Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Headphones Preview

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by purr1n, Sep 15, 2017.

  1. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    f**k no those are my sanity checks.

    ^in case it wasn't obvious, my tone above is light-hearted, I cuss for fun. I genuinely like the HD600s for a great many reasons, which I posted in the relevant thread. Have had less time for music lately (in a good way), so I'm still getting to know them, but they play very nicely with the gear I have at home and my music preferences, just that I occasionally want MOAR bass that isn't all flubby dubby bubby as on the Meze 99s and crave more headspace than the Senns offer.
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2019
  2. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    Well you are neither the first nor the last to enjoy more than one set of cans at a time. I was having a bit of fun myself, believe it or not.
     
  3. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    Hah, after dozens of headphones auditioned and owned, I finally ended with Susvara and at some point I might snatch new Raals. But HD 600 will be purchased at some point as well... again. I had these two times in the past, but the funny thing is that some time after they're gone I eventually start to miss them. There's something about HD 600 no other cans can replicate.
     
  4. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Yeah they're keepers for me. Even if there are far more technically competent headphones out and about the HD600s are magik, not to mention they're so prolific that they alone serve as an excellent reference. Their being 300 ohms nominal also makes them a grand match for some excellent OTLs I hear, which is something I might wanna investigate... eventually.

    They and the HP-3s (to try and stay on topic even though I'm pretty sure this thread has run its course now, cringe) make for excellent complements in both FR and sonic "character". I guess I'm pining for something faster and more resolving of nuances than either can manage, but a part of me is saying screw the RAALs and just keep the two for when using speakers is unfeasible— once I actually get into speakers, mind.
     
  5. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    True, there's A LOT of performance in HD 600. Today one can do far more with them than a decade ago. Better amps, better DACs and so on. I was going to say that better cables too but am too humble to say so :p
     
  6. Baten

    Baten Friend

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    I think many people have this with either HD600, or HD650 in my case :) I recently sold most other cans just to end up with HD650s on my head again 90% of the time.
     
  7. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    @Baten
    As if SBAF wasn't bad enough about hyping the Senn HD6__ cans, haha (except the 660S).

    New-ish toy syndrome with the HD600s aside, I still get some ear time with the HP-3s (just to keep things vaguely on-topic, lol). The main difference between them besides FR being what I mentioned in the other thread— how while I might after a while get conned by the Senns into perceiving instruments around me in real space, the Klipsches make it so you never really forget that they're transducers; soundscape still contiguous with an even wider spread, but not as immediately immersive as the Senns can be. I think the conversation following @msommers's recent post in the HD650 Love thread gets into why there's something about these (and the HD600s :p) that're just special.

    @Forza AudioWorks
    Interesting thing, I saw someone with Forza-branded gym wear (shirt and baller) on my commute home yesterday. Totally different design though :))

    Cables do make a difference, I determined in a recent single blind test, so f**k it now I have something else to worry about. Least now I know where to poke if the wallet permits, I recall you made an excellent cable for Ray some time ago (rest his soul), I have that bookmarked, haha.
     
  8. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    The hype's justified it seems :p
     
  9. Quickzor

    Quickzor New

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    Bought these after some guides and reviews and I am in love! These will be definitely replacing my 12 year old HD650s
     
  10. vdk01

    vdk01 New

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    I also got my Klipsch HP3 for more than a month and I like it very much. But I think the sound signature is quite different to the Sen hd650. Klipsch just has amazing bass and very lively dynamic sound....
     
  11. Quickzor

    Quickzor New

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    Most definitely, I am a bass head that has lived with HD650s for 12 years because I am too cheap :D
     
  12. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Discussion in the new Aeolus thread reminded me that I've been meaning to post this since the other day.

    It's no secret at all that I love these headphones save for some concerns about treble hotness or vocals being subsumed by literally anything else, but these are quirks that can be as much the fault of bad Japanese pop mastering as the headphones themselves. Out of a chain that tempers the treble response or light EQing these are a visceral and engaging listen.

    However it has recently come to light in my search for replacement pads (cough) that aftersales on these are worse even than Focal's allegedly is, and given how the build quality doesn't seem to hold up well in hot and humid climates where adhesives weaken easily the lack of availability of parts is a genuine concern. There is also the matter of how some of the screws, specifically the ones securing the grille ring, appear prone to losing their heads to deter one from buying these.

    Ah, and there are rumours that these have been quietly discontinued and all current stock that remains is all that will be had of these.

