what do people think about the "Klipsch sound" ?

[vert]

Klipsch has a new set of powered speakers that I'm considering as a potentially convenient alternative to an amp+speakers solution for our TV set. Usefully, it has a remote control, a feature I need in powered speakers which isn't widely available. One negative is the 20% premium in price ($400 vs $500) that affects a good many US products in Europe, another (in)famous example being Gibson guitars.
But my question had to do with the Klipsch sound. Some people don't like it and describe it as tiring among other things. Others love it to death. From what I read Klipsch products feature some fairly unique technological choices compared to other brands. What do people think?

 

[amirm]

Their reputation is blaring highs that make them sound good/stand out in showrooms.

 

[linesplice]

Agreed - very bright high notes via their horn. Not my favorite sound signature because it's fatiguing to me. They have a set of headphones I heard that do a great job of capturing that sound signature, but that's not necessarily a great thing (for me).

 

[Wombat]

It is easy to run low distortion speakers(e.g, compression driver/horn combos) at higher volume, than one normally does with lower sensitivity speakers, without being aware of it. This can possibly be fatiguing.

 

[bigx5murf]

The only Klipsch speakers I've owned are Synergy series (SB1, SC1, SS1), and KG4 (electrolytic capacitors replaced). The Synergy did have some blaring highs, but they're also a near BOTL product. The KG4 is actually very warm sounding, and I still own them.

One aspect all my Klipsch speakers share is, they really got some impressive bass output despite their small'ish size, and can create that impressive bass output with low powered amplifiers.

 

[Ellisr63]

If you run the Klipsch La Scalas they are quite different sounding IMO. I am getting ready to use some K402 horns with EV DH1A drivers modded with 2 15" woofers in a synergy clone style. For my surrounds In will be using Klipsch Belle bass bin clones with 18x10 horns, and EV dh1A drivers. I anticipate these to sound as good or better than my old Klipsch La Scalas or my old JBL2360A horns with QPie bass bins did, and both sounded excellent to me.

 

[bobhol]

It is easy to run low distortion speakers(e.g, compression driver/horn combos) at higher volume, than one normally does with lower sensitivity speakers, without being aware of it. This can possibly be fatiguing.

I agree with what Wombat said. Klipsch has a long history of producing speakers. One constant with their speakers is high efficiency. So does high efficiency sound different than low efficiency if used with appropriate amplification? Or do other factors of speaker design have a bigger factor in how a speaker sounds? I don't have the answer to that. For me Klipschorns have been my "Gold Standard" since I was old enough to loiter in local "Hi-Fi" stores. But there is variation among all the various models that they've made.

 

[Roen]

I use the Promedia 2.1 THX as my desktop set. They sound nice.

I decided to go away from them for my 5.1 set. Instead, I went with the lesser known internet direct speaker companies. True ribbon tweeters sound much less fatiguing than Klipschorns.

Also, the sub mid-bass can get very bloomy and bloaty.

 

[Sal1950]

My only real listening experience with Klipsch is their "Legacy" line, I owned La Scala's for over 30 years.
Their reputation for being bright and hard is deserved but can be very much dependent on the source components.
BTW, This is a reputation shared by many speakers in the high end community that are very revealing of detail.
Fed by very clean source components the hardness can be greatly tempered.
http://www.soundhifi.com/klipsch/sam.htm

As to the latest line of powered "lifestyle" type products, much of the info I've read has been very positive.
Chris over at Computer Audiophile reviewed and thought quite highly of "The Three" in fact I believe he purchased one.
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/reviews/klipsch-the-three-review/

 

[GGroch]

As I understand it, back when Paul was alive, Klipsch identified several characteristics that they said differentiated them from competitive speakers:
- High Efficiency,
- Low Distortion,
- High Dynamic Range, and
- Controlled (Limited) Dispersion.
These attributes were synergistic and related to the horn & bass reflex design. Highly efficient speakers are easy to drive, they create high output with relatively low cone motion which lowers distortion...all of which helps increase dynamic range to levels that can mimic a live performance. Finally, controlled dispersion lessens the impact of the room on imaging & delay. That is the story they told.

Flat frequency response while probably a goal was not listed as being a differentiator. There are of course problems with this. Horns can impact sound in unintended ways. But many highly respected manufacturers of studio monitors incorporate them, so presumably some of the issues can be overcome.

Do they sound different to me, Certainly. The big Klipsch similar speakers like Altec Lansing V.O.T. can create an impact that is unlike others I have heard.

The biggest issues for me were - 1. (This has been mentioned) I did tend to listen louder which causes fatigue...though it is hard to fault Klipsch for that, and 2. Flatness of frequency response did not match competitors. I do not know if this was designed in to impress in showrooms, but it was there.

So Question: If you are setting up a home theater - the AV receiver's auto-correlation process would supposedly handle timbre abnormalities. So are they a great choice for equalized systems?

 

[andreasmaaan]

So Question: If you are setting up a home theater - the AV receiver's auto-correlation process would supposedly handle timbre abnormalities. So are they a great choice for equalized systems?

I guess it depends whether the raggedness in the frequency response is due to the crossovers at all. Do you know of any measurements?

 

[GGroch]

No...but they probably are available. I would think accurate room correction by auto-correlation or minidsp would solve FR raggedness regardless of the cause. But poorly designed crossovers could result in other distortion.

