frequency response was not a clue. What told us it was live? Horn loaded speakers provide these answers. Dynamics, low modulation and other distortions among other things. Listen without preconceived ideas and you’ll see.
A Jazz group usually use a PA system at a live Jazz bar; you hear through PA loudspeakers there. If you like listening jazz in such an environment, go for horns. For un-amplified acoustic instruments or voices, however, you have other better choices.
I've used Klipsch in theater rooms for nearly 20 years. They are a perfect speaker sound for home theaters, large and small. Have a "9.2" surround room now with their RP series and two Atlantic Tech 642e subs. They just seem to go well with visual media. Related, I'm rebuilding an original set of MACH ONEs, series 1 from '78 or so that sound fantastic in preliminary testing. Great full range 3-way horn. Classics actually.
@surfitlive I'm referencing speakers for a home theater design. Listening rooms for audio is another subject. They require different attributes. There has been an attempt by some manufacturers, such as NHT and LINN, to design an all inclusive design for the front LR speakers with a switch for audio only and movie mode. Currently with ATMOS surround technology, things have gotten even more muddled. What u listen to for quality audio recordings and home theater use are very different.
Great videos. Klipsch junky myself (have Heresy, Forte, KB35, X20I) but boy would I love to have a pair of those big JBL. Heard them in a show room in Japan a while back coupled with the new Technics amp. Utter bliss!
Steve, do you think your shifting preference toward horns could be somewhat attributed to aging ears? After a life of drumming and too many live shows, my hearing has noticeably declined. I've noticed this has coincided with my sudden shift toward horn speakers.
Mechannel As a guy who spent a lot of time on the other side of drummers’ cymbals, I find I favor brighter speakers bordering on harsh (no hearing above 15k), horns might just suit me fine. Might chase everyone else out of the room, but...
Hej Steve, I just would to thank you for mentioning Wingless Angels. I've been diving into reggae music for the last two years and it has been quite a journey. But the wingless angels record, well both are something truly special. Not musicians but people that are the music making the music. Very very nice, weirdly recorded but heavily resonating. I feel like I'm sitting in someones their living room. Thank you again and again!
For me Klipsch sound great for about an hour or two of listening, and then I need to give my ears a rest. I owned a pair years ago and sold them for something with more of a laid back sound.
I was also a bit uncomfortable with the horn tweeters the first days. I've found that I don't like them at the same high as my ears. I have my Klipsch soundbar barely higher than the top of my subwoofer. Maybe that's why vintage jbl speakers had aluminum deflectors to bounce the tweeter sound off the floor.
The designs of late have reigned in the fatigue you speak of. As technology advances eventually opinions follow. I agreed with you 15 years ago. Not today.
Horn speakers replicate the dynamic range of live instruments and have a real presence which can overwhelm your senses, as can sitting in front of an jazz ensemble, rock group or symphony orchestra all day. If you want unobtrusive background music, get something like Bose. If you want to boogey in an average room, horn-loaded speakers speak up.
Thanks for explaining why my new Klipsch speakers sound so good and hipping me to Wingless Angels. I’m listening to their album on RU-vid now. “Rivers of Babylon” is one of the best versions I’ve heard.
I recently purchased a pair of Klipsch R15-PM second hand. Very lightly used. I'm using them for my main tv. I'm super impressed with them. Music from a good source also sounds quite good on them. While they don't really compare to my Totem model one's in my main audio system, I'm more than happy with them serving the purpose they are.
I have two pair of Klipsch heritage speakers and all you need is a mini tube amp that puts out about 3 watts. But hook up your typical solid state A/V receiver and they can sound pretty harsh. I think that might be why people think Klipsch speakers sound harsh. It may not be the speakers at all. Its cheap solid state amplification.
Absolutely correct on both points!!! Fi-X amp with Nature Sound output transformers, Bendix JAN CEA-6106 rectifier, RCA JAN 6SF5's, Sophia Electric 2A3 output tubes = 3.5 watts that make my Lascalas sing!
hi , mark , i agree fully on your remark ,cheap solid state amplification . what kind of heritage speakers do you use ? i own the klipsch heresy hip , the klipsch heresy I , and the klipsch la scala . i replaced the old aerovox paper /oil capacitors for mkv epcos , and was very positive about the audio difference .
