Klipsch love them or hate them.

Well I must say I have to amend my previous post here. After all that I said previously regarding the Klipsch Line, and my experiences with them, I now have a new reference for which I'll be using for budget HT rigs from now on!...the little Klipsch SB-2's/1's!!! Wow! I stubled across these speakers by chance some time back, and I picked up a pair (SB1's...soon to be SB2's). Tubes tubes tubes!...is what these speakers shine with!
I am soooooo thrilled by the sound I'm getting with these little buggers! Dynamics, detail, and clarity a-plenty! I have yet to find a more effective and refined sounding HT/music speaker for the money, that will blow your socks off for just about anything you play through it!!!..very nice. I've owned LOTS of very expensive speakers over the years, from Thiels, to Sonus Fabers's, to Merlins, to some higher end Dedicated rather superb high end HT speakers like Infinity Prelude MTS'S! And as of now, I can't think of anything I'd rather use for a modest HT/music speaker in my rigs!..the sound is that good!
Again, the key to making these sound right is tubes!
I used to be a Klipsch "nay-sayer", and was rather dissinterested. Then I played around abit and came up "pay-dirt"! too bad these are discontinued...they got's lot's of potential!!! I've rewired mine with some higher end Audioquest 6/9's copper wiring from some CV6 I had, and it's improved even more!. I might tinker more later I think. I'm having fun anyway...

Definately 2 different camps on this one! Personally, I find they irritate my ears, literally I find that my ears sort of itch internally after listening to them. Other speakers rate frequency response +/- 3db, Klipch (at least used to) rate their speakers +/- 1.5 db. They have no where near a flat response. Like all things in audio, there are comprimises. Where they give back is in effiency and dynamics. I have a SET amp and frequent such web sites where there are a lot of Klipsch fans. The fact that some of their older speakers are still going strong supports the fact that they are well made. Personally, I do not think I will ever own a pair. I am leaning towards a DYI/Fostex based speakers next time around.

The trick with the Klipsch's I'm referencing (SB2's) is TUBE GEAR!!!...yes, unforgiving solid state makes them too foreward and in your face for comfort if not careful. Balance is the key, and a properly mated tube amp does the trick!
Keep in mind, when considering HT speaker applications, MORE PRESSENCE is better than laid back standard audiophile speaker sound for involvment!
I used to have Thiel 1.5's, which were superb little music speakers. Even as a speaker that was a bit foreward in the mid-trebble, they were too laid back for "thrilling" HT dubties, and just sounded a bit uninvolving, if pretty sounding. That is one of my complaints with most high end speaker designs being SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED to sound laid back through out the midrange! This complaint has been made by more than a few Stereophile reviewers over the years, including J. Gordon Holt. If you do chose a speaker like this for HT dubties, besides other factors in design, the results isn't often as good as whata dedicated HT or a good horn speaker can do for a movie soundtrack, done properly.
I think this is part of the reason a lot of guy's use separate rigs for their 2 channel vs. 5 channel set up's. They often want their music pressented differently than their movies!

foreverhifi2000....so you are hoping that Klipsch will produce an uncolored, unrefined sounding speaker. I hate to burst your bubble, but you have been selling them for years and you didn't know it. The Klipschorn and it's Heritage cousins are what you are looking for. Most audiophiles don't know what they are missing, because they have never heard Khorns used with the best components in an ideal listening room. Khorns can be the worst sounding speakers or the best sounding speakers in the world. It all depends on what you use to drive them. Personally I am using Mark Levinson equipment to drive the Khorns in a specially treated room using the ASC Iso Wall System. You will get out of the Khorns exactly what you put into them.

i am not necessarily a klipsch lover, although the reference series is the exclusive speaker in both my ht and 2 channel setups. likewise i have klipsch 4.1 for my computer and sa-2's for my outdoor setup. i have a ton of klipsch speakers, however i have them for 2 reasons. first and foremost they sound awesome to me. maybe not everyone, but me and that is what matters most. i like it loud, clear, and nasty. my klipsch getup is powered by acurus for ht and outdoor. jolida does the honors for 2 ch. i am sure it sounds abrasive to others, but they don't listen to my stuff as much as i do. the second reason i have klipsch in every room in my house is because the efficiency is unequaled. you simply don't have to power these speakers with uranium. the horns are awesome and the bass is fast. i know it's not hi fi, but i'm gonna stick in low to mid fi for my speakers.