A Man and His Klipschorn® Speaker

Thu, 06 Sep 2108 20:16:10 EST

By Ashley Falahee

While most house-hunting couples worry about finding the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood with the perfect property tax assessment, John and Nancy McKendree had an altogether different concern when seeking out new real estate in Virginia. Their biggest worry was finding a living room that could accommodate Mr. McKendree’s beloved 1951 Klipschorn.

An avid audiophile and retired engineer, the 73-year-old McKendree developed a real passion for Hi-Fi while attending audio conventions at New York City’s Hotel New Yorker in the early 1950s. It was at one of those events where he met his first true love: the Klipschorn (he did not marry his wife until 1967). He further embraced his fascination by serving as chapter president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Audio Engineering Society from 1954 to 1955.

Then in 1956, after graduating and taking a job in Rochester, N.Y., McKendree was finally able to establish a sound relationship with the object of his affection. With the money he earned as an electrical engineer, McKendree bought his Klipschorn for approximately $400 from Craig Audio in Rochester. “It was a pretty steep chunk of change at the time, but well worth the dent in my pocket,” he said.

With an inspection date of September 29, 1951, McKendree questioned whether his prized possession was, in fact, built by the legendary Paul W. Klipsch. As it turns out, he got his answer in 2007 after getting in contact with Klipsch headquarters in preparation for moving for retirement. He was looking to freshen up his speaker with some new grilles.

According to Jim Hunter, Klipsch’s senior director of engineering and museum curator, after researching Lloyd McClellan’s hand-written notes—Paul Klipsch’s first employee—it was discovered that McKendree’s Klipschorn, speaker number 242, is actually the 142nd model produced by the company. At the time it was built, Paul Klipsch had three employees working for him so one of them probably built McKendree’s Klipschorn. However, Hunter claims that Paul Klipsch would have tested it.

An engineering breakthrough when it was first introduced in 1946, 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 60 years. With extremely high sensitivity, this three-way, fully horn-loaded loudspeaker utilizes the walls and corners of the listening room as part of its design. Able to span more than nine full octaves with rich, smooth, ultra low distortion sound, it’s easy to see why the Klipschorn is truly “A Legend in Sound®.”

“After 56 years, my Klipschorn is still in perfect working condition,” said Mr. McKendree. “I still use it all the time and I feel confident when playing it at extremely high volumes.”

When Paul Klipsch came up with the Klipschorn design, his goal was to reproduce the dynamics and excitement of a live orchestra performance in his living room. So, in essence, it’s a perfect fit for the McKendree couple as they really enjoy listening to classical music. “The sound is excellent. My wife and I think it’s just the best speaker around,” said Mr. McKendree.

Refusing to ever part with their beloved 175-pound speaker, McKendree and his wife were able to find a home in Williamsburg that has room for it. And as excited as he is about his speaker and new 30-by-20 living room, he is not so sure how his new neighbors feel. But he’ll know soon enough based on the number of friends he makes or the number of “noise” violations he receives.

Celebrating 60 Legendary Years

Thu, 06 Sep 2108 20:16:10 EST

By Sarah Knight

At Klipsch, we make loudspeakers and have been for over 60 years. But our passion isn't for metal, wood or wires. We're passionate about the extraordinary entertainment experiences our loudspeakers create. Over the past six decades, we've brought forth new innovations and creative improvements that have allowed each generation to enjoy music and movies in a different way.

1940s
Paul W. Klipsch, one of America's most celebrated audio pioneers, revolutionized the way people listened to recorded music when he founded our company on the promise of a corner horn-loaded speaker in 1946.

Unsatisfied with the sound quality of phonographs and early speaker systems, PWK used scientific principles to develop a "corner horn" speaker that sounded more lifelike. He called it the Klipschorn®.


Paul W. Klipsch giving a Klipschorn demo.	The second Klipsch factory.

The introduction of the patented Klipschorn set the standard for high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, low distortion, smooth frequency response and powerful bass. In addition to being the company's foundation product, this speaker contributed to the birth of "Hi-Fi" or the high-fidelity era.

Still manufactured and sold worldwide today, the Klipschorn represents a legacy that has guided Klipsch speaker engineering throughout the years. Every Klipsch loudspeaker is designed to the same live-sound philosophy that inspired the Klipschorn.

1950s
Considered the "Golden Age" of high fidelity, the 1950s brought better-quality sound from radio, records, and music reproduction equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers.

Surprisingly, Paul W. Klipsch introduced his experimental Heresy loudspeaker in 1957, calling it the world's first center channel loudspeaker. He demonstrated it at the World's Fair in Brussels, Belgium in 1958.


