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| Klipschorn | |
|---|---|
| Name | Klipschorn |
| Type | Loudspeaker |
| Designer | Paul W. Klipsch |
| Introduced | 1946 |
| Manufacturer | Klipsch (Klipsch Audio Technologies) |
| Country | United States |
Klipschorn is a three-way, horn-loaded corner loudspeaker introduced in 1946 and designed by Paul W. Klipsch. It pioneered high-efficiency horn reflex designs used in audiophile, broadcast, and professional contexts, influencing companies such as JBL, Altec Lansing, and Electro-Voice. The design is notable for benign distortion at high sound-pressure levels and for sustained production run longevity amid changing markets including Hi-Fi, Home theater, and Pro audio trends.
Paul W. Klipsch debuted the Klipschorn after work at Vanderbilt University and during the post-World War II expansion of American audio industry firms like RCA and Western Electric. Early adopters included studios and broadcasters in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, while enthusiasts in San Francisco and Nashville promoted domestic audiophile culture. The speaker's commercial trajectory intersected with milestones such as the rise of LP records, the spread of FM broadcasting, and the growth of consumer electronics chains like Best Buy and Circuit City.
The Klipschorn employs a tightly integrated horn-loaded midrange and treble mated to a corner-loaded bass labyrinth, reflecting acoustic principles used by AES engineers and designers at firms like Bose Corporation and McIntosh Laboratory. The enclosure geometry uses room corners as part of the bass horn, aligning with techniques seen in Transmission line research and horn theory advanced by figures such as A. J. Thuras and Harry Olson. Drive units historically include drivers from manufacturers comparable to Fostex, EV (company), and bespoke units from Klipsch's own manufacturing, while crossovers evolved under influences from Harman International Industries research into phase alignment and filter topology.
Acoustically, the Klipschorn is characterized by very high sensitivity, low harmonic distortion at high sound-pressure levels, and a directional radiation pattern that benefits from corner placement, paralleling behavior documented in studies at institutions like MIT, Stanford University, and AES conferences. The horn-loaded midrange and treble produce pronounced presence and clarity appreciated by listeners of jazz, classical music, and rock music, while the corner-loaded bass provides extension similar to large horn systems used in concert sound by PHA-era designers. Measured parameters such as frequency response, impedance, and phase response have been compared in reviews by publications including Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, and What Hi-Fi?.
Over decades, Klipsch has offered factory revisions and aftermarket permutations influenced by market competitors like Bowers & Wilkins, Mission Electronics, and Sonus Faber. Notable factory variants include updated driver materials, revised crossover components, and finishing options reflecting trends in mid-century modern and contemporary interior design. Special editions, limited runs, and aftermarket conversions have involved partners and suppliers recognizable to audiophiles, similar to collaborations between McIntosh Laboratory and bespoke cabinetmakers.
The Klipschorn requires corner placement against two room walls; recommended installations reference acoustical practices established in rooms like Carnegie Hall, Abbey Road Studios, and domestic listening rooms profiled by critics at Rolling Stone and Gramophone. Placement impacts low-frequency reinforcement via room modes studied in research at IRCAM and university acoustics departments, and installers sometimes consult measurement systems produced by companies like Earthworks and Brüel & Kjær. Proper setup often involves consideration of floor type, wall construction, and listener position as detailed by educators at Peabody Conservatory and technicians from legacy pro audio houses.
Critical reception spans praise from reviewers at Stereophile, endorsements by musicians and sound engineers in Nashville and Muscle Shoals, and cultural references in collector communities alongside instruments and gear from Gibson Guitar and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Klipschorn influenced later loudspeaker philosophies at JBL and boutique workshops, and it remains a reference point in debates within forums such as those hosted by Audiogon and enthusiast columns in Audioholics and Hi-Fi News.
Manufacturing has taken place in facilities related to Klipsch corporate evolution, paralleling broader electronics manufacturing shifts involving companies like General Electric and Emerson Electric. The Klipschorn's legacy endures through museum exhibits, private collections, and academic study at institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and university audio archives, securing its status alongside landmark designs from Altec and Western Electric in the narrative of twentieth-century audio engineering.
Category:Loudspeakers Category:Audio equipment