Bad News! KLIPSCH may disappear

dB Cooper · « **Reply #20 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 01:53 am »

Quote from: FULLRANGEMAN on 21 Jan 2011, 06:23 pm

I agree. I do not like speakers with crossovers, tweeters atc...
Gustavo

fullrangeman, your position on this is well known around these parts (and differs from mine) but I was curious how you feel about planars?

dB Cooper · « **Reply #21 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 02:18 am »

On the OT, what often happens is, a bigger fish like Audiovox swallows a smaller fish like Klipsch, brings in the bean counters to "streamline production" (read:fire people), "cut costs" (read:cheapen the products) and start cranking out cookie cutter products with the purchased name (in this case, Klipsch) on them for as long as the name maintains "good will" value.

I remember someone I worked with in the early to mid 80s buying a Fisher prepackaged system from "Equipment 'R' Us" because Fisher was a "good name". (This is probably the kind of thing Audiovox is counting on.) They weren't too happy when I told them that Fisher Audio had changed hands four times in the 1970s alone and had no connection to the old Fisher aside from the logo (essentially, they had just been chumped.) Just my 2 cents.

The best thing I can say about Audiovox stuff is that in my experience, it works; but it is the very definition of "mid-fi".

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #22 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 02:24 am »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 30 Jul 2012, 01:53 am

fullrangeman, your position on this is well known around these parts (and differs from mine) but I was curious how you feel about planars?

I own a Carver Amazing Silver, it is a great speaker, holografic soundstage, soft treble and great looking.
It not had a xover just a fully adjustable(bass phase and mid & hi volume) resistence set, the sensitivity is low=88dB and micro detail is not his virtue.
The reverb time is stunning pleasant to the human brain, even in late night low spl.
The reverb time from Magnepan and Martin Logan is very unpleasant.
It is the masterpiece of Bob Carver IMO.
I had not listen the greek Audio Analisys yet.
Correction: The Amazing had a complete xover...

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #23 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 02:32 am »

Concord bough Telarc just to close his grave, there is no more Telarc SACDs.

fredgarvin · « **Reply #24 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 04:24 am »

Even if they keep the Klipsch name it will meet the same fate as Pyle driver, Aragon, Infinity, AR, you name it. It will disappear or become a schlock sucker brand.

S Clark · « **Reply #25 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 04:49 am »

They may have still made a couple of decent speakers, but their hey day has been long gone. I just don't see that their final demise is anything to mourn. Bad news? I really don't see it that way.

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #26 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 05:21 am »

Probably my worst ever experience in high end audio was auditioning Klipsch LaScalas. Did so in the 80s and once again around 2000. I also heard them used in DJ setting at a hall party I was at. Those bass bins remind me of audio played in a Gymnasium. Ring-a-ding-long-ling. I wanted so much to like them in 2000 as I was looking for a high eff. speaker. What a disappointment. Still, I like the name and history. They won't kill the name, maybe the brand.

Rocket_Ronny

doug s. · « **Reply #27 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 12:16 pm »

ronny, i have never heard lascala's. (i did enjoy a demo of klipschhorns in the early 80's, fwiw). and i do have a pair of oris 150 horns that are supported in the mid-bass by a pair of 15" fostex pro audio drivers loaded into beefed up lascala bass-bin cabinets. as the bass bins are only playing from ~80hz to ~250hz, they are doing a good job.

but, if you want sota sound w/a similar look, you must hear a pair of volti audio vittora's. not cheap at ~$12.5k retail per pair, but fabulous sound - best sound of the show, imo, (well, mebbe tied w/the $24k hornings), at the 2012 c.a.f. i recently attended. and the room was simply awful; i can only imagine how nice they'd sound if set up in a good room. the horning room, while not perfect, was far nicer for the speakers than the volti room.

http://www.voltiaudio.com/shop.shtml
http://www.voltiaudio.com/vittora.shtml

doug s.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #28 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 01:03 pm »

I had limited time at the show and missed that room. The Classic Audio room had the best horns that I did get to hear though. These look real nice.

doug s. · « **Reply #29 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 01:16 pm »

Quote from: dB Cooper on 30 Jul 2012, 01:03 pm

I had limited time at the show and missed that room. The Classic Audio room had the best horns that I did get to hear though. These look real nice.

i was extremely unimpressed w/the sound i heard in the classic audio room. marginally better room, ruined by having two pairs of speakers in it, w/the smaller speakers blocking the sound of the larger pair. i wanted to like the sound; the owner was wery nice... but even if the volti's were twice the price of the big classic's instead of the other way around, i would still be wanting the volti's...

doug s.

art · « **Reply #30 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 02:27 pm »

Quote from: fredgarvin on 30 Jul 2012, 04:24 am

Even if they keep the Klipsch name it will meet the same fate as Pyle driver, Aragon, Infinity, AR, you name it. It will disappear or become a schlock sucker brand.

