New piece + speakers

Came across an estate sale right when doors were opening today and came home with a couple new items. I am quite excited but haven't yet had the time to set it all up and see how it sounds. A near mint MX110 Z and a pair of Klipsch Heresy speakers...also in excellent condition, foam looks brand new as do the woofers. I already own an mx110 which I held in high regard, but this one was so spotless and the price was right, so I had to get it. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with it yet. Fired it up at the sale and everything worked, no smoking, etc. 900 bucks. Then I spotted the Heresys. As mentioned in other threads, I am running polk audios I bought in college. Saw these, have read about how well they match with tube equipment and decided, let's do this. He wanted 350, I talked him down to 250 and took the whole set up home this evening for 1150$. I am pleased indeed.

I know nothing about the Heresys, perhaps those that have them can share their experiences about them matching up to this wonderful tube equipment we all own. I feel this is finally one of the last pieces for me to put the system together correctly.

I do have options,how would you all approach the following with the Heresys, what should one expect? My Mcintosh Musical chairs so to speak:
Heresys matched to?
-c2200 to mc275
To mc30 monos
-mx110 to mc275
To mc30 monos

Decisions, decisions. Tomorrow I will play around and report back what I see and hear

Nice purchase! I've owned my Zebrawood Heresy II's since I bought them new in 1985 and they hold a lot of sentimental value. In my opinion, all vintage Heresy's belong in the audio Hall of Fame. I've never owned tube electronics so I can't comment on their synergy with that type of amplification. I originally bought mine because of their unmatched efficiency and "in your face" detail at that time. They were my only speakers for the better part of 15 years in 2 channel solid state systems and I never really wanted anything different. Heresy's have that typical Klipsch bright horn sound that stays clear at the lowest listening levels as well as at ear drum shattering volume. They are lacking in the low mid to low bass regions, which I'm guessing would work fine with tube amplification. I've used mine with a subwoofer at times and the results were very good. As I've aged, my hearing and tastes have changed. Mine are now being used as mains in my home theater system and they are great there. I'll probably never part with them.

jayvis said:

Nice purchase! I've owned my Zebrawood Heresy II's since I bought them new in 1985 and they hold a lot of sentimental value. In my opinion, all vintage Heresy's belong in the audio Hall of Fame. I've never owned tube electronics so I can't comment on their synergy with that type of amplification. I originally bought mine because of their unmatched efficiency and "in your face" detail at that time. They were my only speakers for the better part of 15 years in 2 channel solid state systems and I never really wanted anything different. Heresy's have that typical Klipsch bright horn sound that stays clear at the lowest listening levels as well as at ear drum shattering volume. They are lacking in the low mid to low bass regions, which I'm guessing would work fine with tube amplification. I've used mine with a subwoofer at times and the results were very good. As I've aged, my hearing and tastes have changed. Mine are now being used as mains in my home theater system and they are great there. I'll probably never part with them.

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Update:
Decided to hook up the mx110 through the mc275 to the Heresys and these things absolutely scream. Jayvis, you hit the nail on the head in your description, lacking a bit at the very bottom but wow, the brightest cymbals and high hats I've ever heard. In a nice tuby, round kind of way, not brittle and cold. With the mx110, you can obviously flick your loud toggle and it really opens the Heresys up and fills that lacking bass. Add my sub to the mix and it sounds like a concert in my den.

I am now running the mx110 through my c2200 to the mc275. Sounds splendid and matches beautifully to these speakers in every way. The new mx110 I just acquired at the sale replaced my last one in my system. Even though my first one was serviced within the past few years by Mr Dewick the latest one outperforms it. As mentioned before it is also cosmetically mint in my opinion.

Next up is experimenting with the mc30s to the Heresys. Interested to hear the difference.

It's a shame no one else here has a similar set up observation or story to share? :thmbsp:

It depends on the age of the Herseys and which crossover, tweeter and midrange driver you have. The older units with the EV tweeter aND Atlas midrange driver with 2nd ordered filters, are still my favorites. Later units with Klipsch tweeters and midrange may handle more power, but the frequency response has some severe peaks and valleys in response the older units don't. The older units are more listenable over longer periods. You really don't need more than 40 watts the MC 30's can provide. And even though later SS electronics would give more silkiness to the sound The MC-30's would be a great match.

I have a pair of Heresy III's I run with my Mc MA6200 and they are absolutely stellar. These will last a lifetime and if you are ever interested in updating the crossovers or having them rebuilt just search for Bob Crites, he is a big Klipsch specialist and can be very helpful.

