Boomzillas

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought my Klipsch Heresy II models via e-Bay for $600 plus shipping. I selected them because I had previously owned Heresy I speakers and wanted a good pair of right and left front speakers for my home theater. The intent to use the speakers as home theater speakers was a significant factor in selecting the Heresys.

Heresy speakers typically roll off at about 50 hertz (Hz) in the bass. The bass that is there is tight and full, but they just don't go too low. Used "naked," you can bump up the apparent bass with a judicious bit of equalization, but it never works perfectly. For perfect bass with Heresys, you have to go to a...

Subwoofer; which opens an entirely new can of worms. To get the smoothest transition from the Heresys to the sub, you have to roll off about an octave above the bass cutoff point of the speakers. I've tried running the Heresys full-range and cutting in the sub at the 50 Hz point, but I never get as smooth a transition as I want. In other words, I can almost always still hear the transition from the Heresys to the sub if I'm listening for it.

My best results came from using the AV receiver (I use a Yamaha with good results and sweet sound) with the crossover set at 90 Hz. Although this is a high crossover point, I got by with it because my subwoofer (an expensive M&K model) was fast enough and had a flat enough frequency response that the transition became inaudible.

The subwoofer characteristics are critical. Most subwoofers are built with a very peaked frequency response (I call them "one note wonders"). This type of bass can be very dramatic with movies, but it works poorly for music. Most subwoofers also lack the ability to go very deep into the bass frequencies or to play very loudly without distortion (except at their one peak frequency). To play deeply and cleanly requires expensive subwoofer drivers and expensive electronics. Most subwoofers lack in these areas.

Back to the Heresy speakers - The Series II Heresy speakers sound like they have flatter frequency response than the Series 1 models. The Series 1 models used the Electro Voice T-35 tweeter which was a bit bright on axis and a bit dull off. This wasn't the fault of the tweeter (which is actually a very good tweeter) but rather the fault of "Uncle Paul" Klipsch who chose to mount the tweeter (and midrange) behind the 0.75" thick baffle board. Paul had his reasons; the Heresy was intended to be used in the room corners or on the walls. To prevent excessive wall reflections from the drivers were located behind the baffle board. This did limit the dispersion, but had terrible consequences to the frequency response (particularly off axis).

The Heresy II and III speakers eliminate this problem by using drivers mounted on the front of the baffle (just like every other speaker on the market). This reduces the sound quality when the Heresys are placed in room corners, but improves it when the speakers are on the walls (where most users place them).

Things that I particularly like about the Heresy II include:

1. Very good lower midrange articulation - Unlike the Klipsch Cornwall, whose 15" woofer struggles to hand off to the midrange horn at 700 Hz, the 12" woofer of the Heresy II sounds clean, sweet, and detailed all the way up. I've not been able to hear the transition from the woofer to the midrange, and that says a great deal about good driver matching and competent design.

2. Smoother frequency response - Unlike the Series I Heresys, the II models are a paragon of frequency response virtue. No particular band of frequencies "stands out," and the speaker just sounds like music.

3. Excellent dynamics at all volumes - Most speakers (particularly panel speakers like Magneplanar), have to be played at a certain "threshold" volume or louder before they really begin to sound dynamic. The Heresy speakers (like most horn-loaded speakers) have good "jump factor" even at very low volumes. This means that you can play the speakers really softly and still have them sound like music. This dynamic ability is what separates speakers that sound like speakers from those that sound like live music.

4. High sensitivity - The Heresy speakers will play very loudly with little wattage. This makes them suitable for lower powered amplifiers or even AV receivers (whose power ratings are little more than advertising and wishful thinking). Although the speakers will provide excellent performance with low power, the higher powered amplifiers can also be used to good effect.

Things that I like less about the Heresy II speakers:

1. The birch finish on my speakers isn't very pretty.

2. The speakers must be used with a good subwoofer to sound their best.

3. The speakers aren't the ne plus ultra in imaging.

Despite the shortcomings, the Heresy II speakers are an excellent addition to the front of a home theater AND music system.

