What would be involved in updating Hersey II’s to Hersey IV’s?

Actually, having 50 plus years, owning and fiddling with a particular brand, has certainly had a tremendous effect, and influence, on how I have listened to recorded music, and gave me a " reference ", to every other design and model, by others, and in fact, similar designs. PWK made it possible, for many, to enjoy " his " designs, and Roy Delgado, has been applying some modern techniques, and newer, upgraded parts ( along with the likes of Bob Crites, Al Klappenberger, and Greg Roberts of Volti Audio ). So, those that received a very late intro to the genius of " the man ", I say wonderful....it is about time. Enjoy ! MrD.

I have been listening to Klipsch for over 30 years and they just arent my cup of tea.

But you keep listening to them?  I don't get it.

I do get that the Klipsch sound is not for everyone and have no interest in trying to convince someone that they're missing something.  I like the Klipsch speakers I have, but I own and have owned a lot of other brands, many that had a quite different sound signature and liked most of those too - Vienna Acoustics, Harbeth, Legacy Audio, Canton, Focal, Monitor Audio, Spendor, and others. 

I like some of these a lot better than Klipsch.  That doesn't diminish the listening pleasure I've experienced with my Klipsch speakers. 

If I thought they sucked I wouldn't listen to them for 30 years.  I don't see myself ever purchasing another pair of Vienna Acoustics speakers.  If someone was asking about different speaker choices and asked about VA speakers, I'd share my impressions, both positive and negative.  If someone already liked them and was posting about them, I wouldn't jump in a thread and tell them their speakers suck.  I also realize we all have different ideas about common courtesy and that mine may be different than yours.

Having 30 years or 50 years experience of a brand has zero to do with now really, and the only Klipsch stuff I've ever paid much attention to are the "now" versions. Changes include vastly different driver materials, horn throat and phase plug technology, crossover components, internal wire...everything except how they look. I don't need to be "given" the efficiency part as that's only part of the tonal experience, and it seems that prejudice against a brand can last...remember the foam covered "L100" JBLs from the 70s? I do...relative to today they were not so great (a response curve like a big smile)...the new ones look exactly the same and actually are fine sounding (I heard 'em). 

@oddiofyl , fyi, there have been Heresy type speaker designs produced by Klipsch, for the live / pro side of their business, and the cabinets were ported, using a different woofer. These model 4s will be the best of the Heresy line, imo.

" Not my cup of tea ". @jsautter ...Same for me, with your overpriced loudspeakers. To me, they sounded compressed, mellow, seamed to be weak, with the leading edge of instruments, and did not, for me, have that " jump " factor, I look for, which my Lascalas give me, in spades......Granted, they played a nice image and soundstage, and offered good coherence from top to bottom, but imo, sounded like a speaker, and not like live music ( interesting, how we differ as to what live music sounds like, or, should sound like ). You can be a negative voice on any Klipsch thread, as you are not the 1st, nor will be the last, but the truth of the matter is, I am happy with the Klipsch Heritage line ( have been for 50 plus years ). The fact that they can be modified and upgraded easily, and affordably, simply creates a better music producer, for me, and others, and, crazy good at the prices, too..........However, unlike you, I will respect you, for liking what you like....So, why bother coming on here, trolling. BTW, my descriptions of your speakers, fits many others, I have owned, sold, and installed for others. Different flavors, for different tastes. Enjoy ! MrD.

One thing i like about the Heresy is that they are sealed... they have really tight bass and no port noise.   I'm curious to hear what a ported Heresy sounds like , it's heresy to port the Heresy in my opinion.

Usually a sealed cabinet requires a larger cabinet. Obviously I dont agree and think that the Heresy and to a slightly lesser degree the Fortes dont sound like real music. I will give you the efficiency part, but all other aspects fall short of others designs in my experience. I have been listening to Klipsch for over 30 years and they just arent my cup of tea. The one thing I have found is that feeding Klipsch with as much tube power as is possible helps the speakers. This comment is more about the behavior of lower powered amps than the speakers. I would be interested in what other speakers you have compared with the Heresy in your home. 

