Klipsch Heresy

[cowboy]

I'm considering a vintage pair of Klipsch Heresy's (1985) that I could buy local. Woofers have been professionally re-fomed. Anybody want to give me an idea how they would sound with my MC 30's/MX 110 combo and how the sound might compared to my Harbeth C7's. I've always heard that Mc tubes and Klipsch are a great match.

[efhjr]

I've always heard that Mc tubes and Klipsch are a great match.

Oh yes, they are. I use Klipsch Cornwalls with my MC30s, and it's magic.

I haven't heard Heresys with MC30s, so I can't comment on that, but I'd think it would not suck.

If they are vintage, seriously consider freshening up the crossover -- either replace the caps or do a full rebuild. I ended up getting the crossover rebuilt for my Cornwalls, and it made a huge difference.

[SamS]

To echo what efhrj said, you would definitely want to look at refreshing the crossover caps. I'm sure they will sound very nice with tubes.

What is the finish on the ones you are considering getting?

[cowboy]

Looked like an oak finish with a light tan colored cloth

[cowboy]

Got any idea what the crossover re-build costs?

[SamS]

Looked like an oak finish with a light tan colored cloth

Should be nice, those aren't as common. They are hard to find in good condition without scratches, dents, etc. and may command a premium in pristine shape.

Got any idea what the crossover re-build costs?

Not much at all, maybe $50? I did my Cornwall crossover rebuild myself with new parts, took less than an hour. It was easy and cheap! Over on the Klipsch forums, there's a fellow name Bob Crites that's an expert on all things Klispch-crossover. You can also do an ebay search for Klipsh Heresey Crossover and you'll likely pull up some of his stuff. He's out of Arkansas.

[vinyl anachronist]

No matter what you do with the crossovers, I still don't think they'll compare to your Harbeths. But if you're looking for two completely different flavors in your system, you'll get it.

[JBStephens]

If the woofers have been re-foamed, they are not the ORIGINAL woofers. Klipsch did not use foam-surround woofers in the Heresy, they would be accordian-pleat surround. Actual Klipsch woofers never need re-foamed. Those woofers are some kind of aftermarket replacement. Caveat emptor on those Heresys. Still, if you like the dynamic, forward sound of the horns, go for it.

Crossover rebuilds are very easy, because they were built with barrier-strip construction instead of PC board.

[jt1stcav]

If you can audition them since they're local, I'd do that first before committing to them (since their woofers are not originals as JBStephens pointed out). If you like their "in-your-face" presence (as I do since I own the Cornwalls, RB-75s...both driven by a 300B SET amp...and ProMedia 2.1 PC satellites/sub), then by all means buy 'em. If the refoamed woofers don't distract from the sound, then they should serve you well. If it were me, I'd consider replacing those woofers with original Klipsch pleated paper surround woofers (new or used, or whatever woofer Bob Crites of the Klipsch Forums recommends, etc).

Just my two cents...

[Taurus]

If the woofers have been re-foamed, they are not the ORIGINAL woofers.You beat me to it.

I've never personally seen any Klipsch use foam for a woofer surround - it's either rubber, or pleated cloth with shiny black doping compound.

[audio]

No matter what you do with the crossovers, I still don't think they'll compare to your Harbeths.


Exactly. And as was pointed out, the woofers are likely unoriginal. Avoid, IMO. Along those lines, I had Heresys for a while. They're fast and dynamic...a blast to listen to and sound fantastic with vinyl....for about 10 minutes. Then the shriek and peaky response starts to really wear on you and you want to place them face down on the carpet in order to tame their harsh and screechy honking character. I think they're unlistenable as a main speaker. Would only own them for fun to pull out occasionally and then throw back into the closet.

Sorry to be blunt. I know there are a lot of Klipsch fans on the forum and I certainly hope you won't take offense. In fairness, my dislike to these speakers equals your enthusiasm and I think this guy deserves to hear varying opinions before he spends his money.

[Dflip]

I haven't tried hooking up my heresys to my MC-30's, I just bought the Heresys. They are hooked up to a Scott LK-72 (299C). They sound good, they can be on the bright side, but that shouldn't be a huge problem with the MC-30's. I would not put the Heresys with a lot of SS power, they can be quite shrill. They do bass okay, but if you are looking for that deep bass, you will need a subwoofer.
My biggest concern is the replacement woofer. You can probably pick up an original replacement, Bob Crites should be able to help. The current replacement certainly does not fit and there could very well be questions as to whether it works with the current crossover network. If you can hear them, go and give a listen, they may be fine, or they may be worth the pass.
I would prefer to take the Cornwalls or Fortes, if you are going the Klipsch route. Both are better speakers than the Heresys (more bass with as much of that sweet midrange). Klipsch with tubes is great for female jazz vocals, especially with an MC-30 with the great sounding tubes.

