Klipschorn: Still relevant??

Hi,

I have a SET ( Wright 2A3 monoblocks ) which I use with 1979 Klipsch Cornwalls. I also use a EICO HF-81 (circa 1959 el84 williamson design pp amp ) and a Cary SLI-80 ( in the triode mode ) with them. The Wrights sound the best ... detailed, articulate, fast and plenty of bass and volume, a midrange and highs to die for and outstanding imaging ( side to side and front to back ) with these high efficiency speakers. The horns can only be better. I wish I had the room for them.

BTW, Klipsch still produces the La Scala, the Bells, the Klipschorns, the Heresys and will soon add the Cornwalls to current production.

To get sets and Khorns is IMHO a dream set up.

good listening,

Larry

SET/Klipschorn is the most gratifying, lifelike sound I've experienced, bar none. However, it was not a simple plug 'n play process. It worked for us because of four things:

1) Finding the best NOS tube combination for the amps
2) Modding the speakers (Dampen horns/Update x-overs/Re-wire with silver)
3) Experimenting with cabling that worked best for the system, even if it was expensive. We went from $200 IC's to $800 IC's, but doing that--as well as adding a preamp--enabled us to sell our sub, because we were getting so much more full range music as a result of the cable/preamp change. Simple rule that we had: Don't guess at the result without trying it first. If it works, keep it. If not, re-sell it. You don't lose anything by trying out various used cable options.
4) Getting the best possible source we could afford, which was THE most important factor. If you wonder whether or not your source sounds digital, has glare, or just isn't up to snuff, the K-horns will make you wonder no more. You'll have your answer in a jiffy. Because if there's something to be heard, they will project it.

A fellow audiophile asked me the other day how our system could sound this good for less than the price of his speakers. Because the SET/K-horn combination is like sushi. When done right, you feel like you're eating with the royals. And when done poorly, you just want to vomit and never come near it again.

Larry, Did I hear you right! Did you you say the Cornwall is coming back into production? How and where did you get that info from? I'm asking because I've been searching for a clean pair of Cornwall 2's for the longest time.

have you ever listened to horn speakers in general even if they werent khorns,i would reccomend that before you buy or sell anything that you try to hear atleast one pair of high effeciency horn speakers.

ive owned most of the klipsch heratige line including klipschorns & i liked them very much even though i much prefered solid state amps over tube amps with my khorns.

i dont really buy into the saying'properly set up system'to me its just a way people blow off bad reviews by saying the system must of been set up poorly.

to mee it all boils down to weather you like the horn sound or not & the horn sound isnt for everybody.

I inherited two pairs of Klipschorns and a pair of LaScalas some years ago. I lived and listened to music through them for probably two years before becoming completely dissatisfied with the sound. I ended up going with speakers that are no where near as efficient, but sound far more natural, in my opinion (different models of Vandersteens).
I always liked listening to 60's rock on the K-Horns, and they were definetely fun to listen to early on... You really need to hear them before purchasing them to live with.

Will