{"id":121378,"date":"2021-02-10T08:09:15","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T08:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techweekmag.com\/?p=121378"},"modified":"2023-10-18T07:24:21","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T06:24:21","slug":"klipsch-heresy-iv-review-continues-to-deliver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/speakers\/klipsch-heresy-iv-review-continues-to-deliver\/","title":{"rendered":"Klipsch Heresy IV : Continues to deliver"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Klipsch Heresy IV is equipped with the new K-702 compression midrange driver, which features a polyamide cone for even higher sound fidelity.\u00a0The midrange driver is housed in a modified Tractrix\u00ae horn, which provides a wider pickup pattern for even sound distribution throughout the listening room.\u00a0The K-107-TI titanium diaphragm tweeter features a new phase plug for more even sound distribution and a wider listening experience.<\/p>\n

\"Klipsch_HeresyIV_Lifestyle_9.jpg.jpeg\"<\/p>\n

The Klipsch Heresy IV speakers also have a new crossover, made from selected components in an optimized design – for live sound and increased maximum power input.\u00a0This crossover is similar to that used in the legendary Klipschorn, La Scala and Cornwall speakers.<\/p>\n

And finally, for the first time in the history of this model, the Klipsch Heresy IV speakers are equipped with a bass reflex, which made it possible to further expand the bass range by 10 Hz.\u00a0Using the Tractrix geometry for the Klipsch Heresy IV bass reflex, airflow is efficiently and quickly delivered, thereby reducing noise and improving bass focus.\u00a0The Heresy IV entrance block is mounted on a high-end aluminum panel.\u00a0Two pairs of terminals provide the ability to connect speakers using Bi-Amping or Bi-Wiring.<\/p>\n

\"Heresy-IV-next-to-a-motorcyclezz.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The internal wiring in the speakers is made with premium Audioquest cable, a mono-conductor of high purity oxygen-free copper and a combined dielectric with internal nitrogen filling.\u00a0Each pair of speakers has an identical natural wood veneer finish so that one speaker does not differ from the other.\u00a0Both columns are manufactured at the same time and have sequential serial numbers to ensure they are fully consistent.\u00a0Like all Heritage loudspeakers, the Klipsch Heresy IV is entirely manufactured at the Klipsch plant in the USA.<\/p>\n

Review from the Klipsch Heresy IV SalonAV portal<\/b><\/p>\n

The first version of the Heresy, designed by Paul Klipsch himself, appeared in 1957, and at the beginning of this year the company announced the release of its fourth generation.\u00a0With all the changes made, this is still a real American classic – a huge paper woofer plus midrange and HF drivers in horn design.<\/p>\n

The Heresy, along with Voice of the Theater, La Scala and Klipschorn, is part of the Klipsch range of speakers that have become a true symbol of American sound at the time.\u00a0In the 50s, the company rapidly conquered the world market – the acoustics, despite the rather high price, were well sold out.\u00a0Two important principles converged in it: an understanding of how music should be reproduced, and a competent engineering calculation to implement this understanding in hardware.\u00a0And yes, the early models were designed by the founder of the company, Paul Klipsch, in an effort to make them as simple, solid and reliable as possible.<\/p>\n

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However, the same can be said about modern products, in particular, the Heresy IV, the unconditional bestseller of Klipsch, but already in the fourth generation.\u00a0As befits the heirs of classic American systems, it has an extremely high sensitivity by today’s standards – 99 dB.\u00a0Here it would be possible to write a standard phrase that such speakers can play well with one or two watt single-ended tube tubes, but the manufacturer recommends amplifiers with a power of 100 to 400 watts in the specifications.\u00a0Why – we will try to figure it out in the course of listening.<\/p>\n

Heresy systems have always been three-way systems, so they remain in the modern version.\u00a0The woofer in the speakers has a 12-inch cellulose-fiber composite cone and a reinforced magnet system.\u00a0The low mass of the moving system and the high force factor made it possible to achieve such a high sensitivity.\u00a0To increase the rigidity, concentric projections are made on the surface of the diffuser.\u00a0The driver works on a proprietary bass reflex with a patented Tractrix configuration, which prevents the occurrence of turbulent air flows.\u00a0A wide rectangular port leads to the lower part of the rear wall of the case.\u00a0The lower cutoff frequency of the Heresy IV is 48 Hz (-3 dB).<\/p>\n

\"Klipsch_HeresyIVstereowithmotorcycle.jpg\"<\/p>\n

The Tractrix profile is also used for horn design for mid and high frequency radiators.\u00a0The K-107-TI compression tweeter with an inch titanium diaphragm operates from 4.5 to 20 kHz.\u00a0The linearity of the frequency response at large deviations from the acoustic axis is set not only by the throat of the horn, but also by a three-beam divider installed in front of the diaphragm.\u00a0It eliminates the interaction of reflections from the horn walls and, accordingly, the resulting frequency notches.<\/p>\n

