Klipsch speakers

In stock form, all Klipsch speakers need a LOT of work ( in my opinion ). Then again, most all speakers can use some "finesse" in stock form. It's just that most Klipsch products wear their flaws quite flagrantly whereas others may take more time to pinpoint.

With that in mind, the biggest problems that most Klipsch designs are that the cabinets resonate like mad, the horn bodies ring like mad, the wiring is attrocious, some of the sealed designs are not sealed, etc... It is this "cut corner" approach and the sonic repercussions that follow that gave Klipsch the reputation that they have. It is also why many audiophiles DON'T consider Klipsch "audiophile approved". As such, what you are hearing is a lot less than what one could hear out of the assembly of parts IF Klipsch ( or you ) put some time and effort into tweaking these to the level that they SHOULD come out of the factory at.

Having said that, the better the electronics that someone runs, the better the system will sound. That goes for any system though. The design flaws in any speaker can't be overcome at any other place in the system than by correcting the flaws themselves right at the speaker. With that in mind, i think that there are a LOT of Klipsch owners out there settling for a LOT less than what their systems are capable of if they just bit the bullet and did some simple and relatively inexpensive modifications / upgrades to them. Sean
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PS... I currently own two different sets of Klipsch speakers and have owned / worked on many, many different sets for others. I am not so much "lambasting" Klipsch products or their owners, i'm trying to let you know that the speakers have a LOT more potential and it is up to you to unleash it. If you like them in the "rough" form that the factory delivers them in, you will love them after you get done adding some finesse and refinement to them.

I just purchased the new Klipschorns (They were just redesigned in 2002) and feel they are better than any speaker near the $7500. retail price. I have had everything, including Maggies, Soundlabs, Thiels, Piegas, Cabasse, etc..., etc... and I am stunned at how natural these speakers are. I have never heard as dynamic a speaker as these K-horns, and this is 1 day out of the boxes!!

My 2 brothers bought KG 5.5s and IMO they sounded great overall. I felt they lacked low end, yet were used in an HT environment with a sub, so in that role worked great. Very efficient speakers. For dedicated 2 channel listening, I think they are great for certain types of music, but soso for other types of music. I have not heard the Reference Series. All in all, Mike is correct; all that matters is how they sound to you.

What matters most is how they rate to you. Klipsch is the type of speaker that polarizes opinion - there are some that love them, some that hate them. There are lots of reasons for both opinions.

Myself? I love them. I have La Scalas up front, and Forte II's in the rear. They put out a HUGE, clear sound that's perfect for my main listening preferences (space rock, metal, prog, dub). They work wonderfully with tubes, are also quite satisfying with higher-quality solid state.

As far as "prestige", they had more cache' in the past (like JBL), but they still make some classic products. Overall, I think alot of their products are a great value, but nobody would call them works of visual art, and they don't get much audiophile press - I think this affects their "mindshare" among many audiophiles.

But if you don't wear your makeup too thick, who cares about prestige, mindshare, and the emperor's new clothes?

Mike