Disappointed w/ Klipsch Heresy III. Now what?

Ohms are not high efficiency like Klipsch.

They do not require fuss to sound good but fussing to get them set up just right pays big dividends.  

P.S.
Has anyone, such a stand, tried it?

http://prntscr.com/ievwui

Hello everyone,
I am from Croatia, Zagreb city and I am a longtime fan of Klipsch.
First to report, my English is weak and I use a lot with google translation. So there may be a lot of mistakes or misunderstandings :)
Following an interesting topic about Klipsch Heresy lll, I want to give my opinion.
Yesterday, over eBay, I bought a pair of Klipsch Heresy lll and of course I'm interested in all I can hear about them.
One of my friends has these H3s and drives them with 3.5W (per channel) monoblocks . With great easiness, effortlessly, these weak blocks are doing a magnificent job.
Speakers are on the floor.
In my case, because of the items in the room, H3 will have to stand on the stands and I'm expecting low tone (bass) problems.
From my friend, Set up sounds awesome.
I've never heard anything better ( HI-FI fair does not count).
The room is average (approx. 5 x 4 meters).
There is no need for a subwoofer.
My current set up (Klipsch Palladium P37F with 12.5W monoblocks) is two or three times more expensive than Set up of my friend but his set up plays two or three times better, more musiclike, than mine :(
So I had to order Klipsch Heresy lll, to see how it would work in my room.
I'm expecting speakers for ten days and I'll report the result (with tears or laughing:).
Regards to everyone !!!

@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.

Ohm speakers seem interesting but none seem to be high efficiency unless I missed something (entirely possible, if not utterly likely).

brooklynluke,

I've had a pair of the Ohm 1000's for a number of years now, and find them to be one of the most satisfying speakers around.  The soundstage remains intact, even at lower volumes, and does not shrink into the speakers. They fill the room with sound at just about any volume'

The other plus that I notice is that even though they do all music beautifully, they excel in the reproduction of piano and acoustic guitar.

Please don't let these sit in a closet unused.  Set them up in another room with a mid priced receiver and continue to enjoy their special qualities.  

Klipsch Heritage with Primaluna Dialogue and a sub...perfect...

I don’t know what kind of warranty you have but it might be easier to upgrade the wife

I listened to the Forte,  i thought they sounded great but they were too large for my room due to needing some distance from the wall.  The Heresy were the perfect size for my room, can go close to the wall, roll off higher than my room mode which is a nasty peak around 40 hz.   Its why I sold my last floorstanders and used monitors and a sub.  I had a pair of Klipsch CF4 and they were awesome but  I could never get floorstanders to sound good in this room. 

Its for those reasons that I think the Heresys work so well in my room.  They have decent enough low frequency response that I can turn my sub off at night,  but with the sub on they rock.   

I never really thought speaker break in was noticeable,  I thought it was more of your ears acclimating to a new presentation of the music.  Maybe it's a little of both,  but right before selling my monitors,  I hooked them back up and while they were great speakers I have no regrets swapping them out for the Heresys.

"The RP and RF series speakers don’t hold a candle to the Heritage line with music playback"

@helomech,

Can't say much about the RP line since I have never heard them but some, specifically the RF-63's and RB-75's do a jam up job with music.  I have owned my 63's for almost 10 years and just can't seem to pull the trigger to "upgrade" to another model or brand.  They are very musical and do a lot of things right.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Klipsch Heritage but these 63's are dynamic, fast and punchy, detailed, and just smooth from top to bottom.  I just can't find much wrong with them with any genre of music.

Bill

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.

very different from my experience with these speakers. maybe try the rp260f if you want more bass. a tube amp will not give you more bass. solid state amps do bass better than tubes. I listen to these speakers at low volumes all the time. use good copper speaker wire- 14 guage is good. i use these often with a 30wpc amp, a 20wpc amp, and a 45 wpc amp- solid state, tube, and hybrid amps. the rp260f will give more bass if that is what you must have.

OP:
OHM speakers are pretty much set ’em and forget ’em, as you already likely know. They are not fussy nor do they require "exotic" wires and/or special electronics to sound good.  Most recently I had a pair of Micros which sounded pretty good with a basic Onkyo receiver but spectacular with my excellent tube gear.

