Hi Ian,
You referred to the CD’s you have purchased in the past year in a couple of other posts.
Your reference to Cassidy is obviously supposed to make us think of Eva. However, I am increasingly realising that you really mean David…
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My solicitors Sue Grabbit and Run - will be in touch shortly
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I’ll put them in touch with mine, Messrs Hope & Pray…
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You’re quite right, Ian, I just have to find where the little b*gger’s hiding.
I may be experiencing what is known as ‘the theory of temporary invisibility’, where the harder you look, the more impossible it is to find something!
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Oh dear …
Interesting idea Chris. I’m just wondering if anyone has since tried or is using the Nait 50 with Klipsch, especially the Heritage range?
Having just drooled over @Lowdene ’s pictures of his Garrard and Nait 50, I have the germ of an idea for a second system. I’ve never heard the Klipsch ( I’m thinking Forte or bigger), but from descriptions they sound very much up my street. Is Nait 50 a good match or do I need low power valve amplification?
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That could be an interesting combo Kevin. I think @anon55098131 runs Klipsch speakers, albeit with Moon amplification so may be able to offer some useful comments on combining Klipsch with transistor amps.
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I’d be super interested to hear some details on that match - anything on a Klipsch combo actually…Have been intrigued as to how they’d sound with a low-power Naim amp. There’s not many people that seem to have Klipsch in their systems here.
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As James mentioned I run Klipsch Heritage speakers, the Forte III’s with a Moon 340ix integrated amp, which is broadly speaking in the same sort of territory as a Supernait 3.
What you have to be careful of with the Klipsch’s is that being horn-loaded in the mid and treble they have a very direct and immediate sort of sound, one that is less forgiving than many ‘normal’ speakers. As such they will be like a magnifying glass to the amp. You certainly want to avoid snything with any harshness or undue forwardness as it’s likely to become shouty and tiring. They are often matched with valve amplification with which they do well because of their unusually high sensitivity.
My feeling is that they would not be the happiest of matches with Naim amplification, which is why I chose Moon. The Moon amp, whilst fast and dynamic, has a somewhat more laid back character that I feel suits the Klipsch’s very well.
The other thing is that being such high sensitivity (99dB/W at 8 ohms) they will have a tendency to exaggerate the Naim background hiss, which depending on various things could be problematic. The Moon amp runs completely silent, even with one’s ear right up against the speaker.
Just my personal opinion. I’ve heard of people running the Klipsch’s with Naim amps and loving it. As always, ultimately you decide what’s right.
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Thanks very much for this @anon55098131 . Really helpful advice. I’m not about to make any decisions just yet and it may turn out to be just a pipe dream anyway, but your experience and feedback is great to know!
The best place for me to start is to get to hear some Klipsch heritage speakers to see if they are ‘me’ or not.
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Yes you certainly need to hear them. They are different to most. I would say ‘love or hate’!
They have a very live sound, like being at a rock concert right in front of the PA stack, or being at a jazz club or string recital right there in front of the stage. They are full-on, with all the transient slam and attack of the real thing (well not quite - but that’s the impression!).
They certainly aren’t the sort of speakers to relax to with your favourite tipple, while you let the music wash gently over you. No sir!
I love them. They bring me closer to the sensation of live music than anything else I’ve heard. And as with live music, that’s not always comfortable - but it’s always hugely involving and moving.
I once read this description of them, and it’s spot on. Imagine going to your local pub one evening. You’re in a happy mood and the ale is good. A wandering minstrel enters and starts playing his violin. Everybody joins in with a riotous sing-song and a wonderful evening is had by all! That’s the sort of feeling you get after an evening with the Klipsch’s!
Good luck and have fun.
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Here’s my take.
Naim hiss aside, I think the Nait 50 might actually work with Klipsch (and it certainly has less hiss than my Nait 2). Additionally, I think the Nait 50 is warmer sounding than my Supernait 2 and bodes well. Lastly, despite the high sensitivity, I think Klipsch typically have demanding crossovers and don’t mind power. Worth a chance, I’d say.
Over here, I’ve moved the Fink Team Kims out of the room and in with the Acoustic Research AR3A.
The AR3As are a 4 ohm sealed box speaker with a large alnico woofer with an impedance dip to 2.7 ohm. Specs are debated but one AR designer noted the 3A sensitivity as 89db/1M/2.83 volts and I agree with this. If fully restored, it’s an amazing, easy-to-place speaker and as I see it, the only flaw is “imaging”.
Conventional wisdom is that a high powered amp is required to energize that large woofer in a sealed box. Although, what is required more than power is an amp with current. Hence, a great match with the Nait 50. Loving it!
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The Klipsch’s certainly present a very easy load and have fairly high power handling. (100W at 8 ohms). Not sure what you mean about demanding crossovers? Not in my experience. A Denon Micro-System was able to drive them just fine.
Speakers with a woofer and a simple cap on the tweeter seem to be easier to drive than a speaker with, say, a fourth order crossover and numerous components. I could be completely wrong but that is my experience.
For many people, I don’t think something like Klipschorns requires anything more than ten watts but I do know many people who like some power with their Klipsch. Many at the Klipsch forum shared the same opinion (been years since I visited).
Years ago when I had set amps, I took them over to my friends to listen with his Klipschorns. We preferred his much more powerful Dynaco push pull amps over my 300B and 46 set amps. I think Paul Klipsch favored a push pull 2A3 amp.
I think one still hears the character of amps when played through those large horns. Perhaps I simply prefer the verve and bounce of a Naim amp over extremely low power that is used with these speakers.
I do think the Nait 50 is on the warm side of what I’ve heard from Naim and a large reason that I think worth a try.
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Meant to say “…affects how the amp presents the music”.
I can’t edit the post as I posted a link to an external website showing the Klipschorn impedance and phase angles and broke the forum rules. A Nait 50 would handle that tough load quite well.
(sorry Richard)
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I don’t have any experience of the Klipschorns but I’m surprised if you’re saying they are not an easy load. My Forte III’s certainly are. At a sensitivity of 105dB and an 8 ohm impedance I would have thought them a very easy load indeed. Generally it is speakers with a low impedance that are very demanding of amps as they require high-current delivery.
I certainly think my Klipsch’s sound excellent with my Moon amp at 100W/ch. Never heard them with a high-quality low power valve amp, but I wouldn’t mess with tubes anyway. Life’s too short.
You may be right about the Nait 50. I’d be fascinated to hear from anyone who has tried any Naim amp with a Klipsch Heritage series speaker.
as you say, it stands to reason that a SN3 would be a good match, no?
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forgot to say that a Nait50 / Heresy IV (or even III) could work well together with that logic.
Well no, that’s pretty much the exact opposite of what I said!
I’ve no firm evidence for how any Naim amp would sound with any of the Klipsch Heritage series. I only know that from my long experience of Naim and my experience of the Klipsch speakers I wouldn’t expect a particularly happy match. But I could be wrong…
Huh?