Increasing the size of a previously sealed cabinet is clearly based on the design and tuning of the port relative to the woofer...I’m sure they wouldn’t bother otherwise. Also, Heresy IIIs (and other "heritage" models) simply sound excellent "leaving the factory floor" without ANY mods, and modifying an older model to bring it up to newer model standards isn’t the same thing...obviously...you clearly don’t need to "go big" for horns to sound great, as proved by the Heresy III...you simply need to listen big and stop worrying about porcine makeup. Klipsch manages to make horns that sound like music and provide astonishing levels of efficiency that the "woofers and a tweeter in a box" just can’t do (the efficiency part anyway), and having been able to compare Heresy IIIs to a couple of pairs of excellent albeit more conventional non horn "tower" speakers, over months with my own stuff, the similarities were more profound than the differences...other than efficiency, the fact that all great speakers convey what you give them is undeniable, and well thought out modern horn designs can simply do that more efficiently. My other non horn speakers were sold.

To answer a few questions or address a few responses to my posts.

Sorry but I guess you have to be a Klipsch fan to comment on any Kilpsch related post.  So funny that some would take criticism so seriously. True, I probably can come up with things to complain about with any design but Klipsch gives me the most ammunition as this relates to qualities that are most important to me.

Of course the lipstick comment was made as a indication that I think modifying a Heresy is somewhat of a waste as I think that this design has numerous flaws. If you are going to go Horn, by virtue of the drivers, you need to go big.

I cant think of another brand of speaker which almost requires modification to bring it to a palatable level. At the very least, even modestly priced modifications can make a big difference on Klipsch. What does this say about the speaker as they leave the factory floor?

What strikes me as strange is that Klipsch would increase the size of the Heresy cabinet after introducing a port. Seems to go against logic. I strongly prefer sealed designs over ported and to a lesser degree transmission lines.

From my perspective, I have never heard a Klipsch speaker that I even disliked without mods. Dont get all bunged guys, I am not insulting your children and this is just an opinion of a person that really doesnt care for horns overall.

There's a bit of hyperbole in both of the previous quoted statements.  Klipsch speakers are abundant and there are a number of sources for upgrade parts.  My KLF-30 speakers were a lot easier to listen to after I replaced the original tweeters with aftermarket parts.  I'm not sure if the crossover upgrades made a lot of difference, but they were 30 years old and it seemed like a good idea and was pretty reasonable.  A bead of Titebond III around the back panel kept them from rattling at high volumes.  An inexpensive and worthwhile upgrade/repair.

My Heresy I speakers sounded really good when I bought them.  I replaced the woofers mainly because I had some spares that I had used in the KLF-30s.  The Bob Crites tweeter upgrade seemed to give them a little more detail, and applying Dynamat to the outside of the mid and tweeter horns seemed to make them more cohesive in the mids and highs.  I replaced the crossovers because the ones from 1976 were definitely showing their age.

Were any of these upgrades game-changers or take them to a level way above their price point?  I don't think so.  Was it a waste of money?  I think I put maybe $500 into both pairs of speakers and they definitely sounded better after the work I did to them.  To me, it was easily worth it.  A lot cheaper than some fancy cables or power conditioners or many other things people do in their quest for improved sound quality and probably more impactful than most other upgrades would be for that amount of money.

You either like and appreciate the Klipsch sound (especially at their price points), or you don't.  If you don't, then the "lipstick on pig" analogy makes sense.  Why try to fix something you don't care for in the first place?  If you do and want to get the most out of them, upgrades are worthwhile and inexpensive.  Perhaps others have experienced more dramatic improvements than I have with their upgrades, but my advice would be to have realistic expectations in regards to the results.  The Klipsch forums have a wealth of information about upgrades.

Thanks for the info wolf_garcia,

I  was on the forums last night and all I found was the Model III, Heritage series, special edition.  New tweets, midrange, woofs and posts.  I must have been in the wrong area.

I’ll look again tonight.

Thanks again.

JD

Wolf, glad you found it. All that was needed was to Google : Klipsch Heresy 4......Roy Delgado is truly taking these PWK designs, to the next level, imo.....

UPDATE...I found a pic and some info on a Klipsch community forum along with this quote from a Klipsch dude at RMAF: "In speaking with the Klipsch rep, he stated the change in the Heresy IV from the III is:  (a) the speaker is now a bass reflex speaker with port in the back, (b) all three drivers are updated based on what they learned from the Forte III, (c) the box is about 1" taller to accommodate the updated design, (d)  the riser is updated (in black and no curve), (e) grills will be updated , (f) binding posts are updated to a higher quality, and (g) in addition to the standard three finishes, the IV will be available in distressed oak with the linen grills." Supposedly to be announced 12/19.