[vinyl anachronist]

Exactly. And as was pointed out, the woofers are likely unoriginal. Avoid, IMO. Along those lines, I had Heresys for a while. They're fast and dynamic...a blast to listen to and sound fantastic with vinyl....for about 10 minutes. Then the shriek and peaky response starts to really wear on you and you want to place them face down on the carpet in order to tame their harsh and screechy honking character. I think they're unlistenable as a main speaker. Would only own them for fun to pull out occasionally and then throw back into the closet.

Sorry to be blunt. I know there are a lot of Klipsch fans on the forum and I certainly hope you won't take offense. In fairness, my dislike to these speakers equals your enthusiasm and I think this guy deserves to hear varying opinions before he spends his money.


I've always considered Klipsches to be almost unbearable to listen to until I heard them with some very low-powered SETs, and they were actually quite enjoyable. But give them more than 15 or 20 watts per channel, or solid-state power, and yes, they're quite screechy.

[JBStephens]

This would be reasonably close to the original Klipsch woofer, just for general comparison and estimating purposes -

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=290-408

Since the Heresy is an infinite baffle system, matching the woofer to the cabinet is not as critical as with a ported system. They never had any bass to speak of anyway, and without that first octave to balance the overall sound, they do tend to present themselves as somewhat thin and shrill. What will be harder to match with an aftermarket woofer is the woofer-to-midrange. But who knows, they might even sound not too bad when Cowboy goes to hear them.

Thumbs-up to the Cornwalls! :righton:

[Tone]

......I think they're unlistenable as a main speaker.....

I've gone through several sets of Heresys, both professionally and in a home setting, and have a pair in my Living room now. They don't sound at all as you describe, and certainly not "unlistenable". No one that's heard them has found the speakers to sound unpleasant either.

I am powering mine with a tube amp, which is a good combination. They do have horns in them, so they have a 'different' sound, but it's not screecy. And due to their design they have great mid range presence, and not muddy in that range like so many speakers.

They are probably not the 'flatest' speakers in the world but I'm very happy with them, and can heartily recommend a pair....... But do put your ear up close (at low volume!) and make sure both horns are working. If the tweeter goes out, it's a bit hard to notice, but they will sound much honkier.

(Thanks for the tips on refurbishing the Crossovers, guys. I'm going to look into that!)

[JBStephens]

(Thanks for the tips on refurbishing the Crossovers, guys. I'm going to look into that!)

For crossover components, Auricaps or Kimber Kaps are both excellent choices, but a bit pricey for caps. Solen metallized polypropylenes are a good choice for a few less dollars. The Erse Perfect Lay inductors are unbeatable. It's been years since I've been inside of a Heresy, I think they used iron-core chokes, I don't remember. But a caps upgrade would definitely be worth it - I still have some Klipsch caps lying around, and they're nothing special.

[cowboy]

He who hesitates.....I checked back on the Heresy's this morning and they're gone. They were listed for two more days but I guess somebody hit the "buy now" button. I'm not around a computer after 11:30 am (I'm at the barn training horses). The "buy now" price was more than I was willing to spend anyway but I really appreciate everyone's advice. I get these ideas in my head once in a while about a "different" sound and names like Klipsch and Lowther keep rolling around my brain. It's not that I don't like the Harbeths. In fact on stuff like Steve Goodman, Guy Clark, Norah Jones, etc. I love 'em. But at other times, like with maybe "All the Roadrunnings", the sound is good, but there seems to be just not enough of it, if that makes sense. But hey, you may be right, I maybe crazy. Although I'd never give up my home out here on the range, sometimes I do wish I lived closer to a big city where I could go and actually hear and compare stuff.

[Scott in DC]

With the interest in single ended triode amps there have been many speakers introduced for SET owners. If you use tubes, especially low powered tube amps then there are many other options for speakers rather than Klipsch.

I didn't like Klipsch with solid state power. With tubes I prefer other speakers than Hersey's.

Scott

[Taurus]

But at other times, like with maybe "All the Roadrunnings", the sound is good, but there seems to be just not enough of it, if that makes sense.As a fan of loudspeakers with 10+ inch woofers, makes sense to me. :) I did a google search on "Harbeth C7" but couldn't find a detailed description of them, especially the size of their woofer. Are the C7s small "monitor" type loudspeakers?

[Chris Schoen]

I have been listening to Heresy's since the mid-80's. I have them turned on
their sides with Boston Acoustics on top. Great combo.