@@NoMoreRadioMyths forte speakers are hard to find in europe , and i have no idea what a forte filter looks like.. if i had , i would build a set . just to compare :)
I am between Elac and my Klipsch. I love Kipsch's vibrancy . But you know what? Sometimes I like that warm rounded Elac sound. I do have a Klipsch subwoofer and it rounds off the harshness of the Klipsch speakers that I own. I too like more of a realistic or tighter than what seems to be popular bass. But come Sunday morning - The Elacs due that soothing. So - I have set of them too. What to do? A little of Elac and just more of Klipsch.
I have big double 300 pound Voigt horns, and they are currently running with solid state mosfet and PA amps.. They sound amazing, with any kind of amp.. Thanks for bringing up horns Steve😀
Mr. Guttenberg: I think you just became my hero with this video of yours on horn speakers :) I'm in absolute agreement with your impressions of their traits, and may I just add another important aspect here - the second stage of the horn-rocket if you will: the virtues of all-horn speakers, and the distinction worthy being pointed out here compared to their more typical hybrid brethren. All-horn speakers add yet another dimension of sensitivity, and not least are likely to be even more coherent sounding. Sadly they take up more space (bass via horns = big horns, certainly with the intention to hit 20Hz), and usually are more expensive, but it's really worth it, I find, going all-horn. My own speakers are Simon Mears Audio Uccello's (inspired by the Klipsch Belle), and I have a pair of 22Hz tapped horn subs (with a 15" B&C driver in each of them) coming up.
Just paired some Klipsch R-51M's with my Realistic STA-84 (built by either Pioneer or Onkyo in Japan 1977; all discrete transistor signal path for a very warm tube-y sound) and I'm blown away by the performance. The bass could have a bit lower extension, but it's by no means lacking and is very tight and punchtastic. The highs are omnipresent and slightly forward, but never shrill or fatiguing. No sibilance at all even with my old vinyl copy of Phil Collin's 'Face Value' playing at a wife-yelling-to-please-turn-down level. Phil's vocals were lifelike and never overpowered, and the hard-panned vocoder effects surprised and surrounded me like never before. The drums. My goodness the drums. Everyone loves the part from 'In the Air Tonight' and anticipates it, especially me as a drummer and stout Phil Collins lover...but this time it hit me like a freight train. You know that tingly feeling you get when you experience something that supremely resonates with you? They call that frisson and I was overcome. The crack, the slap, the sparkle, the thunderocity (new word alert!)...it was an experience to be blunt for the first time of this comment. For the price these are spectacularly accurate, enveloping, and revelatory speakers--especially if you pair them with a warm amp and/or like how a cymbal and snare sound in real life. Bravo on this one Klipsch! You've come a long way from the Synergy days and delivered an entry level speaker that actually sounds great.
@@tonyjuarez6296, I'm older so classic rock, jazz, and 70's music are for me. Here's what I will say about them. They don't distort at high volumes and still sound clear. More low end than any other Klipsch I've ever heard. Very deep and thumping bass. The highs are perfect at all times. They are very heavy for a bookshelf speaker at about 20 pounds a piece. My brother is into rap and he loves them. Hope that helps?
@@tonyjuarez6296 I tend to go for quality while watching my money...I'm cheap and poor. So, I would suggest something with a warranty. Onkyo makes quality amps and receivers. They are cheap yet great and built to last. It would help to know what extras you are looking for...turntable, CD player, video. How are you playing your music and what format is it in? Another company to look into is Emotiva. They make some affordable amps at low prices (bonus, American made). Tell me what you want to hookup to your amp or receiver and I can help further.
This is stupid. If Steve is pushing horns as a hi-fidelity device, I am calling him out. A horn narrows the beam which allows more output on-axis and less volume off-axis. It is impossible for a horn to increase the fidelity of a driver!
Steve, because of this video, I bought the R-51Ms and paired with a Definitive Technology Supercube III, they really sound awesome! Horn speakers and tubes are the way to go!
It's no surprise that horns sound like live music since most live music is heard today via large horn speakers. Just walk up to the front of any rock concert and look at what you are actually listening to. It's almost always a stack of horns.
Why is live sound desired when live sound is inherently flawed? Concerts are concerts and hifi is hifi. Trying to mix the two with reflections and/or dispersion patterns from certain speakers is so gimmicky imho. Buy a live CD if that's what you desire; I personally think they're awful. But I'm also not going to buy studio mastered CD's (the bulk of music) and try to make them sound live by using horns or rear facing tweeters or all of the other tricks which create destructive interference and too many room reflections arriving at different times. If I want live sound I go out and experience small bands with acoustics and/or an orchestra, or I can easily blast my speakers at home and turn one towards a wall so everything sounds like shit. Then they sound like PA speakers at a concert. Ah, "live sound."