Also, as a correction to your original post, Heresy's have cloth surrounds, not foam

Jeez. I may have to try a pair of these Heresy's at some point. Full pop retail at crutchfield (first place that popped up) is only 850 a piece and everyone RAVES about them.

I wonder how they'd compare with my JBL XPL-140s and B&W 802 Diamonds.

playdrv4me said:

Jeez. I may have to try a pair of these Heresy's at some point. Full pop retail at crutchfield (first place that popped up) is only 850 a piece and everyone RAVES about them.

I wonder how they'd compare with my JBL XPL-140s and B&W 802 Diamonds.

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If I was going to compare and catagorize the Heresy's, I'd probably place them in the same league as your JBL's, although they're completely different animals. That titanium midrange in your XPL-140's is very nice but I'd have to give a slight edge to the Heresy's for high and midrange detail and clarity. I was impressed with the XPL's bass during the one time I heard them and would give the edge to them in that area. If you value bass extension and accuracy, you really need good equalization or a sub base system with the Heresy's. I say that, assuming they're used with solid state electronics. The Heresy's are much more efficient than the XPL's. Those JBL's are kind of power hungry if I recall.

jayvis said:

If I was going to compare and catagorize the Heresy's, I'd probably place them in the same league as your JBL's, although they're completely different animals. That titanium midrange in your XPL-140's is very nice but I'd have to give a slight edge to the Heresy's for high and midrange detail and clarity. I was impressed with the XPL's bass during the one time I heard them and would give the edge to them in that area. If you value bass extension and accuracy, you really need good equalization or a sub base system with the Heresy's. I say that, assuming they're used with solid state electronics. The Heresy's are much more efficient than the XPL's. Those JBL's are kind of power hungry if I recall.

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That's a great explanation, thanks! And yes, I do believe the JBLs can be a bit power hungry. Sometimes they surprise me, though. For example I had a Bang and Olufsen Beomaster 7000 (from the slimline stackable series of components, ca. 1992) that only puts out around 60-80w p/ch and they really sang with that unit, along with the obviously beefy Beomaster 8000 (older, 150w p/ch machine). But my massive and well built Pioneer VSX-49TX receiver wasn't as impressive as the old Beomaster 7000 was.

Great info all!

twiiii- I looked up the serial number and they appear to be built in '77. I have also gathered that they are decorator versions due to the wood face. As soon as I touch them up where old Velcro pieces have been, I am going to rock them without the screens. I compared to others online and they appear to be original and unmolested as far as any hardware changes/updates. A little interesting info on the MC30s running them in my experience see below!

sc1801- Good to know I didn't look that close! I suppose that's why it hadn't crumbled away yet. Thanks for the tip on the rebuild, I may take that advise depending on what kind of feedback I get form you folks on my observations.

playdrv4me- got mine cheap, I'd check Craigslist...usually people trying to get rid of Dads "old speakers"

jayvis- Completely agree on all accounts. Thank god for tone control on the C2200 as well as the Loud switch on the MX110.


New observations:
Ok so, I have tried just about all combinations with my equipment. I think the winner goes to MX110 tuner to the C2200 pre, MC275, Heresy.

The MC30s did not do what I had expected, perhaps I need to update the amps? I do not know, but here was the big difference, I experienced a lot more peaks and valleys in vocals and horns in particular. Good example, Listening to New York State of Mind Vinyl rip to FLAC that sounded uber smooth and balanced with the MC275, fluctuated so much vocally with the 30s that I had to constantly adjust the volume up and down during the song. This was so I could hear the instruments and smaller vocals, then turn the volume down to avoid an almost shrill at the apex of some of Billy Joel's higher notes. Had to do the same for some of the Sax runs. The fullness of everything was just laid out there right in front of me so much fuller when the 275 was running em. Cant explain it. Caps in the speakers? mc30s need updating? I have no idea.

the sweetest of all combinations was listening to my evening Jazz program through my MX110 to the MC275 (no C2200) to the Heresys. Sweet, round, magical, fullness. Perhaps its because I couldn't get a sample of playing my own music from other genres or didn't try to at least, but that Jazz program never sounded so good. BTW, I have the 275 dialed back a few degrees on the output knobs as well.

Overall of course very happy with these speakers. I will not be looking for anything else soon. the 30s driving them weren't perfect in my eyes, but still very very enjoyable and not really anything worth dissing that particular set up permanently over. Perhaps just not as perfect and magical as what I was expecting.


Thanks for the Feedback.