Klipsch Heresy IV Speaker Review

[mhardy6647]

Yeah, the liveliness of 'em works for some (and, as I've noted, I lived with a pair -- of Cornies -- for quite a while) -- but my problem with the Heritage Klipsches is they're just too danged aggressive (for me).

 

[Helicopter]

I wonder how many of the commenters have actually listened to a pair of Heresy IV:s?

At least 3, by my count I wonder how many have actually listened to any Heresy, Cornwall or Forte, or used a tube amp.

I have just done in room pink noise on my Heresy Birch Raws and Focal Arias and looked at Erin's charts of the IV. My Heresys are not even close to my pretty flat Focals. I can compare quasi anechoic measurements of Focal Arias and Heresy IV and infer that compared to HBRs, the IVs basically have a flat FR. Since I still like the HBRs sometimes, I know the IVs should be fine, and with the impedance and sensitivity, excellent and also way better than something like Revel Performa Be with something like a 2A3 tube amp, probably with my 845 amp too. Also better with Loxjie A30, or a Marantz 2216 listening to loud music, action movies, etc.

Yeah iLoud MTM or Genelec in nearfield will be better if you want to try and see if you can hear street noise outside the studio on your FLAC file. Some Focal Clear headphones better still. OK.

 

[hardisj]

FWIW, I'll be partaking in a livestream with Daily Hi-Fi (Joe n Tell and a couple others). No specific talking agenda... I'm sure we will discuss my channel and website and my goals. And I'm sure this speaker will come up. But regardless it should be a fun time.

If you guys wanna join the live stream and watch and/or ask questions here is the YouTube link. Hope to see some of you there!

 

[Angsty]

At least 3, by my count I wonder how many have actually listened to any Heresy, Cornwall or Forte, or used a tube amp.

The Forte’s are also notable for their very low distortion, as well as high sensitivity. I’d be willing to give them a shot as they have also been widely positively reviewed.

An example from Julian Hirsch:
http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/klipsch-forte-168.html

 

[hardisj]

One of the reasons why I requested the phase and group delay plots (which I'm sure that you've got with your saved measurements) is to see the sources of this step response behavior. The phase and group delay plots (particularly excess group delay) will show you the places where you can use a DSP crossover to bypass the passive network, and take out the time delays of the midrange horn vs. the woofer and tweeter.

I'll still offering to contribute to your cause if you include these two plots in your measurements of loudspeakers.

Chris

I PM'd you but posting here as well. These are from my 4pi (gated) measurements. Speaker about 6 feet off the ground. IR attached so you can see the window region. PayPal is: [email protected]. Hope this helps.

 

[Helicopter]

The Forte’s are also notable for their very low distortion, as well as high sensitivity. I’d be willing to give them a shot as they have also been widely positively reviewed.

An example from Julian Hirsch:
http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/klipsch-forte-168.html

I wish they were still $1100. WAF was, if you build another addition... By the time my hobby budget has room for speakers, she wont care though.

I would probably be more interested in Cornwall IV than anything else Klipsch.

Tonight I hooked up my new Schiit Freya S and made.some new speaker cables. Now I can listen to my 845 tube amp with Klipsch speakers, my Loxjie A30 with the Focal speakers, and another amp with in wall speakers, without unplugging anything. It is also running through my Schiit Heresy and Magnius headphone amps.

 

[restorer-john]

I wish they were still $1100. WAF was, if you build another addition... By the time my hobby budget has room for speakers, she wont care though.

I would probably be more interested in Cornwall IV than anything else Klipsch.

Tonight I hooked up my new Schiit Freya S and made.some new speaker cables. Now I can listen to my 845 tube amp with Klipsch speakers, my Loxjie A30 with the Focal speakers, and another amp with in wall speakers, without unplugging anything. It is also running through my Schiit Heresy and Magnius headphone amps.

View attachment 96408

What are you running off the variac or is it just an expensive light dimmer?

 

[hardisj]

Schiit Heresy

Sounds about right.



(kidding!)

 

[Helicopter]

What are you running off the variac or is it just and expensive light dimmer?

I have the tube amp at 110V for no good reason. It should be fine with all US voltages and I have an excellent 120V +/- 0.25% or so, but I bought the variac and dialed in the plate current with it before I heard back from the amp manufacturer about the input voltage... It is marked 110V.

The lights, I just wired in series.

 

[terasankka]

@hardisj I am still calling you out on measuring your DIY horn speakers , as you subjectively called them the "good horn speakers". I understand that a speaker that was initially designed in 1958 and has been in the markets ever since does not measure to the 2020 standards, but you subjectively said that your DIY horn speakers are great - so it would be interesting to see how those measure as you used them as the subjective reference.

 

[Helicopter]

@hardisj I am still calling you out on measuring your DIY horn speakers , as you subjectively called them the "good horn speakers". I understand that a speaker that was initially designed in 1958 and has been in the markets ever since does not measure to the 2020 standards, but you subjectively said that your DIY horn speakers are great - so it would be interesting to see how those measure as you used them as the subjective reference.

