My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER members.

[Texas Proud]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

I have owned a couple pairs of Legacy Speakers. They put more money in their cabinets, but that's about it. They are not considered 'audiophile' speakers by most. But they will sound better with Solid State amps than Klipschorns will.

IF the large Klipsch speakers did not sound right, it is my guess that they were overpowered. They are very efficient speakers and I drive mine with 2 watt SET tube amplifiers. If they were powered with Solid State amplifiers, they would sound like a bandsaw. - Just awful. I have Klipschorns that fit into a corner - The amplification is critical to sound quality. Hook up a powerful solid state amp to them and you will cover your ears.

What do you discuss after a bit - you ask? - The multitudes of amplifer topology. Most build their own. Speaker crossovers. Room acoustics - the subject is endless. This would be akin to asking what you discuss on a retirement forum -- 'How to adjust your chair on the beach?'

One of them had the K-horn and IIRC had 10 watt tube... the other was the next level down (did not need the corner wall)... he used solid state...

I listened to some of the cheaper (normal sized) ones and they sounded good, but that horn was just a bit to much.. got ear fatigue quickly.

With the Legacy, the mids and highs seem so much more crisp and I don't have an ear ache afterwards...

I am most definately not an audiophile.. but if they don't go there...IMO I don't think Klipsch would be there either... nor most of the speakers that are in the local audio shop..

But, I do have a tin ear, so what do I know...

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

One of them had the K-horn and IIRC had 10 watt tube... the other was the next level down (did not need the corner wall)... he used solid state...

I listened to some of the cheaper (normal sized) ones and they sounded good, but that horn was just a bit to much.. got ear fatigue quickly.

With the Legacy, the mids and highs seem so much more crisp and I don't have an ear ache afterwards...

I am most definately not an audiophile.. but if they don't go there...IMO I don't think Klipsch would be there either... nor most of the speakers that are in the local audio shop..

But, I do have a tin ear, so what do I know...

The Klipschorn is one of the finest speakers ever made. It has stood the test of time since 1949. It is however amplifier dependent. Hook the wrong amplifer up to them and you will get an ear ache as you describe. Hook a low power SET amplifier to them and you will hear detail, transient speed and lush sound like no other.

I hooked a pair of highly regarded $2K solid state amps to my Khorns a couple months ago thinking I could use the extra power for movies, but they were totally unlistenable even for movies. Horn speakers are very unforgiving. If there is anything in the music chain that is not 'right' they will let you know it.

 

[HFWR]

Are your tube amps class-A. Were the ss amps class-A?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

Are your tube amps class-A. Were the ss amps class-A?

Yes and Yes.

- The problem is in distortion. Even order (S.S.) vs. Odd order (Tube) distortion. - Most Solid State amps that have 100 watts per channel are measured for distortion in their 'sweet spot' (about 10 watts) - With efficient speakers you are running the amps in the low end which is crummy.

Also Even order distortion is very unpleasant to the human ear. Audio is far more complicated that one thinks. As in the other finer things in life --- Wine, Women and Song - all more complicated than you can describe.........

 

[Nords]

I'm confused now. Big speakers used to be good in the 1980s but I thought that today only little speakers were good...

So is mine: Rock and Roll as a youth, firearms, and fireworks. I am very careful about hearing protection now that the horse is out of the barn.

Typical scene from modern submarine life: pulling off the headphones and pulling out the earplugs as you leave the engine room, because your chain of command keeps telling you that those loud noises will destroy your high-frequency hearing. Then you plug in a personal audio player at max volume. I'm glad I retired before iPods started showing up at sea.

My hearing is fine, and I listen just as well as I ever have...

 

[Eagle43]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

What? You say something??

 

[riskadverse]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

I don't know what Klipsch's cost, but my guess is you aren't "LBYM" when you buy them. The idea that people who LBYM are in a minority is nothing new.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

I don't know what Klipsch's cost, but my guess is you aren't "LBYM" when you buy them. The idea that people who LBYM are in a minority is nothing new.

Actually in the world of high-end audio Klipsch speakers are cheap. Klipschorns can be found used for about $2500 a pair. That is what I paid for mine. The transportation is the problem. I drove 300 miles one way to pick up mine in Milwaukee. There are plenty of speakers that cost a lot more. Klipsch speakers are a bargain.

