Klipsch Heresy IV Speaker Review

[hardisj]

Do they have internal mdf bracing?

S.

Nope. None.

 

[Southall-1998]

Nope. None.

I imagine the Heresy III are the same internally then.

S.

 

[Helicopter]

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.

Are you talking about 845 tube amps here, or tube amps like in every single picture on the Klipsch Heresy IV website that shows an amp?

If so, Genelec speakers are not going to work properly in this application. Genelec speakers are powered active speakers, so they have amps in them. They don't work with external amps.

If so, KEF speakers, checked a couple, 87 dB, 88dB, yeah, no thanks.

If so, Revel, good luck with those, M106 isn't sensitive, F328Be, M105, and F208 all have dips in impedance that are easily outperformed by the Heresy's design, obviously considering the tube amp application.

I had some of the same incorrect thoughts about sensitivity being key, which is part of why I tried Focal Aria 948s. They are rated 92.5 dB, probably pretty accurately by Focal. Unfortunately, with broad 2.5 ohm impedance dip around 80-100 Hz, they hardly work at all with my amp that is rated 21W per channel. I don't think I can get 2 watts with the Focals before the amp starts falling apart because the speakers are not designed for a tube amp. With Heresys, I can crank the volume and probably am getting more than 10X the power, due to the difference in impedance, maybe 100X the sound pressure and 4X the apparent volume. I've actually tried all of this too, and not just looked at some charts.

No one is disputing you can get flatter frequency response and more transparency for a fraction of the price. I'm sure iLoud MTM will crush Heresy if that's what you want. iLoud MTM can't however, work with a radio transmission vacuum tube to amplify and reproduce sound, if that is your objective.

Most of the people buying these know what they are getting and will probably be happy with them. If that's not your thing, don't buy them. I wouldn't pair any of the Heritage speakers with anything but pre-1975 vintage gear or tubes. If you buy an AHB2 and a TOTL Topping DAC, and wire up some Heresys for the most realistic sound reproduction possible, yes, that's silly, and you could have done astronomically better at meeting that objective for $800.

My solution for now has been to plug a solid state amp into the Focal speakers, and things are going nicely. I might Hook the Heresys back up to the 845 amp because that was actually working and I could just have that as an additional option...

 

[hardisj]

Most of the people buying these know what they are getting and will probably be happy with them. If that's not your thing, don't buy them.

Bingo. I wish more Klipsch owners understood and recognized this. Too many are convinced these are "hi-fi".

 

[Steve Dallas]

Are you talking about 845 tube amps here, or tube amps like in every single picture on the Klipsch Heresy IV website that shows an amp?

If so, Genelec speakers are not going to work properly in this application. Genelec speakers are powered active speakers, so they have amps in them. They don't work with external amps.

If so, KEF speakers, checked a couple, 87 dB, 88dB, yeah, no thanks.

If so, Revel, good luck with those, M106 isn't sensitive, F328Be, M105, and F208 all have dips in impedance that are easily outperformed by the Heresy's design, obviously considering the tube amp application.

I had some of the same incorrect thoughts about sensitivity being key, which is part of why I tried Focal Aria 948s. They are rated 92.5 dB, probably pretty accurately by Focal. Unfortunately, with broad 2.5 ohm impedance dip around 80-100 Hz, they hardly work at all with my amp that is rated 21W per channel. I don't think I can get 2 watts with the Focals before the amp starts falling apart because the speakers are not designed for a tube amp. With Heresys, I can crank the volume and probably am getting more than 10X the power, due to the difference in impedance, maybe 100X the sound pressure and 4X the apparent volume. I've actually tried all of this too, and not just looked at some charts.

No one is disputing you can get flatter frequency response and more transparency for a fraction of the price. I'm sure iLoud MTM will crush Heresy if that's what you want. iLoud MTM can't however, work with a radio transmission vacuum tube to amplify and reproduce sound, if that is your objective.

Most of the people buying these know what they are getting and will probably be happy with them. If that's not your thing, don't buy them. I wouldn't pair any of the Heritage speakers with anything but pre-1975 vintage gear or tubes. If you buy an AHB2 and a TOTL Topping DAC, and wire up some Heresys for the most realistic sound reproduction possible, yes, that's silly, and you could have done astronomically better at meeting that objective for $800.

My solution for now has been to plug a solid state amp into the Focal speakers, and things are going nicely. I might Hook the Heresys back up to the 845 amp because that was actually working and I could just have that as an additional option...

Please highlight the sentence in which I said Genelec, KEF, or Revel would be good choices for a tube amp. Otherwise, point entirely missed, and many electrons needlessly inconvenienced.

 

[Helicopter]

Please highlight the sentence in which I said Genelec, KEF, or Revel would be good choices for a tube amp. Otherwise, point entirely missed, and many electrons needlessly inconvenienced.

We were talking about tube amps. I wasn't sure if you were paying attention. That's why I asked the question. I'll take your response as a 'no.'

 

[hardisj]

YouTube video is posted. Don't shoot the messenger!

 

[Angsty]

An excellent, detailed review - thank you for sharing.

