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Help: I've been Klipsched

I finally took the plunge into high-efficiency speakers and bought a set of Klipsch Chorus for a good price here on Audiogon.

When I first hooked them up they sounded okay, but a bit overbright in the upper midrange/lower treble region. After warming them up for a while and putting AQ Sorbothane half-sphere-type footers under the solid-state amplifier, the sound has smoothed out and much of the upper-mid agressiveness has been tamed.

Now they are very dynamic, fast, detailed, and they actually image quite well, which surprised me. The highs are much purer and more extended than expected, and the bass is articulate, though a little plump around 70 Hz and not that extended in the low bass. In truth, the Klipsch are faster and more dynamic than most speakers I have experienced. I can't believe I can get this level of performance so inexpensively!

My much more expensive system using AP Virgo IIs is still better, overall, though it is certainly no faster or more dynamic. But I have to say I think I'm having too much fun listening to the Klipsch with only a CAL Icon II, Perpetual Technologies P-3A and an old Onkyo TX-2500 receiver. No one would believe how great it sounds. It's really terrific on retro-swing like the Squirrel Nut Zippers stuff, and it just killed me on Cassandra Wilson's "Strange Fruit". Yikes!

I'm contemplating going to a nice little tube amp, but I honestly can't complain about the sound from the Onkyo and wonder how much improvement is possible.

Has anyone else had this type of experience?
plato
zoya
120 posts
 
I've been listening to AK-4 speakers for the last 9 years. In design they are very similar to Klipsch Cornwall. I love how they sound connected to McIntosh. I had a huge improvement in bass when I placed them on brass cones (which you can pick up at PARTS EXPRESS for approx. $20 for a sat of 4). The bass became tighter and they became even smoother and more musical than before.
Enjoy your speakers and happy holiday.
wellfed's avatar
wellfed
690 posts
 
Plato, I am glad to hear you love the results. I don't want to limit myself unnecessarily, but I doubt I'll ever use anything other than horns in a primary system. It is doubtful that that I would ever accept anything other than horn loaded bass in any case.

My Köchel horns never seem to be a limiting factor. Every upgrade or tweak upstream just seems to come through without limitation. The performance continues to amaze me after a year and half of use.

The recent addition of Machina Dynamica Promethean isolation platforms under my equipment caused system performance to soar yet again.
kburke1227
12 posts
 
Plato-

There are many people who may look down on Klipsch (and many other) speakers and I cannot understand why. I have a pair of Cornwalls, circa late 70's, with a Jolida 102b (20 watt tube integrated) upgraded with NOS Mullard and Telefunken tubes and the sound is phenomenal, exhibiting all the same characteristics you described. Let me say this, I am currently running systems in every room of two homes using the Klipsch Cornwalls, Carver Amazing Loudspeakers, Dunlavy SC-1's, Reference 3A's and Paradigm Studio 20's. Some people would either love or hate some or all of these speakers but it is an undeniable fact that each sounds completely different from the others and I am pleased with all of them for different reasons, despite what others might say. Now, isn't that why we all have this audio addiction in the first place? Enjoy your system...if you still hear the critics, you can always turn up the volume.
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,750 posts
 
I've read that removing some sort of protection circuit improves the Klipsch even more -especially in the high frequecies...
plato OP
1,543 posts
 
Thanks guys for your comments and words of encouragement. Having owned and auditioned so many different kinds of speakers I have an appreciation for the merits of all types and would never limit myself to only one type of design. I'm just happy that I happened to take a chance on the Klipsch because I'm really surprised by their potential. Even the imaging, which everyone seems to think is their shortfall, is in reality quite good (at least in my room with the Chorus).

Dweller, I don't think the Chorus has the protection circuit that you spoke of but I could be wrong. I don't see why they'd need to put a protection circuit in speaker that is 101 dB/W efficient and can handle 100 watts rms and 1000 watt peaks. What? What? :)
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