@@cbcdesign001 Don't most "audiophiles" realize that's impossible and flawed? And that such a desire to have a "live sounding speaker" won't ever sound consistently correct when listening to different music and/or sources? It seems like a worthy goal on the surface, but if you know anything about sound waves and basic physics you soon realize why it's the dumbest idea in the world. The idea of a good speaker is simple: it's supposed to accurately reproduce whatever was recorded. If you want a "live sounding speaker" you're adding time arrival issues, destructive interference from multiple drivers, and adding comb filtering if using multiple drivers spread too far apart. I don't doubt this can sometimes sound "good and/or interesting" at times, but it's never consistent and it's never going to be pleasurable across various musical pieces. Take for instance a pure vocal. You want that voice to sound as pristine and clear as possible. But how would a "live sounding speaker" achieve this? Oh right, it can't. It will compromise the sound by adding what I already mentioned. What exactly is live sound? It's easy, and I'll tell you. It's that crappy sound you hear at a concert which is blasting music at high volumes. It's achieved with a lot of watts and typically with compression tweeters. The drivers are distorting quite often because they're maxed to their limits and there are too many drivers playing at once. It leads to differing time arrivals and comb filtering. The other form of live sound is quite nice. Think orchestras, symphonies, or small bands playing acoustics while singing. Hear we have comb filtering but it's natural. And in terms of the first two mentioned, the music halls are acoustically treated so the room is not too dead and not to alive. The amount of reflections and differing time arrivals have been perfected. It's natural and is a result of instruments playing, and not speaker drivers competing with each other. Studio mastered content can't sound "live" unless it was mastered to do so. You either record a live performance, which is quite hard to do, or you master a song in the studio and try to make it sound as pure as possible. And if you insist on having a live sound at home. Then don't try to buy speakers that "sound live." Instead, make your room a bit more alive and not so dampened. There is one neat trick, but consumers should have the option of turning them off. And that is rear firing tweeters. They do add a certain "air" to the music. However, this is truly incorrect sound and it adds all the problems I mentioned. I'd like to turn them off when I want to listen carefully and critically to pieces.
A horn, by design, distorts sound, that's a fact. I do not like my sound distorted, period. But, i respect other people choices and if this works for the kind of music they listen to, why not.
Totally agree. I know the Asians love them some class A tubes and giant horns. And, I'll admit they're lively on jazz. Nothing else like it. But, I've yet to hear one I can live with for what I listen to. I've had a few friends more than enamored with Klipsch in the past.
Yes this is true, however this is the same argument people crap on Bose for, and I actually love the Bose sound signature, especially how they tune their bass to be nice and mellow, not super thumpy and fatiguing, but also not lacking. I’m poor so my niche is budget equipment that can sound great, that’s much easier to achieve when you ditch the idea of accurately reproducing sounds in favor of making inaccurate sounds simply sound good.
No it does not - please come up with some resources that proves that. A horn is usually seen as distortion redution, since you can get away with lower excursion at the same volume.
Mikkel Kirketerp I mean... it’s a common understanding, here’s a quote from Wikipedia; “Their disadvantage is that their frequency response is more uneven because of resonance peaks, and horns have a cutoff frequency below which their response drops off. (The cutoff frequency is equal to the wavelength corresponding to the circumference of the horn mouth.[3])” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_loudspeaker Now as I said I’m not a fan of getting the most accurate sound, changing sound to make it sound good is kind of the whole point of music and equipment to me, but horns change sound, is that good or bad? Maybe it’s good, I think the way Bose changes sound is good for listening to pop music and the like.
@@mikkelkirketerp4884 You can just use a paper cone and speak in it and clearly hear that your voice is distorted. Excerpt from a published scientific paper (Published by the Royal Society - 2013): "Acoustic horns are tapered tubular structures that act as waveguides and have been widely used by humans to increase amplification and directionality of sounds [19]. There are two types of horn: speaking and hearing; the former amplify outgoing sounds, from the narrow end to the wide end of the horn, whereas the latter amplify sounds in the opposite direction. Speaking horns increase sound volume because they match the acoustic impedance of outgoing sounds to the surrounding air [20], and hearing horns amplify sounds when waves are reflected into a progressively narrower area, thereby increasing the sound pressure that reaches the ear [21,22]. In addition, both types of horn aid in acoustic communication because they increase sound directionality [20]. Two major drawbacks of horns are that they cause significant sound distortion [23] and that not all frequencies are equally amplified
I really enjoy his passion for his topic. I have owned a pair of Klipsch RF7'S for years now and I love, love love them!!! Klipsch is an awesome company, in that they have great speakers for every budget.
