One of the formative moments for me, as a young dude, was listening to a pair of Klipschorns powered by a Conrad-Johnson tube amp at a Hi-Fi store. I'd listened to a lot of pretty swanky gear, but those K-Horns sounded REAL. The jazz group was in the room with me, full sized. The music sounded so alive. It made most of the rigs I'd listened to up to that point sound small, compressed, and a little wanting. Not that other speakers sounded bad, but they sounded like speakers. The Klipsh sounded like the band. Many, many years would go by before I'd hear another speaker that captured my attention in this way.
Fast forward to me, as a duffer that finally had enough money to buy the occasional luxury item. By then, I'd listened to amazing systems featuring Revel, Bowers and Wilkins, Magnepan, Vandersteen, and so on. All amazing speakers. Most beyond my price point. Most impractical for my space constraints. As were the Heritage Klipsch speakers.
Except the Heresy, which is either the largest of all bookshelf speakers, or kinda tiny for a floorstander. I elected to use it as the former, replacing a pair of nice RB-600s, also by Klipsch. The RBs were the nicest speakers I'd ever taken OUT of rotation. The Heresies had their work cut out for them.
The speakers came in perfect shape. No dings, no problems. I took off the risers, as they'd be elevated and needed to fire straight ahead. The little rubber feet work fine. They seem rather flimsy, but isolate well enough to keep vibes from going through and into whatever the speakers are seated upon.
These are old-style speakers. They're perfectly square, wide, and somewhat shallow. Like we oldsters remember from back in the day. They don't need several feet of free air behind them to make an image, though they do benefit from a bit of toe-in. Depending upon your tastes, removing the grilles will either reveal the magic of a fully-packed front baffle or just mechanisms better hidden. The grilles are a bit of a trick to get off, but they're magnetized, so they cling well and easily when you put them back on. Also, they're pretty tough. You don't have to worry about them being easily busted up.
Okay, down to brass tacks. The sound.
The Heresy, as alluded to, is not the most bass-heavy speaker. I chose to pair mine with an SW-112R, and found it easy to coordinate them. The sealed nature of the Heresies make their bass roll-off smooth and predictable. Setting the sub at 60 or 70 HZ and running them full range is my preference.
These are subtler speakers that one may expect. They may not suddenly wow you with ALL THE AUDIOPHILE FEELS. They don't pretty up the sound of records with terribly production values. If the mastering is harsh, the Klipsh speakers will pass that along. With that said, they will reveal themselves to you, and their quality will unfold when you're patient.
First, these speakers will play clean and loud. Really, really loud. One great pitfall of these damned things is that you can give yourself ringing in the ears and a bit of a headache from too much sound pressure. Because you don't get the tell-tale compression and harshness that less dynamic speakers will give you, it's not always obvious how loud you're playing the tunes. You've been warned.
Second, the midrange horn is, well, pretty rad. It's not just the notes, it's the texture of the underlying harmonics of them that you'll begin to notice. With overdriven electric guitar, you'll notice chewy interior bits to the notes that speakers often don't convey. There'll be a Rhodes electric piano bit in a song and voicing of the instrument will be so well illuminated. With really well recorded disks, you'll notice small things like this that add to the certitude of the listening experience. Macro level stuff is well handled, too. These are just about the only speakers that can actually create a palpable impact with midrange tones. Usually, you'll only hear that with live music. Imagine the sudden dynamic swell when you're right in line with the bell of a saxophone, for instance.
While the Heresies don't go super deep, their delineation of bass notes is stellar, and throwing extremely loud low tones at them never elicits a loss of composure. If you love to hear what the bass player in a band is doing, these are great speakers for that. The best I've heard in my environment. If you need ultimate low bass slam, there are many subwoofers that will assist your cause, and I've found the Heresy model to be easier than a ported speaker to get smooth transition from. If you primarily listen to acoustic music, it's very possible that the lowest bass notes will not be missed. Although the sealed nature of the system can't bring in those tones with a swell of reflex drive, they are reproduced, just at attenuated volume. If you're going to use them for movies, though, the sub is probably a necessity.
The top end is not stringent, if the music doesn't call for it. I've detected no "cupped hands" issues with the horn drivers. They are directive, so if you're sitting well off axis, you may see a collapse in the stereo image. That said, the image is quite good, and some sounds can seem to arise far outside and even above the speaker's line of transmission. I wouldn't say they were the most holographic imaging speakers I'd ever heard (Hales Audio, if you care. Probably long defunct as a company, but man...) Perfectly good image, however.
Having a pair of "real" Klipsch speakers has been a dream for me since I was a kid. I took a lot of hours listening to these to make sure I wasn't a victim of confirmation bias in this review. I don't think I am, and others I've brought in have backed up my findings with their own ears. That said, some will find the price a little steep. For a product with this many positive attributes, made in the USA, I think it's pretty reasonable. Recommended for the listener who values dynamics, clarity, and the allure of a classic design.
From the manufacturer
A Little Heresy Is Good For The Soul
Introducing the pound-for-pound champion of the world. Whether it's for your burgeoning vinyl collection, home theater or whatever. Nothing rocks harder. Period.
Because of its relatively 'compact' size, this model offers the greatest degree of placement flexibility in the Heritage Series line.
