Klipschorn Imaging

I have owned several pairs of Klipsch over the years including Khorns, Belles, Cornwalls (stiill have a pair), Heresy. My dad had stores on the west coast and was a Klipsch dealer. That said, I love the sound of a nice set of K-horns, there is nothing like them. Yet, I could never get them to paint a sonic picture like todays imaging champs. I can play the Cornwalls and get the nightclub sound but I can't get the speakers to disappear or to float the images of the vocalist or soloist.

Klipsch corner horns are very dependent on room geometry. You can wind up with a sonic gap due to room width. That's the beauty of smaller monitor type
speakers, you can place them where needed for best sound, you are limited to the corners with the K-horn.

If you are looking for image quality, tonal purity, proper soundstage you may need to look at other solutions. Having two sets of speakers for different needs works out well for me. However I play my Merlins 95% of the time.

By the way Klipsch published a notebook titled "Audio Papers, Paul W. Klipsch". The notebook does address your very question and offers solutions.

Good Luck!

I can get Altecs to image ;)

Thanks for all the replies and since then I have been on a quest. I have several things to report.
1. Conrad johnson MV60se--fabulous sound, very tubey, wall of music, cradles you to sleep and as close to nirvana as I have come. Great soundstaging (perhaps not as good as well set up Anthony gallo). Significant hum-just could not make it go away. Always associated with HDMI. Worst was connection with TV.
2. Mcintosh MC275- less tubey than CJ but still good sounding. Best imaging and truely hi fi like music with MMG magnepan. All the imaging that I have heard in the past. Not the last word in music with Khorns. Same hum problem
3.Onix sp3- can listen to it for about 1 hour... have to turn off after that. No sound stage, no other significant improvement over T-amp
4.Glow one amp- no sound stage, nothing special, listening fatigue after about couple of hours.
5.T-amp--likely the 2nd best in the group next to CJ. Provides some imaging but has a metallic texture which I cannot get rid of.
6. MiniWatt amp- not very different from less expensive Onix and Glow amp. Quicker sound but not enough body. Different sound than T amp but not better.
So the cheapest and one of the costlier tube amp seem to be the best match with higher powered amp leading to ground loop hum.
This is a bummer. I really like the speaker but not enough to go around auditioning amps one after another. I like music more.
Perhaps it is just best to buy Mcintosh and pair it with magnepan MMG.
The other amps I am looking at are Quicksilver, First Watt F5 but I hate to have the house clutter up with unusable electronics.

So this is where I am in my search of tube like wall of sound from Klipschorn.
Inputs appreciated.

AES(Cary) Superamp with a Bruce Moore or AES 3 preamp. Also, the Mesa Baron in triode is superb with above preamps.
New ALK cossovers with Auricaps made a difference.
Obviously the Khorns have to be in the corner, seating position in the crosshairs.

I have not had the opportunity to audition Cary amp yet. Perhaps in a few months.
I listened to First watt F5 and it is very interesting amp.

Let us consider a hypothesis- the amp that induces us to listen to more music is the best amp. Under those conditions the amp that produces listening fatigue quickest is the one that we do not want.

First Watt F5 does not produce significant listening fatigue but when matched with my receiver it did not invite me to listen either. With bad recordings (which make up most of my listening) it made me not want to listen to music. With good recording I listened for as long as I wanted without any fatigue but it did not relax or soothe me at all. I changed the receiver to help change the sound but the amplifier has a distinct signature which is not greatly changed by the pre amp. Perhaps a preamp which is distinctly tubey will help.
So was this a good amp--I do not know. I am not as unequivocal as most magazines are in praising it. Its distinct sound is of immediacy- i.e. you feel slightly closer to music and not perceive it as presentation of music. With newer music that is a good thing, with older recordings it makes it unlistenable.
CJ presented the music and made is very listenable but also was coloured- I love colour I think.

I started out wanting sound staging- i have found everything else.
Next step is DIY speaker cables and improved interconnects.
Then Quicksilver amps.