I am having a related conversation on another forum concerning timbre matching in surround systems. Choosing speakers with matched voicing used to be absolutely manditory for quality home theater sound. Does it even matter any more if you are going to EQ?

 

[Roen]

My only real listening experience with Klipsch is their "Legacy" line, I owned La Scala's for over 30 years.
Their reputation for being bright and hard is deserved but can be very much dependent on the source components.
BTW, This is a reputation shared by many speakers in the high end community that are very revealing of detail.
Fed by very clean source components the hardness can be greatly tempered.
http://www.soundhifi.com/klipsch/sam.htm

As to the latest line of powered "lifestyle" type products, much of the info I've read has been very positive.
Chris over at Computer Audiophile reviewed and thought quite highly of "The Three" in fact I believe he purchased one.
https://www.computeraudiophile.com/ca/reviews/klipsch-the-three-review/

One of the main differences that I've found between true ribbons and hard tweeters is that, owing to mass (and therefore inertia differences), ribbons can be extremely detailed, yet none to fatiguing.

Klipschorns, being praised for their detail, will also be loathed for their fatiguing sound.

 

[Sal1950]

Choosing speakers with matched voicing used to be absolutely manditory for quality home theater sound. Does it even matter any more if you are going to EQ?

I think it does. Things like radiation patterns, etc; will still vary widely regardless of the eq's effectiveness. There are other things effecting the sound of a speaker besides FR. The closer the match across channels from the start, the better the final result will be even after DSP, etc.
JMHO

 

[andreasmaaan]

No...but they probably are available. I would think accurate room correction by auto-correlation or minidsp would solve FR raggedness regardless of the cause. But poorly designed crossovers could result in other distortion.

I am having a related conversation on another forum concerning timbre matching in surround systems. Choosing speakers with matched voicing used to be absolutely manditory for quality home theater sound. Does it even matter any more if you are going to EQ?

Poorly designed crossovers will not be able to be corrected with EQ (but improved - sure). This is because if the crossover is suboptimal then correcting the FR at a single point in space will create problems at other points in space.

For example, if cancellation resulting from a suboptimal crossover causes a dip at the crossover point on-axis, using EQ to correct this dip will result in peaks off-axis.

 

[garbulky]

Talking about lascala, heresy lines. Overpriced. Poor definition. Poor low range extension. Muddy in the bass. Poor tonal balance. Beautiful cabinetry.

 

[Roen]

Overpriced. Poor definition. Poor low range extension. Muddy in the bass. Poor tonal balance. Beautiful cabinetry. (Talking about lascala, heresy lines).

Ever since Internet Direct speakers came out, I haven't found any retail lines that aren't overpriced for what they deliver.

 

[graz_lag]

...But my question had to do with the Klipsch sound. Some people don't like it and describe it as tiring among other things. Others love it to death. From what I read Klipsch products feature some fairly unique technological choices compared to other brands. What do people think?

When we talk abt. Hi-Fi (electronics & speakers) my ears have been telling me over the years that there are two quite different worlds available:

the British sound
the American sound

So, I have set up two systems :

one for the British sound, which integrates the Twenty 5.26 from PMC, UK, driven by the SPA23 from Primare, Sweden
one for the American sound, which integrates the RF7-II from Klipsch, driven by the HK990 from Harman Kardon

I find the Klipsch RF-7 II easy to listen to at all volume levels for extended periods
They are efficient, producing a 101 db SPL at one meter with 2.83 volts input
The specified frequency response is 30-24,000 Hz, +/- 3 db and the nominal impedance is 8 ohms
The big horn tweeter is truly extraordinary in its ability to sound pure and clean at live-concert levels

When I want to have that feeling of being at a live-concert, turned up, with all types of music and especially electric blues (my favorite genre ...), is the Klipsch-American sound setup that I play ! (So, I'm part of the category you called : Others love it to death ...)

 

[Sal1950]

Talking about lascala, heresy lines. Overpriced. Poor definition. Poor low range extension. Muddy in the bass. Poor tonal balance. Beautiful cabinetry.

Maybe a visit to your hearing specialist might be in order.

 

[GGroch]

Unlike many or most speaker designers of the past, Paul Klipsch's designs came directly from scientific testing, his strong engineering background, and what seemed to have been a life long passion for applying science and rejecting B.S.

He was an AES member and winner of its Silver award. For that reason I find it highly unlikely his crossovers were poorly designed.....but speaker design was certainly different when he started in the 1940s. If you have not heard the stories of the Bull Sxxx ties he would wear to audio shows and his stream of articles exposing examples of audio snake oil, you should.

Today we can argue the benefits of Compression Horns vs. Ribbon drivers. But the alternatives back then were different. I would love to have heard a discussion between Klipsch and Henry Kloss (25 years his junior) about the benefits of Horns/Bass Reflex vs Domes/Acoustic Suspension. It seems both were heros of science and objectivism in their times.

I only owned a pair of Klipsch speakers briefly...not the heritage product but some of their higher end towers. I loved them, their detail and dynamics. I also owned a Soundcraftsman EQ which I felt solved the most significant EQ issues in my small room. But, I live in apartments and do not listen loud, so I am not Paul's target customer. I tend towards the British school described above.

Except for the Heritage Classic product and their pro stuff, I doubt current Klipsch offerings adhere closely to its founding principles. Certainly they put horns in most models but with the current trend toward smaller speakers that disappear in your home, ...their efficiency must be so padded down to match the tiny heavily DSP'd woofers that most benefits are probably lost.