Klipsch Heresy IV Speaker Review

[Panelhead]

That is not what I normally see. But does not look bad. Usually there are step changes around the crossover points.

 

[terasankka]

"...the Klipsch Heresy IV delivered an incredibly rich sound. We were able to hear a plethora of details that we hadn’t before noticed with this album, even though we had listened to it many times. The various notes played on the acoustic guitar were delivered in a very natural manner and with great clarity."

They do play really nice Rock, Jazz and Live music, as I said I listen to them more than my Genelec speakers that measure WAY better. I read that also and had to play that Unplugged by Clapton record and does sound really good. I am also guitarist and I have to agree the acoustic guitar sounds great.

For reference I also have Sennheiser HD600 for "neutral well measuring sound" and old Mirage M3si speakers to compare. The Heresy IV are speakers that make some music sound quite good and "fun" and for some music they are not that good.

 

[dougi]

Or Wharfedale Linton:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/wharfedale-linton-heritage-loudspeaker-measurements

Higher sensitivity and better measuring than the Harbeth:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/harbeth-super-hl5plus-loudspeaker-measurements

And I like the looks a lot more (lots like a modern version of a vintage speaker, rather than truly looking vintage).

I did some brief comparitive measurements of my Linton's in another thread here:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...e-85th-anniversary-edition.15556/#post-575076

 

[CMB]

Hello and thank you for all this helpful and detailed work,

While I only understand a very few of the measurements, I am quite a bit disappointed by the results.
I was seriously considering those with maybe a pair of subs to be driven by my Line Magnetic 845 tube amp.
Now, I am seriously reconsidering

In Germany... one of the 3 most common and established Hifi Magazins had rated the Heresy IV (in March) extremely good with nice 98 points.
Which is quite high, compared to a few chosen examples here below :
- B&W 800 d3 109 points
- KII Audio Three (top in class "compact") 104 points
- Revel Performa F-206 97 points
- B&W 805 d3 96 points
- Genelec 8240 apm 90 points
- KEF LS50 Wireless 87 points

Would you say that most of the flaws could be smoothed by a little EQ, as I am using room correction anyway (Dirac Studio Live) and/or the EQ of the RME ADI DAC? Would it make then a decent Hifi speaker then?

Would you guess that the Forte 3 could measure a slightly better or basically the same with a bit lower bass?

Thanks in advance.

 

[terasankka]

Just listen to them with all your favourite music and decide. Subwoofer is a good addition though. I tried to adjust the EQ in Roon with 2-3db subtractions and lifts according to the measurement in this test, but I think my room acoustics matter more, so I actually sounded worse. I think the right way would be to do the measurements of my own room and then apply EQ.

 

[CMB]

Hi Terasankka - thanks for your reply.
Sounds like a good idea to measure it in your room .
Let me know if you think that after measuring and EQ you think it sounds better

 

[Helicopter]

You can also try putting them near the wall or corner to see if that boosts the bass. My Shuguang 845 amp is much better behaved with old Heresys than with Focal Aria 948s. Not sure how the LM reacts to impedance dips, but that is important for my amp. I can run the Heresys to extreme volume without a hiccup, but anything approaching loud on the Focals and I start getting swings in plate current, and tons of distortion. My 18W Loxjie A30 chip amp can run the Focals at full power because it delivers more watts at lower impedance. Point being, 845 amp is more flexible than 300b or 2A3, but speaker chioce is still important, and Heresy is an excellent electronic load for a SET amp with 4 and 8 ohm taps. Yes, you can listen to lots of speakers with 845s, but this one will give you full on dance party, action movie, or Karl Richter / Bach volume, which is a tremendous advantage. The Focal speakers sound better however, and my old Heresys have much worse objective performance than the IVs.

Most of the FR curve is reasonably within the 3dB band, so EQ should make a big difference. Dirac should do even more. If I had decided on an 845 amp with Dirac, Heresy IV would be a pretty good choice I should think. Cornwalls might be better, but at twice the price, not as pretty, and no Klippel measurements.

 

[Speaker-Inquisitor]

In Germany... one of the 3 most common and established Hifi Magazins had rated the Heresy IV (in March) extremely good with nice 98 points.
Which is quite high, compared to a few chosen examples here below :
- B&W 800 d3 109 points
- KII Audio Three (top in class "compact") 104 points
- Revel Performa F-206 97 points
- B&W 805 d3 96 points
- Genelec 8240 apm 90 points
- KEF LS50 Wireless 87 points

In every issue of Audio or Stereoplay are large advertisements for Klipsch. Nobody bites the hand who feeds him or her.

