Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
A couple of years ago, I realized that I really missed the dynamics and live feeling of my old horn loudspeakers. Sadly, I had sold them (much too cheap) and invested in "true" HiFi speakers, the Kappa 90's. I always thought that horns were less "HiFi" than other designs and,consequently, I set out to find more HiFi-ish gear. i eventually realized that I would never get the beautiful concert hall dynamics of the horns with these "HiFi" speakers. Compared to my old horns, there was no solar plexus drum kick, the speakers required loads of power and still didn't come alive. In the end, I was simply unhappy with them. In fact, I was generally unhappy because my addiction to horns was greater than I had thought. Horns and Accuphase, it doesn't get any better than that. Yet, I went out looking for something more HiFi-ish... Oh well, I have learned my lesson. I was happy enough to find a beautiful pair of 1992 Klipschorns and life smiled at me again. I will never sell these corner horns. These speakers are simply stunning. They have all the dynamics of my old homebuilt horns as well as all the "HiFi" qualities I thought I was lacking. I can now both hear and feel that wonderful drumkick again and everything else about them is just superb. Really smooth highs, beautiful voices. And I don't need a lot of power, I rarely put more than a watt into these babies. Horns are the way to go. Sure, the Kappa 90's are good bass reflex speakers, but they can never compare with the might K-horns. I'm a happy camper again. Don't trust reviews, listen for yourself. Trust your gut feeling and your ears only.

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from Ahlefelder, Siegburg

Summary:
As you can see, I have written several posts about these speakers. I have now owned them for 2.5 years and I feel confident to say the following: - I regret the post where I said that speaker cables make a BIG difference, they do, but not that much, they cannot alter the charecteristics of the speaker. - The Kappa 90's are very neutral and cover most of the audible frequency spectrum. - They can sound harsh with harsh electronics, select the amp with care. - You must drive them with a nuclear power plant to get a nice bass response. - They deliver truck loads of deep bass, but they lack punch, the bass that hits you in the chest. I have tried changing power amps, CD players, cables, but to no avail, the Kappa 90's will not run you over like a freight train (granted, I have not tried the monstrous 200 lbs Krell amps, but a speaker should not require an amp that's more expensive than the speaker). - They are very sensitive to room placement, partly because the bass reflex port is on the back side. - They require a big room.

Strengths:
Neutral, covers most of the audible specrum. Beautiful detailed highs, deep bass. Very good looking.

Weaknesses:
Require direct connection to nuclear power plant and must be placed in a big room. A tad bright, require electronics that are not too harsh. Lack bass punch (but strength and depth are there). Very big.

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from Ahlefelder, Germany

Summary:
In several reviews in the past, I've been complaining about the lack of mid-bass, such as bass drums. I've experimented with new cables (Supra Ply 3.4, recommended) and switched power amp from Rotel RB-991 to ADCOM GFA-585 (highly recommended powerhouse, sounds much warmer than the Rotel). Mid-bass got better all the time, but it turned out that the problem was the CD player, the ARCAM CD72, an expensive player that I never suspected to be the weak link. The CD72 is a great player in many ways, but it has a serious problem with the bass. Its low-end bass is exaggerated and the mid-bass subdued, which makes rhythmic music sound off-beat. I tried a bunch of different players and replaced the CD72 with a Sony CDP-XB740 for $300, believe it or not. Now my Kappa 90's have really come to life, with very nice bass reproduction. If you listen mainly to rock and blues, like I do, stay away from Arcam CD players, they alter the sound in a seductive way, but lack mid-bass...

Strengths:
Sooths your brain, blows your head off

Weaknesses:
Big, difficult to drive, sensitive to room placement

Similar Products Used:
Home-built horn speakers

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from Ljudenter

Summary:
This is not a new review, only a translation to English as many of you have been mailing me for a English version. Please, have understanding for my bad English, I hope You can read and understand it anyway... I use these speakers in a home movie system with matching speakers: Kappa Center B and Kappa Rear. Everything sounds very vell and as parts in a system the speakers are nearly 100% matched - very good! There are though some things that must be done to make these big boxes to live up! - A amplifier that can control the speaker to 100% - Placement in the room (and the room itself) - Use only cables of GOOD quality. - Biwire! (makes more then you think) My first impression of these speakers was a good high frequency quality, but almost diffused middrange and blurring bass. I tested with other cables and found a good solution in TaraLabs Prism Bi-Wire cable. The Prism-cable has a characteristic sound more ahead on to the listener, that suites these "soft" speakers very well. I´m very satisfied with my Kappa 90, but in compareness to Tiel 2.5 for example, they leave some things to desire in perspective and details in the lower frequency registers. But they are also more expensive... Above all, the Tiel-speakers has a better high frequency spreading, that allows you not only to sit right between the speakers to experience full frequency responce and stereo perspective. The Kappa 90 has a OK spreading at the side, but not at hight, so make sure that you´re sitting in hight of the tweeter of the speaker for max responce... I´m not saing that the Kappa 90 is the most clean and neutral speaker that I have own (my Chacconne-pillar in pure concrete (weight 40 kg/each) are absolutely clean and correct - on the limit to boring correct), but the combination of Kappa 90:s detailed frequency responce and the power of the bass then you´re turning on the power is absolutely top class for the price! A speaker that plays all music right! At last - don´t belive that your old weak reciver can drive the Kappa 90 to the max. Invest in a new amp with a lot of current and power, or else ther´s a lot of other alternatives to these speakers... I´m giving the Kappa 90 full points, but the equipment around them are very important - especially the cables and a good amplifier that are able to drive the dubble 10" bass-elements on each speaker. Experiment wi

Strengths:
A fantastic transparent high frequency responce - Emit B! Good power and pouch on high volumes, but never sound "hard". Good looking (!)

Weaknesses:
The bass can be a little blurring with wrong placement in the room or in a small room - big spaces are required. AND a big amp with lots of current!

Similar Products Used:
Opus 3 Chorus. Opus 3 Chacconne.

Price Paid:  $1200.00 from local dealer

Summary:
I´ts a very good looking and powerful loudspeakers. I have a Krell Kav 300Il to drive the bass and a Krell Kav 300I to the outher frekvenses. The sound is brilliant, clear and powerful.

Strengths:
You need a very powerfull amplifier like me Krell Kav 300 IL to fit the bass. The bass is very fast!

Weaknesses:
No one.

Similar Products Used:
Many like Magneplanar, Quad etc.