Klipsch Heresy IV Speaker Review

[Digital_Thor]

I would skip this one, and go for a speaker with a big waveguide or horn, and just one cross-over, like for example an Abbey from Earl Geddes:
http://www.gedlee.com/Loudspeakers/Abbey.aspx
This is what JBL M2 does, and you get a much smoother and cleaner upper frequency response, while still having some volume and SPL + this is very important - you get that smooth off-axis response, that which is what we really want, to have a neutral speaker.
Klipsch's naming alone, says enough
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy
Just build your own, and have way more fun, save a lot of money and learn a ton

 

[gino1961]

i see Thank you very much for the very interesting video
I get a little upset when i see all these complications needed to fit all drivers in the box Why horns cannot be out of the cabinet i do not understand honestly
this astonishing concept should be made mandatory by law It is more than wonderful

i like to keep the horns exposed like Avantgarde speakers and other do
Still .... when I see a speaker now I wonder if the actual potential inherent in its components has really been brought out
With these Heresy I would try a bi-amplification with an electronic crossover upstream of the amplifiers
On the mid-highs even tubes could be used and on the bass a nice very powerful class D amplifier
i read that even John Curl used to adopt this solution in some old high quality PA systems in the past

 

[Digital_Thor]

Why? It is just a preference. I think they look like monsters, and find them best hidden behind some curtain at a huge stage, where people prefer to have their ears shattered to pieces by insane SPL, as they party along.... waiting for tomorrow to worry about the consequences
I've been there... and I slowly moved towards quality, rather than quantity... and as with all speakers - and everything else in life - chose your goals and compromises with an open mind and a bit self reflection

 

[gino1961]

Why? It is just a preference. I think they look like monsters, and find them best hidden behind some curtain at a huge stage, where people prefer to have their ears shattered to pieces by insane SPL, as they party along.... waiting for tomorrow to worry about the consequences
I've been there... and I slowly moved towards quality, rather than quantity... and as with all speakers - and everything else in life - chose your goals and compromises with an open mind and a bit self reflection

thanks for the advice and I apologize if I got carried away
I made the wrong comparison with PA systems because Klipsch was born as a manufacturer of PA speakers that is its DNA
here I see a speaker that looks a lot like a PA speaker with a much nicer look that even wives could approve
very very smart move

 

[Digital_Thor]

thanks for the advice and I apologize if I got carried away
I made the wrong comparison with PA systems because Klipsch was born as a manufacturer of PA speakers that is its DNA
here I see a speaker that looks a lot like a PA speaker with a look that even wives could approve

No worries - I sometimes write stuff too, when I get carried away
Yes... times change, and so does this industry. Just look at how much data we get now, since Floyd Toole helped create a measuring standard, and people like Erin and Amirm started posting objective data on a lot of speakers, that we only had semi-subjective data on - and a lot of chit-chat, that seemed to confuse more, than actually help.
Great reason to DIY. You can make it look almost like you want, within the limits of your own wallet, abilities and the compromises of the laws of nature

 

[mhardy6647]

i see Thank you very much for the very interesting video
I get a little upset when i see all these complications needed to fit all drivers in the box Why horns cannot be out of the cabinet i do not understand honestly
this astonishing concept should be made mandatory by law It is more than wonderful

View attachment 408602

i like to keep the horns exposed like Avantgarde speakers and other do
Still .... when I see a speaker now I wonder if the actual potential inherent in its components has really been brought out
With these Heresy I would try a bi-amplification with an electronic crossover upstream of the amplifiers
On the mid-highs even tubes could be used and on the bass a nice very powerful class D amplifier
i read that even John Curl used to adopt this solution in some old high quality PA systems in the past

The one problem with letting horns float as on the Altecs above is that ringy horns will ring like crazy when freed from the death grip of a baffle.
The 511B horns in @gino1961's photo are particularly bad in that regard. It is not unreasonable to bolt a large timber to 511B in such an application, or simply to drape a heavy sack of sand, potatoes, or grains atop the horns.

Full disclosure, I let my horns float, but they certainly would be deader were they better damped.

 

[gino1961]

The one problem with letting horns float as on the Altecs above is that ringy horns will ring like crazy when freed from the death grip of a baffle.
The 511B horns in @gino1961's photo are particularly bad in that regard. It is not unreasonable to bolt a large timber to 511B in such an application, or simply to drape a heavy sack of sand, potatoes, or grains atop the horns.

