klipsch: Klipschorn and other Klipsch enclosures
klipsch: Klipschorn and other Klipsch enclosures
When I posted my first Forum entry on Klipsch speaker systems, I was just relying on my memories. From the late sixties to the early seventies I owned several models, Heresy, Cornwall, La Scala and evaluated the Belle and the Klipschorn; eventually I retained a couple of La Scala, which still today are my favorite speaker enclosures. Recently I have found data about the Klipsch production of that time in some Hi-Fi magazines, including a 1972 Stereo Directory and Buying Guide. Then I loaded new entries to cover the five base models built at the time by Klipsch.
But the incomparable sound of a couple of Klipsch enclosures, when reproducing the vibrating notes of a grand piano or the loud bass of a pipe organ, cannot be described in few words of notes to the model. I remember that the Klipsch dealer also distributed top speakers from well-known manufacturers: Electro Voice, Altec, JBL, Harman Kardon, Empire. Well, after having enjoyed the deep, vibrating organ sound in the introduction of 'Also sprach Zarathustra' coming out from a couple of Cornwall or of Belle Klipsch, any other speaker appeared as sounding flat and colorless.
In the past I read several technical articles from Paul W. Klipsch. Unfortunately I lost them and today I can just rely upon the Radiotron Designer's Handbook for information about the horn loudspeakers. Two major sources of distortion in standard speaker systems are the non-linearity of the magnetic flux linked with the voice coil over its travel and the reduced compliance of the cone suspension, when large displacements from the rest position are reached. Klipsch found that the distortion could be dramatically reduced, limiting the displacement of the moving coil and of the cone or, in other words, using horn speakers. Horns act as sound amplifiers: a relatively small vibration of the driving unit at the throat of the horn gives a loud sound coming out from its mouth. Moreover the horn speakers have very high efficiency, when compared with any other enclosures: few watts of electrical power give a full orchestra in a room, with plenty of power reservoir for handling any super-imposed bass drum beat. To give the same sound pressure level an infinite baffle could require up to one hundred times more electrical power: amplifier and speakers may be driven well into saturation!
The horn principle was not new, but Paul Klipsch committed his life to design and build the most perfect speaker systems ever made, based upon horn units all over their bandwidth. The first Klipschorn production dates back to 1946 and the model is still built today, over than sixty years later, with only minor changes. The Klipschorn, with its nearly flat response down to about 30Hz and its very high efficiency, about 50%, is the most perfect speaker system ever built for home. Klipschorn uses a 15 inches speaker as driver for the bass horn; the sound is radiated from the enclosure toward two perpendicular walls of the room, integral parts of the horn itself.
Around 1963, Paul Klipsch introduced a fully self-contained horn enclosure, La Scala, which could be placed anywhere in the room, not just in a corner. Few years later Klipsch introduced the Belle, a finished version of La Scala. Both La Scala and the Belle used the same speaker set of the Klipschorn, giving a similar efficiency and slightly reduced response at very low frequencies.
Of course two Klipschorn enclosures were not intended for small flats. Large halls with three walls and two corners free from obstacles were required to host them, as remarked by Klipsch in the following advertising, "You already own important parts of a fine stereo system: your room corners":
forumdata/users/6435/klipsch/adva.jpg
Also La Scala and the Belle asked for large rooms, due to their radiation pattern. Unfortunately, in some large halls the two speakers could be too far from each other, giving a poor stereo effect in the middle: in this case a central speaker could be very desirable. Here is the reason why Paul Klipsch decided to build first the Heresy and later the Cornwall enclosures. Heresy was an infinite baffle enclosure and the name itself denotes the repulsion of the designer for such a low efficiency solution. Cornwall was a tuned duct port enclosure with fairly high efficiency, using the same speaker set of the Klipschorn: one 15 inches woofer, one horn loaded mid-range and one horn tweeter.
Here is another advertising of Klipschorn, first appeared in 1969 and still published in 1974. The text, signed by Paul Klipsch himself, says that the advertising had been already true in five years and will be true in another five years. How bad prophet he was: the same advertising is still true today, over than thirty years later!
forumdata/users/6435/klipsch/advb.jpg
It would be nice if someone can add more information about the evolution of the Klipsch production in the years, i.e. when and why the impedance was scaled down from 16 to 8 ohms. Also interesting can be the technical articles written by Paul W. Klipsch.
Attachments:
- Advertising A (197 KB)
- Advertising B (195 KB)
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Something from the Klipsch WebPage
Since 1946, Klipsch Audio Technologies has been building no-compromise, premium-quality audio products. As one of the first U.S. loudspeaker companies, Klipsch is now a leading global manufacturer of high-performance loudspeakers and other entertainment products including: home theater systems, surround sound, computer speakers, iPod®/MP3 speakers, professional cinemas and commercial venues.
And another text on the Klipsch page:
Audio pioneer and company founder Paul W. Klipsch launched the three-way Klipschorn loudspeaker in 1948 to enable people, for the first time ever, to experience the power, detail and emotion of a live performance at home.
Commonly called a corner-horn speaker, the remarkably uncommon Klipschorn includes a highly efficient horn loaded tweeter and midrange compression driver. Its patented folded-horn woofer delivers the low frequencies.
Considered a watershed industry event, the introduction of the Klipschorn set the standard for high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, low distortion, smooth frequency response and powerful bass. These principles, which drive the creation of every single Klipsch loudspeaker, are what make the Klipschorn as sought after today as it was decades ago.
As the only speaker in the world to be in continuous production for nearly 60 years, the Klipschorn has remained relatively unchanged since its inception. In 2005, the company made some minor cosmetic and functional revisions to this legendary speaker, including the elimination of the inset collar, or spacer, between the upper and lower cabinets for a cleaner aesthetic appearance. A horizontal wall seal was added to improve the low frequency horn's connection to the wall.
Since 1946, Klipsch Audio Technologies has been building no-compromise, premium-quality audio products. As one of the first U.S. loudspeaker companies, Klipsch is now a leading global manufacturer of high-performance loudspeakers and other entertainment products including: home theater systems, surround sound, computer speakers, iPod®/MP3 speakers, professional cinemas and commercial venues.To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.