 

[Texas Proud]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

The Klipschorn is one of the finest speakers ever made. It has stood the test of time since 1949. It is however amplifier dependent. Hook the wrong amplifer up to them and you will get an ear ache as you describe. Hook a low power SET amplifier to them and you will hear detail, transient speed and lush sound like no other.

I hooked a pair of highly regarded $2K solid state amps to my Khorns a couple months ago thinking I could use the extra power for movies, but they were totally unlistenable even for movies. Horn speakers are very unforgiving. If there is anything in the music chain that is not 'right' they will let you know it.

Maybe that is the problem.... the BIL who had the tubes got divorced from my sister when I was about 5 or 6.... so I can not say how 'good' they were.. I do know that my sister told me that the neighbors knew when he was playing the stereo as they could hear the difference between his and some of the other poser even in thier house...

But, I don't want to spend the money etc. AND, I don't have a big enough room for K Horns...

As for the smaller Klipsch... why bother if you need tubes to make them sound good.. pay a small price for speakers and a high price for an amp...

BTW, I do agree that they can pump out the sound... but I am older and do not need to have my ears bleed to listen to music... I am happy with what I have as I am sure you are with your setup...

 

[Texas Proud]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

My hearing is fine, and I listen just as well as I ever have...

From what I read... probably not.... it seems teenagers can hear a high frequency that adults can not hear... someone invented IIRC something called a mosquito that is at that frequency which irritates the heck out of teenages.. but adults can not hear it at all...

Maybe you can hear the rest of the frequencies just as well, but I think that high one is a function of age... maybe Doc from Tampa can chime in...

 

[ERD50]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

I don't know what Klipsch's cost, but my guess is you aren't "LBYM" when you buy them. The idea that people who LBYM are in a minority is nothing new.

A good quality speaker will outlive our ears. Amortize the expense over 20 years or so, and I am very happy with my decisions to spend a few $$$$ on stereo equipment. A heck of a lot cheaper than a lot of other monthly expenditures.

Magnepan 1.6Q - great speakers IMO, ~ $1500. I think I paid about $400 for a used high end amp to drive them.

Getting goosebumps listening to great music - priceless.

-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

Yes and Yes.

- The problem is in distortion. Even order (S.S.) vs. Odd order (Tube) distortion. - Most Solid State amps that have 100 watts per channel are measured for distortion in their 'sweet spot' (about 10 watts) - With efficient speakers you are running the amps in the low end which is crummy.

Also Even order distortion is very unpleasant to the human ear. Audio is far more complicated that one thinks. As in the other finer things in life --- Wine, Women and Song - all more complicated than you can describe.........

Certainly entirely different animals, but most guitar players prefer tube amps, because of these characteristics. The tubes distort slowly; transistors not so. Just sounds "sweeter".

Wow, a 100w class-A amp!! Must have one hell of a transformer...

 

[Nords]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

From what I read... probably not.... it seems teenagers can hear a high frequency that adults can not hear... someone invented IIRC something called a mosquito that is at that frequency which irritates the heck out of teenages.. but adults can not hear it at all...
Maybe you can hear the rest of the frequencies just as well, but I think that high one is a function of age... maybe Doc from Tampa can chime in...

Well, I have the hearing tests to show that I'm only 10-15 db off the baselines I had when I left college. We engineroom nukes were frequently examined for hearing losses and even got our own custom-fitted earplugs.

High-freq sensitivity does decline with age, but in my house I'm the one who hears the annoying whines. I don't know how many times people have been giving me weird stares as I protest "C'mon, can't you hear that?!?" However I'm starting to have trouble picking conversations out of high background noises.

 

[Texas Proud]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

Well, I have the hearing tests to show that I'm only 10-15 db off the baselines I had when I left college. We engineroom nukes were frequently examined for hearing losses and even got our own custom-fitted earplugs.

High-freq sensitivity does decline with age, but in my house I'm the one who hears the annoying whines. I don't know how many times people have been giving me weird stares as I protest "C'mon, can't you hear that?!?" However I'm starting to have trouble picking conversations out of high background noises.

