Summary – Klipsch Heresy III Review
The Klipsch Heresy III Heritage series speakers is an iconic speaker from Klipsch with really good sound performance with vinyl or home theater listening. It’s one of the more compact speakers in the Heritage Series line and offers the greatest degree of placement flexibility for different listening options. This speaker uses a three-way design with horn-loaded titanium diaphragm for ultra-detailed midrange and high-frequency compression drivers. It also comes with a direct radiating 12-inch woofer for powerful low-frequencies, and it has 99 dB sensitivity which delivers smooth, dynamic and low-distortion sound performance. The Heresy III speakers have a wide frequency response from 65 Hz to 20 kHz without any harmonic distortion at high volume levels. If you listen to the Klipsch Heresy III speaker for long enough, you’ll realise how much depth of detail and soundstage these speakers can deliver for your music recordings.
Technical Specifications
Before we get any further, let’s talk about the history of the Klispch Heresy III speakers. Klipsch initially introduced the Heresy speaker in 1957 with a compact three-way design utilizing a 12” woofer and horn-loaded midrange and tweeter. In 2006, the Heresy III was upgraded with a more powerful woofer and bi-wire network as well as midrange and tweeter compression drivers. It also features a titanium diaphragm for smooth and accurate sound reproduction. The speaker also comes with a slant riser base that can be removed for cabinet installations. Klipsch also only uses book-matched wood veneers for the Heritage series speakers; the veneer leaves are kept in order as they are delicately sliced from the timber and precisely arranged to provide a mirror image at the splice joint. This gives each speaker an aesthetically appealing and consistent appearance.
How do these speakers sound?
Well, that really depends on what kind of amplifier you use to go with these speakers. I’d highly recommend going with a high-end amp with at least 200 watts per channel in order to make these speakers truly shine. When playing music, these Klipsch speakers sound cohesive and well-balanced with great depth and clarity. Nothing in the music is exaggerated and missing; even the lower bass frequencies feel present on these speakers. The bass from these speakers does not go extremely deep (i.e., subwoofer level), but it integrates well into the midrange without sounding overwhelming. The speakers produce big sound with precise imaging as well as a nice soundstage that feels wide and dynamic. You can really hear details in the music from different height angles and directions; they produce music that’s almost sublime with classy refinement.
That said, speaker placement is really crucial with these speakers. I spent half a day trying to get the placement right, adjusting the speakers and the sofa to ensure that these are angled towards a nice ‘sweet spot’ for the best listening experience. Once the placement of the speakers was worked out, listening to these speakers is actually a very special experience. The only thing lacking from these speakers is probably bass – they do mid-bass and midranges really well, but they do not have that ultra-deep bass that you get with subwoofers from EDM and rock music. Despite this, the lower bass does pack a punch and you can literally feel it in your chest with some songs even without a dedicated subwoofer. They have some of the most natural, fluid and dynamic sound I have ever heard in a speaker.
Should you get a subwoofer to go with the Klipsch Heresy III speakers?
In my opinion, you should only get a subwoofer if you want to listen to bass-heavy music genres AND have the money to splurge on a good subwoofer that can complement these speakers. This is because an average subwoofer can really ruin the quality of the sound coming from the Heresy III speaker – its subtle details and nuances. These speakers are built for music genres that require an emphasis on subtleties, such as instrumental and opera music. I’ve heard some of the most natural and vibrant vocal performances from these speakers and cannot be more satisfied with the overall sound quality.
The Verdict?
The Klipsch Heresy III speakers are really powerful speakers that have excellent soundstage and one of the best natural sounding tones I’ve ever heard. Music performances on this speaker sounded crisp and clear with dynamic soundstage; it has the ability to make you feel like you are sitting in a live concert hall with vibrant details and separation. The sheer depth and height of music detail from these speakers is off the charts. One caveat though – you’ll need really good and powerful amplifiers to power these high-fidelity speakers; otherwise you’ll get nothing but harsh and distorted sound performance. They don’t require a dedicated subwoofer, but will definitely benefit from a high-end sub if you intend to more bass-heavy music genres.