Heresy IIIs are great speakers even in their stock form...I "damped" the mid horns on mine and it didn’t make much difference, but I think they’re simply an astoundingly great sounding speaker if used with equally good ancillary gear...in my case that means a great single ended tube amp among other stuff. The lack of deep bass is the trade off for a seemingly very even and accurate reproduction of the bass they do produce, and I prefer the adjustability of powered subs taking up the lower end as I like having an analog control of the deep bass (I eschew digital room correction if only to have the opportunity to use the word "eschew."). I’ve looked around for any info on the alleged Heresy IVs and wonder, Mrdecibel...where did you see that info?...curious. I sometimes think it would be cool to make a matching box for the Heresy mid and tweeter to look sort of like a mini LaScala, and mess with the woofer box for possible frequency extension...but don’t care all that much as my current setup works so well for me.

jsautter,

What’s different about Klipsch speakers that would put them on another level?

JD

No doubt every speaker could benefit from mods, but Klipsch and mods are on an entirely different level than most or all other speaker brands of which I am aware. 

I saw that also mrd,
I’m still thinking of some II’s with a SVS, pb2000  or 2.
What have you powered your Hersey’s with?

Enjoy your evening.

JD

It is my understanding that the woofer in the new Heresy model IV will be different than that in the earlier models, because of the now, ported enclosure. I am down to 1 pair of Heresy IIs, as I have had several pairs of the Heresys, and although they are fully modded, by me, I am sorry to say, they are in a 2ndary system, which I never listen to. My main system consists of a pair of modded Lascalas, and there is simply, no comparison. To anyone commenting about putting lipstick on a pig, every Klipsch Heritage speaker benefits from mods and updates, because, as many things in audio, they were made, to a specific price point. In over 50 years at this, I know 1st hand, that " every " audio product can be improved upon, for this reason. I like the Heresy very much, but I do feel the Forte IIIs are a step above the Heresy, for the mid horn, and the additional bass " weight " provided by the larger cabinet and the rear passive unit. The new Cornwall IV, will be the killer in the new line, as far as I am concerned. Hope I did not stir any heads, as it is never my intention...Enjoy ! MrD.

If the new Heresy speaker are ported then I would gravitate toward the versions that are not ported. I feel that heavy mods on the Heresy is kind of like putting lipstick on a pig.

Thank thanks for the reply. I’m hoping to be a happy owner myself. 😀

JD

I do not make them, I am just a Heresy II owner.

Visit: https://critesspeakers.com

8044drussell,

Thank you!  That’s the news I was hoping to hear.  I did sigh up to a Klispch forum and have so far heard nothing.  Do you make the crossovers and tweeters? Can you PM me with info and prices?

Thanks in advance.

JD

I am in the same boat: Here's what Bob Crites responded to me in an e-mail. "We did a little test a few years ago between a Heresy III and a Heresy II. The Heresy III was new at the time and of course the Heresy II was about 25 years old. The Heresy III was the winner in that test. Then I put a pair of our new Heresy II crossovers and a pair of our titanium tweeter diaphragms in the old Heresy II and test again. This time was not that much difference between the two. In fact some people preferred the sound of the rebuilt Heresy II.

So, with a pair of our new Heresy II crossovers and the titanium tweeter diaphragms, I think you are very close to the Heresy III."

I would think there are cabinet structural changes to be made

Since the Heresy IV isn't out yet and there are no specs on the Klipsch site yet (that I could find), it's a bit of conjecture.  I think I read in one of the threads about the Heresy IV that it will be a ported model, so I think you would have to do more work than it's worth to take a II to a IV. 

The II is well regarded, and many seem to like them better than the III.  You can buy aftermarket crossovers (or kits), and can replace most of the drivers.  Bob Crites offers great parts at reasonable prices.  There are some other options for aftermarket crossovers for Klipsch speakers designed to "improve" the sound (not sure about the Heresy II).  I have stuck with Crites parts.  I have upgraded my Heresy I by replacing the woofer, tweeters, and crossover, and putting Dynamat on the outside of the horns. 

As someone else said, give them a try stock, mine were very nice when I bought them, and they were about 40 years old when I got them.

Klipsch has forums with a ton of information about upgrades and mods.

If you get them at a reasonable price, I say live with them as is. Then after time goes by, see if you are really missing out on anything. Nothing wrong with enjoying something as is! Have fun!