Hi thank you very much for this very helpful advice I was watching a video about Volti speakers I think they used metallic horns
anyway they apply sticky sheets of some sort of material to tame any resonance And they say it works nicely
they look like Automotive Butyl Rubber Sound Damping Mat the those used on the interior of car doors in car audio
i have the feeling that ANY horn could take benefit from using these panels
In the case of Avantgarde and Acapella i guess they use some kind of high density plastic/fiberglass to make the horn This could make the vibes issue less dramatic

Full disclosure, I let my horns float, but they certainly would be deader were they better damped.

very mighty speakers Sincere congratulations They must sound terrific
Imhe the best material for damping resonances is lead It is more than great Unfortunately is toxic It can be still found in very cheap sheets
the idea was to cover it with some paint to insulate it Then it can be glued and in the case of wood fixed with staples
It is like a very high density plasticine I love lead deeply
I had a pair of small and cheap bookshelves Then with a friend we added some lead on the side They become like the famous little Rogers
Again i was watching (i watch a lot) an interview with Alan Harbeth the chief designer at Harbeth loudspeaker
He was saying that the quality of the response in the midrange makes or breaks the result and the driver diaphragm material is decisive
Regarding the enclosure he was saying that the goal is to move resonances away from the midrange where the ear is more sensitive
Very very interesting review
This is just what could have happened after adding lead to the enclosure faces We were amazed by the change in the sound
More transparent more 3D More of everything For maybe 20USD of lead plus glue and staples

 

[Ludovic]

Bonjour, je me demande si des enceintes PA pourraient offrir des performances similaires à un prix bien inférieur.

For me, the Heresys are absolutely not sound speakers such as one might find at a concert.
I regularly go to rock concerts, always for the atmosphere and to see my favorite artists. But certainly not for the sound quality...
as I already mentioned, the heresy are much closer to the result of a pair of kef, than concert speakers.
Moreover, the criticism concerning the treble of the Klipsch is entirely admissible at too high volume levels.
on the other hand, the heresys send dynamics at medium volume like no other.
It's definitely more tiring than other speakers that you can get bored with for a whole day.

 

[gino1961]

For me, the Heresys are absolutely not sound speakers such as one might find at a concert.
I regularly go to rock concerts, always for the atmosphere and to see my favorite artists. But certainly not for the sound quality...
as I already mentioned, the heresy are much closer to the result of a pair of kef, than concert speakers.
Moreover, the criticism concerning the treble of the Klipsch is entirely admissible at too high volume levels.
on the other hand, the heresys send dynamics at medium volume like no other.
It's definitely more tiring than other speakers that you can get bored with for a whole day.

Hi thank you very much for your kind and valuable advice
I have a feeling that often the true potential of a speaker is not fully developed
For instance is the Heresy cabinet well designed and built against resonances ? is the xover really otpimized ? are all the wiring the xover state of the art ?
are the horns damped ? look at Volti speakers for what i mean
for instance i would have traded some less dB of sensitivity in favour of a deeper bass i.e. a more full range experience
Commercial speakers can be upgraded i mean
For this reason i would think twice before buying a very expensive speakers because after modding the resale value would collapse
Maybe even without mods ?

 

[Ludovic]

Hi thank you very much for your kind and valuable advice
I have a feeling that often the true potential of a speaker is not fully developed
For instance is the Heresy cabinet well designed and built against resonances ? is the xover really otpimized ? are all the wiring the xover state of the art ?
are the horns damped ? look at Volti speakers for what i mean
for instance i would have traded some less dB of sensitivity in favour of a deeper bass i.e. a more full range experience
Commercial speakers can be upgraded i mean
For this reason i would think twice before buying a very expensive speakers because after modding the resale value would collapse
Maybe even without mods ?

hello, if you are afraid of encountering sound reproduction imperfections, do not buy the heresy ones.
Don't buy Klipsch by the way.
There are plenty of brands that will provide much better performance measured on paper than these products.
In this forum, it seems clear that modern science has mastered the appropriate measurements to determine whether musical reproduction is correct.
But modern science does not yet fully understand the mechanisms of our brain. We just know that our senses are not perfect and that our brain interprets when there is ambiguity.
Our hearing is therefore not as reliable as measurements. My brain infers that the mid-high frequencies of the heresy are incredible, and they send dynamics like no other. And that’s enough for me. I've had much cleaner speakers but that's not my priority anymore.
To come back to your question, today, what is supposedly very simple and inexpensive in current audio is false. Whether it's perfect players, excellent amplifiers or resonance-free speakers. The room still dominates the debates. And in our modern and refined interiors, I have the impression that sound reproduction with the perfect bit often sounds less pleasant than our good old records at our grandparents' house with more opulent interiors.

