[FullRangeMan]

Very bad news.  The famous hystorical Paul Klipsch company seems will be absorbed by Audiovox and may disappear as is usual on the corporative biz.
http://hometheaterreview.com/audiovox-to-buy-klipsch/


http://www.audiovox.com/

> Never go to a psychiatrist, adopt a cat or dog from the street. On the streets pets live only two years average.

[MaxCast]

Why would Avox buy Klipsch and let it dissapear? 

[FullRangeMan]

This usually happens when the take company do not want invest new money, cost-cutting or to kill competitors, just to mention afew reasons, of course there is more reasons in the real world, I just show a plain simple vision.
Hope this will not happen to Klipsch as the RF speakers line are great value per money, mainly the RF83 model.
Gustavo

[srb]

Klipsch is still a respected name in the audio industry that now encompasses both high-end and mass market distribution (like JBL).  I find it very hard to believe that Audiovox would not take advantage of brand awareness that has taken 64 years to build.
 
Steve

[FullRangeMan]

I agree. I do not like speakers with crossovers, tweeters atc... But the Klipsch RF-63 and RF-83 are the only exceptions, and I would buy a pair for a Stereo Hi-End system.
Gustavo

[twitch54]

Klipsch is still a respected name in the audio industry

Myself I feel they have lost a fair amount of 'respect' from the past ten years of making so-so HT gear type speakers, other than their Classic line they are mid-fi at best.

[srb]

Myself I feel they have lost a fair amount of 'respect' from the past ten years of making so-so HT gear type speakers, other than their Classic line they are mid-fi at best.

And that is the market segment that has the largest revenue potential.
 
Steve

[TheChairGuy]

Klipsch is still a respected name in the audio industry that now encompasses both high-end and mass market distribution (like JBL).  I find it very hard to believe that Audiovox would not take advantage of brand awareness that has taken 64 years to build.
 
Steve

I'm in consumer products for 25 years now (eek! scares me to read that).

I would be surprised if Klipsch, in it's current form of offerings, exists in even 5 years.

Audiovox is based in Long Island, my 'home' base (where I was born/raised and lived until 17 years ago) and they have always been and will always be a schlock merchant company. I've been in the personal communication (thru Cobra and Uniden brands) and CB business and competed against them for years

My guess (and it's only that - a guess based on 25 years of repeated foolish buyouts of once great names in consumer products) is that they want in on automotive OEM basis and needed a speaker name to get in on the action.  A contract with, say, Ford to have a Klispsch sound system has certain cache...and would probably greatly exceed all of of Klipsch sales in a year what they have garnered in the past 10. Bose, JBL, Harman-kardon, Mark Levinson and others are in the OEM auto radio business.

Klipsch IS doomed if chained to Audiovox...at least the Klipsch that most of us respect in audiophooldom 

John

[JLM]

With their high efficiency and relative lack of deep bass (for their size) Klipsch was always geared towards small tubed amps.  When solid state appeared, Klipsch suddenly looked like dinosaurs to the mass market.  As older/lesser solid state only sounds best at higher wattages, Klipsch really didn't work well with main stream amps since the 70s.

Most consumers don't understand the significance of speaker efficiency, but instead would rather brag about having XXX wpc. 

And the K-horn's down fall started even earlier with the advent of stereo (when you really think about it, not many room have two good adjoining corners to accommodate a pair of them).

[Mitsuman]

I'm in consumer products for 25 years now (eek! scares me to read that).

I would be surprised if Klipsch, in it's current form of offerings, exists in even 5 years.

Audiovox is based in Long Island, my 'home' base (where I was born/raised and lived until 17 years ago) and they have always been and will always be a schlock merchant company. I've been in the personal communication (thru Cobra and Uniden brands) and CB business and competed against them for years

My guess (and it's only that - a guess based on 25 years of repeated foolish buyouts of once great names in consumer products) is that they want in on automotive OEM basis and needed a speaker name to get in on the action.  A contract with, say, Ford to have a Klispsch sound system has certain cache...and would probably greatly exceed all of of Klipsch sales in a year what they have garnered in the past 10. Bose, JBL, Harman-kardon, Mark Levinson and others are in the OEM auto radio business.

Klipsch IS doomed if chained to Audiovox...at least the Klipsch that most of us respect in audiophooldom 

John

THIS

[Rob Babcock]

I've long considered Klipsch to be the perfect complement to Bose.   There's no product I've ever heard by them that I would consider acceptable (including the K-horns).  That said, they're an iconic brand and I'd be somewhat surprised if Audiovox would kill off the marque.

[Zero]

I dunno... I think some Klipsch products are great. 

Take for example the new RF-7 II's. These behemoths may not be as aesthetically charming as their peers, but the performance is extremely solid. Having already conducted numerous side by side comparisons between the RF-7 II's and half a dozen or so popular, similar priced, audiophile-approved loudspeakers, I gotta say that the Klipsch's have zero issues in hanging with the competition.

Alright, so having said all of that, where do I go to turn in my street cred?   

[hmen]

I can't wait to get my first clock radio with "real Klipsch speakers".

[Freo-1]

I dunno... I think some Klipsch products are great. 

Take for example the new RF-7 II's. These behemoths may not be as aesthetically charming as their peers, but the performance is extremely solid. Having already conducted numerous side by side comparisons between the RF-7 II's and half a dozen or so popular, similar priced, audiophile-approved loudspeakers, I gotta say that the Klipsch's have zero issues in hanging with the competition.

Alright, so having said all of that, where do I go to turn in my street cred? 

Although I'm not a big fan of horn drivers in general, Klipsch over the years has done a lot to advance audio  overall.  I've herd K-horns with updated/modified crossovers that sounded pretty darn good. You have to admit, at 104 db@ 1 watt, the K-Horn can easily achieve lifelike sound reproduction levels, something no mini monitor or planar speaker can achieve.  Now, how practical a pair of K-horns are in an average home environment is another matter entirely. 

I hope that this works out like when McIntosh was sold, where corporate leaves the day to day operations alone.   

[sebrof]

I dunno... I think some Klipsch products are great. 

Alright, so having said all of that, where do I go to turn in my street cred? 

Klipsch certainly makes some good stuff.
Not sure you're the one who needs to turn in anything.

[FullRangeMan]

Many Klipsch speakers are very useful to match with small tube amps and the priece/performance ratio are good.
Hope Klipsch will win more this challenge.

[Rob Babcock]

Speakers are subjective.  I certainly don't knock people who like them.  And I guess I haven't heard any Klipsches that have been released within the last five years or so.  They may well be really good.

[FullRangeMan]

As expected the Klispch line are being reduced:
The RF83 is out of the line in 2011.
And now I see the RF63 also in no more.
A pity, really great speakers for a tube amp.

[kevinh]

Shame I have a friend that had bought the Hersey's and LaSacala new series in the past couple of years and has been happy with both with tube amps.

[srb]

Shame I have a friend that had bought the Hersey's and LaSacala new series in the past couple of years and has been happy with both with tube amps.

No!  The Klipsch RF-63 and RF-83 are the only speakers with a crossover that are acceptable.

Steve