BINGO! A way to sell schlock, to folks who have heard the name, but know nothing other than "It is supposed to be a good brand."

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #31 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 05:02 pm »

Hi Doug:

Thanks for the Volti suggestion. Yes, I have looked into the line. Must be good from the reports I hear.

A friend of mine went from the Mark Levinson HQD system - stacked Quad 57s with Decca ribbon tweeter, and 4 18" Hartely sub woofers in giant acoustic suspension boxes that were 6 feet tall, to a pair of Klipsch Corner Horns. Go figure.

He had lined the cabinets with lead sheets, puddied the outside of the horns to dampen them and reworked the crossover. If his neighbors got too loud with their music he would play the Sheffield Drum record at ear splitting volumes to say hello.

Rocket_Get Me Some K-Horns_Ronny

doug s. · « **Reply #32 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 05:40 pm »

Quote from: Rocket_Ronny on 30 Jul 2012, 05:02 pm

Hi Doug:

Thanks for the Volti suggestion. Yes, I have looked into the line. Must be good from the reports I hear.

A friend of mine went from the Mark Levinson HQD system - stacked Quad 57s with Decca ribbon tweeter, and 4 18" Hartely sub woofers in giant acoustic suspension boxes that were 6 feet tall, to a pair of Klipsch Corner Horns. Go figure.

He had lined the cabinets with lead sheets, puddied the outside of the horns to dampen them and reworked the crossover. If his neighbors got too loud with their music he would play the Sheffield Drum record at ear splitting volumes to say hello.

Rocket_Get Me Some K-Horns_Ronny

i could see your buddy getting rid of the quads for the k-horns. but me, i'd have kept the hartley subs!

doug s.

chrisby · « **Reply #33 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 07:36 pm »

Quote from: srb on 30 Jul 2012, 12:17 am

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

Steve

pray tell then, what are the speakers in your avatar photo - or was that sarcasm?

I guess it's always a shame to see the fortunes, "prestige" etc of any legendary brand name diminished through (multiple) change(s) of ownership, management ( Jaguar, anyone), but my personal experience with several Klipsch designs over the decades echoes some of those posted above - what is it the kids are saying these days? - meh, so?

srb · « **Reply #34 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 07:54 pm »

Quote from: chrisby on 30 Jul 2012, 07:36 pm

pray tell then, what are the speakers in your avatar photo - or was that sarcasm?

That was sarcasm.

Quote from: FULLRANGEMAN on 21 Jan 2011, 06:23 pm

I agree. I do not like speakers with crossovers, tweeters atc... But the Klipsch RF-63 and RF-83 are the only exceptions

Steve

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #35 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 10:04 pm »

Quote from: fredgarvin on 30 Jul 2012, 04:24 am

Even if they keep the Klipsch name it will meet the same fate as Pyle driver, Aragon, Infinity, AR, you name it. It will disappear or become a schlock sucker brand.

Krell and Mark Levinson now are made in China.

chrisby · « **Reply #36 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 10:43 pm »

Quote from: FULLRANGEMAN on 30 Jul 2012, 10:04 pm

Krell and Mark Levinson now are made in China.

as are I think, many of the computers, tablets and smart phones upon which we fritter away our time chatterboxing on the subject - does the country of manufacture guarantee anything, or is it the design & production QC?

Devil Doc · « **Reply #37 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 10:59 pm »

Quote from: chrisby on 30 Jul 2012, 10:43 pm

as are I think, many of the computers, tablets and smart phones upon which we fritter away our time chatterboxing on the subject - does the country of manufacture guarantee anything, or is it the design & production QC?

It guarantees some American is getting a pay check and that's important to me.

Doc

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #38 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 11:12 pm »

Quote from: chrisby on 30 Jul 2012, 10:43 pm

as are I think, many of the computers, tablets and smart phones upon which we fritter away our time chatterboxing on the subject - does the country of manufacture guarantee anything, or is it the design & production QC?

After the sale of Krell & ML the production moved to China, in the case of Klipsch as the production already in China, the next step may be made clock radios with the Klipsch name or close the doors.

JLM · « **Reply #39 on:** 30 Jul 2012, 11:18 pm »

Classic Klipsch speakers are dinosaurs. They're big and held a significant place for a long time. Back when 5 wpc was all you had, you put up with size and lack of deep bass to get high spls. Their sound complimented the tubes of the day. But like the dinosaurs their day has past.

The company lost it's marketing way, not enough tube dealers to support their modern offerings. So sadly they focused on the mainstream where frankly they really don't offer anything special.