 

[gino1961]

hello, if you are afraid of encountering sound reproduction imperfections, do not buy the heresy ones.
Don't buy Klipsch by the way. There are plenty of brands that will provide much better performance measured on paper than these products.

Thanks and i see But my point was different Could the Heresy provide better performance with some mods to their various component ?
i am quite sure they can Starting from the xover The distortion peaks are located around the crossover points 850 and 4500
In particular 850 is right in the middle of the delicate midrange But also distortions at 5k can have a nasty effect
fwiu it is not a trivial task to make a great xover
and then the cabinet How stif how well damped ... imhe the cabinet design is very very overlooked

In this forum, it seems clear that modern science has mastered the appropriate measurements to determine whether musical reproduction is correct.
But modern science does not yet fully understand the mechanisms of our brain. We just know that our senses are not perfect and that our brain interprets when there is ambiguity.
Our hearing is therefore not as reliable as measurements. My brain infers that the mid-high frequencies of the heresy are incredible, and they send dynamics like no other. And that’s enough for me. I've had much cleaner speakers but that's not my priority anymore.
To come back to your question, today, what is supposedly very simple and inexpensive in current audio is false. Whether it's perfect players, excellent amplifiers or resonance-free speakers. The room still dominates the debates. And in our modern and refined interiors, I have the impression that sound reproduction with the perfect bit often sounds less pleasant than our good old records at our grandparents' house with more opulent interiors.

i see But same room different speakers the outcome can vary hugely But i agree on the importance of at least a basic acoustic treatment of the room That is sure
reflections in particular can be disastrous

 

[Ludovic]

Thanks and i see But my point was different Could the Heresy provide better performance with some mods to their various component ?
i am quite sure they can Starting from the xover The distortion peaks are located around the crossover points 850 and 4500
In particular 850 is right in the middle of the delicate midrange But also distortions at 5k can have a nasty effect
fwiu it is not a trivial task to make a great xover
and then the cabinet How stif how well damped ... imhe the cabinet design is very very overlooked



i see But same room different speakers the outcome can vary hugely But i agree on the importance of at least a basic acoustic treatment of the room That is sure
reflections in particular can be disastrous

if you are an audio engineer or acoustician. yes why not not modify the heresy.
Although even in this case, I would find it easier to buy a pair of audio monitors or dynaudio.
You will probably have more bass and less resonance.
or between these 2 solutions, you have the jbl intermediary.
At the time I bought the heresys, they were worth 1000 dollars less in Europe.
And all the French audio forums recommended focals to me.
Today these same forums criticize focal, and they praise kef.
So I worried and compared the 2 pairs in the same room, I came out of the room with a big smile.
important thing, the biggest criticism I will make of the heresy is a lack of deep bass for the electronics. however, it is undoubtedly the hardest frequencies to manage in a normal living room
ng room.

 

[mhardy6647]

For me, the Heresys are absolutely not sound speakers such as one might find at a concert.
I regularly go to rock concerts, always for the atmosphere and to see my favorite artists. But certainly not for the sound quality...

Well... interestingly - and I was pretty chagrined to learn this but the commercial (pro audio/PA) version of the Heresy was used to provide the sound of Margo Timmins' (wonderful and inimitable) voice for the Cowboy Junkies' well-known, Calrec Soundfield microphone recorded The Trinity Sessions.

The Klipsch (serving as Margo in absentia) may be observed near the top right of the photo, behind the Junkies' multi-instrumentalist partner-in-arms, Jeff Bird (at least, I think that's Jeff Bird).
Margo was 30 feet away, singing into another Calrec mic.