Then you seem to be the exception... and there always are some...

You know how you can not read fine print when you get older... well, I had a 55 YO boss who did not lose anything... LOVED to have things printed in small small print so it could fit on one page... drove me batty..

 

[janeeyre]

I think many folks are living day to day, living beyond their means, getting into debt and they don't think about retirement planning. Most of my working friends are putting a small percentage of their income into their employment based 401k or 403B and they think that is enough.

So foolish but you can't tell them.

 

[MikeD]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

However I'm starting to have trouble picking conversations out of high background noises.

Yup, that's classic age related hearing loss. My Grampa had exactly that when we were just kids. He would suddenly yell at us while we were talking to "Speak up!" Of course, at that point only one person would continue speaking, only a bit louder. He'd then yell at them "Don't yell!"

I have it now. I can't hear dialogue on the TV if my wife rustles the newspaper. Thank goodness for TiVo.

Mike D.

 

[chinaco]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

Certainly entirely different animals, but most guitar players prefer tube amps, because of these characteristics. The tubes distort slowly; transistors not so. Just sounds "sweeter".

Wow, a 100w class-A amp!! Must have one hell of a transformer...

For a guitar... the tube amp is the best. I like my fender Hotrod deluxe. But I would like to upgrade to a Mesa Boogie Lonestar.


On amps. I bought a 120 watt HI-FI amp back in the 70's.. . it weighed a ton. The heat sinks were massive. Today, that has changed.

 

[Gone4Good]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

I don't know what Klipsch's cost, but my guess is you aren't "LBYM" when you buy them. The idea that people who LBYM are in a minority is nothing new.

Suffice it to say that not everyone's "means" are the same.

 

[Gone4Good]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

Now everyone in the U.S. should be planning for their financial future (100's of Millions of folks) and their eventual retirement, but yet this forum has a measly 3800 members. - And probably only 40-50 regular posters. - Pretty insignificant! This is an amazing statistic to me!

What it says to me is that hardly anyone is interested in retirement planning.

My strong suspicion is that most of the population doesn't even think about it. We're hardwired to work until age 60 or so. Its just what you're supposed to do.

I had a conversation at work where we looked up one of the MegaCorp head honcho's stock holdings. Come to find out he is worth $130MM in company stock alone. He's all of 45 years old. I ask my co-workers what I thought was an intelligent question . . . "He's worth $130MM, why on earth does he show up to work every day?"

Blank stares.

Then one responds "Well I don't think I'd be ready to retire at 45."

"Why the hell not?", I ask, "you've got $130MM dollars, what would you be working for?"

"Well, I'd need something to do."

"You've got $130MM dollars, use your imagination. For crying out loud you could finance your own charity if you wanted to. You wouldn't have to be idle, you just wouldn't have to work 80+ hours per week for a paycheck."

More blank stares.

"Hey, did you see the game last night . . . "

 

[DRiP Guy]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

Bought a set of Advent Maestros 20 years ago, and except for needing to have the woofers rehung ten years ago, they still do pretty much everything I ever needed without intervention. I like to think they are emblematic of what I try to do in general with my purchases -- buy reasonably high quality, but not overpay for premium 'cachet' or for marketing hype, and then hold on to the item for a long time.

8)

 

[NinjaPigeon]

Re: My Klipsch Speaker Forum has over 25,000 members vs. less than 4,000 ER memb

My strong suspicion is that most of the population doesn't even think about it. We're hardwired to work until age 60 or so. Its just what you're supposed to do.

Most of my peers don't even contribute to a retirement plan. So I'm not surprised they aren't aware you can retire Before you are 60.

 

[Deetso]

I was searching around for other forums (so i could come up with an answer for the what is your second favorite forum)

when i typed in money management forum this was one of results.

Thats right- over 50,000 members, 2.6 million posts and 120,000 threads.

we have just shy of 4,000 members, 264,000 posts and 14,208 threads.

wow.... just wow...

 

[megacorp-firee]

WOW is Right! This answers a lot of questions ... like why most Americans don't save much for retirement
talk about being a silent minority....
... and DO NOT SEND THE url to that forum to my wife. I am not a violent person ... but that might lead me to mayhem