Let me start by saying, GREAT POST! This one will be sure to open up a can of worms worth reading. In my own humble opinion, I would state that there are really no modern designs. Just better applications (in some cases) of what's been out there for years. Klipsch is America's oldest speaker manufacturer, and it is rich in it's supporters and detractors. It is also rich in it's history.
When I first got into this hobby, I was most impressed when a much older brother in-law/ audio enthusiast was able to run his in-laws (My Family) out of the room with a HeathKit 10 watt per channel amplifier and AR's first turntable (What, no anti-skating?), and the HORNS! I was the only one who stayed, and it was love at first site! You can't imagine being 10 years old in 1974, and hearing "Highway Star" that loudly! For God's sake, I was listening to the Beach Boys on a Sanyo all-in-one job with the old 8 track tape player at the time, so I'm sure anyone who reads this post and is somewhat familiar with rock and roll can understand my epiphany. A stereo could do that? Quickly, I became familiar with the Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix et al.
So I have romantic memories of these speakers, as I'm sure you have gathered. They are greatly responsible for me being the incurable audio nut I am today. Still, in all honesty and frankness, I feel that when properly set up, these speakers image quite well, offer better dynamics than most and are built to last. Low frequencies are robust, and hard to control! Set up, like any speaker is job #1. My Bro in Law still plays his regularly, and he bought them a year before I had heard them, so you do the math. They are rugged and good looking in a manly way. You will never hear a woman say, "I love what these speakers do for this room". Unless of course she is blind and likes the sound of horns.
Transparency? That's a subjective term, and should be used with skeptisism, but these horns are revealing of their upwind electronics. Be assured, tubes are the cure for what ails them. And vinyl sounds better than CD. Sure, the dynamics are astounding with digital, but with the efficiency of these speakers, you easily have baby bears porridge with vinyl.
However,I must also tell you that I use high powered solid state class A amps feeding a pair of Talon Peregrines. My tastes have changed, and the K-Horns are no longer my first choice, but I have a great deal of respect for horn technology and the way other manufacturers have implemented it. The Tannoy Churchill's and the Avant Garde line to name but two.
When I first got into this hobby, I was most impressed when a much older brother in-law/ audio enthusiast was able to run his in-laws (My Family) out of the room with a HeathKit 10 watt per channel amplifier and AR's first turntable (What, no anti-skating?), and the HORNS! I was the only one who stayed, and it was love at first site! You can't imagine being 10 years old in 1974, and hearing "Highway Star" that loudly! For God's sake, I was listening to the Beach Boys on a Sanyo all-in-one job with the old 8 track tape player at the time, so I'm sure anyone who reads this post and is somewhat familiar with rock and roll can understand my epiphany. A stereo could do that? Quickly, I became familiar with the Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix et al.
So I have romantic memories of these speakers, as I'm sure you have gathered. They are greatly responsible for me being the incurable audio nut I am today. Still, in all honesty and frankness, I feel that when properly set up, these speakers image quite well, offer better dynamics than most and are built to last. Low frequencies are robust, and hard to control! Set up, like any speaker is job #1. My Bro in Law still plays his regularly, and he bought them a year before I had heard them, so you do the math. They are rugged and good looking in a manly way. You will never hear a woman say, "I love what these speakers do for this room". Unless of course she is blind and likes the sound of horns.
Transparency? That's a subjective term, and should be used with skeptisism, but these horns are revealing of their upwind electronics. Be assured, tubes are the cure for what ails them. And vinyl sounds better than CD. Sure, the dynamics are astounding with digital, but with the efficiency of these speakers, you easily have baby bears porridge with vinyl.
However,I must also tell you that I use high powered solid state class A amps feeding a pair of Talon Peregrines. My tastes have changed, and the K-Horns are no longer my first choice, but I have a great deal of respect for horn technology and the way other manufacturers have implemented it. The Tannoy Churchill's and the Avant Garde line to name but two.