With regard to cosmetics, I think their smaller models are some of the the most visually unobtrusive speakers out there. Perhaps you can point this out to your spouse.  :)

I don’t think there are many speakers which will sound their best when placed on either side of a sofa. I could be wrong.

One speaker which has intrigued me is the Larsens, which are designed to be placed up against the front wall. They are cosmetically appealing and unobtrusive as well. Not inexpensive, however, and like most speakers will benefit from better electronics. Good luck!

Food for thought?

I have been a Klipsch fan / owner for many years, and have modified many sets of, mostly Heritage models, for me, and others. JBL, Altec, and others as well. Obviously, I am biased. My question though, if I missed it in this thread, is : why the change from the Ohms to the Heresy ? As mapman pointed out, they are as different as two might be. The Ohms provided very good background music. Based on the " set up " of the Ohms, I would have felt they spread the sound around the couch / listening area better. I would have tried a better amp, ( and, this is from a Klipsch guy ). I am glad brooklynluke is happy.

The new Forte III supposedly has a groovy new midrange driver/horn that people seem to like, but they're just too damn big for my tastes and I have 2 subs so the extra bass energy isn't necessary from the main speakers. One reason I wanted to try Heresys is the esthetics involved…they're smallish and less obtrusive than "tower" speakers and still toss a nice soundstage in front of me.

@oddiofyl , "KT66 was good, KT88 was better but the Klipsch with EL34 had the best tone"

You could say that about many a system...

By the way, fellow Quicksilver owner here, their original (and some say best sounding) 8417 amplifier, converted to EL34 / KT88 operation

It's worth noting the Heresy is very revealing of changes in the system.   Change the amp' s input tube or power tubes and the difference is not subtle.   They really sing when driven with 40 watts of EL34 power...    KT66 was good,  KT88 was better but the Klipsch with EL34 had the best tone.  

^ you might bother to read through the thread next time.

Brother, I  know exactly what you're going thru. I had a pair of Klips (Rf-7II) in my family room system for about 5 months. Da*n things gave me a headache every time I listened to them for more than a couple of hours (jazz, easy rock). I replaced them with a set of Legacy Audio Focus SE's and problem solved. The Focus is a speaker that sounds just as good at low volume as it does cranked up. Also, the wood work is beautiful, like high grade furniture, so the wife won't complain.

Check them out at www.legacyaudio.com  

Mike Sanders is super helpful...  I saw a flash and no output on one of my Mid Monos , not wanting to turn it on before talking to Quicksilver, I called them  and Mike answered.   Turned out to be a bad phase splitter tube that took out a fuse,  no other damage.   Same thing happened with an output tube.  Again, no damage to amp or speakers.    His amps are tough and reliable, and support is top notch.   Would buy another Quicksilver in a heartbeat.

@mapman "Have heard Zu Essence I believe several times at shows and never quite floated my boat so far. Might try again."

I doubt a company does worse at showing their speakers off than Zu.  At shows, they often come off as horrific, and leave so many wondering how they sell any product.  And yet with that, the folks from the company exceed most any other.

In the effort to understand what drove all the fuss about the actual product, I've visited several people who had them in their homes.  In a good setup, they can really shine.  If I wanted to move on a pair, the Essence, Presence, and Definition most attract me.

Compared to the Zu, Heresy have a very different presentation.  Yin and yang goes a bit too far, but few should have trouble deciding which they prefer.  The differences are easy enough to understand.  If at all possible, seek out what it requires to listen to each in your rig.  I don't think you can go wrong either way, and both deliver excellent value

@stevehuff 

have you tried the bigger Forte III?

I now read any speaker review with a point of view tainted by my enjoyment of a low powered single ended tube amp, as only efficient speakers really work well with it (unless it's used in a desktop rig maybe). No LS50 for me (I do think they're way cool though), although elsewhere in my house I use my beloved KEF Q10s I've had forever….GREAT speaker! The good news regarding efficient speakers is you can save bucks by buying lower powered versions of cool amps…Pass just came out with their least expensive amp, a Class A 25 watter that seems like a good thing, or great small tube amps…I auditioned the Heresy IIIs with a Luxman M200, a very cool little 25 watt SS amp with an interesting wattage display (made it to almost 3 watts when I was listening to it). 