Steve, I rarely listened to horn speakers, but this video reminds me of how they sound to my ears (despite some people say they're shouty): lively, unrestrained, enjoyable.
I have begun to wonder if people hear differently. Look at the polar opposite comments on this post. I am a 35 year audiophile, and speaker designer/builder and I cringe when I hear a horn driver. I was at a local retailer this past weekend and happened to have a salesperson start up the soundboard on the new Klipsch monitors and center channel before I could tell him I was not interested..........I winced and cringed when he turned it up to perhaps 80 decibles. Horns not only "sound" bad to me with the plastic wave guids, but are shrill in an offensive way to my ears. Could it be that there are some who just don't/can't hear this?
The Shootin' Dutchman I really think it’s in your head mostly. In the past Klipsch has made some “shrilly” speakers and lots of audiophiles bash horns. People get something in their head and it affects the perception. I bet if you were to do a blind test with some newer Klipsch like the ones Steve is reviewing, you would be shocked.
"SSSSS" sounds can be a little harsh yeah, sibilance. else its mostly fine. Other speakers can sound a little boring. I think the newer models with the different horn design solves this for the most part. It's the plastic in the horn that's vibrating with the frequency of the sound.
The Shootin' Dutchman Of course everyone hears differently. I hear some speakers which are considered top of the line and can’t stand them. Btw I have had my hearing checked and I have all my freq and hear like a 15 year old. We all have different tastes in what we like so just go with what your ears like. Trust them. I recently heard a few Dynaudio floor standers and they hurt my ears. Harsh mids and highs. Go figure. I didn’t like KEFs either. Thought their bass was indistinct and muddy. Loved the soundstage though. Everyone has different taste.
Horns can definitely be harsh, but the rf7 iii and rc64iii dont have that harshness since theyre larger horns. I am curious which speakers you were listening to
Don’t have to think about horn loaded speakers Steve cause I’m listening to them. Klipschorns, to my ears the finest speakers I’ve auditioned/owned. Surprised you’ve not opined on them, perhaps I just missed it? Anyway they are not wife approved, my bride saying they look like walnut refrigerators, be warned.
I'm glad to hear you say that Steve. I'm just getting into 2 channel audio again after years of soul crushing music performance of 5.1 surround receivers. I started watching reviews from Zeos, got some RP 150 Ms for my desk, with a Teac DAC/amp and I'm loving it. I dug out my old Kenwood Integrated Amp(125wpc) and grabbed a Dragonfly Black as a line out for FLACs and Spotify premium. The SQ of the Dragonfly using USB Audio Player Pro was enlightening, it made me dig deep into Windows at my desk to optimize for fidelity. Of course I started watching You Steve and Zero Fidelity and the next thing I know I'm way up in budget and looking at audiophile gear. It struck me when looking at increasingly expensive options, that all I had wanted a big class AB amp, that weighs a ton and sounds like it. So..good to hear that you enjoyed the Klipsch, I do too. I think I just want a nice, big, heavy integrated (I really want to hear the Outlaw you reviewed, and possibly some Heritage Klipsch or possibly 'actual' heritage, vintage Klipsch. I may just run the Kenwood for the time being, it's powerful and I don't know what I'm missing with a better amp, yet. I even eyed some used Cerwin Vega D9s, but I think I'd need dedicated amplification beyond what I was considering.
@@tubecollector100 it was just a cheap solution that allows me to play FLAC and streaming to analog and will eventually be relegated to strictly portable use. I think my gaming PC has too much noise or interference to use as a streaming source. I'll be adding a dedicated DAC when my system is in place.
@@BigFarm_ah365 i use a bigger power supply for my elitebook 8740w , it has 230 watt of clean power, and this step reduced a lot of noise to the usb dac that i now use , all my music now goes to the laptop , no more cd player or lp cleaning needed :) also a lot of youtube music souds very good, depending on the uploaded quality . but always listen to the quality of the dac before buying .. , i wasted money on several dacs .... and no ,i am no fan of the audioquest black , a tda1540 dac sound much more realistic and more live.
