I have Heresy IIIs and have used them with a number of amps.
They do not like high power SS amps, nor will they do well with any class D amps or cheap AVRs. Contrary to popular belief, they’re not best with low power SET amps either.
They perform very well with a moderate powered tube amp, something around 25 to 45 watts, such as KT88 based amps.
If you want an affordable tube amp that’s built as well as any other and can make the Heresys sing, look for a Cayin amp such as the A70T or A88T. One of these will really show you what detail retrieval is all about.
Heresys do have a narrow sweet spot, there’s no real getting around that, especially at your listening distance. I personally don’t mind it, but I can understand why it’s a deal breaker for some. Most speakers sound brighter with excessive tow-in, so experiment with reducing that some.
If you think Heresys are harsh or fatiguing, you won’t like Harbeth C7s. I know many will claim otherwise, but I’ve had both speakers in my system for extended periods and the C7s are the more fatiguing speakers. They’re not the slam-dunk, can’t-go-wrong speakers that many would lead you to believe. I know all the Harbeth fanboys will get bent reading this, but IMHO, the Heresys are a better speaker except for the narrow sweet spot. They are far more dynamic and detailed at lower volumes, especially with a tube amp.
Heresys will expose weak points in your chain as well. In my case, it was my DAC that was making the Heresys just a tad unrefined. Once I switched to a different, albeit still budget DAC, things vastly improved.
I’ve owned and auditioned quite a few sub $3k speakers over the last few years and the Heresys are the best at low volumes by a country mile. Of course, you may just decide you hate them. No speaker is the perfect solution for everyone.
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@macnut5,
The Heresys do not begin roll off at 120 Hz. You must have some major room nodes if that's what you're experiencing. With the right room and placement they have useful bass down to about 45Hz, and the -3db roll off point is approximately 60 Hz, give or take.
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@macnut5,
Yes, I do own Heresy IIIs. My pair is about 4 months old. I have them only 8" from the forward wall and their bass is deep enough for most types of music.
58 Hz is the -4db roll off point according to Klipsch, and based on my listening I'd have to concur. I'm not saying the Heresys don't benefit from a sub, but in my average sized living room, they certainly don't roll off anywhere near 120 Hz. If you have your speakers placed something like 30" from a wall (a typical bass kill zone) then I wouldn't be surprised if you're missing a lot below 100 Hz.
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Heresys won’t give you much below 50 Hz, that’s correct.
The claim that they don’t open up at low volume is compete bull. They accomplish that feat better than almost any modern design. They’re also far more revealing of amp differences than many other speakers.
And the Rogue Sphinx suggestion is about the worst on this thread. Those amps have terrible low frequency performance, especially at low volumes. Yes, I owned the Rogue Sphinx, in addition to the Pharaoh, neither reaches well into the nether regions unless cranked loud.
The Heresys do mid-bass quite well and with a sub crossed at 80 Hz (the omni-directional threshold) you shouldn’t have any dips if the speakers are placed within reason. Heresys have no problem reaching clear down to 65 Hz, unless one’s room is producing bass nodes, which was the case when I first heard a pair of Cornwalls. I too thought they had no bass until they were properly positioned and amplified.
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Yeah, funny how so many assume they know the character and capabilities of Heresys simply from what they read on the web, or their recollection of a 5 minute audition of H1s, twenty years ago. The Heresy IIIs respond very well to system changes, more so than many speakers costing twice as much.
Glad to hear the Luxman yielded such a large improvement. In the future, consider a tube integrated, something like a 20 watt plus Cayin, Line Magnetic, Raven Audio, or Prima Luna. My Heresys perform better in the bass region with my Cayin tube amp than they do with any SS amp. The opposite is true with my other brands. Klipsch speakers crave those valves! |
@biscorbit,
The Harbeths are approximately twice the price of Heresys. It's funny how we all hear things differently. While I liked some aspects of the C7s, I much prefer the Heresy IIIs, despite their limitations.
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@stevehuff
Thanks for sharing your review. I agree with much of what you wrote.
I too was apprehensive to try the Heresys for the same reasons. The H-IIIs are a perfect example of why forums can occasionally be detrimental to our pursuits.