Agree on the Quicksilvers.  Mike has made great amps for many many years.  I"ve owned a bunch of his gear and loved every piece.  Built very well too.  I had a buddy who had the Heresy's and used Quicksilver amp and pre amp and LOVED them more than some of the more expensive tube gear.  They need that to warm up a bit.

I will echo what Wolf said about the Heresys, they are great speakers.   I listened to a number of speakers around $2k and nothing really came close to what they do for their price.

I think many who disparage Klipsch have never even listened to the Heritage line,  they are not harsh or bright at all with good electronics.

@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.

Now that my new Heresy IIIs have settled in I can say they’re nothing short of amazing in my 20 X 30 foot slant (tall) ceilinged room. I tried ’em on stands for a while and although I have 2 excellent REL subs, I put them back on the floor with their little slant risers as somehow they seem to thrive that way…they’re on 1.5" butcher blocks decoupled with Vibrapods (don’t want my wood floors intruding on anything, so the "pods" are directly under the speakers and the butcher blocks just have small feet which makes the whole thing easier to move for position tweaking). Interestingly (or not…I’m never sure) the Heresy cabinet is one of the most inert I’ve used…put your hand on the cabinet side when some bass is pumping through them and note zero vibration, which says to me they’re very solid, or the bass is anemic…maybe both…but the RELs more than make up for any low frequency issues although it took a while to readjust them as less power gets to them now. My little single ended "Fire Bottle" amp is sending so much less wattage to the Heresys than with my previous speakers, and different frequency adjustments for the subs needed attention…no biggie and hat’s off to efficiency, which was my main objective in buying these speakers in the first place. I think efficiency translates into "instantaneous dynamic tone bursts" with any amp, but that could be my fertile imagination at work. I do agree with others who state the obvious that "better in means better out," as these speakers don’t disguise an "iffy" amp or cables, and they have a sweet and direct coherency that I’m enjoying. When I feel any recording lacks highs or lows, or Fletcher Munson is in da house (late night…you know), I dial in my Schiit Loki and those speakers respond like the thing was designed for them. Get a Loki…they’re cheap although unbalanced, not unlike myself.

It’s your amp. Period. With these speakers (and they are AMAZING and replaced $20k speakers for me, and I would never go back to those high dollar boxes) you need QUALITY amplification and high current. Big transformers help. Yes, they are efficient but need that quality amplification, preferably tube as SS will make them sound thin and edgy.

I use a Line Magnetic 219ia with mine and its the best sound I have ever had in my home after adding quality cables as well. YES, cables make a huge difference even though expensive is not always better.

Also, if your room is large, you would need larger speakers. These excel in small rooms. Mine is 12x12. I sit around 7 ft from the speakers which are out in the room and toed in. RICH wall of sound with some of the best imaging and soundstage width I have ever heard. These speakers, when set up correctly in a smaller room are pure magic. The biggest sound I have experienced here over 20 years of high audio systems.

So these love high quality tube amplification. They love good speaker cable and they sound best for me away from the walls and into the room a bit. I will never get rid of these as for the money they can not be beat. Not even for $5k or even $7500 (if room size and amplification is right).

I got lucky with synergy here I guess. I did try these with a $7k SS amp and they sounded dry, and had not so hot low volume performance. With tubes I use around 1/4 watt for low level late night listening and get rich, full magical sound. I use Audioquest Colorado IC’s, Gibraltar Speaker cable and a Niagra 1000 with a Tornado power cable. I use a blue sound node for digital, using its dac and also vinyl with a Marantz TT15 and musical fidelity MX VINYL.

My review: http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/klipsch-heresy-iii-speaker-review-im-floored-and-here-is-why/

The RB-81II's are pretty big sounding for "bookshelf" speakers and can be driven pretty well with 60w/ch.  Before you pull the trigger on those, look on the used market for a pair of RB-75's.  They will command a higher price but you will get real wood veneer, a 1.75" titanium true compression driver, and a solid cabinet at 32lbs each.  Though my pair sounded awesome with great low frequency extension(nearing 40Hz) in my room, I did add a nice sub to fill in the bottom.

Bill

I’ve been giving more serious consideration to trying out higher efficiency speakers with my 60w//ch digital integrated amp mainly to go louder and similarly clear when needed.

Current speakers are 89db refurbed OHM Ls.