The diaphragm of the new K-702 compression mid-range is made of polyamide.\u00a0It is covered with a tiny cloth boot.\u00a0Its horn design also features a Tractrix profile that expands its directivity.\u00a0The 45mm midrange driver operates linearly from 850 to 4500 Hz, i.e.\u00a0one band captures most of the musical instrument spectrum.<\/p>\n

New high-slope crossovers have been developed for the Heresy IV.\u00a0They are designed for serious power input and are built on the same principles as the older Klipschorn, La Scala and Cornwall models.\u00a0The circuit uses selected components of the audiophile class, the installation is made in such a way as to minimize the path of the audio signal.\u00a0Internal wiring is made of high quality mono-conductor AudioQuest Type 4 from long crystal copper in carbon insulation.\u00a0Two pairs of wide jumper terminals allow bi-wiring.<\/p>\n

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The Heresy IV’s hulls are still handmade in the small town of Hope, Arkansas.\u00a0When installed on the floor, the speakers tilt back thanks to the beveled base – a classic trick for eliminating time lags with three different drivers.\u00a0The base is removable, so the speakers can be placed on stands, podiums, etc.\u00a0There are four finishes: American walnut, matt black, natural cherry, bleached oak.\u00a0The grill made of fabric with a large texture harmoniously complements the vintage proportions of the bodies.<\/p>\n

I have always liked acoustics with a wide front shield – the old school rarely disappoints with its sound, and the Klipsch Heresy IV is one of its brightest representatives.\u00a0In my opinion, the main improvement achieved in the fourth generation of the model was the transformation of a typical horn color into some kind of special warmth, spectral richness of sound.\u00a0Horns in the system are always audible, but very rarely they fit so harmoniously as in this case.\u00a0Still, a competent calculation of the profile for specific drivers means a lot.\u00a0In particular, the absolutely live sound of voices and acoustic instruments, especially strings.\u00a0On chamber jazz recordings, there is a complete feeling that the barrier between the listener and the musicians has disappeared, each sound is literally imprinted in the mind.\u00a0We listened to vinyl – how else to test the speakers,\u00a0which prototype was created in the mid-50s?\u00a0And it turned out to be a very strong combination in terms of emotional perception – a real journey through time.<\/p>\n

\"2.jpg\"<\/p>\n

A low and rather fast bass fits perfectly into the overall picture, after all, the paper is 12 inches, and even with a bass reflex (previous versions of Heresy had a closed design), this is a strong combination.\u00a0And this “non-rubber” bass becomes a logical continuation of the slightly warmed up middle, and no matter what disc you put on the player, everything sounds lively and interesting.\u00a0The high sensitivity of the speakers makes the sound light and detailed.\u00a0The main thing is that modern electronic music sounds juicy, with drive, a good sharp beat.<\/p>\n

The upper range is clear, washed out and absolutely not intrusive.\u00a0But when installing the speakers, you need to keep in mind that due to the flat shape of the horns, the vertical diagram at the treble and midrange is not as wide as the horizontal one, so you have to experiment with positioning in height.\u00a0In other respects, if you listen while sitting, the standard tilt of the cases is quite enough.<\/p>\n

There are no questions about the width of the soundstage, it will depend only on the distance between the speakers.\u00a0The details of the sound picture of the Klipsch Heresy IV are drawn clearly, the proportions in the sizes of the sound sources are observed.\u00a0The vocals are rich, literally voluminous, with powerful filling.\u00a0Opera singers, rock vocalists sound impressive.<\/p>\n

\"5.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Despite the sensitivity of 99 dB, these speakers need a decent current to fully reveal the dynamic potential.\u00a0We listened to them in turns with two integrals – the Parasound HINT 6 and the Magnat RV4.\u00a0In the first case, everything was fine with the dynamics, the speakers sounded powerful, energetic, but judging by the heating of the top cover, the amplifier clearly did not give out two or three watts.\u00a0In this version, the sound seemed a little monitor-like, without the beautiful presentation typical of horn “Klipsha”.\u00a0In this respect, the hybrid Magnat turned out to be more interesting: with the same dynamics it gave more life and brightness.\u00a0And the same thing – the temperature of the external heatsinks indicated that the amplifier was really loaded.\u00a0So if you listen to the Heresy IV with lamps, then only with powerful push-pulls, otherwise the speakers will not open.<\/p>\n

And this is perhaps the only moment that needs to be taken into account.\u00a0In all other respects, the speakers are not demanding at all – they will sound beautiful on any music, even in a small room.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Klipsch Heresy IV is equipped with the new K-702 compression midrange driver, which features a polyamide cone for even higher sound fidelity.\u00a0The midrange driver is housed in a modified Tractrix\u00ae horn, which provides a wider pickup pattern for even sound distribution throughout the listening room.\u00a0The K-107-TI titanium diaphragm tweeter features a new phase plug […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10404,"featured_media":121385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[646],"tags":[778],"class_list":["post-121378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-speakers","tag-reviews"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}