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REVIEW: Klipsch klipschorn Speakers

24.18.46.190


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Model: klipschorn
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $4000/pair
Description: horn loaded corner horn
Manufacturer URL: Klipsch
Manufacturer URL: Klipsch

Review by Kristian85 ( A ) on August 12, 2004 at 11:53:18
IP Address: 24.18.46.190
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for the klipschorn


Odd, in a sense, to post an impression of a speaker that's been around since 1948! As if there's something I could say about this speaker that hasn't been said before....

But, there's a dearth of fresh impressions, and Stereophile is working on getting Art Dudley a pair for a full review--or so I hear.

For my background and listening tastes, see my review of the Solar HiFi mono blocks under SS amps.

We went to a non-high-end dealer in Marysville, WA who displays Klipschorns. You know, the type of semi-rural store where they'll sell you bad cloth couches, faux-country furnishings, imitation vintage rifles, car stereo, and some HT and PA stuff. Caveat: System was poor, and poorly set up--the speakers were too close together (8-10 ft.) in the corners of a long room stuffed with other speakers. Source was a $250 Integra DVD player, Preamp an Integra HT receiver, and amp was a stock Carver Pro ZR1600 (!). Insufficient basis on which to do any serious review, but good enough for impressions of the basic character of the speaker. Retail apparently is $8,000--a completely lunatic price.

Music: Joy Division (Man, these guys were good), Orbital (Blue Album), Slam, Laibach, Dead Can Dance, Blind Boys of Alabama, Verdi's Requiem (Shaw), Beethoven's 10th Piano Sonata (Goode), Einsturzende Neubauten, Wayne Shorter (Speak No Evil), Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto (Chung-Dutoit), Coltrane's Classic Quartet, Wire (154), Tomasz Stanko (From the Green Hill).

From the first bars playing electronica, it became obvious they have a great sense of ease and are very dynamic, with excellent dynamic contrasting. Tonally, they suit electronica and rock very well. Good impact, and silly DB levels from scant power. Things were looking good, although they didn't have the overall tonal sophistication of my Spendor SP100s, or my (attending) pal's SP1/2s. Things still looked good on old delta blues--simple singing with basic acoustic guitar. Good replication of live dynamics--that live feel one gets from sensitive horns. No real sign of any dreaded horn colorations, nasality, or shouty quality. This would change.

The moment Shorter blew on his sax, the shouty coloration made itself known. It was simply too much, generating a ringing quality in the ears, and sounding quite colored. Definitely not as polished or tonally correct as good dynamic monitors like my Spendors, and lacking in correct tonal color as well. Quite a disappointment, but one not laid entirely at the feet of the speakers given the room and ancillaries. Choral classical fared even worse. Shaw's magnificent chorus was reduced to a blaring, bleating mass of sound, with the 5-900 hz horn coloration present in full force, and lacking refinement in the mids and highs. Generally, this was true for most music containing sustained midrange tones, and acoustic instruments in particular. Jazz and classical just was not good. E.g., when the rhythm section in a jazz quartet was going alone, it sounded just fine--but when Stanko lit his horn, well, it was just too much trumpet. Solo piano also lacked the glowing, beautiful, and correct tonal color it deserves.

We returned to a poor recording, Joy Division, and it was nearly unbearable. Harsh, shouty, ruthlessly revealed for the crappy digital it was. That was one fine characteristic of the speaker--it is quite revealing of the source material. Not very good imaging in that context either.

Bass, generally, was a pleasant surprise--tight, relatively deep, and not boomy or slow at all, though it wasn't expected to be.

While the speaker did quite well on electronica and rock, it disppointed on more critical fare such as some midrange-intensive jazz and classical. But, and its a Big One, they do emphasize the critical importance of speaker dynamics in the creation of the live illusion. While I did not dismiss them out of hand, I do want to hear them in my excellent Khorn room (I have perfect corners 18.5 feet apart in a 16-ft long room) on some good tube gear. I have a romantic notion of some quality SETs driving them in my room that needs to be put to bed. Yet I doubt that I can ever marry them, and they're too cumbersome to keep as mistresses. The Big Spendors have much of the same live, vivid, dynamic quality, and significantly greater refinement and better tonal color.

But, the overall impression has to be one of awe--those things must have been leagues ahead of most speakers for many years, as it is impressive these 1940's designs can still hold a candle to today's speakers.


Product Weakness: Horn coloration clearly evident on mid-range intensive music with sustained notes; lacking in overall tonal color; not good pinpoint imaging; not great on classical and some jazz when compared with today's greats; can sound too much like a PA system at times; and the SILLY price!!!
Product Strengths: Dynamics--the impart a live feel--overall ease or presentation; excellent bass power; impact; engaging on pop-rock-electronica.


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: See text
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): -
Sources (CDP/Turntable): -
Speakers: -
Cables/Interconnects: -
Music Used (Genre/Selections): -
Type of Audition/Review: Dealer Demo




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Topic - REVIEW: Klipsch klipschorn Speakers - Kristian85 11:53:18 08/12/04 ( 20)