Been eyeballing used Klipsch Forte or Heresy and newer very high efficiency Klipsch monitors with 8" bass drivers similar to the Ls. These have similar frequency response specs but with sensitivity in the high 90s for $600 pair. What to loose trying at that price?

These specifically:

http://images.klipsch.com/RB81IIcutsheet_635042118979170000.pdf

Similar smaller Klipsch monitors I’ve heard in passing sounded good enough to make the cut.

Can’t be too big or wide in particular. Will be about 2’ out from rear wall.

Would like to try something that has bass well down into the 40s (Klipsch monitors), 30s if possible (Forte). Heresy does not make that cut without subs I think and I’d rather not have to deal with subs if possible.

I also may get to hear larger Tektons this weekend if I make it Capital Audiofest as planned. We’ll see how that goes as well.

Have heard Zu Essence I believe several times at shows and never quite floated my boat so far. Might try again.

Volume not to be confused with db? Hmmm…I'm a professional live sound engineer so I actually know some things (and I'm not very smart so there's plenty I don't know)...also, I use 2 REL subs in a 20X30 ft room with 91DB rated main speakers and a 12 watt per side single ended tube amp, and it can go to room filling loudness at levels that are too loud for my listening "sweet spot" unless I'm very drunk…in which case it just doesn't matter anyway…but Heresy IIIs will fill a largish room easily with very little wattage, only limited to the previously noted low frequency range easily remedied with one or two possibly used (like mine) subs…my RELs, a Q108eMK2 (100 watts, 8") and a Q150e (150 watt 10") cost around 200 bucks each and are amazing sounding.

@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.

Harbeth 7es3 is the way to go!  The Heresy IIIs just didn't do it for me.  

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!

Excellent!
Enjoy your music...

Great step forward the next steps should be upgrading cable and DAC , I really don’t think you need a sub with the right changes you will not need it .

Great to here that your results are now very pleasing.  I have always had great results with HI's and HII's with Luxman gear.

Bill

Hi All -

A quick update!

First, thank you to everyone for the really helpful advice. This hobby is fun in large part because you are always learning something new, and I really learned a lot from this conversation.

And yet — as is so often the case — I solved my problem by chance encounter! I was at a vintage audio place in Brooklyn that had a Luxman L-450 for sale. From this thread I knew I needed to either give the Heresys a different signal or the Ohms more power. The Luxman was more powerful than the Brio, and it had tone controls. Seemed like it would improve the situation either way. And of course Luxman has an excellent reputation. So I bought it.

The result: I love my system!

The biggest surprise was that imaging has *radically* improved. The music is totally coherent and engaging. Cranking the bass way up pretty much solved the bass problem. And the general character of the Luxman is very, very pleasing.

Of course, I still see a future with an even better amp, decent stands for the Heresys, better placement, an improved DAC, maybe even a subwoofer, etc. But things are just much better.

Again, thanks all for the coaching. I will be back with more questions soon!

 

Dear Brook,

There's a number of points that need to be asked, so I'll start with this, where did you hear, and I quote you "they were supposed to have real punch in the low mid-range, so I could hear the upright Bass". - - - - - Klipsch's own site specifies the Heresy's frequency response is   
58Hz – 20kHz (+/- 4 dB). That is not very low at all, especially when you consider it uses a 12" bottom end driver. So I don't know who told you the Heresy is strong reproducing an upright Bass, because they are not.

You also stated that, " So how do they sound quiet? Really in two shoe boxes because the L and R don't merge that well ".                                                                                                     Two points come to mind here for me,
#1: back in the 80's I heard a pair of Belle Klipsch driven with a 100W NAD or Rotel - I can't remember, but in a word ..... awesome.                                
A couple years back I auditioned the Cornwall III. In a word .... boring!
They sounded veiled, lifeless & un-involving. Now - - - the Corn 3's were hooked up to what I consider to be Mid-Fi gear, but then again so were the Belle Klipsch back in the 80's.
That said the Cornwalls/Corner Wall, like the Klipsch Horns were designed to fire from the corners of a room. At my audition the room, as well as speaker placement were all wrong and the speakers may-not have been broken in, but how many excuses are we going to make?
#2: I don't know if the Heresy's are designed to be placed near the corners of a room to sound their best, but if they are you'd better read on.
Klipsch Horns are a massive speaker, they move a lot of air. If you read the Klipsch's literature, Klipsch Horns are designed to work their optimal 15ft apart. You're using Heresy's at almost 18ft apart. If they are designed to be placed near the corners of a room to sound their best, in your 18'X40' room it's little wonder they sound like two shoe boxes because the L and R don't merge that well " - - - you've got the wrong speaker.