 

[andreasmaaan]

In Germany... one of the 3 most common and established Hifi Magazins had rated the Heresy IV (in March) extremely good with nice 98 points.
Which is quite high, compared to a few chosen examples here below :
- B&W 800 d3 109 points
- KII Audio Three (top in class "compact") 104 points
- Revel Performa F-206 97 points
- B&W 805 d3 96 points
- Genelec 8240 apm 90 points
- KEF LS50 Wireless 87 points

I love how these magazines give speakers these extremely specific numerical ratings based entirely upon a single, sighted, subjective review.

Like: "Revel Performa F206, precisely 1/109th better than B&W 805D. Exactly!"

 

[CMB]

I love how these magazines give speakers these extremely specific numerical ratings based entirely upon a single, sighted, subjective review. Like: "Revel Performa F206, precisely 1/109th better than B&W 805D. Exactly!"

=> you made me so laughing; Yes totally right, and probably I will feel terribly ashamed not buying speakers that are in the top ten ranking :-(

That is why this site here is so precious

@ Helicopter, glad you came across with your experience 845/Heresy . No place for Cornwall though
Thank you so much for your kind advice.

 

[Steve Dallas]

Hello and thank you for all this helpful and detailed work,

While I only understand a very few of the measurements, I am quite a bit disappointed by the results.
I was seriously considering those with maybe a pair of subs to be driven by my Line Magnetic 845 tube amp.
Now, I am seriously reconsidering

In Germany... one of the 3 most common and established Hifi Magazins had rated the Heresy IV (in March) extremely good with nice 98 points.
Which is quite high, compared to a few chosen examples here below :
- B&W 800 d3 109 points
- KII Audio Three (top in class "compact") 104 points
- Revel Performa F-206 97 points
- B&W 805 d3 96 points
- Genelec 8240 apm 90 points
- KEF LS50 Wireless 87 points

Would you say that most of the flaws could be smoothed by a little EQ, as I am using room correction anyway (Dirac Studio Live) and/or the EQ of the RME ADI DAC? Would it make then a decent Hifi speaker then?

Would you guess that the Forte 3 could measure a slightly better or basically the same with a bit lower bass?

Thanks in advance.

Please excuse me for being blunt.

The measurements describe a tragedy of speaker design that should not exist beyond 1975--especially not at this price point.

That list completely destroys the credibility of that HiFi magazine. Heresy IVs are fun speakers, but they are completely outclassed by everything on that list for critical listening--especially the Revel, Gelelec, and KEF. Unless you want a loud, rockin' party speaker, strike the Heresy off your short list. You can't fully fix them with EQ. They do their thing, which works on some music, but they do only that thing and are not at all versatile.

(EQing these is difficult for at least 2 reasons: 1. You cannot EQ the directivity errors into submission, because they usually compound and sound just as bad or worse with EQ; 2. Pulling down all that treble to be seamless with the bass reduces their output, making them less efficient, which defeats your intended purpose.)

The Forte 3 will be more of the same with slightly better bass.

I get that you are using a tube amp and need a sensitive speaker, but I would pass on Klipsch as a brand if you are looking for a balanced speaker for critical listening.

This chart needs impedance and sensitivity added, but take a look at it, sort by preference score (or preference score with sub), and look at speakers scoring >= 4.5. Something will have high sensitivity and work well with your tube amp.

The scoring system isn't perfect, but it is objective and based on measurements, rather than someone's personal opinion in a given moment on a given day.

 

[terasankka]

Please excuse me for being blunt.

The measurements describe a tragedy of speaker design that should not exist beyond 1975--especially not at this price point.

Totally agree with you assessment. The concept and the form factor for heresy was designed in 1958 (it was initially meant to be a center channel speaker for the Klipsch-horns) and it is definately not for critical listening in 2020. I do my mixing and mastering on my Genelecs, but when I want to have fun while listening Music I usually fire up the Heresy IV:s. 80% of the time they are super fun and pleasing to listen, but then there are those 80s "vinyl to CD" mixes that are annoyingly bright that definitely do not sound nice on Heresys.

 

[hardisj]

Someone shared this in the Klipsch forum and I’m already taking a beating. Apparently I’m a novice, my measurements are questionable and I don’t know what to listen for. People get downright defensive over this stuff. Like it’s life or death. It’s not my fault I didn’t like the way the speaker sounded. Its not my fault the measurements indicate mediocrity on a $3k/pair speaker. That’s Klipsch’s issue. If they deem that this sound is what their customer wants then that’s fine. But it’s evident to anyone with ears that they have a very different sound to them that is not intended - nor can be mistaken - for “accurate”. This isn't rocket science (I would know).

