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Klipsch Heresy IV Speaker Review

Helicopter

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I have heard Klipsch speakers on a number of occasions, they are right up there amongst my least favourite, vying with single driver/whizzer cones.
Keith
Uh oh. I have never heard a wizzer, but I think I bought some of those reproduction BOFU drivers from Parts Express a while back to try. Maybe I will start with MDF instead of the good Columbia Forest Products veneer core I usually use.
 

cistercian

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What about the passive JBL XR835 speakers that @cistercian uses? Not only are they much better party and tube amp speakers(8ohm, 95dB efficiency, with 22dB more max output than the Heresy IV), but they also measure much better, and are $400 cheaper to boot :). Only downside would be the looks, though I personally think they look better:p(can't stand the vintage wood look, I'm weird, I know ;)).

The SRX835 is an epic 3 way. 15 inch dual voice coil LF driver assures actual bass. Ideal for live sound levels at home!
I drive my pair with a XLS 2502 amp. The combination does what I wanted to and even sounds wonderful at normal and
sane listening levels. I am still surprised at how nice these speakers sound. I love the industrial/pro look too!
They get :eek: loud.
 

avanti1960

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Most of those tube guys believe they are characteristically "warm," which works well with overly bright horns. But they have never seen a FR plot of a tube amp. The tubes themselves are capable of very high bandwidth. The output transformers typically serve as the terminal FR filter for the output stage. Couple that with any RC filters upstream, and you arrive at your final FR. Most designers of Hi-Fi tube amps minimize RC filters (and even DC decoupling stages where possible) and use high bandwidth output transformers with minimal negative feedback. Example. The result is a flat FR from ~30Hz to >20KHz at steady state, constant load operation. So, not warm. At all. High frequency can and does roll off, depending on the reactive load seen by the output stage at any given time, but the roll-off is typically above 15KHz, where adults have diminished hearing. Compare that to the PIR graph, and you will see little impact in terms of "warmth". There are significant problems well below that F.

What they are hearing as "warmth" is progressive harmonic "soft clipping," "even order" distortion and related undertones / overtones.

From a high fidelity point of view, such amplification is flawed and outdated. It is fine to like the tactile feel, heat, pretty glowing glass, nostalgia, physical rituals, etc. of tube amplification (and turntables for that matter), but to believe tubes are the epitome of fidelity is magical thinking. I like tube amps, but I am intellectually honest about why.

Back to the Heresy IV... One of my best friends owns a pair. He has them in a small room positioned 1' from the front wall and 2' from the side walls. His electronics are SOTA: Matrix and Benchmark. (<-- Rut Roh!) I have spent quality time with them. I kind of like that they always have a live music-like presentation thanks to their horny PA speaker-like character and resonances. They are definitely "forward" sounding. They definitely also have a notchy response. I didn't notice them as being terribly bass shy, except in the sub bass frequencies, but he does have them positioned for maximum room mode exploitation. I could have a pair as a second pair of "fun" speakers, but could not live with them as a "reference" pair.

But I don't begrudge anyone else for liking or even loving them. Different strokes for different folks and all that.
bravo and well said. not all tube guys cite roll off and warmth, the best of them are neutral and linear.
what i like about them is their sense of transparency and refinement that good ones present, not to mention sound stage.
they sound polished and natural compared to even the best solid state amps.
 

mhardy6647

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I have heard Klipsch speakers on a number of occasions, they are right up there amongst my least favourite, vying with single driver/whizzer cones.
Keith
Heh -- I've still got a few (OK... more than a few) "full range" (extended range) drivers with whizzers here -- but zero Klipsch any more. Draw your own conclusions. :cool:

Some of the whizzered drivers I (still) like quite a bit, as some of them "get the midrange right". Some of them, though, are tizzy and shouty :(

DSC_5663 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(dang, I wish that room was still that uncluttered!)

DSCN5289 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

So I will take one more potshot at (Heritage) Klipsch, and then I'll go back to lurking in this thread. If one spends quality time on the Klipsch fora (and I did, back in the years when I was trying to drag my Cornwalls around to the level of performance I wanted), one realizes that virtually all true devotees have modified their heritage Klipsch loudspeakers to the point that... well... they're not really Klispch any more.

In the specific case of the Cornwalls, perusal of the forums one will find admonitions to replace the MR and HF drivers, horns, crossover components (and or redesign the crossovers completely), add bracing to the boxes, add/change the internal "stuffing", and to re-size the "ports" (vents). There is a whole cottage industry of vendors to help one do these makovers.

Like the old folk tale known as "Stone Soup" or "Nail Broth", the end result bears little resemblance to the starting point. I have long been amused by this. :)

("Nail Broth" as recounted by Danny Kaye -- a favorite story LP from my childhood :) )
 
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hardisj

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A bit off-topic but does anyone here have a SEOS designed speaker they'd like to see tested? Shipping one would be a major PITA but if you're within a couple hours of Huntsville, Alabama maybe we can work something out. There are a few designs from DIYSG (particularly the HTM-12) that might be worthwhile to review. I reached out to Erich there but it looks like he's out of stock on the kit.

anyone.gif
 
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peanuts

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i dont understand the business of diysg, iv been lurking there for years and they almost never have anything in stock.
 

