I’ll first answer heathens question. Maybe I read it somewhere, maybe a salesperson told me, that a tube amp can tame the harshness and fatigue of the Klipsch horns.
My love affair with the Klipsch Heritage series goes back to 1979. A friend of a friend had a barn party and up in the loft were a pair of La Scalas, a low watt tube amp and a turntable. Waiting for a Columbus was cranked over and over. Maybe it was my impressionable age, maybe the party favors, but I never heard anything like it.
During the early 80’s while home from college breaks I would go to our local hi fi shop an audition stuff. Mostly Klipsch Heritage series of course. Wasn’t ready to purchase yet. Still in school. The sales rep at this particular shop, although he loved to crank Althea on La Scalas, would keep telling me never to buy them. Too fatiguing over long listening periods.
Fast forward to 1985. I’m settled in a job, have some money, getting ready to get married. Oops, honey, gotta buy a stereo first. The old hi fi shop was gone but I was able to find another not to far away. Off I go with bank envelope full of cash and ready to buy Klipsch.
Much to my surprise the same guy from the other shop is at this new one I found. Mr. anti Klipsch, but he still loved to crank them. Like a few years before he once again convinced me they were not for casual listening. After a few visits I ended up with ADS and Adcom separates. I was supposed to save money and buy the ADS amps for the 1290’s a few years later and bi amp them but that shop ended up closing and I never did it. I’ve been using the ADS since then. Took a small detour and tried some Von Schweikert VR1’s, but eventually went back to the ADS. Also switched out the Adcom separates for a Music Hall Maven.
Fast forward to today. I think I’m finally ready to go Klipsch. I’ve got a hi fi shop not to far away were I can demo Heritage series Klipsch with both tube and solid state. I mentioned I like loud in the original post, but I also like to listen to vinyl for long periods at low to moderate volumes. Most the of the cranking will happen on my deck in the summer for pool parties. I’d love some La Scalas but my room is just too small. So the question is tube or SS and do I add a sub to some Hersey’s or Fortes or just plunk down for some Cornwall’s and skip the sub.
Sorry for being long winded but I’m pretty set on some Heritage stuff and just wanted anyone who would be kind enough to offer advice to understand that. And Ray, if you read this, I probably would have bought your hot rod cobras if they weren’t blue.