So, to those of you from the Klipsch forum reading this thread, let me clear up a few things that you guys are saying (assuming) about me because I won't do this more than once:

• I love horns. Have them in my home theater. JBL Pro speakers with horns half as big as this overall speaker height. DIY'd cabs with 15-inch mid/woofers. Sensitivity >98dB (legit; no Klipsch numbers). Ran actively via a Rane RPM88 and a stack of Crown amplifiers. Additionally, I ran BMS speakers (go look them up, they're top flight pro-audio most haven't even heard of) in my car for a few years. Along with 10-inch midbass in the kicks and 15-inch subwoofers. And it won sound-off competitions.
• I have a lot of experience measuring speakers. I am a beta tester for Klippel. They don't just give that status to anyone.
• I am meticulous when it comes to measurements. I take literal days to measure speakers. I don't have a NFS or anechoic chamber but my results are comparable with those and provide high resolution down to 20Hz increments (better than quasi-anechoic measurements). Your favorite audiophile magazine is doing it wrong. I promise you. And I have proved it numerous times in this forum.
• I listen first. I never measure first. Measurements don't influence me. In nearly every case I can think of, the measurements align with my subjective impressions almost 100%. I may misinterpret things or be off by 1/3-octave (still good enough to get a good score in SoundGym training software) but it's pretty telling and to the point that I could practically trust the measurements "blindly".
• If I wanted to shill these speakers I could do that. I could probably make a lot of money off Amazon affiliate links doing that as well. But then I'd be just another person on YouTube without a conscience or without a legitimate understanding of how we hear what we hear.
• I name specific frequencies I hear. I don't just say "midrange" and hope for the best or hope that no one calls me out on it.
• The data is my accountability token. If I get something wrong, then I can look at the data and get an understanding of what I misinterpreted. And so can you.

If you have a problem with the data then take it up with Klipsch. If you have a problem with what I heard then take it up with Klipsch. This speaker is a niche speaker with a niche sound. It's not an accurate speaker. It really is that simple. And I don't see how anyone can think that. Seriously. That's not a joke or a crack at others. That's a legitimate concern I have about this whole "audiophile" review community. Shedding light on them is gonna ruffle a lot of feathers. But if the end result is we are all wiser, we get better sound and reviewers quit causing us to spend money on something that isn't what we will get (like they did the guy who loaned this speaker to me for test, seriously) then we'd all be in a better place.

Hopefully that clears some things up.

- Erin


Here's an "in progress" picture of my HT when I was building the false wall to hide my speakers behind the screen. This obviously isn't the "final" picture. Things were shifted a bit, some clean-up of the foam... the usual. Everything is now covered in black grille cloth. See? I like horn speakers.

 

[hardisj]

added a few pictures to the review on my site



Inside the cabinet, looking up toward the midrange and tweeter compression drivers. Note the extensive use of foam padding in the top half.

Inside the cabinet, looking toward the port. Notice there is little acoustic treatment here (some on the backwall and a small portion on the right side-wall):

Close-up of the crossover:

 

[Southall-1998]

Do they have internal mdf bracing?

S.

 

[terasankka]

As a Heresy IV owner, I do not understand why someone is getting mad about this. If I want well measuring speakers for critical listening (mixing, mastering, etc.) I get large Genelec monitors. If someone thinks that a speaker that was initially designed in 1959 will "measure well" to 2020 standards he is delusional. Heresy IVs are fun speakers and they have the Klipsch sound, if you like it.... Great! if you do not look somewhere else. I love them most of the time. They are in our living room and look great and sound really nice on most music to our ear.

 

[terasankka]

@hardisj have you measured your home theatre JBLs? It would be interesting to see those measurements.

 

[hardisj]

@hardisj have you measured your home theatre JBLs? It would be interesting to see those measurements.

Not in any anechoic sense.

 

[terasankka]

Not in any anechoic sense.

Please do measure them, as you state those as good horn speakers, so it would be great to see how they compare to Heresy IVs.

 

[hardisj]

Please do measure them, as you state those as good horn speakers, so it would be great to see how they compare to Heresy IVs.

They're DIY'd based on measurements from years back that I lost when my old computer crashed (also taking all my old website's test data with it). I would have to lug them downstairs to measure. On top of that, they're built in to a false wall so I would have to do some deconstructing to get them out. Won't be doing that anytime soon... if ever. The only plans I have for removing them would be if I were changing gear. More important things to do and speakers to test.

They're JBL 2446j CDs on 2380A horn bodies. The RPM88 was used to flatten out the horn flare to match the top end rolloff. The woofer is JBL 2035HPL in a 4 cuft cab and tuned to about 50-60Hz (somewhere in the region, IIRC). They're not critical listening speakers (I prefer wider directivity profile) but they're awesome for a home theater and get stooooopid loud.