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Disappointed w/ Klipsch Heresy III. Now what?

I'd be very grateful for some help with a quandary.

I recently replaced my Ohm Walsh 1000 speakers with Heresy III speakers, running two-channel from a Rega Brio. I was pretty excited about the Heresy IIIs based on reviews — they were efficient, so my 35-watt amp would get the job done; they were supposed to have real punch in the low mid-range, so I could hear the upright bass clearly; they reportedly had excellent imaging; and best of all, they were supposed to sound great at low volumes. They are also indisputably beautiful, which was an important factor for my wife. (The Ohms are elegant, but you have to be an audio lover to see their beauty.)

I set them up, and . . . not so bad, pretty good. Especially loud. In fact the louder the better. Crank them up and they sing. But loud is not really an option with a new baby. So how do they sound quiet? They sound like the band is trapped in shoe box. Really in two shoe boxes because the L and R don't merge that well. The sound stage is tiny. All the detail is gone, the joy is gone. They are no fun at all. Music just seems like a bunch of noise.

But I want to believe! I want to make these speakers work. So I am faced with a quandary. I could:

1. Buy stands, a subwoofer and a tube amp, all of which people in various forums have recommended to improve the various failings I hear now.

2. Replace the Rega with something much more powerful and pull the Ohms out of the closet. (Suboptimal because it will make my wife sad because of the aforementioned perceived ugliness.)

3. Just start all over again. Different amp, different speakers.

I'd kind of prefer number 1. But I don't want to end up with a bunch of stuff designed to solve a problem and then not have that problem solved! (And I'd also just as soon avoid getting a subwoofer.)

Final note. Positioning is an intractable nightmare. It is the one thing that I can't really change, because of how our living room is layed out. It is obviously a big problem though. The living room is a big rectangle, 18 x 40 feet, and the speakers are near the corners of the 18-foot ends, on either side of a couch. I can move them around — closer or further from the couch, closer or further from the wall. But I can't raise them above the height of the couch or move them out in front or over to another wall. That discussion went nowhere!

What should I do?

 



brooklynluke
Post removed 
brooklynluke OP
16 posts
 
Atmasphere, this very helpful! "Harsh" is definitely the right word. On placement, my options are limited. The couch is flat against the back wall, so it creates basically two cubbyholes, one on each side. The couch is about 9 feet wide and 2.5 feet deep centered on an 18 foot wall. That means the cubbyholes are 2.5 feet deep and 4.5 feet wide (and, for the record, 30 inches high). Right now the speakers are positioned about a foot away from the couch on each side — that is, ten feet apart — and back about six inches from the front of the couch, and toed in significantly, so I can see down the horns from my listening chair, which is maybe 8 feet from the front of the couch. I've moved them around with some improvements, but nothing major. Would an even wider spread help?

Also, I am thinking about having some stands made by Deer Creek Audio that would raise the speakers by eight inches. (So their height is equal to the height of the couch.) Any higher and I run into WAF. Worth the bother?

Islandman, when you say "moving them one third" which direction do you have in mind. I will try it! Also, on amps, one reason I got the Heresys is that I love the way old systems sound. There is a kind of jukebox heft and authority to them. The music, especially the bass, is thick, tactile but there is also a clear sense of fine detail and depth. Is class D worth considering from that perspective?

Brownsfan, you may well be right. I had thought (from the descriptions) that horns were just the ticket, but I don't have any special allegiance to them other than that I now I own a beautiful pair of horn speakers! Experimenting sure is a lot of hassle though. Sigh.

Also, and I know this is a whole different kettle of fish, but: What would be the right tube amp? This is for dedicated two-channel — though I am also open to a subwoofer — listening to jazz, classic rock, acoustic music, country, indie, etc. but mostly jazz. I personally would like to get a vintage integrated, so I could have tone controls, plus I just love them from when I was a kid. But I'd be just as happy to get a Chinese tube amp if it sounds great. Trying to keep it under $2,000 and cheaper is even better.

Oh, and . . . what about that subwoofer?

I am grateful for suggestions from all!



brooklynluke OP
16 posts
 
. . . and Dweller, I wish I had known about the Forte IIIs when I got the Heresys! But trading — selling, shipping, etc. — is a big project that I definitely want to avoid if I can.

I am definitely interested in getting McIntosh. What model would you recommend? The Quicksilver Horn Monos look very interesting.

tls49's avatar
tls49
1,318 posts
 

"Right now the speakers are positioned about a foot away from the couch on each side — that is, ten feet apart — and back about six inches from the front of the couch, and toed in significantly, so I can see down the horns from my listening chair, which is maybe 8 feet from the front of the couch."

Brooklynluke have you tried positioning the speakers slightly in front of the couch? Considering the dispersion pattern of the speaker in the above position, sound must be hitting the front edge of the couch. Sound from the tweeter may not be affected, but no doubt, sound from the woofer is affected.


brooklynluke OP
16 posts
 
tls49, you put your finger exactly on my nightmare. The situation is just as you describe, but moving the speakers in front of the couch is not an option, for aforementioned WAF reasons. One advantage of the Ohms was that the tweeters were up high. But of course that height is exactly what got them banished to the closet! The tall grass gets cut first.  
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