Classic Tracks: Cowboy Junkies ‘Sweet Jane’

In 1987, swimming against the tide of MIDI–powered pop records, Cowboy Junkies went into a church to record an album into a single microphone in a single day.

www.soundonsound.com

on the other hand, the heresys send dynamics at medium volume like no other.

You apparently haven't spent much time with, e.g., classic JBL or Altec loudspeakers, it seems. More's the pity.

 

[Ludovic]

Well... interestingly - and I was pretty chagrined to learn this but the commercial (pro audio/PA) version of the Heresy was used to provide the sound of Margo Timmins' (wonderful and inimitable) voice for the Cowboy Junkies' well-known, Calrec Soundfield microphone recorded The Trinity Sessions.
View attachment 409794
The Klipsch (serving as Margo in absentia) may be observed near the top right of the photo, behind the Junkies' multi-instrumentalist partner-in-arms, Jeff Bird (at least, I think that's Jeff Bird).
Margo was 30 feet away, singing into another Calrec mic.
View attachment 409801

Classic Tracks: Cowboy Junkies ‘Sweet Jane’

In 1987, swimming against the tide of MIDI–powered pop records, Cowboy Junkies went into a church to record an album into a single microphone in a single day.

www.soundonsound.com

You apparently haven't spent much time with, e.g., classic JBL or Altec loudspeakers, it seems. More's the pity.

what I wanted to say is that the famous Arrey line of today are capable of offering us a horrible sound compared to a pair of Heresy in living room configuration.
no I have never tested the Altecs and the JBLs. the former are not available in Europe. As for the JBL, it would be my first comparative test compared to the Klipsch if I had to change them. However even if Klipsch lies about the sensitivity of these speakers, they seem more sensitive than today's JBLs.
I have never tested Revel or Wilson Audio either...
I knew that heresys had been used in churches as well as in restaurants.

 

[Ludovic]

just listened to the Trinity album on the road to work this morning. this must sound divine on the heresy. Thanks for sharing, it's not really my style, I prefer more raw voices.

 

[gino1961]

if you are an audio engineer or acoustician. yes why not not modify the heresy.
Although even in this case, I would find it easier to buy a pair of audio monitors or dynaudio.
You will probably have more bass and less resonance.
or between these 2 solutions, you have the jbl intermediary.
At the time I bought the heresys, they were worth 1000 dollars less in Europe.
And all the French audio forums recommended focals to me.
Today these same forums criticize focal, and they praise kef.
So I worried and compared the 2 pairs in the same room, I came out of the room with a big smile.
important thing, the biggest criticism I will make of the heresy is a lack of deep bass for the electronics. however, it is undoubtedly the hardest frequencies to manage in a normal living room
ng room.

good morning and thank you for the valuable advice
I'll say right away that the lack of deep bass obviously depends on the woofer chosen which is probably more similar to a PA woofer for characteristics
A woofer that goes down more with a much lower fs will certainly have a lower sensitivity I would prefer it but this way the whole speaker is revolutionized
I have a strong passion for horn drivers
I heard how they can sound for example in some Avantgarde and Acapella speakers and I was mesmerized
The design and construction of horns however remains a huge tech challenge
That said I would do a simple test for each speaker i.e. to drive each driver separately always mounted in the box obviously but directly without xover and do for each one the same measurements described in this exceptional lab report of this sublime site
The results will set the maximum performance obtainable from the single driver and very importantly show their optimal operating range (more linear less distortion)
Once the frequency ranges to be allocated to the various drivers are established we move on to the difficult part
To design and build a crossover that does not ruin the true potential of the drivers
when I see distortion peaks right at the xover frequencies I start to think if they could be avoided with a xover modification
And my ignorant answer is probably yes That's all

 