As for a the Mrs being un-cool with placing the back of the speakers away from the wall, that's OK, they're designed to be placed near the wall you face. Even If they are designed to be placed near the corners of a room, start by placing them 9ft centre to centre apart, with a distance of 41/2ft from the corner walls. Sit back approx 12'-18' from the two speakers and make your ajustments from there to find the sweet spot. That should help with the imaging.

As for your 35-watt Rega Brio driving your Heresy's in a 18'x40' room, I don't care how efficient they are, you're not going to get your cake made. Now if you were in a 12'x18'x8' - - perhaps. Ever heard of the (The Little Engine That Could)? Well it did, then it died. (read up on clipping).
I don't care what speaker you use, {with very few exceptions + $$$ amp}, you're going to need plenty a muscle. Klipsch states in their Heresy literature - POWER HANDLING (CONT/PEAK)100W/400W. Hit the used market for a Hafler, Carver, or Adcom amp, 200W or more. I suggest these amps because they're sweet and can be found at bargain prices. I don't know what you're using for sources, but the Klipsch's use horns, & horns can be bright, so pairing the proper Phono Cartridge/Cd/Sound Card-DAC, along with your pre-amp stage is trickier to choose and more costly than your Amp selection needs to be.

Forget the sub-woofer!
Sub-woofers are tough for more reasons than one. First of all, in order to build a Sub that is on par with the quality of your Heresy's, the Sub is going to need a cabinet that is inert. Especially since the Mrs wants the gear close to the wall, & since we're talking at least a foot - - - there goes that idea down in flames.
Another thing is a Sub without an inert cabinet is going to wind up being little more than a boom box as opposed to a speaker that reproduces the sound of real instruments.
Might sound good in the store, might sound good when you get it home .... but for how long??? You won't be able to live with a mid-fi sub-woofer.
So what's a GOOD QUALITY Sub going to cost you? You've already got what .... lets say $2 grand into your Heresy's? I wouldn't buy one, but Klipsch wants the better part of $2000.00 dollars for their KW-120, (don't forget the tax). So now you've got $4/Large into your speaker, and you still need a beefier amp.
What about room placement, what about phasing issues, want to go with an external X-over, how about interconnects, power cords; Subs use powerful amps so you may need a designated line from the breaker. That might mean adding a new plug. You want to get into that nightmare?
Even used, a PAR sub to match the quality of your Heresy's (say a Paradigm Reference Servo-15 WITH an external cross-over) is going to run ya the better part of $2/Large.
So what does four-five thousand dollars worth of speaker buy you on the used market? Maybe a JBL L-300, a pair of Klipsch Horns.

As for a Tube Amp ..... a tube amp isn't going solve your problem Brook unless you opt for one with considerably more power than your Rega. I'm not knocking your Rega, it's just that the Rega is punching way above it's weight class. A tube amp may give you a warmer, more detailed and transparent sound that is more conducive to the design of a horn speaker, but it's not going to address the challenge of filling the void/volume of your listening room. V= LxWxH. Volume, not to be confused with dB, is what you're up against here, and if you want to fill the volume with sound waves at a low decibel level, that's going to take authority & authority requires power e.g.: VxA=W.

For what you're up against Brook with that 18x40 room, the most effective route you can take is to start with a clean slate. If that's unrealistic $$$, opt for the best quality high current Amp you can afford & let the games begin.

Bill
P.S: below are some research resouces to assist with your task. 
http://www.critesspeakers.com
http://klipschupgrades.com
https://community.klipsch.com


 

I agree with the others on break in. They may need more time. One thing I would do which ever way you go is to get a better dac. The dragonfly might be good for headphones , but for a few hundred more you could improve your system with a better dac.