I didn’t like the Heresy when I first heard them in ‘89. Nothing I read here would compel me to give them another go.

 

[Angsty]

We were talking about tube amps. I wasn't sure if you were paying attention. That's why I asked the question. I'll take your response as a 'no.'

Seems like these could just make a good tube amp sound like trash. The only redeeming value, IMHO, is the retro look if you like that kind of thing.

Well, that, and perhaps that they will play really loud. My friend in the 80’s would use his for house parties at the fraternity.

 

[GDK]

My friend in the 80’s would use his for house parties at the fraternity.

I bet those sloped tops have led to the demise of many a university student’s beer over the years.

 

[digicidal]

I bet those sloped tops have led to the demise of many a university student’s beer over the years.

Too bad they weren't compensated for the spilled beer with great sound. I'd have much less problem with the loss of suds if it weren't being accompanied with a near total loss of fidelity as well. Here I thought my brief stint with their "reference" line was unpleasant enough (RB-61 II). Pretty similar in many respects, but even at less than 10% of the MSRP of the Heresy's - they were far too horrible to stay. Good old "Klipsch sound" - they really work to get that same horrible response out of everything it seems.

At least the bass extension was better despite being a much more compact speaker... and the tops were perfectly capable of holding a beer - which is possibly the best use I can think of for them.

 

[Inner Space]

I agree the Heresy IVs fail as real-world, wide-appeal loudspeakers, but I love mine for one truly spectacular niche ability - as "playalong" speakers either side of my stage rig, for jamming or noodling over remotely generated tracks sent via one cloud or another. That's how a lot of new music has been made in 2020, because virus. The tracks come in raw, and the Heresy IVs are so loud and raucous and unabashed the experience can feel pretty close to a real jam. Literally no other speaker has done that for me, and I have tried plenty. Definitely a case of "so bad it's good," but I feel obliged to mention it.

 

[terasankka]

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

 

[Angsty]

Too bad they weren't compensated for the spilled beer with great sound. I'd have much less problem with the loss of suds if it weren't being accompanied with a near total loss of fidelity as well.

Lots of beer imbibed makes them less objectionable. But, in fairness, I’m pretty sure they were the Heresy II, certainly not the Heresy IV.

 

[xarkkon]

Great work! Don't let the brigaders get you down. I've struggled with understanding Klipsch's appeal (not that they were bad, I just didn't like the sound personally) and always thought maybe it was just me. Heh.

 

[Helicopter]

The old ones are just boxes, and make fine tables with flat tops.

94dB sensitivity is outstanding for the really weak tube amps. If power is constraining performance this means 2 to 5 times the performance of other sensitive i.e 88-91dB speakers, though it is probably not needed for 845s

Impedance that never dips below 5 ohms in the audible band combined with lots of cone area for the sensitivity is what makes them special.

Impedance staying high is critical for proper function. Matching speakers to a tube amp here is not about FR or something. It is about basic intercompatability. I am not talking about magical sound. My amp is on the verge of damage from losing plate current control at normal listenig levels with my objectively good and still very sensitive Focal Arias. With the Klipsch Heresy speakers, it produces power in spades without any struggle or warning lights. Basic intercompatability is, er, more important than other factors.

Cone area is directly related to sensitivity. Lots (all the other ones I glanced at) of speakers with bigger cones have some impedance dips that would be a problem for some tube amps.

They are a lot like some PA speakers or sound reinforcement in sound and function, so the coloration that is there can resemble the amplified sound of some live performances too. It is not 100% failing to stay flat FR. That signature sound has its dedicated following for a reason.

Show me another 94dB speaker that stays above 5ohms and stays reasonably within (95% from 100hz to 10khz) 3dB on FR. The performance on these is special if you take all this into consideration. There might be a handful of other speakers that match these, but you oversimplify if you compare them just on FR to 98% of speakers out there, including everything Amir has measured. If you want to have something in your stable that plays nice with tubes amps, these are not a bad speaker. I would look at Tektons too. There are probably some others. I am not sure which speakers in this category measure better.

 

[mhardy6647]

Cone area is directly related to sensitivity. Lots (all the other ones I glanced at) of speakers with bigger cones have some impedance dips that would be a problem for some tube amps.

There is no replacement for displacement.

True for both hotrods and high sensitivity loudspeakers.



DSC_0938 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

 

[Helicopter]

There is no replacement for displacement.

True for both hotrods and high sensitivity loudspeakers.



DSC_0938 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

This (DIY) is actually what I would do and recommend over heritage IV because the secret sauce is pretty easy to get on your own when they did not do anything impressive with FR. Plus I already have a couple pairs of vintage Klipsch speakers I can adore if I want the brand essence.

BTW, nice speaker.

 

[Sonny1]

Great review. These seem like mini PA speakers in fancy boxes. I wouldn’t own them if they were given to me as a gift. If I received them for free, I would sell them immediately. The Klipsch marketing and following makes these an easy sell. No excuses, they could have done better. Technology has advanced and Klipsch is stuck in the past.

 

[Helicopter]

Great review. These seem like mini PA speakers in fancy boxes...

Pretty much sums it up.

Also explains the appeal, weaknesses, and controversy.