[Ludovic]

don’t know if I should encourage you in this way of change.
Not being able to do it myself, it is difficult to encourage people in such challenges.
I always find it easier to find a pair of speakers that meet your expectations.
I will be you, I will confront heresy to JBL, that’s what I did not have the opportunity to do.
I’m not working today. I’m listening to the Trinity album by the junkie cowboys.
It’s fun and the heresy really doesn’t sound like bad speakers. The blue moon version is revealing of some qualities of heresy. But I repeat, all this is only possible with good acoustics in the living room. And what this song reminds me of is the importance of the quality of the recording of the song. Gosh, I went to the next piece with harmonica. I strongly encourage you to listen to this title: I don’t get it to understand people like me.
So my thoughts today are the importance of acoustics, recording and then what flatters our brain.
Heresy are like a good steack to which you add sauce that denatures the taste.
Some prefer with sauce others do not.
It’s not neutral. As Erin said, it can’t be ideal for all songs.
We all make unreasonable choices in life.
I bought heresy by reading harsh reviews about them.
The point is, they are the ones that made me happy. It didn’t take me a quarter of an hour to find out that they were less clean than almost every other hi-fi speaker I’ve tested in France. And believe me I have tested a lot. However, no other has given me so much pleasure for the moment on most of my discs.
Plus Im probably a dreamer but I think there are better work conditions in Hope USA than in Shenzhen China. Honestly I would prefer buying a french pair of speakers produced in France with green values. But my brain said no.
Im not a klipsch shareholder so I dont Care. Go try JBL speakers !
I Listened it all cowboys junkies, it was cool !

 

[gino1961]

don’t know if I should encourage you in this way of change. Not being able to do it myself, it is difficult to encourage people in such challenges.
I always find it easier to find a pair of speakers that meet your expectations.
I will be you, I will confront heresy to JBL, that’s what I did not have the opportunity to do.
I’m not working today. I’m listening to the Trinity album by the junkie cowboys.

Hi thanks a lot Maybe at this point it is clear that I am more for DIY if anything starting from used commercial speakers with good potential in the drivers
Nevertheless i am fully aware that modifying an expensive speaker is either done by some known professional or it means reducing the residual value of the product
I mean i would not mess with an expensive speaker like the Heresy

It’s fun and the heresy really doesn’t sound like bad speakers. The blue moon version is revealing of some qualities of heresy. But I repeat, all this is only possible with good acoustics in the living room. And what this song reminds me of is the importance of the quality of the recording of the song. Gosh, I went to the next piece with harmonica. I strongly encourage you to listen to this title: I don’t get it to understand people like me.
So my thoughts today are the importance of acoustics, recording and then what flatters our brain.
Heresy are like a good steack to which you add sauce that denatures the taste.

the comparison seems honestly forced to me
we need to make an effort to bring the discussion back to a scientific level
sound is a physical phenomenon Lately I don't even read reviews anymore I only look at lab reports This is why I find this forum to be of a very high scientific level
What is high for a dwarf can be low for a basketball player If you measure it you have a perfect feeling of its height

Some prefer with sauce others do not.
It’s not neutral. As Erin said, it can’t be ideal for all songs.

This is exactly the point I challenge you to define neutral if you can if not it becomes subjective Distortion freq response CSD are objective like Erin says
I jusually ump directly to the objective part of his great reviews He has purchased a very expensive testing system Why ? another good question to answer

We all make unreasonable choices in life.
I bought heresy by reading harsh reviews about them. The point is, they are the ones that made me happy.

i agree this is fundamental The speakers must trigger emotions Usually with high efficiency speakers it is easier to get moved

It didn’t take me a quarter of an hour to find out that they were less clean than almost every other hi-fi speaker I’ve tested in France. And believe me I have tested a lot. However, no other has given me so much pleasure for the moment on most of my discs.
Plus Im probably a dreamer but I think there are better work conditions in Hope USA than in Shenzhen China. Honestly I would prefer buying a french pair of speakers produced in France with green values. But my brain said no.
Im not a klipsch shareholder so I dont Care. Go try JBL speakers !
I Listened it all cowboys junkies, it was cool !

I know and love JBL speakers a lot They sound lively They have usually those mighty woofers that make me salivate One of my favourite speaker is the L300
Reading about it i discovered that many think that the horn chosen for loading the mid holds back the performance I guess it has been chosen to allow all drivers in the same enclosure Another great speaker with a potential not fully exploited ? if i had one i would try different horns for sure
Coming back is always possible with not destructive mods They are reversible
At present i am looking around for a place where to experiment And i am trying to understand what makes a driver great sounding
One thing i have learned Expecially for mids the really good horns tend to be huge Narrow ones shout

 

[Ludovic]