40 years ago I had a pair of Electrovoice Sentry 3b speakers. There was a huge midrange horn and a high frequency horn. The woofer was 15 inches. There was an optional equalizer that you placed online with the power amp that gave a low frequency -3dB point of 27 Hz. I had to sell them 14 years later do to a job change and a smaller house. Think 40 inch cubes. I heard them at a recording studio and had to have a pair. It was $1900 for a pair. Everything now is an 8 inch woofer max, with efficiencies of 89 dB per watt. Nothing comes close. JBL has some speakers like you mentioned, but they are out of sight in cost. Glad I was able to enjoy them while I was young and had good hearing.
I installed some Pyle horn speakers to a 100 watt amp and with the 300 watt active subwoofer, my TV sounds amazing! I too will campaign for the horn speakers!
Those are not horn speakers. They are just regular speakers with a horn in front of the tweeter. As a minimum a horn speaker is backloaded full range or over a large part of the range. Also one thing you fail to mention is the problem with directivity. Something that affects all speakers but high frequency horns especially.
Helge Frisenette no those are not horn speakers as you point out. What is the purpose of the horn in that arrangement? I still remember my friends old Klipsch horns and being impressed with their sound (to some extent). If anything this makes me want to get a pair of huge something like Altec Lansing theater speakers that are voluminous or perhaps some monster Klipsch. Bookshelf speakers are so, bookshelfy. Take a bookshelfy picture with your shelfy speakers. Anyway.
SMOG put on a pair of headphones then. Very directive speakers never sounded good. It’s an old pseudoscientific engineer-mentality falsehood totally eschewing psychoacoustic knowledge of how we perceive sound.
A horn is a divergent duct. It trades velocity for pressure. Vented or not , a divergent duct is a compression horn. The shapes and changes you see still are technically a horn or waveguide. By this definition a KEF LS-50 is also a waveguide , the woofer acting as a single plane point source.
Steve, horns provide the prolonged "aftersound" on frequencies they resonate. It sounds "juicier" than true high fidelity and resembles how cassette tapes sounded, as they also had prolonged lagged high frequencies for the reasons of recording physics plus pre/de-emphasis aftermath. AMTs' and electrostatics deliver much clearer highs than horns. The keyword is clearer, meaning deeper detail, not as much jingling, but clearer.
I have old, low watt, rebuilt tube power amps and was frequently tweaking them until I got a pair of Klipsch Forte 2 speakers. 12" woofer, 15" rear passive, horn mids and tweets. I upgraded the tweet diaphragms with Crites (effectively making a Forte 2 into a Forte 3) about 3 years ago and haven't tweaked since.
@@1mctous my sister has my original Heresy's circa 1976. What Steve's video made me recall was when me and my fellow gear heads started to drift towards the Klipsch Heresy's we all had 35 to 50 watt Pioneer receivers and were listening through either Advent or Dynaco A-25 speakers. And, we all thought the music sounded pretty good. Then when we switched to the Klipsch. Things were more dynamic, fuller and just plain better. (except crummy recordings) Now I'm listening to either Tekton's or Sonus Faber's and the music still sounds pretty good.
@@danmartin3183 Tektons are pretty efficient for direct radiators, so they have a good dynamic range. The Heritage Heresy IIIs and Cornwall IIIs both sound much better than the originals. They're both so efficient that even single-ended triode amps don't run out of power.
In the olden days I saved my pennies for LaScalas,loved em. Ran em with a Phase Linear 400,could literally knock pictures off the wall with that combo.
I auditioned a pair of Klipsch (can't remember the model) and found them to be shrill. After a little while with Mark Knopfler playing, they got tiring to listen to. Never experienced that with Mark or Dire Straits before. I just don't care for them. I have a 5.1 Magnepan setup, and LOVE the neutral and wide open sound. I did build a tapped-horn subwoofer though.
Just bought a NIB RP-160m set and R-12sw subwoofer. All I can say is Steve is on to something the Klipsch sound is really growing on me. I’m using a KT77 tube amp and the highs are really clean without being harsh. Bass is smooth and silky! Vocals are front and center. These things are fun to listen too! This coming from a guy who also owns a pair of Legacy Focus speakers.
My first speakers were Pioneer cs-R700, 12" woofer, 12" midrange horn, 7" horn tweeter. I had them a long time, and like all my audio adventures... they never lived up to my expectations, I always thought they were better than I ever got them to sound, and always wanted new speakers, new amp bla bla bla... Turns out I was right, they were way better than I ever got them to sound. Seems acoustics and the whole audio food chain let those speakers down. So, like EVERYTHING these days... I say this.... the lack of good acoustics is causing vast disappointment among the audio loving class. Perfectly good gear is getting scorned because of bad acoustics. I think horns just might suffer more from that (total guess) and end up with a reputation for being harsh.