Or maybe something Like this JBL PRX412M if you don't want to tear up your home theater. SRX835 if your really want to see excellent performance... oh no, now I am wondering about the impedance curve on these and how they would behave with a 22W tube amp.

 

[hardisj]

@hardisj I am still calling you out on measuring your DIY horn speakers , as you subjectively called them the "good horn speakers". I understand that a speaker that was initially designed in 1958 and has been in the markets ever since does not measure to the 2020 standards, but you subjectively said that your DIY horn speakers are great - so it would be interesting to see how those measure as you used them as the subjective reference.

That ain't gonna happen. Like I mentioned previously, they are part of a baffle wall in my HT. I'd have to deconstruct that bad boy to get the speakers out of there. Noooo way. Not until I move.

I looked for the data from when I was rocking the BMS 5-inch coaxial in my car (that was FUN and won sound-off competitions) but I couldn't dig it up. It was EQ'd all to heck anyway just to get the car effects out of the equation.

Personally, I'd like to know of more high sensitivity options. The JBL L100 seems like one. The JBL Synthesis stuff is something I would love to test. But I don't know anyone with them to let me borrow like I did/do with these Klipsch speakers.

 

[Ericglo]

Personally, I'd like to know of more high sensitivity options. The JBL L100 seems like one. The JBL Synthesis stuff is something I would love to test. But I don't know anyone with them to let me borrow like I did/do with these Klipsch speakers.

You might want to ask in the big JBL thread over on AVS.

 

[Morla]

Wow what an uproar

I wished you took the Klipsche Forté Ⅲ as I have a pair of them.. wonder if they would have gotten "better" results but never did I believe those speakers were acurate. That's what my adam boxes are for.

Thank you for sharing your results with us. Ignore the haters life is too short

P.S. maybe I should upgrade to JBL 4349

 

[terasankka]

That ain't gonna happen. Like I mentioned previously, they are part of a baffle wall in my HT. I'd have to deconstruct that bad boy to get the speakers out of there. Noooo way. Not until I move.
.

can”t you just do the same measurements you did for the heresy in your HT room? Not the whole suite of measurements. Ie. Just the ones where you do not need to move them. Even the frequency response would be interesting.

 

[Helicopter]

can”t you just do the same measurements you did for the heresy in your HT room? Not the whole suite of measurements. Ie. Just the ones where you do not need to move them. Even the frequency response would be interesting.

Some pink noise in the room would be interesting, but if the speakers are good, it might show 85% room and 15% speakers or something like that.

 

[hardisj]

I wished you took the Klipsche Forté Ⅲ

Well, here's the thing... I'd like to keep testing Klipsch speakers but I have a feeling they all perform similarly wrt their target audience. And that target audience isn't me. And if it is as I expect, I'll be labeled a Klipsch hater. I have had my eye on The Fives from them as it seems the response is probably more linear (thanks to a review Joe n Tell published a few months ago) but the potential stress that goes along with it.... I dunno if I want to deal with that anytime soon. Maybe in a few months after I have had the chance to recover from the beating I'm taking from (some) Klipsch fans. It's kind of ridiculous how people react to a review and then they say "oh, it's subjective anyway, it doesn't matter what you say". Seems hypocritical to spend time being hateful if it ultimately doesn't matter what someone else thinks.

I did get a kick out of one fellow who said I was just trying to stir up drama for youtube reviews. I get about $0.02 per view. I have probably 30+ hours in this whole thing as it sits. So, let's do the math... if I paid myself $5/hour for this review I would need 7500 views. I'm at 1k. I'm paying myself far less than minimum wage. LOL. It isn't "worth" it. I do this for the passion. Not for the money. If it were the latter, I'd be presenting things in an entirely different way and would look like just another YT reviewer. People. Ughhhhh.

 

[hardisj]

can”t you just do the same measurements you did for the heresy in your HT room? Not the whole suite of measurements. Ie. Just the ones where you do not need to move them. Even the frequency response would be interesting.

I guess. But as said above, it wouldn't be SPIN data like you asked. And they've been tailored for the baffle wall. So there is already EQ implemented. It wouldn't be an apples-to-apples comparison. This is a spec sheet for the CD I use. JBL provides a couple FR's there. The rane RPM88 has a horn-eq setting that I have tailored to shelve the midrange to help bring the tweeter more in line. Truth be told, I could use a horned tweeter but that's another 3 amplifier channels and I don't have the space on my DSP for that, either.

FWIW, I never said my HT was "reference". In fact, throughout the internet I have said it isn't reference. But it's enjoyable for HT.

 

[hardisj]

I’m gonna take a leave of absence from this topic for a bit. I’ve got a headache over this speaker and need to take a break for my sanity. LOL. Been spending too much time thinking and talking about this speaker and not enough with my kiddo. Thanks for the support fellas. It’s appreciated.

 

[Morla]

.. I dunno if I want to deal with that anytime soon.

I am convinced the overwhelming majority of those ppl lack a fulfilling life. They should at least honor the effort regardless of the results they might dislike instead of acting "subjectively" as if someone piss** on their toy. Which you clearly did not.