Klipsch Heresy 3 Owners manual
®
Owner’s Manual
HERITAGE LOUDSPEAKERS
IM PORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. READ these instructions.
2. KEEP these instructions.
3. HEED all warnings.
4. FOLLOW all instructions.
5. DO NOT use this apparatus near w ater.
6. CLEAN ONLY with dry cloth.
7. DO NOT block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance w ith the manufacturer' s
instructions.
8. DO NOT install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. DO NOT defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug. A polarized plug
has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a
third grounding prong. The wider blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If
the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
10 . PROTECT the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11 . ONLY USE attachments/ accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12 . USE only w ith a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer,
or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when m oving the
cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13 . UNPLUG this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
14 . REFER all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus
has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has
been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to
rain or m oisture, does not operate norm ally, or has been dropped.
This symbol indicates that there are im portant operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying this unit.
This symbol indicates that dangerous voltage constituting a risk of electric shock is
present w ithin this unit.
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or elect rical shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or
moisture.
ABOUT YOUR KLIPSCH PURCHASE
Thank you for your purchase of Klipsch Heritage loudspeakers. After reading this m anual and
connecting your system, you will hear the result of over 55 years of stringent engineering and
class- leading research and development. Like all Klipsch products, your loudspeakers feature
Klipsch Horn- loaded Technology— the guiding design for the first Klipschorn®developed in 19 46
and for every product that has followed. Horn-loading allows your speakers to deliver very high
sensitivity, low distortion, flat frequency response and broad, controlled dispersion, this translates to unequaled power, detail and dynamics, the hallmarks of “ The Klipsch Sound.” Please be
sure to fill out the w arranty card at the back of this m anual or online at www.klipsch.com so we
are better able to serve you. Again, thank you for choosing Klipsch and we hope that your
speakers bring life to your m usic and movies for m any years.
PAU L W. KLIPSCH
The Klipsch Heritage loudspeakers are the direct result of the engineering design genius of
Paul W. Klipsch. The technology incorporated into these loudspeakers is as valid today as it
was in 1 946 when Paul started Klipsch and Associates w ith the launch of the Klipschorn®.
The founder of our company has been lauded as a pioneer and visionary in the audio
industry. Paul has had a remarkable career, the pinnacle of which was his induction into the
Engineering and Science Hall of Fame in 1 99 7. This honor puts him in such distinguished
company as Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver and the Wright brothers, among
others. Paul’s life was filled w ith notable distinctions, including the 1994 dedication of the
Klipsch Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at New Mexico State University,
Paul’s alma mater. In 1978, Paul was aw arded the prestigious Silver Medal by the Audio
Engineering Society of America as well as being inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame.
These are but a few of the achievem ents of a great audio engineer and an even greater
man. Hi-Fidelity magazine said about Paul that he was, “the image of one w ho pushes
toward the frontier and reestablished it wherever he arrives.” The Novem ber 19 86 issue of
Audio magazine sums up Paul W. Klipsch and his influence on the industry,”. . . the
Klipschorn along with its designer Paul Klipsch, are true legends in the field of high-fidelity
sound. Nothing I could write w ould do complete justice to its description.”
KLIPSCHORN
Paul’s design goal was to reproduce the dynamics and excitem ent of a live symphony
orechestra performance in his living room. An engineering breakthrough w hen it was introduced, the Klipschorn®remains one of the most highly praised loudspeakers in the world
and is the only loudspeaker that has been in continuous production for over 6 0 years. The
Klipschorn is a testament to design that stands the test of time. With extremely high
sensitivity, this three- way, fully horn- loaded loudspeaker w ith a folded tri-hedral bass horn
utilizes the walls and corners of the listening room as part of its design. This com bination of
attributes enables it to span more than nine full octaves with dynamic, smooth, ultra low
distortion sound.
WARNING: Voltages in this equipment are hazardous to life. No user- serviceable part s inside.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
CAUTION: Changes or m odif ications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the
user’s authority to operate this device.
INSPECTI ON
We want your new speaker system to look as good as it did leaving the factory! Please
check promptly for any transit damage. Carefully unpack your new speaker system and
verify the components against the packing list. In extreme circumstances, items may have
becom e damaged in transit. If any damage is discovered, notify the delivery service and
dealer where the syst em was purchased. Make a request for inspection, and follow their
instructions for evaluation. Be sure to keep the product’s original shipping carton.
HERESY I II
First introduced in 19 57, the Heresy started life as a compact center channel speaker for
the Klipschorn in three- speaker stereo arrays. The Heresy is a compact, three-w ay design
that uses horn-loaded compression drivers for midrange and treble reproduction and a
direct radiating 12-inch woofer for the low frequencies.
CORNWALL II I
The Cornwall was introduced in 1959 as a larger full range alternative to the Heresy as
a center channel speaker in a three speaker stereo array. It provided the full range bass
response of the Klipschorn with sensitivity and output closer to the fully horn-loaded
models. Like the Heresy, the Cornw all is a three-way design utilizing horn- loaded
compression drivers for midrange and treble frequencies and a direct radiating 15 - inch
woofer for the low frequencies.
LA SCALA II
The La Scala w as developed as a more portable Klipschorn to serve as a public address
speaker for the 196 3 gubernatorial campaign of Winthrop Rockefeller. Like the Klipschorn,
it displays extremely high sensitivity and is a fully horn-loaded, three-w ay speaker featuring
a shorter, two-fold bass horn that can operate independently of listening room corners. As a
result, the La Scala’s only sonic compromise as com pared to the Klipschorn is a slightly
higher bass cutoff.