I beg to differ. Measurements are one thing, interpreting them is another.
I measure things every day and interpret them. And sometimes I'm wrong, but never as wrong as someone who's incompetent in the field.
I'm incompetent at interpreting audio measurements, so I continue to trust my brain's interpretation. It's a kind of assumed error, I'm aware that ugly lacquered columns will never have a place in my home, for example.
I'm really not sure that everyone has the same expectations, so measurements have their limits. Not to mention that performance isn't always an end in itself. On this forum, repairability, durability, environmental and social impact, for example, are ignored. Here, it's pure performance that's measured. It's not a judgment.
You have to take the best where it is, and cross-reference the data. And that's what this forum is all about.
We know a lot about audio, but very little about our brains.
When I see the album covers hanging behind Erin, I tell myself that I really don't have the same tastes as this guy, for example. But his work remains remarkable.
We never make reasoned choices. I'll always prefer an old mustang to a horrible Tesla. And that's despite the perfectly measurable performance.
Erin can also be wrong, the proof is that my heresy have been connected to a small avr amplifier for years.
But Measurements are great to detect snake oil products.

 

[gino1961]

I beg to differ. Measurements are one thing, interpreting them is another.
I measure things every day and interpret them. And sometimes I'm wrong, but never as wrong as someone who's incompetent in the field.
I'm incompetent at interpreting audio measurements,

come on Dont you understand a frequency response ? a distortion graph ? a CSD ? a polar plot ? do not make things more difficult than what they are
you want to see the dynamic range limits of a speaker ? just take the distortion graph at 96db
draw an horizontal line at 5% distortion and see at what Hz the the line meets the distortion curve
From that Hz up is the usable range for not having compression timbral inaccuracy haze harshness muddiness lack of transparency dirtyness etc. etc. etc.
i am not a poet so i run out of words and adjectives For sure reviewers are so much better with prose
Above 5% distortion usually becomes nasty
for instance from the distortion graphs published here on small bookshelves is completely evident that they cannot reproduce some instruments like piano drums and pipe organ and bass at realistic level Again because sound is physics You can always read papers and learm what you do not know like me
I read a lot of lab reports and their interpretation often is quite valuable

so I continue to trust my brain's interpretation. It's a kind of assumed error, I'm aware that ugly lacquered columns will never have a place in my home, for example.

wait a moment i was talking about sound not look I could live with the ugliest speaker in the world if it provides me with great sound
incidentally a love a lot piano black gloss finish But i must say that i listen always in the dark not to get distracted by vision
unless i am watching a concert on tv of course So the tv set must be on

I'm really not sure that everyone has the same expectations, so measurements have their limits.

i can listen only up to 12k is that not a limit ? often the limits are in the protocols of measurements The very best designers have developed specific testing procedure to check the quality of their prototypes If you look inside a good lab you will see instruments for millions euro Do you think that they like to waste money ?

Not to mention that performance isn't always an end in itself. On this forum, repairability, durability, environmental and social impact, for example, are ignored. Here, it's pure performance that's measured. It's not a judgment.
You have to take the best where it is, and cross-reference the data. And that's what this forum is all about.
We know a lot about audio, but very little about our brains.
When I see the album covers hanging behind Erin, I tell myself that I really don't have the same tastes as this guy, for example. But his work remains remarkable.

any effort to try to understand better is remarkable I think that the 1st step is to fix general requirements like the range to be played back, the wanted SPL at what distance and the level of distortion acceptable Then you have to see at the measurement to screen out speakers that absolutely cannot much the requirement
The Heresy are very fine Still i have the feeling that they could be event better
For instance i amtrying to get a pair of these quite old using CTS woofer and EV compression drivers

for sure i will put my hand inside and experimenting with different horns I could always go back to the stock version
they were sounding decent even with the Sonic Impact T-Amp Go figure Of course i have some much better amps to try But today my focus is more on speakers
As long as they are used with a decent amp they make the sound are by far the most important link of the chain

We never make reasoned choices. I'll always prefer an old mustang to a horrible Tesla. And that's despite the perfectly measurable performance.
Erin can also be wrong, the proof is that my heresy have been connected to a small avr amplifier for years.
But Measurements are great to detect snake oil products.

well this is clear I loved and appreciated a lot the tests on Cables performed by Dr Amir For me they were quite the end of the game
I make my cables and they are fine to me
i had problems of ground loops but using a decent power strip and balanced equipment the problem is much less evident now