Heco - Klipsch - Kralk Audio with Sugden

[Lee M]

Hi.

Some will know I've had my system since the Wam started in 2005. ( I deleted my account somehow lol).

Current system CCA - Sugden headmaster pre/headphone amp - Sugden Musicmaster 16w - Proac 1sc  plus Townsend supertweeters and cables. This is all housed in my converted garage room approx 2.4m wide x 3.5m long x 2.2m high. Along one long side is the doors which are 2.3m wide (blinds or curtains not decided yet.) I have two roof lights in the ceiling on the right hand side at each long end. I have hard flooring but two foot stools. 

What I'm thinking of is some bigger woofers. Personally, I love the look of the white Heco Direkt two ways the most (shallow I guess) but i know these would be a good match on paper to my amp. I have watched the review on the Darko site of the Klipsch forte III and seen the posts of the Kralk Audio 12 on here.

My main concern is lack of distance between the speakers. It would be similar to my Isc's and distance from the side walls would be very tight.

I would be interested in measuring my room too. That would help in the long term either way.

I guess all three speakers have different presentations for starters and placement issues.....

So what are the thoughts of the Wam. The + and - to each speaker. There may be other speakers that i cant think of. I will try and get a demo of at least two if at all possible.

And one thing is for definite, I won't be changing the amp.

Excuse the wire, waiting on a big tv and the cardboard is so I can move the speakers around. 

Untitled by FITBITSFELLA, on Flickr

Untitled by FITBITSFELLA, on Flickr

20200101_214924 by FITBITSFELLA, on Flickr

20200101_214914 by FITBITSFELLA, on Flickr

Ta

 

[meninblack]

Hi Lee,

Heco Direkt are ecxellent and well worth a try.  Big Tannoys would also work with your Sugdens and also in your room.

 

[Lee M]

Hi Lee,

Heco Direkt are ecxellent and well worth a try.  Big Tannoys would also work with your Sugdens and also in your room.

Hi John. Hope you are keeping well.

I am drawn to the Hecos as they are more to my modern style tbh. Big Tannoys like yours would just annoy me with their styling even if they sounded great. Yes im sad like that.

 

[rabski]

Not sad at all, and hi Lee! I've heard Mibby Tannoys and some of the enormous ones and I agree with you. I love the sound, but here they'd look like roadkill.

As always, auditioning in your own space is king of the hill, but even a quick earfull somewhere else will give you some idea of the presentation. I don't know the Kralk, but people write nice words about them, so likely to be worth a listen. The Hecos I've heard a few times and like a lot. A couple of places I've seen and heard them have been in quite 'challenging' positioning and they seem not to be overly bothered and judging by the sort of 'normal' partnering, the Sugden should be a good match. I've heard the Klipsch just once. Opninions seem divided and I suspect they are very room dependent. Certainly a very 'immediate' sort of sound, but I think you'd need to hear them at length.

The 'close together' is going to be something that might rule out quite a few that would otherwise be logical suggestions. Unsure of the layout, but could you turn the room around and have the speakers on the long wall? That might put you too close to them, but some would work.

 

[Lee M]

Hi Richard. 

Just not me with the looks then lol. I wont be able to swap to across at the door would be behind me. Maybe it's a design issue that I wanted to room t to open in to the garden......

 

[Rockchild]

The Kralks will need room to breath and like being driven hard to work at their best.. it is highly unlikely with the Sugden that they will work well. Don’t get me wrong, the Kralks are a desirable product but I strongly recommend you speak with Alan at Kralk for his opinion 

 

[rabski]

Hi Richard. 

Just not me with the looks then lol. I wont be able to swap to across at the door would be behind me. Maybe it's a design issue that I wanted to room t to open in to the garden......

I'd kind of expected that, but it was worth asking. Mind you, about two and a half metres wide isn't bad, as long as you find speakers that aren't unhappy close to side walls. Unless you can get the listening seat away from the 'back' wall, you won't get the ideal triangle that many work well with, i.e. the same (or greater) distance between speakers as the distance between the speakers and the listening position, but some fiddling and you might be fine.

Audio Note? Generally quite happy in corners.

 

[rabski]

And RR is right. The Musicmaster is a beauty, but really is going to be happier with higher sensitivity speakers and definitely not things that need a lot of current to come alive.

 

[Rockchild]

And RR is right. The Musicmaster is a beauty, but really is going to be happier with higher sensitivity speakers and definitely not things that need a lot of current to come alive.

The Kralks sensitivity is 96.5db so should work on paper but the current delivery of the Sugden isn’t as good as say the a21a. 
Alan at Kralk will be honest enough to advIse

 

[Lee M]

Thanks for the replies. I really want to keep the Musicmaster as I want to hear what it can do into more friendly watt speakers if that makes sense.  I wanted some Art Emotions years ago. Now I know they would be a good match but none ever  come up for sale.....

I think I need to get Mike (Yoda) to pop round and have a listen to the system as it is now to gauge my room. 

On a separate note. If I was to measure my room do you need a powerful computer/laptop to process the data.

 

[Lee M]

Added some pics to the first post. It's a bit bare at the minute. Tv and 5.1 to add plus pictures on the walls, blinds or curtains etc.

Sounds decent enough if a bit to the left on some albums

 

[t1no]

Something like this ... Klipsch Heresy ... less than2.4m ... 

 

[Lee M]

Damn. I've just looked at the Darko video and it's the  klipsch forte III. Apologies I'm an idiot

 

[Lee M]

Something like this ... Klipsch Heresy ... less than2.4m ... 

Nice. Very neat. What s the sound like. 

 

[t1no]

No idea! Just an image off the internet.

 

[Lee M]

Oh lol ok. Still looks smart.

 

[HoopsOnToast]

If you are used to the1SC then I can't imagine you would like the Heresey. I had a pair of Mk2s and they were truely terrible, especially in the midrange, really coloured.

A speaker that will work close to the boundries and relatively efficient, I would try the Vandersteen 1C.

 

[Lee M]

Hi. Rob. Never heard of the Vandersteen before, will Google. Thanks for the info on the Klipsch 

 

[MotherSky]

Lee - as you know, I also run a pair of 1SCs with a Musicmaster - I would suggest that you would sorely miss the Proacs' pinpoint imaging and incredible midrange should you part with them in haste - Sugden themselves believe the Musicmaster to be possibly the best amplifier they have ever produced, but having tried many far more powerful amplifiers with my 1SCs before buying the Musicmaster, I did feel a lack of bass drive - I discussed this with Mr Miller (senior) at the time and he offered to increase the standing current - this was a transformative modification - they kept notes on this at the factory, and should you be interested, I'd be happy to pm you the serial number of my amp and my details and you could have a chat with Sugden - their customer service is excellent. As to bass depth and the constraints of your listening space, I would strongly recommend trying a non ported subwoofer - I'm aware that they divide opinion rather, but I am extremely fussy, and I've been using an REL Strata V for many years and in several different rooms to excellent effect (a more contemporary option might be a B&W PV1) - beyond this, I found the 'weakest link' was the Headmaster: a serious valve pre was something of a revelation...

 Being a hifi obsessive, I have naturally spent time considering other options - I have always been intrigued by Audionote speakers (though I think they probably need more space) and I'd really like to try a pair of Kibri Naima, but I think the Sugden/Proac combination is going to prove extremely difficult to beat 

Happy New Year.   MH