Steve Dallas

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Excellent post. I feel exactly the same way about the gear you mention. I had to measure. I've got my HBR 10" from front wall and 25" from side wall. I would love to try Cornwalls or Heresy IVs, but not right now at MSRP. Completely agree speakers like this are best as a fun second pair. I chuckle that your friend is running them with SOTA electronics, but that's fine too if it is bringing joy.

We all chuckle at this! He has family ties to Klipsch. He was in the process of collecting SOTA electronics and auditioning smaller, fairly high end speakers (Wilson, Focal, Revel, Dynaudio, etc.) for a smallish room. Family got wind of it, and a pair of Heresy IVs showed up on his doorstep. He is still considering other speakers for a reference pair, but he now has to wait a while...
 
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hardisj

hardisj

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i dont understand the business of diysg, iv been lurking there for years and they almost never have anything in stock.

It's not really a business, per se. Not unless things have changed. I'm sure Erich makes a little money just for his troubles. But the dude does a LOT... so I'd hope he's not doing it all without at least making lunch money from it.

Anyway, if someone here can help with my question that would be cool. Just throwing it out there to see what sticks. :)
 

Head_Unit

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Wharfedale Linton:
Oh I love those things, if I didn't say so here already. Listened for like an hour and a half at Audio Element, a wide variety of stuff, all good. And the matching stands are so retro cool, and the total price very reasonable
 

dougi

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Oh I love those things, if I didn't say so here already. Listened for like an hour and a half at Audio Element, a wide variety of stuff, all good. And the matching stands are so retro cool, and the total price very reasonable
Yeah, affordable retro that looks great and sounds good. I've had a pair for a few weeks now and really enjoying them. Flatter and more extended at the low end than my Proac D2s which I have now sold. With a bit of a house curve, not even using my sub for music any more. Heresy!
 

anmpr1

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The current company is not the same as the historical company. Even back in the day they were a niche product, because of cost and size. Klipsch speakers (the classic line) were always expensive, relative to the usual thing, and always large relative to typical box speakers. You had to arrange your living room around the speakers. Unlike AR (et al.) which could be placed inconspicuously.

As far as support? When Paul was running the show, if you wrote him he'd likely respond. You might not have agreed with what he said, but he'd respond to honest questions. He was open with his specs and design criteria. He was active in the audio community (AES, and the consumer press).

No one buys 'classic' Klipsch speakers because they are 'accurate' in the modern sense. That would be a mistake. One buys because it's what is liked, perhaps out of a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps like the guy with the '59 Cadillac convertible in his garage.

One point--a tube amp may not be what you want with sensitive horn speakers, because of amplifier noise. But then again, when they were designed, tubes were all there were. Paul himself transitioned to solid state amplification because of the low noise factor. The availability of high powered SS amplification spelled the end of high efficiency, large form-factor horn speakers--at least at the popular consumer level.
 

xarkkon

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Some stuff said to me here that should have gotten people banned. Even according to the regulars.

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/klipsch-heresy-iv-objective-speaker-review.1028801/
dude, most of the comments there were pretty complimentary of your efforts. even where the commenter disagrees with the outcome (which is their right), they do so in a respectful manner and even appreciate your work.

I'm guessing you've probably been on edge for quite a bit (understandably) and are taking it harder than you have to. i did think that some of your responses to them was a little more defensive than you needed to be. take a break from us forumers and come back fresher! :)
 

terasankka

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I read the whole Steve Hoffman thread and I have to agree... I did not see anything worse there that we have in this thread. But this made my laugh. :D

Comment: Heresy IV:s are great for RocknRoll!

Reply: You’re going to need to back that up with some measurements

Reply: O.k. - They will at LEAST go to 11.

:D :D
 
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hardisj

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dude, most of the comments there were pretty complimentary of your efforts. even where the commenter disagrees with the outcome (which is their right), they do so in a respectful manner and even appreciate your work.

I'm guessing you've probably been on edge for quite a bit (understandably) and are taking it harder than you have to. i did think that some of your responses to them was a little more defensive than you needed to be. take a break from us forumers and come back fresher! :)

I believe a mod cleaned up the thread after I asked him to edit my OP. I went in defensively after some local FB forum drama over my testing and it set the wrong tone, which I accepted fault for. But some of the things said there were a bit out of line, and certainly not just "disagreeing respectfully".

At any rate, all is well now. No need to carry over the stuff from there here. I've moved on. We are continuing to have a civil discourse there. I won't continue worrying about it.
 
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More Dynamics Please

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Certainly a worthy goal would be to find a viable alternative to the Klipsch Heritage speakers at a similar or lower price point that measures better while satisfying the audio preferences of those who love that sound. Beyond measurements though it may require a blind test to convince those who know the best sounding speaker when they see it. :)
 

mhardy6647

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