Blahbevava

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
At the time I was 23 years old and I grew up with full K-horns in the home and now moving out needed something to tide me over till I could afford my own some day. It was at this time when I truly realized how good my father's speakers actually were compared to everything else out there I looked at. Nothing else would do. Everything else I listened to sounded like crap. I was spoiled growing up on full K-horns and needed something that I could afford that would at least come close. Then I found It, and bought some 1986 Heresy II's used for $450 from a used audio equipment restoration store. They have been absolutely Fantastic over the last 4+years that I've used them. Their no full size K-horn but For the size, price, versatility quality, and dynamics these things Look and Sound Great! My friends think they look old until I turn them on and then they are blown away by the sound quality and dynamic. They no nothing. I have them in plaster wall corners raised off the ground about 2 feet as to put the speaker horns and things at ear sitting level. My living room is perfect because it's an old house upstairs and so the room is small towards one side and gets larger towards the other side, in a sense their placed inside a big horn and the plaster walls don't vibrate and resonate like drywall dose, it's perfect! At first I drove them with an old solid state Pioneer amp which was a very noisy amp that didn’t' do them justice as they screamed at me to get them a new amp. Then I hooked them up to an old pioneer sa-4...something tube amp and they really came to life! I literally cried at the difference in clarity. Awesome! Brilliant clarity! The tube amp really brought the bass out more clear, powerful, and accurate compared to any solid state I tried on them. These were made for tubes! Fantastic speakers designed by a real engineer and not cost cutting image over substance screw the consumer accountants! They appear to be very reliable for a 20+year old speakers as they still look and sound flawless. Sound good with all kinds of music and work well with a good sub with heavier music like dance and rock and roll. Great Speakers!!

View Comments (1)

Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

mfk3

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought this pair used from a guy that really takes care of his equipment, the cabs and drivers are beautiful. Because they had the square inout cap, I bought the conversion kit ($277 per speaker). As HII's they were smooth till their kind of high bass roll off. The conversion kit brought the bass roll off to 58 Hz and increased a very efficient speaker into an extrelely efficient speakers.

As HII's they were not just screamers, they had great tonality, rich in fidelity at low volumes as well as high volumes. The cabs are great quality, I eould get at least another 20 yers form these speakers, the HIII conversion kit insure that they will be here in all their sonic splendor.

These speakers are truly a long term investment, sound quality is superb, the craftsmanship is unequaled.

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Pawn shop

Summary:
I have a pair of 1986's that I've been running off and on since 1989 when I picked them up a pawn shop in Biloxi Ms. when I was in the Airforce. I've always run them on an Onkyo M-504 170 WPC @ 4 Ohm power amp and a Carver 4000t pre-am with sonic haligraphy. The speakers were just awsome from day one. Like others have said, if you elevate them 4-6" and keep them within 10" of a corner, they shine. If your bass addicted, you'll benefit from a sub.

Eventually, by 1995, the woofers started to crack like others have stated. I did not want to trash them, so I improvised. I dropped a 4 Ohm pair of Kicker Competition 12" woofers in their place. To be honest, they sound great! The bass is real heavy now, and a touch muddy, as if they were ported, but they are not. They have the bass of Vegas and the mids and highs of Heresy II's. I cannot reccomend you do this because Kicker competitions may have changed the formula. You need to look for a 12" woofer that is designed for a 2 cu/ft sealed cabinet and handles 400 or so watts. I would look for better quality if I could do it over, like BA or Polk or Infinity woofers. Crutchfield would be a good resource. If you are looking at a cheap pair of Heresy II's and the mids and highs sound good, but the woofer is cracked this may be an option for you. I'm happy, but would be happier if my speakers had never broke.

Strengths:
Crossover quality, cabinet quality. Super mids and Highs. Tight clean bass when it worked.

Weaknesses:
My 12" original woofers fell apart on me.

Similar Products Used:
Tons of speakers.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Ok this is my first "real" pair of home speakers, although I had been in the car audio install lbusiness for many years, and a musician, so I know what good sound is. Many reviewers here are complaining about the lack of bass. Im sure the speakers are not the only contributing factor to any lack of bass. My system pounds the bass in my medium sized living room. I use a Fisher "studio standard" RS 2003 tuner/amp. Not the greatest gear by any means, but it was cheap and I needed something to drive my newfound speakers.
Auditioning anything from Madonas "the immaculate collection" or anything from Rush's "Moving Pictures" (the first CD ever recorded in true all digital format), shows that the Heresy II's are far from lacking in the bass department.
The guy I got the speakers from had a different amp of course, I cant remember what it was, but it really threw the mids, I mean it screamed! Therefore I have come to the conclusion that the amplifier has alot to do with how much bass your going to get, as well as many other characteristics.
My particular pair of Heresy II's are not the greatest looking, one has a good ding in the side and a spot on top where the finish is worn off, and the woofers dont have exactly the same color. But when it comes to performance, I have yet to hear a home system that delivers as good as this setup does. I shudder to think what a macintosh amp would sound like with these speakers.

Strengths:
Bass, volume, small size, clarity.

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Fisher amp.