Note: Manufacturer warranty is only valid when purchased from a Klipsch Authorized Reseller. For full list, visit Klipsch's website.
Features:
- A three-way design using horn-loaded Titanium diaphragm midrange and high frequency compression drivers.
- Direct-radiating 12" woofer.
- 99dB sensitivity delivers smooth, dynamic and low distortion sound.
- Available in a high-quality Black Ash, Cherry, or Walnut wood veneer finish.
- Made in USA.
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Compact, Three-Way LoudspeakerThe Heresy was originally introduced in 1957 with a compact three-way design utilizing a 12” woofer and horn-loaded midrange and tweeter. In 2006, the Heresy III was upgraded with a more powerful woofer and a bi-wire network as well as midrange and tweeter compression drivers, and features a titanium diaphragm for smooth and accurate definition. |
High EfficiencyNothing in the industry sounds as big or is as efficient as the Heresy III, given its relatively compact size. This model offers the greatest degree of placement flexibility of the Heritage series. The bonus slant riser base can be removed for cabinet installations. |
Built to LastWhile each and every component of the Heresy III is built to last, Klipsch has always recognized the unique and critical role of a loudspeaker’s cabinet in the sound reproduction process. From the craftsmen in Hope, AR to the engineers in Indianapolis, IN, Klipsch has always put an extraordinary emphasis on cabinet design. No other small speaker is built as well, or passed on to as many future generations, as the Heresy III. |
They Said He Couldn’t. But He Did It AnywayWhen Paul W. Klipsch was developing a smaller speaker to use between two Klipschorns, an acquaintance declared that he couldn’t possibly introduce it to the public because it was in direct violation of the corner horn principles, and amounted to acoustic heresy. 'The hell I can’t,' Mr. Klipsch said. 'And that’s exactly what I’m going to call it.' |
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Book-Matched Wood VeneerKlipsch only uses book-matched wood veneers for the Heritage series. The veneer leaves are kept in order as they are delicately sliced from the timber and precisely arranged to provide a mirror image at the splice joint — like turning the pages of a book. This gives each speaker a more aesthetically appealing and consistent appearance that is treasured more than any other cut of wood veneer. |
Matched PairsEach pair of Heritage Series loudspeakers is grain-matched using wood veneer panels that come from the same timber. Each cabinet is carefully matched so that each speaker in the pair is practically indistinguishable from the other. Each finished product is inspected and labeled with sequential serial numbers, ensuring that the Heritage series speakers leave the factory as a meticulously crafted set. |
Made In USA. Made To Rock.Proudly handcrafted in Hope, Arkansas for over 50 years, the Klipsch Heresy III speaker is a testament to the quality Klipsch demands from each and every of its audio products. Here's to 50 more years of Heresy. |
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In Klipsch Heresy-III sound heaven!
I've been using Acoustic Research AR3-A speakers since 1975. Gone through one rebuild of the speakers because the woofer gasket deteriorated (I lived in the hot, dry climate of Arizona for 15 years). Recently the mid-range started to go and rather than another rebuild, I decided to move to the Klipsch Heresy III.I unpacked the Heresy, took off the risers, hooked them up to my Studer-Revox B750 MK-II integrated amp and was in sound heaven within 15 minutes.Tested the base with Beethoven's 'Eroica' Symphony and Philip Glass 'Einstein on the Beach' ... perfect!Tested the mid/tweeter with Bach's Violin Partitas, a sampling of Nina Simone and Dire Straights 'Brothers in Arms' ... also perfect!Then put on a couple of collections I have on MP3 and spent the rest of the day in sound heaven!The shipment from OneCall took three days from order placement, arrived as promised, nicely packaged with the Heresy in their Klipsch boxes with original documentation.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2018
I've been using Acoustic Research AR3-A speakers since 1975. Gone through one rebuild of the speakers because the woofer gasket deteriorated (I lived in the hot, dry climate of Arizona for 15 years). Recently the mid-range started to go and rather than another rebuild, I decided to move to the Klipsch Heresy III.
I unpacked the Heresy, took off the risers, hooked them up to my Studer-Revox B750 MK-II integrated amp and was in sound heaven within 15 minutes.
Tested the base with Beethoven's 'Eroica' Symphony and Philip Glass 'Einstein on the Beach' ... perfect!
Tested the mid/tweeter with Bach's Violin Partitas, a sampling of Nina Simone and Dire Straights 'Brothers in Arms' ... also perfect!
Then put on a couple of collections I have on MP3 and spent the rest of the day in sound heaven!
The shipment from OneCall took three days from order placement, arrived as promised, nicely packaged with the Heresy in their Klipsch boxes with original documentation.
I unpacked the Heresy, took off the risers, hooked them up to my Studer-Revox B750 MK-II integrated amp and was in sound heaven within 15 minutes.
Tested the base with Beethoven's 'Eroica' Symphony and Philip Glass 'Einstein on the Beach' ... perfect!
Tested the mid/tweeter with Bach's Violin Partitas, a sampling of Nina Simone and Dire Straights 'Brothers in Arms' ... also perfect!
Then put on a couple of collections I have on MP3 and spent the rest of the day in sound heaven!
The shipment from OneCall took three days from order placement, arrived as promised, nicely packaged with the Heresy in their Klipsch boxes with original documentation.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2017
