High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps

You guys are making me want to check out Klipsch! :-)

For what it's worth, Brian of ANK is a big fan of pairing the Kit 1 with vintage speakers from the '80's like Altec, etc.

My only problem with going the vintage route is that a lot of the suitable speakers of that era are physically too huge for my spacecraft and would cost a fortune to ship (I'm talking Cornwall's, La Scala's, Altec 19's, etc.).

Now Heresy's might work and I know of some for sale locally that I'm wondering if the seller would let me demo at home.

Fwiw I have limited mileage with klipsch but the times I have spent with them always left a smile on my face and made me take notice. One should almost feel compelled to give a tried and true potential high value brand like that a fair go first before going more esoteric. Kind of like the OHM Acoustics of high efficiency horn designs. 😉

I've yet to hear a set achieve top level performance at higher volume levels without a horn or two in the equation for the highest possible efficiency.

Some good info in the "good affordable horns" thread Started here a few years back.

One of the main advantages of the better Klipsch horn designs is the dynamics, which, importantly for me, hold up very well at low volumes.
I have owned the KHorns in the 70's, the Cornwalls in the 90's and now the Epic CF- 4. all very good at "serving the music" as some say, while not being hyper-critically perfect in any way. It's really hard to overestimate the importance of wide dynamic range until you have lived with it and then lived with speakers that lack wide dynamic range. If it was not for the Epics, I would probably still have one of the 2 Spendor models I owned, because they are beautiful to listen to as well, and very truthful in their own way, but I did become a little dissatisfied with their relatively average dynamics. They were actually about as dynamic as most other cone speakers I've owned, but not up to horn standards.
One problem that a newcomer will encounter when researching Klipsch is the world of crossover, cabinet and driver changes/upgrades that are offered and strongly recommended. I find many sites that make you feel that if you don't change the speaker beyond recognition, you are not going to achieve good sound. Not true. I like to tweak, but some of these models sound great as they are if you can't afford to heavily modify them. It's one of those occasions when reading too much and knowing too little can leave you feeling confused and insecure.
I would like to do some crossover, wire and cabinet mods to my CF-4's, but with the few things I have done, which isn't much, they are still the best overall speakers I have ever owned, (not heard) and I've owned some nice ones.
Rebbi, give them a try if you can. I think you will discover something very different than what you are accustomed to. Whether or not you like it only you can say.
While I'm addressing you (as well as other members), I have found a new amp tweak for you to spend your hard earned money on. I found an ad here on Audiogon for the Cerious Technologies Nano Reference power cord, originally $500.00, now 149.00 for a 5 foot cord. I know you had been considering a cord upgrade, and I was using the top line Pangea, which I liked, although I knew there were better cords.
Well, it turns out that Robert Grost, former founder of Unity Audio, owns the company, and lives near me here in AZ. He offered to let me try the cable on trial, and I had my doubts, but the technology had interested me for years. By that evening, I told him to cash the check. The cable is excellent. More quiet, refined and dimensional than the Pangea...at a giveaway price. I'm very happy with it.
Anyway,it's kind of nice to hear a few members speaking well of Klipsch for a change. I know that it has been very popular over the years to call them brash and honky, sometimes by people who I don't think were even familiar with them, and other times by people who were using the wrong sources and amps. Make no mistake...they will reveal.

Roxy,
Great to hear from you.
I did pick up a Magic Power Cord by Signal Cable (Almarg had recommended these) for my Kit 1, used, from a local audiophile. I like it a lot, but I'm intrigued by your impressions of the Nano Reference. I'll check it out.
As for Klipsch, sure, I’m intrigued. I find their current line confusing - there are so many models and I have heard online (which is worth the paper it's printed on, admittedly) that their newer, mass market stuff isn't as good as the vintage, Made In USA stuff.
Davidpritchard:
Thank you so much for chiming in!! The KLF-20 looks like a winner - a slimmer tower would fit in my room much better than a massive, squat floor-stander. And I've seen KLF-20's for sale on the 'net. The challenge is as I posted above: these things are heavy, few sellers have the original boxes, and thus the sellers aren't willing to ship them. But I'll definitely keep my eye out!