New Heritage Series Heresy III	New Heritage Series La Scala II

1960s
Originally designed by Paul W. Klipsch for Winthrop Rockefeller's Arkansas State gubernatorial campaign, the La Scala loudspeaker was widely used for sound reinforcement in commercial cinemas and nightclubs. It also became a favorite among college students and rock-n-roll fanatics because of its ability to play loudly with undetectable distortion.

1970s
Aside from introducing the Belle Klipsch, a more elegant version of the La Scala, for home use, Klipsch used this decade to officially launch its professional line of speakers.

Kicking things off with a very big and very powerful bang, Klipsch entered the commercial market with the 500-pound MCM speaker. Designed for touring sound and cinema applications, this colossal speaker had enough power to rock the house down.

To satisfy those pro customers needing high-performance sound but on a much smaller scale, the company also launched the pro Heresy speaker to serve as a compact PA rig or monitor.

1980s
While it is very possible that cinemas used the Klipschorn in the early 50s to wow audiences, Klipsch formally got into the professional theater business when it sold an MCM system to John Allen in 1980. Allen was responsible for doing the first ever "digital" audio presentation of a soundtrack using Klipsch speakers.


Cinetopia in Washington uses Klipsch.	Cine Capri in Arizona uses Klipsch.

Klipsch has brought a lot to the movie-going experience since then. Today the company is considered a technology leader in the cinema industry with over 20 speaker offerings, including the first and only fully horn-loaded, THX-approved four-way cinema system. Additionally, one out of two new theaters choose Klipsch products to deliver the powerful, detailed soundtracks of today's demanding blockbusters.

As the 80s were coming to a close, Klipsch reached a major turning point. In 1989, at the age of 85, PWK sold the company to a cousin and Indianapolis businessman Fred S. Klipsch and his wife Judy. Business operations moved from Hope, Ark. to Indianapolis, Ind.

1990s
The 1990s brought a lot of growth and change to the company. With 5.1 home theater surround sound emerging, Klipsch began building its audio portfolio with the introduction of its first center channel speakers and powered subwoofers.


Klipsch Reference Series Center Channel	Klipsch ProMedia v.2-400

While not as popular as it is today, Klipsch started supplying the residential contracting market with two in-wall speakers in 1992 and introduced three more in 1995.

In 1999, Klipsch introduced the first computer speaker system in the world to be THX®-Certified. At $249, the ProMedia v.2-400 forever changed the way people thought about multimedia speakers.

Today
As the audio world evolves to accommodate the listening preferences of today's consumers, Klipsch is keeping up with the trends by delivering high-performance products that reflect society's demand for simplicity and minimalist design.

From exciting new speaker solutions for the Apple® iPod® to contemporary flat-panel products and from performance-leading satellite systems to over 30 innovative architectural speakers, Klipsch now has a product for every application, lifestyle and budget.


Klipsch 2.1 iFi system	Klipsch original iGroove

While Klipsch continues to stick to its audiophile roots by carrying on PWK's no-compromise spirit and engineering design genius, the company has significantly changed over the past 60 years.

What started out as a one-man show in Hope, Arkansas has evolved into a globally recognized speaker brand that employs over 300 employees worldwide, occupies 5,000 storefronts and is sold in 75 countries.

Memorable Years
1946 - Paul W. Klipsch founds company in Hope, Ark. with patented Klipschorn

1948 - PWK acquires first factory building and hires first employee

1957 - Experimental Heresy speaker is developed

1963 - PWK designs La Scala for Arkansas State gubernatorial campaign

1977 - Professional speaker line introduced

1978 - PWK receives Audio Engineering Society's prestigious Silver Medal Award

1980 - Klipsch formally enters professional cinema business

1984 - PWK inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame

1989 - Fred Klipsch (a cousin to PWK) and his wife Judy purchase company; business operations move to Indianapolis

1992 - First set of Klipsch architectural speaker launched

1993 - Klipsch taps into 5.1 surround sound with powered subwoofer and center channel lines

1997 - PWK inducted into the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame

1999 - Reference Series and ProMedia lines launched

2001 - Klipsch breaks ground on one of the Midwest's most advanced consumer audio research facilities

2004 - Klipsch THX Ultra 2 system launched; PWK inducted into Consumer Electronics Hall of fame

2005 - Klipsch acquires Jamo brand; iFi and iGroove systems wow iPod audiences

2006 - Klipsch celebrates sixty years of success; 60th Anniversary Klipschorn introduced; Klipsch acquires API

Klipsch Audio Technologies | Heritage Series

A Man and His Klipschorn® Speaker

Celebrating 60 Legendary Years