I’ve had the H-IIIs for about 8 months now and I still enjoy them immensely. Since then, I’ve added passive KEF LS50s to the stable for a third system. My take is the LS50s have the superior midrange and off-axis imaging, but the Heresys have the better dynamics and low-volume performance. I wouldn’t trade one for the other, but where price is concerned, I think the LS50s still hold the budget speaker crown, especially at their recent prices. I also tried some Vandersteen 1Cis for a while. They’re another great bargain, and other than some odd sibilance I experienced with some recordings, I prefer them to many sub $5K speakers.
I run my H-IIIs with a 45 watt/ch Cayin tube integrated. They definitely require valve power to sound best. Rolling in a pair of WWII era RCA preamp tubes rounded out the sound to a near perfect balance. I also tried them with a Yamaha integrated (albeit the much cheaper A-S500) and they sounded quite good. Most of my speakers have superior bass when paired with my humble A-S500 (compared to any <$3K integrated I’ve owned, believe it or not), but not the H-IIIs. Their bass improves immensely with the high current of a tube amp.
Folks who base their opinion on the old H1s would do well to give the new Heritage line a chance. One of my local dealers sells many well regarded brands such as ATC, Harbeth, and Vandersteen, yet the H-IIIs are one of his top sellers. |
^ you might bother to read through the thread next time. |
The RP and RF series speakers don’t hold a candle to the Heritage line with music playback (I’ve owned both). It’s not difficult to figure out why. The RP/RF series don’t possess the midrange horn. Their porting also sacrifices bass speed and definition for sheer output. Those speakers are really intended for home theater use.
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@willland
My experience with the RF/RP series was that they were competitive with other floorstanders in their price range such as Polks and B&Ws. Their bass extension was better than some of the competition, but their upper frequency performance was a bit harsh. They were the reason I was so apprehensive to try the Heresys. IMO, these model lines have a very different tonal balance. The RF series have respectable bass speed for an average floorstander but it can’t match that of the Heresy’s acoustic suspension + paper woofer design. This is what allows the Heritage line to produce such a convincing kick drum with realistic speed. For speakers that need to do double duty in a home theater/stereo setup, the RF/RPs are the better option. JMO.
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@grinccaffe
Welcome to the Forum. I had no trouble understanding your post.
Some have reported improvements from using such stands, but others seem to prefer the floor risers. I use mine with the floor risers. They do lack a bit of soundstage height, but otherwise, I don't detect any shortcomings. The bass is plenty powerful within the speaker's limits. They do perform best with tubes, so you're all set in that regard. Please report back with your findings. |
Hi, Heresy 3 arrived today!
I still did not connect them yet, because I'm waiting for them to adapt to room temperature. I just put them in the starting (desired) position.
Tomorrow morning, I will put them in the drive :)
The picture shows that my couch goes a little into the sound field (that's something I can not avoid, which is why I have considered the stand option).
http://prntscr.com/ifp2u6
http://prntscr.com/ifp39c
http://prntscr.com/ifp3i5
Tomorrow starts burning. We'll see where this leads.
I'll come up with the first results.
Regards Thanks for sharing the pics. I would move them just forward of your tower speakers if you can. You also might consider putting an absorption panel on the left wall. You shouldn't have to worry about reflections as much with the horn drivers, but I think a wall treatment would still yield some improvement. |
I wouldn't call the H-IIIs bright, nor would I call them warm. Pair them with a bright amp, something like an Integra AVR, and you'll want ear plugs. Pair them with tubes or a MOSFET amp and you can listen for hours without fatigue.
Having owned them for about 15 months, the only notable weakness I detect, other than bass extension, is a very slight horn coloration in the midrange. It doesn't "shout" or "honk" the way some describe horns, but does add a very slight "chestiness" or thickness to vocals - at least compared to my Spendor 2/3s. I plan to damp the midhorns with some bitumen (Dynamat) sheets in the near future.
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The most surprising thing to me when I removed the horns from the cabinets - for reasons unrelated to the aforementioned - was the internal wiring. It was run of the mill 10 or 12 gauge speaker wire throughout! I checked out the wiring situation in the H-IIIs. It's a name brand (can't remember it off my head) of stranded OFC. It appears to be high quality cable - as good as one's likely to find in any $2K speakers. |
@brooklynyluke,
Credit for the mod goes to Mrdecibel.
It involves covering the outer surfaces of the horn with constrained layer damping material, like Dynamat. I haven't performed the mod yet, but having worked with similar material in other audio applications, I'm confident that it will make a significant improvement.
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Klipsch is lo-fi these days. The old man made some good stuff once upon a time. Lol. Compared to what exactly? |