    I still love their sonic presentation and steampunk aesthetic, but unless you don't mind possibly having to cannibalise another pair or DIYing replacement parts these get a strong middle finger from me. That really just disappoints me since these had a crap ton of potential— I'm hoping my pair live on for a long while more.
     
  13. wadec22

    wadec22 Almost "Made"

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    your love/hate updates on these keep me very intrigued. i want to try them but finding them for the right price and finish is always the challenge. putting them up against the competition, what do you think they are worth?
     
  14. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Lol, it's love for the sound (with darker/warmer upstream gear) and hate for the fact I can't even buy new pads when that was touted as a feature: hot-swapping pads using the magnets, tweaking the tuning with different materials!

    I got these for $500 off @Bigferret in mid-2018 and paid $100~$130 I think for the forwarding service cuz the box is amazingly heavy, but honestly that's just a great deal and the $999 they planned to ask for initially makes sense to me given what else is on the market. Maybe $800 since these are like a Nighthawk with better headstage, voicing, and macrodynamics.

    My experience with them 2+ years later and seeing how they wear though says you should only pay what you're willing to toss on a lark presuming maybe four years of use if you don't carry headphones around and have very playful pets like I do. @gbeast had a problem with the connectors on one side crapping out relatively soon after getting them, so it's luck as much as anything else. Cover your butt and all, especially used.

    I will say I don't hate the aesthetic wear on them. Wabi-sabi works with the cups and grilles, but maybe moreso the oak finish.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2020
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    You and @zerodeefex are both in the HP-3 club.
     
  16. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    We stock the HP3 at Upscale and I have spent quite a bit of time with them alongside the ZMFs back before ZMF decided to self-distribute exclusively in North America. I really like them for lower-level listening, the emphasized top and bottom octave-and-a-halves do give them a sense of heightened color - not nearly as "grey" as something like a Senn, though also a bit more fatiguing if you crank it a bit. Dynamics are great at any level. Timbre is smooth despite the hyped treble.

    Looking back at the initial measurements in the thread I kind of wish I could hear a pre-production pair as my EARS measurement of the HP3 looks a bit unlike the initial FP measures. My comp curve (tried to match Marv's second-round EARS comp curve) hasn't changed since when I took this -

    [​IMG]

    We actually sell quite a few pairs of these and in general most of the customers keep them and gave good feedback. They do really well with portable sources and do scale a little bit with nicer gear. I wish I could find a pic of the internals to see what kind of gains could be made mod-wise, or if there's a way to bring down the treble without an assload of damping on the front. Once I tried 8-ply of TP and stretched-out Ori lambskin non-perf pads and enjoyed their stupid-huge bass despite the loss of transient snap in the highs. It did take that much to get the treble to a tolerable place for me at my preferred listening level (maybe ~90dB in the mids for a few minutes at a time), though. I'm sure I could do better this time around if I found myself with a pair...

    In general my modded Fostexes do tick off more of my boxes with comparable strengths, but I bet some creative tweaks could yield similar performance, and I do really like the look of these.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2020
  17. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    https://photos.app.goo.gl/rHyWU6Rox4SzSibM7

    Also Marv's initial pair had vents in the felt cover on the inside of the pads, mine was solid. I cut holes along them using a knife and the bass was tamed a bit, no longer painful headache-y but that could be placebo given the minimal modding.

    I'm gonna be evil (sorry!) and ask if you might know where I can get pads so I can at least kill and experiment with the one set I have. Also asking publicly in case anyone else is in a similar hole.

    Bwahahaa. Knew I liked him for a reason XD
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2020
  18. E_Schaaf

    E_Schaaf MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    If these drivers behave like the TH900 drivers do, removing the ring of paper damping over the sealed driver vents and swapping with a less impeding filter (or just an alternating pattern of open and closed vents) with a bit of extra cup stuffing throughout might lower the treble fairly substantially and bring the mids out more. Of course, I'm assuming those vents are actually there, it's hard to tell from the photo. In stock form it's vented just like the TH900. Any paper you tear off the vents you could re-seal with one or two layers of micropore tape. So it's kinda reversible.
     
  19. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    Thought I'd update this thread with new information pertinent to my concern quoted here. After about 3 months of silence (understandable given the global situation) I finally got word back from Klipsch regarding my enquiry about replacement earpads. Ordering directly from them via phone in the USA has them at about $120... each, so that's $240 for a pair before shipping and taxes, as applicable.

    Guess I can't make fun of Focal now. Sweet sugary giblets on a pikehead the sticker shock got me.
     
  20. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Jesus, $240 for a pair of pads? It's too bad these seem to have sold so poorly or we'd have some third party pad options.
     

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