UNPACKING & ASSEM BLY
Heresy III and Cornwall III
The Heresy III and Cornwall III models are large, heavy speakers. It is recommended that two
people be used to unpack and install these models. Open the top carton flaps, invert the
carton and pull it up and off of the speaker. Remove the internal packing and save all for
future use. The Klipschorn and La Scala II low and high frequency cabinets are shipped in
two separate cartons. Unpacking and setup will require tw o people.
The Klipschorn and LaScala II high and low frequency cabinets are matched by serial
number for proper acoustic performance. Please take care to match upper and lower
cabinet serial numbers w hen assem bling these loudspeakers.
La Scala II and Klipschorn low frequency cabinet : After opening the top flaps of the low
frequency carton, invert the carton and lift it off of the speaker cabinet. Remove the inner
packing and plastic sheeting. The top of the cabinet, w ith it’s three rubber bum pers, should
be facing up (See Figure 1 & 2 ).
Klipschorn
Slide the bass cabinet into the corner where it will be placed for a test fit and make note of
any obstructions that interfere with a tight fit. Remove the cabinet from the corner t o install
the high frequency cabinet. There is a left hand and a right hand low frequency cabinet with
respect to the input panel. This allow s the speaker’s binding posts to be oriented toward the
electronics to minimize the length of the speaker wire. In preparation for hookup, position the
speaker near, but not tight into, the corner and remove the low frequency grille (two wing
nuts) on the input panel side of the cabinet and set aside until the connection process is
complete.
Open the top flaps of the high frequency carton marked “Open This End” and invert the
carton. Lift the carton up off the cabinet and remove the packing pad. Lift the high frequency
cabinet off the f loor and set it on top of the low frequency cabinet, aligning the three rubber
bumpers on the top of the low frequency cabinet with the three recesses on the under side of
the high frequency cabinet. Thread the high and m id frequency driver leads in the upper
cabinet through the hole in the cabinet’s lower panel. Connect the Green (+ ) and Black (- )
tagged pair of wires to the pair of binding posts labeled “ Tweeter Out.” Take care to match
the Red (+ ) and Black (-) binding posts with the Green (+ ) and Black (-) sleeves on the ends
of these wires. Follow this same procedure to connect the Yellow (+ ) and Black (-) tagged pair
of w ires to the pair of binding posts labeled “ Mid Out” (See Figure 5).
La Scala
La Scala II high frequency cabinet: Open the top flaps of the high frequency carton marked
“Open This End.” The bottom of the cabinet should be facing up with the low frequency
connection cable attached to it. Free this cable, invert the carton and lift it off the cabinet with
assistance. Lift the high frequency cabinet off the floor and carefully rest the rear portion on
top of the front half of the low frequency cabinet. Secure the low frequency cable to the input
connectors on the top surface of the low frequency cabinet. Be sure to observe proper
polarity (See Figure 2 ). Align the recesses on the bottom surface of the high frequency
cabinet w ith the rubber bumpers on the top of the low frequency cabinet.
PLACEMENT
Your Klipsch Heritage loudspeakers w ill perform well in a variety of locations but best
results will be achieved using the following general guidelines:
• Place on a comm on wall 6 to 1 5 feet apart
• Equidistant from the wall behind the speakers
• Heresy: Equidistant height above the floor with the high frequency drivers at seated ear
height if wall or cabinet mounted
• Angled tow ard the listener and even with or forward of any adjacent obstructions
• Corner or near w all placem ents provide the greatest am ount of bass while increasing
the speakers distance from room boundaries reduces bass energy
• Asymm etrical placem ent of a pair of speakers from adjacent side walls can smooth
room induced bass unevenness (not adjustable with Klipschorns unless false corners
are used)
• Experiment w ith the above guidelines to suit your taste and t o compensate for your
room’s acoustic charact eristics
Klipschorn
Klipschorns typically perform best when positioned in the corners on the long wall of a
rectangular room. If the room is very narrow and long with corners farther apart than 18 to
20 feet, the stereo image may not be optim al. A room with a length to width ratio of 1 .0 0 to
.618 is preferred. In addition, Klipschorn®loudspeakers seem to benefit from ceiling
heights no lower than 8.5 feet.
The Klipschorn®requires corner placement because the walls of the room serve to
complete the speaker’s low frequency horn. To achieve full low frequency extension, the
Klipschorn®should fit tightly in a corner without baseboard or trim interference and the
wall surfaces should extend at least 25 inches beyond the side grilles. If proper corners are
not available in your listening room, false corners can be constructed to yield bass performance similar to a full corner and also allow for some adjustment of toe-in if desired. Start
with a 2’ x 4 ’ framew ork as shown in figure 3. Klipsch recommends using standard 4 f oot
wide sheet s of 3/4 ” plywood securely glued and nailed to the framew ork. The backside may
be covered with a thinner m aterial such as 3 /1 6” masonite or 1 /2” plywood. Paint to m atch
wall color, or finish with a laminate or other m aterial (See Figure 3 ). In the case of very wide
spacing, a false corner can be employed on one of the Klipschorns to reduce the distance
between speakers. Another solution to widely spaced Klipschorn loudspeakers in an audio
only system is the addition of a center speaker such as the La Scala to create a threespeaker stereo array. Please contact Klipsch Technical Support at 1- 800 -55 4- 7724 for
connection details.
La Scala
The La Scala II features a self- contained, front- firing, folded bass horn to perm it placement
out of the corner if required. However, because this m odel has less bass extension than the
Klipschorn®, the low frequency, acoustic reinforcement of corner placement m ay be
optim al. The La Scala also offers full flexibility w ith regard to the amount of toe- in
achievable for the desired stereo im age. Deep bass perform ance may also be augmented
with a high performance Klipsch subwoofer.
Figure 1
Figure 2
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