I agree with everyone that the speakers are going to need break-in. If you can get the imaging to your liking, a device like the Quantum Physics's Noise Disrupters Small on your amp or source will help with the harshness. You can try one for 30 days, and the potential shipping costs from The Cable Co. https://www.thecableco.com/Product/Noise-Disrupters-Small--Single-

If that works, you could then try a tube amp or the Lyngdorf TDAi 2170.

If you can't get the imaging to your liking, it's time to get a more powerful amp for the Ohms, or audition some new speakers.

Best of luck with your adventure!

Is anyone considering the size of the listening room? 18' x 40' is nearly the area of a 4-car garage, and we don't know if it's a standard ceiling, raised, or cathedral.

With an 8' ceiling, the volume would be 5,760 cu. ft; with a 15' cathedral ceiling, volume would be around 8,280 cu. ft.

This would be a match for Ohm's *largest* tall speaker, the Ohm 4000, whose recommended room volume range is 4500 to 8500 cu. ft. The OP's Ohm 1000 probably work out OK because they're omnidirectional, pulls the reflected sound of the room into the equation.

In that environment you'd have to listen to Heresys in the nearfield to get a decent tonal balance, and given that they're only 2 feet tall, the OP's room has furniture blocking some of the sound, and raising the speakers on stands isn't an option, that's a lot of fussing and tweaking when you have a  pair of 38" tall Ohm 1000 omnis in storage.

I might have missed it but I don't think you mentioned what kind of floor the speakers are on. If they are on anything other than carpet put a thick carpet sample under the speakers. My Klipsch La Scala's sound much better on carpet versus a wood floor... And I use McIntosh tube amps. Mc275...   Bill

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.

Luke, You seen to have fallen victim to one of the oldest pitfalls in buying home audio - you need to listen to the equipment before you buy it. Especially speakers. Let reviews inform which speakers you seek out to audition, but you’re really asking for it to buy speakers without listening to them.

Now, to the instant case. You need to listen at lower volumes (congrats Dad!), and the speakers do not ’open up’ at these volumes. It is not your imagination that different speakers seem to ’start sounding good’ after they reach a certain volume level. Think of equal loudness contours. Depending on the low end frequency response of the speakers, they will sound ’thin’ when played at soft levels, will ’open up’ when played such that their volume level and bass response give a satisfactory amount of perceived bass (reference equal loudness contours), and systems so often sound bass heavy when played very loudly.

You bought speakers that don’t open up until they are played inconveniently loud. Do you love the way the Heresies sound when played at louder levels? Your offspring won’t be in the house always or young always. You can add a sub to get by, recognizing that it won’t be a perfect solution. Matching a sub to the Heresies (use 80 Hz) will be a bit of an effort, and you can expect a bit of mid-to-upper bass dip. Assuming you are still in NYC, you live in the audio Mecca of the US, and you can probably work out some kind of sale, deal, or trade to a more appropriate speakers if you need to.

Caution on changing electronic components. A new amp or preamp will not bring the large shift you need to enjoy your system in the manner you describe. A tube amp for headphones? Some people go that way. Best of luck. And no matter what you do, try your best to listen to something as close to the equipment as possible before you buy!

Replace the Rega with something much more powerful and pull the Ohms out of the closet. (Suboptimal because it will make my wife sad BECAUSE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED PERCEIVED UGLINESS.)

I know asthetics is a matter of taste, but this limitation has me shaking my head. Compared to the slim elegance of the Ohm 1000, the Heresy looks like the speaker equivalent of a troll. I don't know what veneer you chose for the Ohms, but I think they're stunning in several of their available veneers, such as cherry, ribbon maple, sapele, rosewood, etc.

They are also easy to place and modestly sized. Their footprint is only 7.75" square, with a modest height of 38".

Esthetic and performance advantages:

• No squarish humpy speakers sitting on the floor, tilted up
• No stands required--less clutter
• Omnidirectional radiating pattern and plinthed downfiring woofer makes for easy integration with the listening area.
• Omnidirectional pattern also fills the listening area and presents a stable soundstage that's friendly to a wide range of listening positions.

All you need is a 100-150 wpc amp to bring the 1000s alive with the dynamics and clarity they're capable of.

I hadn't realized you still had the Ohms. You don't even have to buy them a second time.

Bang on Johnny!!!  The only speakers I bought unheard were a pair of klipsch cornwalls.  When I got them I thought they were broken. No low bass and very little mid bass.